Monday was the start of a new Wholesaler Mastermind group. The members all work for the same company and this firm has, like many firms, had to deal with the media dragging them through the mud.
As we discussed a host of topics, we dialed into “how do you choose to communicate with clients when your firm is in the media?”
Some folks decided to get right out in front of the message and call contacts to alert them of the story and to clarify messages.
Other folks said that they wait for inquiries to come to them.
One member offered that at a recent meeting, when asked where people in the audience got their news, one member of the audience (we’ll call her Miss Informed) said The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
She was kidding, right?
No.
According to a Time magazine online poll that 9410 people responded to, 44% chose Jon Stewart versus the next highest choice at 29%, Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News.
In another poll, Zogby reported that:
|
Q: If you had to choose to get your news information from just one source, which source would you choose? |
|
|
Internet |
56% |
|
Television |
21% |
|
Newspapers |
10% |
|
Radio |
10% |
|
Other/not sure |
3% |
Where is your audience getting their news from?
Often times during this Meltdown we have had to defend the honor of our firm. It is helpful to remember that your clients and prospects may not be getting the complete, or most accurate version of the story.
For this reason, getting out in front of the story, being open and transparent (there’s that word again) is the only way to go.
