Building Your Business, Your Career and Your Life:
New Personal Directions For Coming Year

By Sue Masaracchia

Recognizing that the New Year is traditionally a time for an introspective examination of our career and life, PCC helped attendees to the December member luncheon learn how to make choices that will help meet personal and professional goals.

From left: Evon, Jernstedt, Bjorseth, Wallace (Photo by Ted Lacey)

MODERATOR

Bob Wallace, Television Personality

PANELISTS

Lillian Bjorseth, President of Duoforce Enterprises, Inc.

Rich Jernstedt, Chairman of Golin/Harris International

Darcy Evon, President of I-Street, publisher of the I-Street Reporter, and a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times

Our Report...

Veteran reporter and eight-time Emmy winner Bob Wallace, current host of "Chicago Works" on Chicago cable station 23, served as emcee for the luncheon at Maggiano’s. The luncheon featured a panel of: Rich Jernstedt, chairman of Golin/Harris; former Sun-Times tech writer Darcy Evon; and networking expert and author Lillian Bjorseth.

Lillian Bjorseth

Bjorseth, the author of several books, including "Breakthrough Networking:

Building Relationships That Last" and "52 Ways to Break the Ice and Target Your Market," suggested that we not only tend to do business with people we know and trust but also by those referred by people we know and trust. "You are part of the sale," she said, "and need to be aware of a couple of things." The first is that the average person believes that interviewers know what they are talking about; perception is reality. "To gain incredible media, you need to be credible to the media." Word of mouth, both in person and via the media, are the best ways to expand one’s business and reputation.

According to Bjorseth, the word "networking" has become trivialized. The key is to do strategic networking – to set written goals and build relationships. She suggests people do a marketing plan for themselves, working three to five years ahead when thinking about career goals.

She provided some basic suggestions for successful networking:

10 minute rule: Networking is planting seeds, rather than harvesting sales. Ten minutes of talking to someone provides enough time for small talk, a verbal business card interchange and at least five minutes for each of you to answer "how" questions elicited by your introduction.

Small talk: This is a conversation starter to pave the way for more productive conversations. Currently, men tend to be more comfortable talking about sports, current events, politics and business/jobs, whereas women have a plethora of topics they’ll discuss. They disclose more about their personal lives than men.

Verbal business card: This a two or three sentence benefit-laden introduction that is the most important thing you will tell people about you when you meet them. This business card needs to emphasize the benefits for others rather than disclosing features of your business or you.

Business Information Exchange: The "body" of the conversation where you emphasize more benefits of your business as well as let them know how you do what you do. Establish credibility and intrigue others.

The Ending: Plan time to say goodbye to everyone you met, using their first names and zeroing in on something the two of you discussed. Keep it short and positive.

Rich Jernstedt

Overseeing consumer branding, Jernstedt’s responsibilities include product marketing, crisis management and reputation management at Golin/Harris. Jernstedt proposed that trust is at the center of every relationship and relationships. Trust is the lifeblood of all new business, as well as growing and maintaining clients. He provided eight recommendations that will help establish trust with clients:

1. Deliver beyond expectations. Know what the expectations are and deliver more consistently, accurately, enthusiastically and faster than those expectations. Provide only good surprises.

2. Become indispensable. Do the research, anticipate the unexpected, demonstrate resourcefulness, as well as know the business, the competition and client priorities. Think globally.

3. Slam dunk the basics. Call back, submit easy to understand bills, meet/beat deadlines and track the budget.

4. Have fun, be confident and celebrate victories. Remember birthdays, kids, hobbies and the like.

5. Show some energy, take the initiative, seek feedback and commit to 24/7.

6. Utilize all resources. Bring in specialists, manage turnover, keep current on tactics, be "in training" to keep learning at all times and improve efficiencies.

7. Merchandise results. Apply credit where it is due and prove value of work.

8. Manage the process. Encourage ongoing, honest dialogue, know the hot buttons and listen, listen, listen!

Jernstedt urges PR people to apply their energies toward creating a list of contacts with whom you can be mutually beneficial. Analyze where you are and where you want to be in your networking goals. Decide who you want to meet and be proactive. Set goals and focus, then articulate them. It is a 24-hour process to network; make good professional relationships.

Darcy Evon

The founder of I-Street, Inc., a local business content company focused on the Chicago and Midwest high tech industry, Evon recently was named executive director of corporate relations for the Illinois Institute of Technology. Until recently, she was a tech columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Her comments focused on finding great stories and getting the media to pay attention to them by adopting a customer focus. If there is a hot client with a great story, get everyone interested and show how the story will drive readership. Begin by establishing a relationship with that reporter or editor.

She suggests being creative when planning PR strategies. Think of who can help the company or career goals. Do media work in exchange for exposure using barter and strategic partnerships.

In her time at the Sun-Times and I-Street, she said she knew ten phenomenal PR people and hundreds of those who were not so good. The good ones provided scoops, offering the inside story, an appropriate spin and background information. During slow news weeks, she would call her ten key people for ideas.

Additionally, Evon emphasizes not mixing messages. "NEVER call a reporter on the pretense of telling them what a good job they’ve done on a story, when you really want to pitch another story for a different client. "Don’t make pitches contrived," she warned.

Bob Wallace

Having left television twelve years ago, Wallace noted that the business has changed significantly since his departure. One thing that hasn’t changed, is that many spokespeople still are not trained to handle media interviews and when confronted with a tough question, simply freeze. As journalists are in the news business, a wise spokesperson always plans a response. If the spokesperson does not have an answer, the best response is always, "I do not know, but will find out and get back to you."

Wallace advises clients and PR people to take the high road. "Those who are forthcoming with the truth will have more credibility; get rid of clients if they refuse to tell the truth, as your reputation is at stake!" He adds, "At the time of bad news, reputation is critical. You need to have a rapport with reporters. That rapport is developed when there is good news or no news. Oak trees begin as acorns, like your relationship with the media. Relationships take time and care to build.

All the panelists agreed that networking involves give AND get. Wallace gave a good analogy, saying, "you cannot take money out of the bank without a deposit." Establish relationships and give information before you need anything in exchange.