Counselors Are Made, Not Born: How to Grow Counselors, Not Tacticians

Counselors Are Made
Not Born: How to
Grow Counselors, Not
Tacticians
Presentation by

Roger M. Friedensen, APR
President | CEO

Designing Reputations | Building Value

© 2011 Forge Communications, LLC | All Rights Reserved.

How many times has this happened to you?

Day One

PRESENTATION TO CAPRSA | 5.13.11 | © 2011 FORGE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
PAGE 2

Day Two

PAGE 3

You may ask yourself, „Well, how did I get here?‟

PRESENTATION TO COUNSELORS ACADEMY| 5.13.11 | CONFIDENTIAL | PAGE 4

With any luck today, we‟ll get…
• Common definition of a
counselor
• List of desirable traits
• Role model for all of us
• Tips on how to find and
grow good ones
• A 12-step program for
new hires

PAGE 5

What is a “counselor”?
• Let‟s first agree on what a
“counselor” – a public relations
counselor – is and is not.
• A counselor is:
– NOT an order taker.
– NOT a project manager.
– NOT a sales person.
– NOT a librarian or documentarian.
– NOT someone who thinks s/he has
ALL the answers ALL the time.

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What is a “consultant”?

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A counselor
• Is introspective, cooperative and
attentive.
• Has strong desire to help others.
• Communicates in personalized
manner.
• Is positive and kind.
• Listens well.
• Can often detect others‟ emotions
or intentions.

PAGE 8

A counselor

• Values harmony (home and work).
• Plays well with others.
• Helps things run smoothly.
• Serves as “barometer” of morale.
• Understands complex issues and individuals.
• Has intricate personality and rich inner life (*)

(*) Notice we didn‟t say rich outer life…

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A counselor

• Prefers behind-the-scenes influence.
• Develops personal rapport with clients and coworkers.
• Needs quiet time to reflect and re-energize.

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A counselor
• Is abstract in speech, cooperative in pursuing goals.
• Integrates competing demands diplomatically.
• Functions best in mentoring or advocacy roles.
• Values meaningful communication and relationships.
• Searches for profound truths hidden beneath the
surface
• Speaks often in metaphors .
• Is enthusiastic about possibilities.
• Strives for self-renewal.

PAGE 11

So what do we do?
• All in all, it‟s pretty
simple. We solve
problems to help
people and groups
of people get better
at what they want to
do.

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How do we do it?
• Combine fundamental principles of human
psychology and behavior with planned
communications to inform, persuade and motivate
(sounds pretty easy, doesn‟t it?).

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The question at hand

Strategic PR consultant who can make me
money

How do we find others who can do it, too?
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Our heroes

PAGE 15

What does a farmer need?
• The right seeds
– Find good sources and buy highest quality.
– Plant perennials, not annuals (though they may be pretty)
– Buy heirlooms (but avoid “Charles Emerson Winchester” variety).
– Trust, but verify.

OR

Yes No
PAGE 16

“The Epley test”

PAGE 17

Candidate interview (sample)

You have just had a preliminary meeting with Redwing. He is having a meeting with some
of the company‟s senior staff in about an hour and wants you to do the following:

1. Draft the three lead paragraphs of a news release for the area's news media on
Redwing‟s appointment as CEO.

2. Draft a brief introduction (no more than one page) for the president of the Rock Hill
Chamber of Commerce to use in introducing Redwing at a presentation before the
Chamber's board of directors.

3. Give thought to and (if time permits) draft a rough outline to how you want to
approach the overall program for Catawba Pottery Works, and be prepared to brief the
board of directors. Keep in mind this is a new business, i.e., one that needs all the
attention and support it can muster.

Oh, and since you‟re at the Pottery Works plant, Redwing would like you to sit in on his
meeting with senior staff, so bring all of the above to the meeting. This will give you a
chance to meet some of the other company officials with whom you‟ll be working.

PAGE 18


Member A: Can we realistically meet our objectives with Catawba Pottery Works? How long
will it take? Can we do it in the first year? Why? How are you going to make us a
household word? When can we see your plan? What will be the basic elements of your
plan? How much is it going to cost?
Member B: A Rock Hill Herald reporter has been calling all day and approached some of
our employees to talk about the business. How should we handle the reporter? Should
we do anything at all? Who talks to the reporter? What do we tell the employees about
talking to the media? How can we make sure we get a good story?
Member C: Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the York County Board of Commissioners is meeting to
decide whether or not to issue a business permit to the Pottery Works. No one other than
president Redwing understands the legal issues involved or can commit the company.
Heavy media coverage is expected.
In the meantime, Tim Belk of Belk Stores just called. He is so impressed with our pottery,
he thinks it might make a terrific fine arts addition to his stores' offerings. He wants the
company to come up to make a presentation to his 315 store managers in Charlotte
about our pottery and convince them they should include the Catawba line. But they will
only talk to the top guy, no salespeople. The group doesn't meet again for six months.
The Belk meeting is at the same time as the county commissioners‟ meeting. What do
we do? Why?

PAGE 19


Member A: What do you consider to be your three greatest strengths? Why? How
have you developed those strengths?
Member B: What do you consider your three greatest weaknesses? Why? What
have you done to try to improve?
Member C: How do you define public relations? What do you think the role of a
public relations consultant should be? What is it that we do in this business? What can
you offer this firm that no other competent professional offers? How has the business
changed in the last several years? What do you see as the three greatest threats to the
profession today? What are the three top opportunities?
Member A: What is your philosophy on continuing education for yourself and fellow
employees? What is the first professional development area on which you would like to
focus? How will that help you contribute to our firm and advance professionally?
Member B: What will be your personal achievement goals with our firm? What
makes you want to work for our firm? Where do you see yourself in five years? Where do
you see Epley Associates in five years?
Member C: Are there any specific clients or types of clients for which you could not
work? If so, which ones? Why?

PAGE 20

• The right conditions

– Break up the clods

– Give „em enough light and water

– Give „em room to grow

PAGE 21

• The right care
– Put a stake in the ground
– Model and expect growth
– Fertilize liberally

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• The right care

– Cross-pollinate and rotate crops

– Talk to them and celebrate good growth

– Prune when needed

PAGE 23

• The right attributes
– Ability to connect the dots
– Ability to identify and attract flies

PAGE 24

– Ability to see alternate futures and choose

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– Understanding of persuasion, motivation and
communication

Aristotle (aka “The
Dude”)

”. . .the ability, in each particular case, to see
the available means of persuasion."

PAGE 26

Some things have changed . . .

PAGE 27

Communication then
• Way long ago . . .
» Word of mouth
» Parchment
» Walls and rocks
• Pretty long ago . . .
» Speeches
» Town criers
» Handbills, posters
» Newspapers
• Not too long ago . . .
» Newspapers, TV and radio
» Billboards
PAGE 28

Communication today
• Newspapers, magazines • Guerilla marketing • Facebook
• Radio + satellite • Billboards • Twitter
• TV • Blogs • LinkedIn
• Websites/microsites/streams • Posters and signs • Tumblr/Posterous
• Phone, fax • YouTube, U-Stream • FriendFeed
• Wall, rocks • Direct mail • Ning
• Movies • E-mail • Meetings
• Brochures • Online chats • Mobile marketing
• Planes, trains and automobiles • Annual reports • Apps
• Skywriting • Newsgroups • Sports events
• Bathroom urinals • Posters • Taxi cabs
• Point-of-purchase displays • Staged events • Flash mobs
• Leaflets • SMS/MMS • Tweet-ups
• Cereal boxes • MP Games • Coffee mugs
• iPads • Sponsorships • Oh yeah, speeches, too

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But most things haven‟t changed

PAGE 30

Business hasn‟t changed
“A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by “In the end, you're measured not by how much you
doing so it would be against his interests.” undertake but by what you finally accomplish.”
“Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.”

“Politics have no relation to morals.” “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.”

“The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to
inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.”

PAGE 31

And politics certainly haven‟t changed

PAGE 32

Boring guy blathering on Opponent hamming it
precursor to C-Span up for camera Early texting

Horse-
trading in
the gallery

Empty seats of senators who
took off early for vacation.
PAGE 33

Humans haven‟t changed

PAGE 34

Tell me less about how it came to be
and more what it means to me.
PAGE 35

What persuades us?

PAGE 36

What persuades us?

Logos Ethos Pathos

PAGE 37

Credibility

Trust
+
Expertise
+
Dynamism

PAGE 38

Okay, so that‟s how we‟re persuaded;
what motivates us?

PAGE 39

Motivators
Pain

vs.

Pleasure

PAGE 40

Motivators
Fear

vs.

Hope

PAGE 41

Motivators
Rejection

vs.

Acceptance

PAGE 42

Motivators
Shame

vs.

Pride

PAGE 43

Feelings change attitudes & behaviors
• Pleasure – Pain
• Hope – Fear
• Acceptance – Rejection
• Pride – Shame

And it happens one individual at a time . . .

PAGE 44

Consulting success:
A 12-step program

PAGE 45

Step 1: Be a student of humans
• Study and be fascinated by people
• Study how we think and act as
individuals/groups
» Psychology
» Philosophy
» Political science
» Literature
» Sociology
» History
» Communication
» Religion
PAGE 46

Step 2: Be a student of yourself

PAGE 47

Step 3: Be an expert
• In your business
• In your client‟s business
» Organization
» Environment
» Issue/product/service
» Competition
» Past/present/future
• Business, finance, politics
• Local/U.S./global events

PAGE 48

Step 4: Try on someone else‟s shoes

PAGE 49

Step 5: Appeal to basic human instincts
• What happened?
• Are my family and I safe?
• Is this good or bad for me and
my family? My friends?
• Is this good or bad for the
environment?
• Who is responsible?
• Who should be rewarded or
punished?
• How and when are things
going to be fixed?
• What will this do for me?
• Is this the right thing to do?

PAGE 50

Step 6: KISS
• Brevity is the soul of wit (and effective
messages)
• If it‟s easier to:
» Write
• Then it‟s easier to:
» Adapt
• Which makes it easier to:
» Remember

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Step 7: Show you care

Awwww . . .

PAGE 52

Step 8: Show a creative spark

PAGE 53

Step 9: “Be the ball, Danny”

PAGE 54

Step 10: Learn to ask and listen

PAGE 55

Step 11: Choose wisely

PAGE 56

Step 12: Go forth and conquer

PAGE 57

The facts of life

PAGE 58

Excellence takes time

PAGE 59

It‟s back-breaking work

PAGE 60

Sometimes there‟s a bumper crop . . .

. . . and sometimes there‟s not
PAGE 61

You can‟t fix stupid – or lazy
PAGE 62

Some of it is hard-wired
PAGE 63

Sometimes the gods are with you,
and sometimes they‟re crazy (or just plain mean)
PAGE 64

No one bats .1000, but
you‟ll never reach the
fences unless you
keep swinging

PAGE 65

You must remember this . . .
• Successful consulting is based on fundamental
truths about who we are as humans.
• Successful consultants study those truths and learn
how to apply them.
• Successful consultants learn how to have fun and
be fun to be around while doing that.

PAGE 66

Thank you!
(and may the Forge be with you)

Roger M. Friedensen, APR
President | CEO
roger@forgecommunications.com
@RogerFriedensen
@ForgeComm
facebook.com/ForgeCommunications

PAGE 67

Counselors Are Made, Not Born: How to Grow Counselors, Not Tacticians

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