SPIN ● April 2006 Edition ● www.lacp.com

The Townhall Meeting Manifesto: No More Conference Calls, Please! LACP Members: Access the Templates

LACP RSS channel for monthly features. We spoke earlier in this edition of SPIN about dealing with the emerging trend of investor-led conference calls where CEOs are called out on the proverbial carpet.  We're now returning to the concept of conference calls to argue against their use as a primary communications vehicle with any assortment of organizational stakeholders: employees (particularly), investors, customers, news media, and so on. Here are three good reasons to jump off the conference call bandwagon and explore other means of communicating your message: 1. "Every handshake is worth 250 votes." Lyndon Johnson used to say that every handshake is worth 250 votes, and it's really FALSE.  While your executive or marketing director might not being running for political office, there sure is something for which she's trying to win support.  Nothing engrains a sense of loyalty as when folks feel that they have a one-on-one relationship with someone perceived as being important.  That's why fans attend rock concerts and sports buffs brave sub-zero stadium temperatures to watch their football team push on for victory--there's just a sense of atmosphere and involvement that can't be gained any other way. Additionally, at face-to-face events, your audience moves from six degrees of separation to just one--there's now something personal and experiential for them to remember when reflecting on your company or issue.  Don't underestimate the value of flying your CEO out to far-flung facilities around the world or conducting a laborious product roadshow--the dividends they pay are probably worth it. 2. "Sorry, I missed that." Marketing group RoperASW has reached some interesting conclusions: 76% of business professionals admit to doing other things during an audio conference call, which includes checking e-mail (25%) and daydreaming (13%).  In brief, your audience isn't engaged nor captive.  It's the equivalent of sending your child to their room for a time out when it's filled with a full set of toys and other distractions...the message just won't sink in. So, if you have something important to say, don't set up a conference call or web cast.  Forget about the video being sent out on VHS cassette.  You're begging your audience to find distractions to engage their attention.  Instead, send out executive teams to speak and share--odds are considerably lower that audience members will be willing to fiddle with their PalmPilot or daze out the window if their boss' boss is speaking to them from 20 feet away. 3. "Loyalty, schmoyalty." Strativity Group, Inc. discovered that 45% of executives concede that their corporations do not deserve the loyalty of their customers.  In other words, almost half of all execs think clients are suckers for sticking with their company simply because they have a past business relationship. This isn't good news, because it means that clients will find many reasons to abandon your services once their sense of loyalty is eroded, which is typically more a matter of 'when' than 'if.'  While it isn't your job to set attractive pricing or improve product quality in order to retain current clients, it is your duty to galvanize the benefits of loyalty so that it becomes more material and less fleeting.  One of your best bets is--again--face time.  Customers greatly empathize with the hassles moving top brass from Point A to Point B just to meet, greet, and shake hands when a simple call could do--after all, they most likely face similar dilemmas themselves with their client base.  So, it's safe to say they'll appreciate the attention as a proof point of how you are also loyal to them.  Reciprocity carries a lot of weight, and if they see you making the investment in them, they're more than likely to return the favor. Be Different Every business tries to say they're different from everyone else--it's product differentiation, after all, that's supposed to help establish a brand and win business.  While much of this is typically lip service, here's a real situation where the rubber can meet the road and your business can really set itself materially apart.  So, cut the cord and buy the plane ticket--your stakeholders will thank you.

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