Is Your Company Talk-Worthy?

Posted by Chris Flanagan on May 2, 2007

How many times have you enjoyed a one-way conversation? For years, companies have defined themselves by what they produce only to establish one-way conversations with fickle customers ready to jump ship when the next thing comes along. As companies today reorient themselves toward customer needs, new marketing approaches are taking shape.

Yesterday, at the Providence Business Expo, Lois Kelly, founder of communications firm Foghound and author of Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing, showed us how to turn one-way conventional marketing into two-way conversational marketing.

It's the missing ingredient to what's been written about word-of-mouth marketing: how to create and be part of customer conversations. With plenty of real-world examples, Lois showed us why conversations—both digital and face-to-face—supersede brochures, press releases, sales presentations and other one-way approaches. At the end of the session, it became abundantly clear to all of us that marketing is no longer about “selling and telling.” Equally as important, companies are no longer in control of their message – the customer is. But, with a little bit of planning, companies can participate in (and quite often guide) the various conversations taking place all around us.

(Image courtesy of Foghound)

During her session, Lois presented the very unorthodox view that marketing doesn’t need to be so hard. Whether you’re trying to reach (and keep) customers in face-to-face meetings or through blogs, podcasts or online communities, she gave us plenty of practical advice on how to both listen to customers and identify what is important to them.

Check Your “Doglich” at the Door
To provoke conversation, you need to have something interesting to talk about. These aren’t facts or figures, product descriptions or message points. (Lois called it “doglich.”) When people try to understand new ideas, or make a product or service decision, emotion and feelings play a big role in their decisions. And that’s why conversations are so important.

Her straightforward process to conversational marketing involves listening, having a point-of-view and then sharing that point-of-view through real talk.

1. Listen closely to see new patterns.
   There are several methods to tune in to what people are talking about and how they’re talking to one another. Lois suggested conducting a structured listening tour where you can get inside the heads of your customers and non-customers simply by getting out of the office and seeing and talking individually to people to hear about what is most relevant in their worlds. In conjunction, there are several new technology tools available, some free (BlogPulse), some not (Netro City), but they all visually show what the conversation topic patterns are in any industry. According to Lois, “being able to see what the most popular topics are – and who and what is linked to them – is a way to glean ideas about which conversation themes may be most relevant to customers.” 
2. Create conversation themes based on points of view.
   How do you develop a point of view? First accept that bland won’t do. You’ve got to be contrarian, surprising or challenging. Lois presented us with her fabulous Nine Block Conversation Planner™ which are the 9 topics that people most like to talk about: beliefs and aspirations, David vs. Goliath stories, avalanches about to roll, anxieties, counterintuitive/contrarian perspectivies, personalities and personal stories, how-to, glitz and glam, and ideas associated with season events. (Chapter 5 of her book is dedicated to the 9-block and is worth checking out.) 
3. Straight talk – talk like you talk, talk like you mean it.
   Everyone has their own unique style. Yet most companies today express themselves through a ‘brand voice’ and discount the intangible variables represented by an individual’s personal style. People don’t converse through message points or talking points. Which is why all too often, we find a company’s spokesperson or sales person disingenuous and distrustful. Instead, reset your business communications style. “Plain, honest, human language – real words that real people use in everyday conversations – that’s what gets attention, gets people to believe and motivates them to action,” said Lois. (Chapter 10 of Beyond Buzz is dedicated to the 10 ways you can get on the straight-talk wagon.)

Conversational marketing matters because people want meaning, not buzz. Lois’ back to basics approach left an entire audience pondering their own communications style. Ask yourself, do I listen?…do I give people something to talk about and pass around?… am I fresh and insightful and cut to the chase or convoluted and longwinded? Answers to these simple questions can have a dramatic effect on your bottom line.

Now you might ask what the heck does all this have to do with innovation? Frankly, a lot. By definition, an innovation is something new and different. All too often, executives find themselves coming out of a sales meeting or vc meeting or employee meeting scratching their heads saying, 'they just didn't get it." Creating interest and momentum around an innovation is all about conversational marketing. It taps into both the head and heart, and gets people to respond and perhaps accept a new way of doing things. As Lois says in her book, "intellectual food fights, candid debates, and frank perspectives help speed understanding. Don't hide behind overly polite language, "safe" topics, and accepted business jargon. It clouds rather than clarifies." Mastering conversational marketing just might be the hurdle between success and failure.