When a client speaks on your behalf

I was speaking the other day with the director of a consultancy who does not want to “waste his time” encouraging clients to speak at our conference, time he can better spend selling to them.

Isn’t he missing a trick?

I have seen the powerful impact on others when someone enthuses or moans about their experience of a service. And isn’t it great to give all your clients an opportunity to brag about their accomplishments, and for you to benefit from the associated glow of exposure?

The consultancy’s area of expertise is apparently “people communicating with other people”.

Hmmmm.

Are Awards worth the effort of entering?

I was speaking the other day with the director of engagement at a telecommunications company about entering for awards, about the benefit of the investment of time and effort required.

People do seem willing to write thousands of words for a standard award entry, and to work hard on their presentation to the judges if invited, even though only a few win, and their ideas are rarely publicised as a consequence.

I think that the yearning for recognition is strong. But I also think that for entering to be worthwhile, all the innovative ideas should receive strong exposure.