Don’t miss the July 10 luncheon with Linda Mastaglio and Steve Freeman.

“Vital Connections: Building Relationships with Key Stakeholders” -- Here’s a short synopsis of the case study and a few other details that will get you to add this event to your calendar now.  

Register Today  

Spotlighted Interview Question:

Why did you collaborate on this book? What drove you to develop it?

Mastaglio: “We kept sharing our list of experiences with each other, so we thought dedicating each chapter to different key stakeholder groups could be insightful to others. We wanted to help move the PR practitioner from doing what’s called “breadth” communications to “depth” communications.”

Freeman: “Like most PR pros, I have a strong desire to learn and increase my effectiveness -- writing Vital Connections satisfied both desires” says Freeman. “More to the point, PR is about relationships and that's something that is more or less a moving target, even for the best communicators. This manual is an attempt to lay it all out, learn to value the theories so we can achieve the goals of relating and communicating with our stakeholders.”

What you’ll learn at the luncheon and from the book.  

• How to combat strongly-held perceptions of each audience or stakeholder
• How to tailor communications with these perceptions in mind
• Learn how you can make the difference between being effective vs. being the manager of the “status quo”

Register Today

More about Freeman and Mastaglio...

An excerpt from their book... 

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The audience: A professional association. Extreme Accountants. 

Case in Point (excerpt from book)Most would characterize these professionals as “by-the-number,” left-brained, buttoned-down, Form 1040 individuals.

That stereotype wouldn’t surprise the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants(CIMA), based in the UK. But by imagining that its audience members can and do have other sides to their personalities, CIMA scored a PR feat of rare proportions. The mission was primarily to attract new members and new young customers for its financial management software.   As the story goes, CIMA juxtaposed the accountant’s stereotype with those in the profession who engage in extreme sports activities.  In its first year, the site (http://www.extreme-accounting.com/) received 4,000 hits a day and was featured in 20 publications and 20 radio broadcasts.  
Now that’s proof! CIMA proved that stakeholders can be so much more than even we communicators understand sometimes. 

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Why did you collaborate on this book? What drove you to develop it?

Mastaglio: “We kept sharing our list of experiences with each other, so we thought dedicating each chapter to different key stakeholder groups could be insightful to others. We wanted to help move the PR practitioner from doing what’s called “breadth” communications to “depth” communications.”

Freeman: “Like most PR pros, I have a strong desire to learn and increase my effectiveness -- writing Vital Connections satisfied both desires” says Freeman. “More to the point, PR is about relationships and that's something that is more or less a moving target, even for the best communicators. This manual is an attempt to lay it all out, learn to value the theories so we can achieve the goals of relating and communicating with our stakeholders.”

How did the two of you first connect? Was it through IABC?

Freeman: “I can't tell you the exact circumstance. Nor can Linda. I believe we happened to be sitting at the same table at one of the meetings and I had a clever way of asking her for salad dressing during the meal. She replied, "My, you're a good communicator," and then passed the salad dressing. ... So you never know where that light banter at your table may lead you.”

Mastaglio: Leave it to Steve to remember that incident. I don’t remember it at all. Maybe he made it up. I just know we met through IABC at least a dozen years ago and have been collaborating on projects ever since. This is PROOF POSITIVE that attending IABC events and networking can have important, valuable and long-lasting implications. Bottom line…GET involved and GET networking!

What is your most difficult challenge as a business communicator?

Freeman: “It's the "unmanagableness" of the job we have to do. With all the tools, experience, training and professional growth that's available, excellent communications is so intrinsic and elusive. That's probably why measurement is difficult.”

Mastaglio: There are now so many ways to communicate that some days I just want to throw my hands in the air and give up. Good grief! Blogs and podcasts and satellite downloads and e-zines and pop-ups and musical ads jumping off your computer when you’re trying to work. We are in the ultimate age of information overload. Our job is to manage information flow and make it stand out from the noise created by all the communication tools and toys.

What is your most rewarding experience as a business communicator?

Freeman: “I'd have to say writing this book. I mean I've done so many sides of the business…and the book helped me bring it all together. My next challenge is learning videography. Fun, fun.”

Mastaglio: I love being a communications consultant because I thrive on making other people look good. My motivation is to give my clients communications solutions that make them heroes to their internal and external stakeholders. My proudest moment is when I help one of my clients get awards and recognition, or promotions because I’ve helped them succeed.

Where do you see the role of communicators and PR professionals headed in the next five years?

Freeman: “I see the need for more close integration among the parts of the communications pie... media relations, organizational communications, journalism, advertising, marketing. Each of these areas is increasingly driven by benchmarking and measurement. It's the savvy professionals who take the "parts" and bring them into a whole. Why is this important? Because businesses and organizations are learning that communications are fundamental and pervasive to all management activity. That's why I appreciate IABC's mission and objectives.”

Mastaglio: I think communicators will become more segmented and specialized. Every communicator will need to be a generalist in terms of understanding their communication options and audiences. But I think that content areas, things like Web management, pod casting, U-Tube-type productions, blogging, and online ads will all become the norm, requiring specialized communications expertise and some level of technical skill. More and more we will be communicating to the INDIVIDUAL, not to the masses.

What’s the biggest issue on the horizon that you see organizations facing?

Freeman: “Without a doubt, it's the information overload -- affecting all stakeholders and thus affecting all communicators. Ironically, Vital Connections is all about "going deep" with stakeholders at a time when stakeholders are increasingly pulling away from the formal presentation of information. But in Vital Connections, we stress the superior of strategy over reactionary or business-as-usual tactics. I believe strategic vision takes into account such things as information overload.... it's PR by objective.”

Mastaglio: Ultimately, communicators must be highly creative in order to craft quality messages and present them in meaningful ways. My concern is that knowledge is being commoditized through the Internet to the extent that it may lose value. We may stop appreciating information because it is too easy to obtain. If that happens, how will communicators remain effective? How will they get people to listen and to care? We need to think about this. We don’t want to get caught in the undertow of the information typhoon that is the Internet.

What’s your top advice for a communications professional just starting out in the field?

Freeman: “Don't get so wrapped up in the day-to-day work that you neglect your professional development. Learning doesn't stop after getting a degree. That's when it begins!” Mastaglio: Stretch your brain. I have business books on CD that I listen to over and over in the car when I’m traveling and that keeps me thinking new thoughts and reminds me of important business skills I need to hone. Never, ever, ever stop learning.

Tell us about your most memorable IABC experience.

Freeman: “I can't answer this on account of a promise to Linda. I'll be no part of a breech of her reputation, but margaritas were involved.”

Mastaglio: Don’t believe a word he says. He’s just jealous of my brains and beauty. And he knows I could tell a few stories on him. You might just hear them if you come to the July IABC lunch.

Nobody knows that I…

Freeman: “Nobody knows that I collect paraphernalia from "The Simpsons" TV show... and 20th Century Fox may do a story about me to help promote the new full-length Simpsons movie coming out the end of July. As Homer says, WooHoo!"

Mastaglio: Well, if nobody knows – and I tell all of you – then everyone will know, so I can’t tell you. Maybe I’ll tell you at the IABC lunch.

What do you have planned for fun this summer?

Freeman: “Camping and kayaking in the Shenandoah Valley as much as possible. I'm also stretching out as a freelancer in the D.C. area and am excited about some possible new clients. Oh and if anyone wants to team up to write a book, call me. (Linda, forgive me!)”

Mastaglio: I just got back from a 7-day cruise to Alaska and am headed to Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in August.

What’s your favorite thing about Dallas?

Freeman: “I've had a chance to think about this since I recently moved to Virginia. You can't beat the Mexican restaurants. But I also miss that ambiance of Dallas symbolized by where to "see and be seen," by talk of the Cowboys, by seeing guys wear dress shoes with summer shorts and by those strolls through the world-class shopping centers.”

Mastaglio: Since moving from the Metroplex to the piney woods of East Texas, I miss the music and the museums; but I am in Dallas several times a month and always shoot for a trip to the Nasher or the DMA. I sure don’t miss the traffic. I guess I should say that my favorite thing about Dallas is coming to IABC luncheons and seeing all you wonderful people. See you in July!

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