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Today, the company was accused of…

April 18, 2012 By

Mark Twain said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes…”  

Your REPUTATION depends on how capable you are in not only keeping tabs on what is being said about your organization, but also in how you disseminate YOUR  INFORMATION to the opinion leaders and stakeholders who help shape public opinion about your organization and your issues.

 If Mr. Twain were alive today he would know that a lie can travel all the way around the world in the time it takes someone to turn on a smartphone that costs less than $100 worth of plastic, transistors and glass…

Proactive Issues Dissemination Doesn’t END With Social Media…

 Too often, organizations disseminate news to    stakeholders the same way they disseminate information to the general public… Info is posted on their website and on PRNewswire – and if they are a bit savvier they put info up on social media channels, such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. 

However, that’s not the same as putting information DIRECTLY in the hands of key stakeholders.

 Your stakeholders – business groups, trade associations, think tanks, civic groups and even elected officials – WANT to hear good things about your organization. And even more important, they also want to hear from you FIRST, when the news may not be good.

 This isn’t wistful thinking. In a statistically significant survey that I conducted for a client, their base of key opinion leaders overwhelmingly said they want to receive news DIRECTLY FROM THE COMPANY… …and even more so when the news was bad and the company had something to say about it.

Overcoming The Transparency BARRIER

 A Corporate Affairs executive once told me, “We aren’t going to be so transparent that our brains fall out of our ears…”

This person may not like it, but the world is increasingly becoming MORE transparent. Today, with 5.6 BILLION cell phones in use worldwide, news doesn’t just travel fast. IT IS OMNIPRESENT.

 So the FASTER you get on top of a story about your organization – and get your info into the hands of people who not only support you but also carry clout - the FASTER you can manage the noise that surrounds your organization. 

Even put out fires before they threaten to burn down your office…

And if you are moving something proactively in the legislative arena, it becomes even more crucial to keep a steady stream of reliable data in front of your supporters.

If You Build It, They WILL Come…

Your stakeholders may love you, but if they have to go looking for something important aboutyou, can you be certain that they’ll read it, or even find it?

On the other hand, if you develop platforms to disseminate information directly to them you stand a much better chance of getting your side of an issue out there - in good times and bad.

 I’ve built issues dissemination platforms for a number of my clients and they overwhelmingly like the results. Moreover, so do their stakeholders.

 What are you waiting for?

 

Filed Under: Government Affairs, Public Affairs Consulting, Public Policy, Reputation Management, Stakeholder Mapping, Stakeholder Strategy, Thinking Strategically, Uncategorized

Those Four Dreaded Words

November 1, 2011 By

“Who do we know?”

It’s the 11th hour on the bill you have been working on all session. IT’S YOUR BILL, it’s coming up for a crucial vote and there are four fence sitters…

They’ve heard from your lobbyists. Your executives have come out to meet them. And the fence sitters have made it clear they don’t want to hear from you anymore, or the trade or business groups that represent you.

You are out of contacts and you are OUT OF TIME.

The clock is ticking. So how do you get to these four?

You and your team wrack your brains: “Who do we know?”

This is the bill your CEO said was a MUST DO for this year and you don’t want to wake up tomorrow, having to explain that the bill died because YOU COULDN’T GET TO FOUR HOLDOUTS…

We’ve All Been There

NOBODY has a perfect legislative year.

At the same time, nobody enjoys having to do that briefing with executive management the day after YOU LOSE.

Or having to eat crow with colleagues in other companies, after expending all that sweat, blood and effort. Knowing you’re going to have to start all over again…

I know because I’ve been there.

Having watched more than one major company initiative go down in flames, I figured there had to be a better way.

So I started asking myself, “Is there a better way to get the right voices to chime in at the right time, on top of my own company’s voice, to raise our chances for success?”

The answer is: THERE IS A BETTER WAY.

 A Better Way

What if you had already matched all of your stakeholders and key influencers to the legislators that you needed to reach BEFORE the legislative cycle started?

Now you’re thinking: “This guy must be crazy. How can you possibly match hundreds, if not thousands, of critical stakeholders across all 50 states and the United States Congress?”

The answer is that it’s not as difficult as you might believe.

But the important thing is that you have to start now, today, to assess your relationships, both in terms of quality and quantity, if you are going to get the results you want. Dollars are too precious in this economy and resources are too scarce for you to afford not to.

I CAN SHOW YOU A BETTER WAY…

If you have limited resources but still need to have boots on the ground in all 50 states. People who can make an impact with the elected officials you absolutely need to reach.

For a consultation on how you can design advanced and cost-effective stakeholder mapping and engagement systems call me at 203-727-7868 and set up your free 15 minute consultation today.

Why waste any more time, or resources?

Filed Under: Stakeholder Mapping, Stakeholder Strategy

Uncle Sam WANTS You

September 10, 2011 By

Uncle Sam WANTS you!

And so do his 50 state friends…

Is your industry already factored into this year’s federal deficit reduction negotiations?

Have you been on the hot seat in one or more major states as being a company or industry that receives “unfair” tax breaks?

Are there additional fees or fines being considered for your company, industry or the consumers of your goods or services?

In good days, they’re called corporate tax INCENTIVES and they are designed to encourage you to increase productivity, build new plants, hire more people.

However, in a down economy they’re conveniently called “corporate loopholes.”

Tell that to your shareholders, your employees and your suppliers — all of whom stand to take a serious shellacking through increased taxes, a reduction in the profitability of your company, or the loss of jobs, as the feds and states look to reduce debt.

The good news is that you don’t have to stand still while you are prepared for the frying pan and there’s a good chance you can avoid either getting fried or falling into the fire.

IF you align yourself with the right stakeholders.

The battles are being waged across the country now, today. Some have already taken place and it’s too late to do anything about them.

However, with the right stakeholder strategy – a strategy that Intelligent Management Inc. can help you define and implement – you stand a good chance of getting off the table before all the carving knives are sharpened up.

We have 25 years of extensive experience in dealing with truly tough political battles and WINNING: Crafting the right messages, identifying the right experts, mobilizing the right people.

Let us help you protect your bottom line, with measurable and effective stakeholder strategies.

Our proprietary systems have been demonstrated to achieve significant results.

Let’s discuss how to set up a thorough Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement Process. Simply call (203.727.7868) or email Josh Slavitt at jslavitt@joshuaslavitt.com  to schedule a no-cost, no-strings-attached initial consultation to get the ball rolling and to determine if there is an opportunity to work together.

We have helped many significant CA functions build clean, simple and  c0steffective stakeholder relationship programs  that can produce long-term performance metrics and remain cohesive over time.

Filed Under: Policy and Planning, Public Policy, Stakeholder Strategy
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