I confess I talk a lot.
David Mullen knows what I mean about talking too much. Talking more than listening. Blending into the noise.
Too many times we marketing types talk way too much and don’t listen nearly enough. We spend the entire hour or two in that first meeting with a potential client talking about what makes us great, what makes us different and what previous work sets us apart.
My first meeting with a potential client went well. It was a small organization, but a reputable one. I met with three people, including the owner. I asked probing questions about their marketing channels, website visitors, and target demographic. I jotted notes.
Like any prospective community manager seeking to be hired, I followed up with a detailed summary of what I thought I could contribute most to the organization.
Within a week, I heard back from the organization with a request to return for a follow-up meeting. A more in-depth one. The owner and I agreed it would be best to talk off the cuff about how I can help, using my prior advice.
The second meeting did not go as planned.
I was unprepared for the owner inviting his entire staff into the room. I thought it would be the same principals as before. I thought we’d be talking about ways to optimize their website for search engines, how to use social networking channels they hadn’t considered, and why I knew what I was talking about.
That’s where I failed. I talked too much. I listened too little.
In her 10 steps to deal with detractors, Amber Naslund suggests it is important to find out what went wrong.
Ask to understand what happened, and what made the experience go awry. Ask what will make it better. You can do this via a back channel like email if more comfortable for the customer or if confidential information needs to be shared, but make sure you do it.
The organization did it for me.
Within days of my second meeting with the 15-person staff when I droned more about myself and this topic and that, and less about listening to what the staff felt about the advice I had previously sent over, the owner emailed me a similar summary. A score card, if you will.
He asked the staff to review me on different criteria. He chose the best answers, the most objective ones, and emailed me.
I was blown away. Not because they were wrong in their feelings, but because I was wrong with mine.
As Mark Dykeman is fond of saying, “Just write.”
Who am I not to heed someone’s advice to write?
I am writing.
In the same email that contained the extracted reviews, the owner asked me to submit an invoice for my services to date. I am writing that up.
He also indicated a willingness to help me out “in any way I can.”
With every failure, I learn.
Thanks for reading my rant. Here’s to sharing inspiration.
Photo credit: baldiri
Related posts:
Comments:
Ari Herzog is an online media strategist and Newburyport City Councilor-Elect.
978-558-0008
ConvoTrack
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 9 comments }
It sounds like an invaluable lesson. Thanks for sharing the inspiration. And it seems like you established a strong rapport with the owner which is why he is willing to “help in any way I can”. Perhaps he would help with a referral or two?
Warren Sukernek´s last blog post..Is Twitter becoming Facebook
It’s good to learn from mistakes. It takes courage to share those with others so they can learn from them, too. Thanks for sharing, Ari.
If you never fail, then you don’t take enough risks. After all, you’ll never discover new lands if you don’t lose site of your shores.
David Mullen´s last blog post..Do We Talk Too Much?
Was drawn over here from David and glad he did.
Nice to see your candidness and sharing your story with us. You nailed it in one of the last lines – “With every failure, I learn” – Learning is definitely key and the best thing you can do with any situation.
Sonny Gill´s last blog post..Get Off Your Pedestal
I can’t tell you how many mistakes I’ve made over the past 5 years, probably a lot. But it also has been one of the best periods in my life…I learned so much more from my (occasional) epic failures that I’m set up for a long, long time. So revel in em…just don’t not admit to them…humility is a beautiful thing.
Stuart Foster´s last blog post..Interactive Social Media
The best way to learn is from previous mistakes. Did you agree with everything they wrote about you on the grading? Can you tell us what some of the things were that they looked at?
Way to go Ari. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t grow. Learning from them can be painful (boy, do I know), but I wouldn’t have it any other way. How boring would it be to get everything right the 1st time.
Jen Wilbur´s last blog post..7 things you probably don’t know about jen
Thanks for this, Ari. Very comforting and inspiring.
Ari,
I think you’re being a little hard on yourself. The prospective client surprised you by inviting his entire staff to the meeting and expecting you to make a presentation.
Yes, maybe you spoke more than you listened, but I doubt the others present in that meeting came prepared to contribute ideas or do a dissertation. They showed up and expected to hear from the expert – you!
Is there a way to possibly salvage the account? Would it be worth providing a proposal, a listing of some very specific tasks and prices for those tasks? Perhaps the owner and employees are overwhelmed by all the information you provided and now need help translating your concepts into executable steps.
Kudos to you for sharing your insights, Ari. And I have to admit, what that company gave you in terms of feedback is more than many receive, and was hopefully insightful in some form or fashion.
‘Tis a big world out there, and part of the Achilles Heel of many passionate people is our propensity to spew forth that passion at all costs.
I know I’ve been plenty guilty.
Keep on keeping on, and thanks for sharing your experiences so that others can learn, too.
Amber Naslund´s last blog post..Seven things…
Comments on this entry are closed.