Revered by both film critics and businesspeople alike, the 1992 movie Glengarry Glen Ross is a darkly comic film depicting two days in the lives of four underachieving real estate agents. Unhappy with the agents’ close rates, the owners of the real estate firm bring in Blake, a ruthless executive played by Alec Baldwin, to motivate the agents to close more deals. Blake’s single-minded sales approach becomes readily apparent when he quickly unleashes a torrent of verbal abuse on the agents, angrily pointing out that their one and only goal is “A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing. Always be closing.”
Interpersonal communications aside, I can appreciate the fact that Blake was trying to bring focus to the agents. For me, I view Corporate America largely through the prism of public relations. This is my focus and in this capacity, I am often called upon to work with businesses to build rapport among employees, customers, investors, or the general public. After consultation, my recommendation is almost always a slight variation of Blake’s mantra: “A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-communicating. Always be communicating!”
Repetitive and persuasive communication with target audiences is a widely understood concept but one that can be difficult to implement. Businesses know they need to communicate but they sometimes struggle with the message, frequency, or mode. And if left unaddressed for an extended period, this can damage brand and create irrelevance in the mind of key constituencies.
The important thing to keep in mind is that regular communication fosters healthy relationships with your target audiences and healthy relationships nurture greater brand allegiance. There are no shortcuts to successful communications. It takes work and a commitment to see it through but the returns are well worth the investment.
In closing, here are seven tips to help keep you communicating more effectively throughout the year:
- Develop a planned communications schedule and follow it religiously.
- Know your message(s).
- Be a good listener; incorporate target audience feedback in your internal/external communications.
- Cultivate happy customers who are willing to talk positively about your company, product or services.
- Establish mutually beneficial relationships with media influencers and maintain regular contact – not just when you need a story placed.
- Leverage the power of third-party validation.
- Don’t be a stranger to social media.
Oh, and by the way, I think Blake would agree with me when I say this, “Coffee is for communicators only.”
- Bryan Wyatt
