I’ve probably mentioned a time or two this year that a lot of the work we’ve been doing is crisis communications. As we hit the motherload of all crises—social, health, political, and economics, organizations have had to take a step back and look at how they communicate, both internally and externally.

In some cases, the hard look at messaging has been forced because of some reckoning from customers. In others, it’s been self-motivated to stand up for what the people inside the organization believe, and how they can communicate that without looking like they’re jumping on the bandwagon.

It’s been a crazy time—and I’ve learned a lot about how crisis communications will work in 2021 and beyond, which is our topic du jour.

During the last decade, we’ve all had to figure out how to use social media to build community and engage directly with our customers because that is where they are. Experts, influencers, and marketers have created best practices and, for the most part, they’ve worked across brand, industry, product, and service. This year, though, has thrown a wrench into every best practice, making them outdated as we traverse uncharted waters. At a time when every consumer touchpoint matters more than ever, one public misstep on social media can wreak havoc on a brand’s reputation.

Open any of the social media platforms and you’ll find notices to vote (though today is the last day for that one!), heartwrenching commentary about The Corona, arguments over political views, the organization of protests and marches…all among the social media updates and mentions you create on behalf of your organizations or your clients.

It’s a bit nutty…and it has created an environment where even the most sophisticated of companies are struggling.

Which is what we discuss on this week’s Spin Sucks podcast episode.

Resources Included

* Edelman 2020 COVID-19 Brand Trust Report

* Reputation Risk In the Cyber Age

* Brands at Risk

* Wayfair (not) Trafficking Children

* Spin Sucks Community

   

#470: Tracey Jones and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Bring out the best in others by being a tremendous leader. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Tracey Jones https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/, who is the president of Tremendous Leadership.

Tracey is an international leadership expert who helps businesses to invest value into their employees.

If you feel that you’re not the leader that you need to be and that you’re not bringing out the best in others, you’re going to want to reach out to Tracy Jones at TremendousLeadership.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Leaders who realize that they may not bring out the best in people should reach out to Tracey Jones at https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/. #TremendousLeadership

* Leaders have to have followers. Otherwise, you’re technically not a leader. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I am a lifelong learner and that is what I consider leadership. I grew up sitting under the tutelage of people like Zig Ziglar, Norman Vincent Peale, and Og Mandino. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I’ve always been around people who taught me that the better person that you’re going to be is the better books you read and the better people you hang out with. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I’ve worked in every industry across the planet. I went to the Air Force Academy. I worked in high-tech. I worked in defense contracting. And now I run a small publishing and leadership speaking business. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

 

   

#471: Matthew McGregor and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Optimize business results by using technology for sales and marketing. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Matthew McGregor (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/), Founder & CEO of the Client Conversion Formula, master of business growth, international speaker, bestselling author, coach and trainer.

Matthew is passionate about helping heart-centered entrepreneurs to spread their messages, sell their programs, products and services, and create successful businesses that change the world for the better. He has a proven track record of various client success stories in which he has become instrumental in creating systems that work and get people saying “YES!” to offers.

If you’ve been struggling knowing what technology to use for sales and marketing to succeed on your business, you should consider reaching out to Matthew McGregor by going to his website at https://clientconversionformula.com/ or visiting his profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Marketing entrepreneurs who are struggling with sales and marketing technology should reach out to Matthew McGregor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/

   

#470: Tracey Jones and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Bring out the best in others by being a tremendous leader. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Tracey Jones https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/, who is the president of Tremendous Leadership.

Tracey is an international leadership expert who helps businesses to invest value into their employees.

If you feel that you’re not the leader that you need to be and that you’re not bringing out the best in others, you’re going to want to reach out to Tracy Jones at TremendousLeadership.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Leaders who realize that they may not bring out the best in people should reach out to Tracey Jones at https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/. #TremendousLeadership

* Leaders have to have followers. Otherwise, you’re technically not a leader. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I am a lifelong learner and that is what I consider leadership. I grew up sitting under the tutelage of people like Zig Ziglar, Norman Vincent Peale, and Og Mandino. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I’ve always been around people who taught me that the better person that you’re going to be is the better books you read and the better people you hang out with. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I’ve worked in every industry across the planet. I went to the Air Force Academy. I worked in high-tech. I worked in defense contracting. And now I run a small publishing and leadership speaking business. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

 

   

#471: Matthew McGregor and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Optimize business results by using technology for sales and marketing. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Matthew McGregor (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/), Founder & CEO of the Client Conversion Formula, master of business growth, international speaker, bestselling author, coach and trainer.

Matthew is passionate about helping heart-centered entrepreneurs to spread their messages, sell their programs, products and services, and create successful businesses that change the world for the better. He has a proven track record of various client success stories in which he has become instrumental in creating systems that work and get people saying “YES!” to offers.

If you’ve been struggling knowing what technology to use for sales and marketing to succeed on your business, you should consider reaching out to Matthew McGregor by going to his website at https://clientconversionformula.com/ or visiting his profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Marketing entrepreneurs who are struggling with sales and marketing technology should reach out to Matthew McGregor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/

I remember being a young whippersnapper in the big agency world. I could not wait until someone gave me a chance to manage others. I just knew that would be my big break!

The chance came a lot sooner than I expected…or probably deserved. I was all of maybe 25 and a young woman a couple of years older than me was on probation. My supervisor really wanted to give her one more shot at turning things around and she figured it was a good way for me to cut my teeth on management.

I was given a set of criteria: Meet with her daily, create a set of goals, hold her accountable to those goals, check-in with our superiors once a week. I really wanted to succeed. I wanted to show that I could make difference, but also that I could help this young woman keep her job.

I failed. Miserably.

It turns out, the young woman wasn’t going to make it past probation, but no one told me that. I met with her once a day to review the goals she’d be given and to provide feedback on where to improve.

The first couple of meetings were hard—she did NOT want to be there (and, really, who can blame her?), and then she just stopped showing up. She was gone about two weeks after they’d “given” her to me to manage. I felt like I had let her down. It was really hard for me because I had failed. She not only didn’t make it, she didn’t make it through her entire probationary period.

To my great surprise, though, I began to move up the ladder. Who promotes a person who can’t keep someone employed for more than two weeks? It turns out, it was just a test to see how I would handle myself; not to see if she’d stay. I guess I passed that test, even though I still felt like I failed her.

On today’s Spin Sucks podcast episode, we talk about why that is—and what I learned throughout the process about managers and leaders.

Resources Included In the Episode

* Wall Street Journal Traits of a Leader

* Spin Sucks Community

I remember being a young whippersnapper in the big agency world. I could not wait until someone gave me a chance to manage others. I just knew that would be my big break!

The chance came a lot sooner than I expected…or probably deserved. I was all of maybe 25 and a young woman a couple of years older than me was on probation. My supervisor really wanted to give her one more shot at turning things around and she figured it was a good way for me to cut my teeth on management.

I was given a set of criteria: Meet with her daily, create a set of goals, hold her accountable to those goals, check-in with our superiors once a week. I really wanted to succeed. I wanted to show that I could make difference, but also that I could help this young woman keep her job.

I failed. Miserably.

It turns out, the young woman wasn’t going to make it past probation, but no one told me that. I met with her once a day to review the goals she’d be given and to provide feedback on where to improve.

The first couple of meetings were hard—she did NOT want to be there (and, really, who can blame her?), and then she just stopped showing up. She was gone about two weeks after they’d “given” her to me to manage. I felt like I had let her down. It was really hard for me because I had failed. She not only didn’t make it, she didn’t make it through her entire probationary period.

To my great surprise, though, I began to move up the ladder. Who promotes a person who can’t keep someone employed for more than two weeks? It turns out, it was just a test to see how I would handle myself; not to see if she’d stay. I guess I passed that test, even though I still felt like I failed her.

On today’s Spin Sucks podcast episode, we talk about why that is—and what I learned throughout the process about managers and leaders.

Resources Included In the Episode

* Wall Street Journal Traits of a Leader

* Spin Sucks Community

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss why they have shifted their advice to agency leaders from focusing on short-term survival to building a new long-term plan. For the past few months, everyone has been focused on doing what needs to be done to get by, but it’s now clear that the disruption will not be short-lived.

Regardless of how long the health and economic effects linger, we now recognize that the landscape has shifted significantly. In-person events are likely a long way off, workplace structures are likely permanently altered, and businesses are likely to continue to be more cautious with their resources. At the same time, clients realize that they can’t remain in a holding pattern and have begun to become more active. These changes create real opportunities for agencies ready to take the steps needed to plan for the future.

Read the transcript.

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss why they have shifted their advice to agency leaders from focusing on short-term survival to building a new long-term plan. For the past few months, everyone has been focused on doing what needs to be done to get by, but it’s now clear that the disruption will not be short-lived.

Regardless of how long the health and economic effects linger, we now recognize that the landscape has shifted significantly. In-person events are likely a long way off, workplace structures are likely permanently altered, and businesses are likely to continue to be more cautious with their resources. At the same time, clients realize that they can’t remain in a holding pattern and have begun to become more active. These changes create real opportunities for agencies ready to take the steps needed to plan for the future.

Read the transcript.

Most of us don’t go a day without someone talking about “Zoom fatigue.” Some agencies have moved to Zoom-free Wednesdays or camera-off Fridays, or other approaches to combat it.

But the problem isn’t the technology. Zoom is great. Video conferencing is a fantastic tool.

The real problem is that there are too many unnecessary meetings with unnecessary participants.

Chip and Gini discuss how to get things under control without resorting to gimmicky solutions.

Read the transcript

Most of us don’t go a day without someone talking about “Zoom fatigue.” Some agencies have moved to Zoom-free Wednesdays or camera-off Fridays, or other approaches to combat it.

But the problem isn’t the technology. Zoom is great. Video conferencing is a fantastic tool.

The real problem is that there are too many unnecessary meetings with unnecessary participants.

Chip and Gini discuss how to get things under control without resorting to gimmicky solutions.

Read the transcript

On this episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast, Chip and Gini discuss different agency pricing methodologies to help you determine which model or combination of models is the right fit for your business.

They go into the pros and cons of 9 different models used across the industry and apply their own personal experiences, providing a unique take on the topic.

Read the transcript.