It isn’t often that we get a chance to see ourselves as our children see us. But I recently received that gift when my daughter Jackie wrote the post, “My Life Growing Up with a Powerful CEO as a Mom” for the Daily Californian blog (cleverly called The Daily Clog). For those who don’t know, the Daily Californian is the student-run newspaper at UC Berkeley.
The post was created in honor of International Women’s Day, but when I read it I have to admit I didn’t feel like the powerful, fearless woman she described. I was more a pile of mush. (Funny how our kids have a way of doing that to us.)
Why did her words have such an effect? Maybe this except will help explain it:
“While she has always amazed me, growing up with such a busy mom was hard at times. Not understanding why she was always working was difficult as a child when a lot of my friends’ moms were home more often. But as I grew older, it only impressed me even more that she could single-handedly run not only her own company so successfully, but also her family. I’ve learned so much from having such a strong and hardworking mom. While I sometimes struggle to voice my opinions, my mom tells it like it is and doesn’t take anything from anyone.”
Although there might be some debate as to whether that last sentence is a virtue or a liability (LOL), I am so proud that Jackie was able to see past the things she may have wanted strictly for herself in order to understand the bigger picture. I am also glad that she found inspiration for her own life in my story.
Isn’t that what we all wish for? That our kids will take the best parts of us and use them to become even better?
I was also touched by this statement:
“The greatest lesson she has taught me is to believe in myself, even if no one else does. Her mantra is, “˜think you can, think you can’t, you’re right either way.’ And while my dad and I make fun of her every time she says it, it really is true if you believe in yourself, anything is possible. If you don’t, you’ll have no chance of achieving whatever it is you want.”
Yes, I do say that a lot, but only because I truly believe it in my heart of hearts. Jackie is one more proof point that it is true.
As you can probably tell, I am one very proud and humbled parent. But it’s great to see, after all the trials, tribulations, laughter, tears and battles that go along with raising a child, that in the end our relationship not only came out intact but that she sees me in such a special light. All I can tell you is the feeling is mutual.
May you all have the opportunity to see yourselves through the eyes of your children, and may you like what you see.
When news came down the Thursday before HIMSS20 was set to begin that the conference had been cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns, it was tough to tell whether that loud sigh that rippled across America was relief or exasperation.
On the one hand, everyone who was on pins and needles waiting to see if their projects and presentations would be done on time were likely relieved to dodge a deadline bullet. Managers who weren’t sure whether it was prudent to send key staff to a potential covid-19 incubator (including me, quite frankly) were happy to have that responsibility taken off their shoulders.
Still, a lot of time, money and effort went into preparing for HIMSS20, and many health IT companies were counting on it to help them boost sales. They had to feel like Bluto Blutarsky (the late, great John Belushi) in Animal House after discovering Delta House had been expelled from campus, who famously said “Seven years of college down the drain.”
(I was going to share a video clip of that statement, but the only one I could find is definitely not safe for work. So you’ll just have to see it in your mind.)
Yet now that the initial shock has passed, it’s time to remember an even more famous Bluto quote: “Nothing is over until we decide it is!”
Yes, HIMSS is putting together virtual conference, which may be helpful. (I say “may be” because they’ve never tried it before so it will be a learning experience for all.) Regardless, however, there’s no need to wait for or count on the virtual conference to fulfill your HIT marketing needs. Because there is plenty you can do on your own to turn those frowns upside down. Here are a few examples:
Turn announcements and presentations into your own virtual events. Even if you’ve never done them before there is plenty of technology that makes creating webinars, podcasts and virtual roundtables even than ever. Especially if you have a great HIT-focused agency like Amendola to help.
Reschedule in-person demos and meetings as phone calls/online meet-ups. That time was set aside anyway. See if you can keep the appointment virtually.
Convert your HIMSS messaging into content pieces such as data sheets, infographics, white papers, case studies, videos, etc. Don’t forget customer presentations too. They can easily be converted into case studies, byline articles and sometimes even journal articles.
Take the effort you would have put into follow-up calls and emails after the conference and do them now.
Share everything you’ve created on social media. It’s probably the ideal time, because with more people working from home, or staying in rather than going out, social media is getting more attention than ever. Use all the channels available to you LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and wherever else you think your customers and prospects will be.
Yes, the cancelling of the live, in-person HIMSS20 conference may have seemed like a disaster. But it doesn’t have to be.
With a little creativity, and perhaps a little help from your friendly neighborhood PR and marketing agency, your final take will echo Delta House’s Flounder:
Throughout my career, whenever I have done a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis with a health IT startup one of the most common weaknesses or threats their executives offer is the small size of their organizations. They may have the greatest innovation in healthcare since the Xray, but they fear it’s going to be difficult to get cost-conscious providers or payers to implement the technology or even listen to their pitch when it comes from an organization they don’t know.
Of course, that problem isn’t limited to health IT. It’s common across most industries. Unless an organization is in that 2.5% of all companies that Geoffrey Moore classified as “innovators,” or maybe the 13.5% that are “early adopters,” most organizations are too risk-averse to try a new product or service from an unknown entity.
So what’s the solution? Stop being an unknown. That’s where a thought leadership campaign can be a difference-maker.
In my latest post for the Forbes Agency Council, I explain how thought leadership can take a small organization and, following the advice of Chinese general Sun Tzu, make it look larger than life. Here’s a quick excerpt:
“You can use this to your advantage by engaging in an organized, consistent thought leadership program that shares that knowledge and helps you get prospects and customers aligned with your way of thinking. Once they believe in what you’re saying, you can guide the conversation more effectively and negate your competitors’ bigger marketing budgets. When you do that through earned media, such as media interviews or bylined articles that are accepted for publication, rather than paying for advertising or content, your thought leadership will carry even more weight and can have a halo effect.”
The post then covers five keys to taking advantage of this strategy, including:
Offer different types of content. This is especially important if your media universe is small. The more different types of content you can offer (articles, infographics, eBooks, etc.) the more tools you have to reach an audience.
Know things that others don’t (or at least don’t share). No one wants to hear the same old ideas being hashed out. Most businesses are started, and products are introduced, because there is a belief that there has to be a better way to do something than what currently exists. Share those ideas with others.
Be controversial. This is especially true these days, in the era of social media when it seems like everyone is up in arms over everything. Taking strong stands instead of playing it safe and bland generally moves you to the front of the line in the media’s eyes.
Make the content understandable. People won’t buy what they don’t understand. Keep explanations in thought leadership pieces simple and you will have a much better chance of reaching a broader audience.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. In a small organization it can be difficult to get enough time with the subject matter experts to constantly develop new content. But all content doesn’t have to be new. Look for ways to re-purpose content (or pieces of it) in various formats to get the best mileage out of every piece you create.
Those are the highlights. For a more in-depth explanation of these points (and a lot of other great ideas from other contributors) be sure to head over to the Forbes Agency Council blog. It will be time well spent.
There are many great reasons companies hire a PR agency.
Start-ups often do it to create a “larger than life” image in the marketplace. Having your executives interviewed by top industry trade media, or having your thought leadership published in top publications, helps build brand awareness and elevates the perception of the company’s position in the industry – an important factor when selling against larger, more established competitors. There’s nothing like having an industry analyst tell a small client they thought the client was much larger based on all the publicity they’ve received.
More established organizations may hire a PR agency to help change a negative perception into a positive one. They may do it to help generate sales leads or provide “air cover” for salespeople when they meet with a prospect – especially when the product has a long sales cycle. They may do it to position themselves for an acquisition, because a great PR campaign can help bring them to the attention of larger organizations looking for good companies to purchase.
Yes, there are lots of good reasons to hire a PR agency. But what’s important to understand is that there’s more to it than simply signing a contract and telling the PR agency to go do their thing.
It’s also going to take effort and commitment on the part of the client and its executives.
That’s why I recently wrote a blog post for the Forbes Agency Council titled, “Four Questions to Ask Before You Hire a PR Agency.” It looks at both the strategic and tactical areas organizations should consider before they contract with a PR agency if they want the relationship to be a success. Here’s a quick excerpt from the first question:
“Every business has the same goal: growth. The challenge, of course, is identifying how to get there. That’s why, before engaging with a PR firm, it’s helpful to develop specific goals that you’re looking to accomplish. Maybe it’s acquiring more clients in a new market vertical, establishing your CEO as a thought leader, or polishing up your company’s messaging. Regardless, a PR firm can’t help you reach your objectives if you haven’t first defined them. “
Other areas covered include the corporate culture, the need for a dedicated account liaison and the fact that unlike advertising or self-publishing, where you have total control over when, where and how your story appears, you have to be willing to accept that everything won’t always be to your liking in PR.
If you’re thinking about hiring a PR agency give this article a read. It can help ensure you’re really ready for a PR program – and that you make a good choice.
Or you can just contact me here at Amendola Communications. We’ll help walk you through the process and ensure your program achieves its goals.
Jodi Amendola is CEO of Amendola, an award-winning healthcare and technology public relations and marketing agency based in Scottsdale, AZ.
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Ah, social media. Has any invention ever been simultaneously so loved and so hated?
The dream, of course, is that social media connects us all in a community of understanding and shared experiences. We hope that others will share their experiences and connection to our brand and that their followers will do the same. It does happen sometimes. But there’s also a darker side to all that sharing — one that businesses must be aware of.
We’ve all heard stories about how viral videos (think: United Airlines) or other posts on major social platforms can damage an organization’s reputation. What starts out small can quickly gain momentum, and all of a sudden, you have a very visible PR crisis on your hands. …
