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THE INVISIBLE FACTOR

 

As a PR veteran I am often asked for my top PR tips. This is the one that my experience has shown to be most impactful: The Invisible Factor.

Wait. Isn’t PR all about… visibility???

Let me tell you a story.

A while back, I was worried about my precious dog, Kayla. She had a lump. I took her to my local vet who is very close by. It’s a nice place, convenient to get to, very professional and everyone there seems to know what they are doing.

Any time I take my dog there, she jumps on me like a scared little kid, “Don’t leave me here pleeeease! I am soooo scared!”

But my dog has never had any major issues, and I have never had to leave her with the vet, so this place did the job just fine.

But now Kayla had this lump, and it had grown. I started out scared enough, but when we got to the vet I got even more scared as the vet started listing off all the alarming possibilities.

The vet wanted me to leave my dog with her immediately and agree to have her operated on with all the extras, of course.

My gut was telling me no.

If you’re not a dog person, at this point you probably think I’m a crazy woman. But if you know dogs, you know they are more intelligent than many people think. So it was, in part, my dog’s scared reaction to this vet that gave me pause. But also something else. I could not put my finger on it, but I knew I did not feel 100% confident in this vet who is literally just 3 minutes from my house. Maybe it was because the last time they called to check on Kayla’s wellbeing, they spent most of the call telling me about all the (expensive) vaccines she should come get, ASAP!

I listened to my gut.

I decided to take Kayla to a vet that is nearly an hour away from my house.

Many years ago, I went to school with this vet’s wife, Caroline, who is a vet herself.

As kids, going to her house was like going to a farm. You never knew if her mom or a duck would answer the door! When she told me she wanted to become a vet, I thought how well that suited her. In fact, she gave my dog her very first checkup! I never went back only because of the distance.

But now we had an emergency.

Caroline had once told me that her husband was more of a veterinary surgeon, so I made the 50 minute drive out to see him.

We had a quick chat where he told me that he had grown up in a house much like Caroline’s, except they also had ostriches! He had told me about his passion for animals and I could see Kayla feeling comfortable with him.

He had the invisible factor.

He had built his veterinary hospital and staffed it with wonderful people who all had the invisible factor too. I felt confident leaving my dog in their care.

I felt that she could be operated on and everything would be alright.

My husband thought I was crazy to drive so far when a perfectly good vet was just 3 minutes away. But when he came with me on surgery day, he got it. He felt it.

You see, this vet, nearly an hour away, loves what he does and so does everyone who works with him. He took the time to find solutions for me that the other vet never told me about. Kayla was confident with him and never tried to jump on me as I left her to be operated on.

Before and after the surgery, he called to answer all my questions and explain exactly what was happening.

My husband, my dog and I could all feel just how much he cared. And that’s it. That’s the invisible factor. Caring.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a vet, a restaurant, a retail store or even a bank. When you care, when you truly, deeply care about what you do, and you bring that passion to every interaction, people feel it. They can’t see it. You can’t put it on a billboard. But it can be felt, and people know, instinctively, when it is genuine.

Look for people who care and be someone who cares.

When looking for help or guidance, seek out people with that invisible factor. You won’t see it, but you’ll feel it.

When thinking about your own PR, aim for the invisible factor to shine through, not just in marketing or advertising, but in every interaction with clients and your audience. It’s this factor that makes video testimonials so powerful. The camera does not lie. When someone speaks from the heart, their words come to life!

Kayla

So my best PR advice to you is this: Care about your clients. Care about what you do. And don’t be shy about letting that care shine through. It may be invisible, but some of the most powerful things in life are.

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My Greatest Lesson in Marketing Visibility Came From My Dog

My dog is a great marketer.

Every morning as I get out of bed, right where I put my feet down, she is there saying, “Good morning! I’m here!” It never fails to make me smile.

And it gives me my first thought of the day. “Don’t forget to walk the dog!”

But from that moment, I have 1000 more thoughts saying things like, “Don’t forget that potential client you met last week… and the one last night!” “Don’t forget to meet with the new cameraman.” “Call Mart.” “Set up lunch with…” The thoughts are endless.

Before I’m even out of the shower I’m wishing I were at my computer, getting these thoughts down before I forget.

I rush to my room and there is my dog, exactly where she is not supposed to be. It’s pretty hard to miss her looking straight at me from up on my bed!

“Hi!” she seems to say. “I’m still here! Can you see me now?”

I smile. It’s hard not to see her. She is so big, she is almost at eye level.

Again I think, “Oh yes! I can’t forget to walk the dog!”

Certain she has been seen, she jumps off the bed and quickly heads downstairs to follow up on her strategy.

When I finish getting dressed, I start heading down the stairs as well. And guess who is at the bottom, staring straight at me?

“Hi! I’m still here! You won’t forget me, will you?”

Again, I can’t help but smile and think, “Oh yes, I cannot forget to walk the dog!”

It’s hard to believe I had forgotten in those few moments, but with the 1000 other thoughts all vying for attention in my head, I had!

I sit down for breakfast and to read the news on my iPad. She asks for the door and I let her out.

I eat, read, eat read, the thoughts continue (and multiply!)… and I forget.

I am almost ready to go, but I get this unshakeable feeling that I’m being watched. I hear Michael Jackson in my head singing, “I always feel like somebody’s watching me… and I get no privacy…”

She is staring at me from outside. Even the door will not stop her!

I let her in and she grabs her leash. I remember, right then, that my next move is to take the dog for a walk. And that is exactly what I do.

I love my dog. Caring for her is so important to me. Yet, she still has to work on all those reminders because otherwise, I will forget to walk her!

Why would I forget something so important?

Because we are solicited almost 24 hours a day through the phone, emails, ads, our too long “to do lists”… There is so much going on in our heads, at any given moment, that even the important things can get pushed out.

So when a client tells me, “I did one video and it did not work” or “I started a Facebook page and nobody liked it” or ” I sent an invitation, but nobody came”… I tell them about my dog.

My dog has the best visibility strategy. She is consistent. She is visible. She is PERSISTENT. She reminds me, again and again. She doesn’t bombard me, but she is always there, always getting herself in my line of sight, making me remember. And she always gets her walk.

If you do something once and it doesn’t “work”, keep going. Be consistent. Be very visible. Put your message out there, not just once, but many, many times. Every day. Every week. Be persistent!  Keep your audience engaged and intrigued with a series of videos, posted to multiple outlets. Share your knowledge. Open a Facebook page and an Instagram account and use it. Post often. Be present. Be visible. Make your audience your friend. Keep making them smile. You will get your walk!

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