Think It Through To Sell Your Campaign

Being relevant and credible takes effort and time.

Meena is feeling the heat since she isn’t prepared. As one leader who viewed this post commented on Linkedin  – ‘has she involved the client in planning?’. A great point indeed.

So here is what Meena can probably do better sell her campaign and setting up her meeting with the client.

Understand the pain points:  Remember you are a partner for your client and not ‘doing’ what is expected. You have an equal stake in the game. Learn more about the audiences and know what troubles they encounter as they go about their lives. Do they see merit in a performance management system in the first place? If not, probably Meena needs to explain to Harish why the issue isn’t going to go away with a new system.

Begin with the end in mind: So, you have a new system in place but is it only about getting employees to sign up? Do you want staff to embrace a new way of working? Have we received their perspectives on systemic changes they would love to see? You can conduct focus groups to gauge the current ‘mood’.

Time it right: Is it the right time to launch a system in your organization? Is the culture ready for such change? Probably not. There may be other burning issues that are on top of your employees’ minds.  Can you hold on to the launch till you have ironed out the other concerns they have?

Be convinced about your work: Before you share your work, be sure you have tried many options and you are presenting the best ones based on your personal conviction. A client can sense your discomfort if the campaign isn’t up to your expectations.

Go prepared: Have you addressed all the potential questions that your client may have? If you are thinking for your client the chances are that you will. Go over the pros and cons of every solution you are offering. Think of how you will begin your meeting. If you already know your client and have a strong working relationship it may be easier to pitch your concepts and thinking. If it is a new client use some part of your meeting to establish a foundation for partnership.

Understand what you are solving:  You can’t solve all your client’s needs. However, you can try to aim for the most pressing concerns. So, be sure of which elements you plan to solve. If it is also a top priority of your client for the meeting your work gets simpler.

Think of your ‘headline’: What is the one line that will summarize your campaign message or effort? Gain insights from surveys or by informally connecting with employees. If for example, your employees mention that the current system ‘makes them unproductive’ or ‘isn’t transparent’ you know how you can pitch your messages. Share the headline with your client and gauge the reaction.

Be in charge: Demonstrate that you know what you are saying or doing. Have a plan for the campaign rollout and also share plan B or C in case you foresee changes in the future.  Have you considered the risks involved and know how to mitigate them? Have information about your audiences and their preferences as well as channel usage data points handy in case you need to refer to them in your conversation.

Have reasons for the client to look good: Your client may have peers and others to share the campaign material. Share how the client will look good and improve his standing based on this campaign and results.

Share a reporting plan: Having a campaign launch is great but your client will go back with some sense of confidence if you can share how you plan to engage going forward. Put forth your reporting plan and process for keeping the client posted.

Your client looks at many other factors: Apart from having a plan and a process your client is also looking for creative and innovative solutions. Indicate how and why you have offered the solutions you provided and that you are clear about the messages that audiences will received. Share how you have considered the differing viewpoints of stakeholders.

Finally, never hesitate to say ‘no’ if you believe the messages or timing or channels or expectations will hurt the success outcomes of your campaign.

Have other thoughts? Do air them here.