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Get Your Subject Matter Experts on Board

November 11, 2016Lori Rohrbach

Young businesspeople on a meeting

Developing good marketing materials – particularly for content marketing such as white papers, executive briefs, and case studies – requires input from subject matter experts (SMEs). Unfortunately, SMEs often respond to marketers’ requests for a meeting with a dismissive, “I don’t have time. Ask someone else.”

In the SMEs’ eyes, this response is perfectly justified. Their schedules are jampacked with tasks that requires their experience, knowledge, and expertise. They have projects to complete and deadlines to meet. Spending an hour on the phone with a marketer or copywriter just to “talk” is the lowest priority on the totem pole.

To counter this tendency, marketers need to practice a basic tenet of Marketing 101: talk directly to your target market. In this case, that means targeting your message to the SME.

It is not going to matter to a reluctant SME that you need to complete a white paper or executive brief. Quite frankly, they probably don’t care that that’s on your strategic plan. But they will care if you explain the need for their involvement and highlight the benefits that involvement will bring. For example:

“We are creating a marketing campaign to target healthcare professionals to promote our security solutions. Since this is the industry vertical you work in, we need your input to make our content relevant to the decision-makers in these companies. Doing so will generate qualified leads, new business, and increased revenue. We cannot bring in this new business in your industry vertical without your expert knowledge.”

Now the SME can understand why you are contacting him or her: you need to make content accurate and relevant. They can understand the overall benefits to the business: leads, clients, and revenue. And they can understand the personal impact their involvement has: they remain gainfully employed. After all, no new business = no work to do = no job.

To get your SMEs on board with your next marketing campaign, start your marketing one step earlier – market the idea to them. 

 

Author: Paula Marolewski

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Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

 

Whether telecommuting is old hat or something you’ve been forced into as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, here are a few tips to make the experience run smoothly for both employers and employees.

 

Managing expectations

Successful work-from-home strategies always begin with clearly communicated expectations. Make sure your employees have any necessary equipment, tools and resources.  Will they need to track their time? Participate in regularly scheduled meetings? Be available at certain times of day? For employees, know what you’re accountable for and clearly communicate any challenges you’re having.

 

Constant communication

Keep the lines of communication open and be accessible. Check in with employees regularly through apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and Skype, or even an old-fashioned email or phone call. Be genuinely interested in how they’re doing but don’t overdo it. Foster a feeling of trust by not micromanaging.

 

Nine to five…ish

While having a daily schedule is ideal, it may not always be practical right now. Make sure your people know when you need them to be available and try to offer flexibility at other times. They may be juggling school schedules as well as work schedules and working at “off-shift” times may be necessary. Be mindful of employees in different time zones as well.

 

For employees, try to work when you’re at your best, and not when you’re exhausted by kindergarten playtime and fourth grade math. Make sure people know if you will be unavailable at certain times.

 

Taking a break

Getting up and moving clears the head and helps with creativity and problem-solving. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a break for lunch, make time to get away from your desk throughout the day.

 

Signing off

Working from home does not mean being available 24/7. Set an actual end to the workday if possible. Don’t send and respond to messages at all hours. Sign out of messaging apps and close work programs. Understand and respect these boundaries.

 

Location, location, location

When setting up a home office, think about where you will have the fewest distractions – for yourself and for those who may be seeing you and your background on a video conferencing platform. Try to avoid busy spots that may include semi-clad people walking behind you, barking dogs and kids vying for your attention.

 

Conferencing and calls

Be clear about whether you expect people to turn on their cameras during meetings. If so, be clear about how they should be dressed. During calls, mute your phone when you’re not talking to avoid background noise. Headphones can also help with call quality. When speaking, pause frequently so others can participate in the conversation.

 

Social engagement

It’s ok for managers and employees to have some down time together, which may help ward off feelings of isolation. Keep up your normal level of interaction, perhaps with a virtual coffee break or happy hour. Managers should set the tone for how casual to be. Let employees choose what they would like to share, and never pry into areas that were off-limits before.

 

 

Author: Erin Alderfer

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