Stop the excuses!

By on March 24th, 2009 In Hype!

It seems many of my original posts on here are inspired from a desire to vent. As a PR Indie, working from home, I only have so many outlets to let my frustrations out. This blog is one. Today, I am gonna talk excuses…the poor, pathetic excuses people are using that just don’t make sense.

Yesterday, I used Twitter to do some subtle venting after having a proposal for PR turned down by a biz I really had a good feeling about. The excuse for why they didn’t want to do PR? Too much money. But they need customers and exposure I am told. In what part of their plan to build this business did they not think about marketing or budget for it? Instead, they just assumed, as many businesses do that “if they build it, customers will come.” Their excuse shouldn’t have been money, but poor planning.  Just a week ago I turned down a potential client to do PR because I knew in my gut they didn’t need PR…they needed a big dose of marketing and business 101 reality. No way was I going to use the economy as an excuse for why I should take them on, just so I had more money coming in.

Another frustration that spurred this post was on Twitter, too.  Carey Pena of KTVK-Ch 3 had tweeted that the new common excuse from the bad guys they track down on “3 On Your Side” investigations was “Its the economy.” I am really sick of this cop out. The economy made you screw someone out of their hard-earned money? The economy is not to blame.  Its your crappy business ethics.

I know its tough out there, but this is the time to get creative and stop the excuses. The economy is sooo easy to blame. But even though I have clients who are struggling, they aren’t making excuses. I have rarely heard them mention the economy. Instead, they are educating themselves on social media and networking. They are exploring ways to help their loyal customers who may be struggling, even offering free or seriously discounted prices because they know the heart and foundation of their biz is their customers. I am always looking for some good stories to share after talking to them. I realize many reporters are looking for tie-ins to the economy and instead of focusing on the bad aspects, I am showing the good that comes out of it, too. One of my clients is doing so well, they are planning to open another location this summer.  Another is ramping up their community and non-profit support, while another is reaching out to new industries that haven’t been as affected by the economy to drum up new cash flow.

Instead of making excuses, find new options. Stop blaming the ecomony for not doing something or screwing someone over. Life is still moving forward, so look ahead and make some plans for the future.

Comments

Andrea Norman Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 9:07 am

I couldn’t agree more! My grandmother came over from Czechoslovakia with $7 in her pocket and couldn’t speak English. She prospered here due to hard work, smarts, and determination. We are still in America. We have unlimited opportunities! Just go for it and STOP WHINING!

Deb Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

Fantastic post, Charlotte! Thanks for saying it out loud!

Abbie S. Fink Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

you are so right. The economy is certainly a factor, but it can not be blamed for everything. Excellent post.

Ely Delaney Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 4:49 pm

Thank You, Thank You Thank You!!!!

I help teach small business owners how to market themselves (without spending a fortune) and I keep hearing this excuse and it’s driving me nuts.

*WE* are the ones that have to fix the mess and those that do nothing but whine about it are making it worse. People need to stand up and take action. Not freeze up and complain.

Those that do take action and see the opportunities that have opened up will excel.

Awesome post!

Ely Delaney
My Business Marketing Mentor

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Richard K. Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 9:41 pm

Ms. Risch:

I appreciate the rant. On my own blog, marketingsociologist.blogspot.com, I have ranted over and over how I lost 10 clients in early 2007 because I told them they needed a MySpace and YouTube presence. They told me I was crazy and ran to the arms of agencies offering “to get them in the news.” Thank goodness few were Twitter-ing at the time. I would have been institutionalized if I had recommended that.

Let’s see, Albuquerque Tribune – gone, Rocky Mountain News – gone. Where are these practitioners who thing PR means press release going to place their stuff? There’s more than 1,000 out-of-work journalists in the 4-corner area.

So I have LEARNED business and the word creative are like vinegar and oil. You wonder why we’re in a recession? Look at the people hired for all the PR director positions in the past two years – out of college or less than 2 years experience. Remember, there’s 1,000 journalists out of work. Why are companies hiring beginners when they can have such talent at the same cost?

Then, again ask yourself what is causing Arizona to be #1 in job loses in the U.S.

Sally Cooper Says:
March 25th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

Loved your rant! Unfortunately, you’re singing to the choir! But then, it’s good to know we’re not experiencing all of these reactions and excuses in a vacuum.

Wendy Kenney Says:
March 25th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

I totally agree. It’s not the economy, it’s greed! No more excuses, it’s time to take responsibility.

And for those business owners that don’t get it, they’ll regret it.

Dorothy Says:
March 25th, 2009 at 7:36 pm

Right On! The excuses one makes is exactly where their life/business is headed. What you think or say becomes your reality.

Shailesh Ghimire Says:
March 26th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

I think this post is a bit too harsh on business owners and people running businesses. In today’s market every dollar spent needs to go more than it did a year ago. Every business owner and marketing manager I talk to high light the need for being able to measure and track results. Anything that is not measurable with a direct impact on the bottom line will not get a second look. Unfortunately PR is one of those things.

I’m not intending to start a discussion on the value of PR here. Just trying to state that when sales are down and your budget needs to be cut only items that have proven results traceable to revenue will get a good look.

Richard K. Says:
March 26th, 2009 at 5:05 pm

To Mr. Ghimire:

As I learned in my M.B.A. studies, if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t mean… a thing.

A quarter of a century ago, I developed a means of measuring public relations – which is archaic today. Unfortunately, it was put in a 1992 revision of a college textbook. Today public relations and advertising agencies have bastardized it and are calling it ROI, incorrectly

Public relations is measurable. It is like investing in a drill press, espresso machine or employee productivity – it should return at the bare minimum $3 for every dollar invested. There may be a lag time for results, but they will come when a professional marketing sociologist is brought in to generate revenue for a company. Since public relations is a sub-set of marketing, a marketing sociologist studies business trends, marketing principles (can’t believe the marketing experts on Linkedin had never heard of “cash cow” or “bell curve” on a recent question – that’s how inexperienced some practitioners are.) and “cycles” (as expounded by Edward R. DeweY) to increase profits.

A realistic goal of revenue from marketing, advertising or public relations should be $10 for every $1 invested. Depending upon business or situation, that may not be realistic. Consulting with a marketing sociologist is your best bet for increasing revenue through measurable results.
Marketingsociologist.blogspot.com

Avoid practitioners who won’t measure their work in monetary terms.

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