What should social media consultants do when confronted with a project they know to be “over their head,” either in terms of experience, scope or remuneration?
Let’s start by saying this is a good problem to have, and one that I am happy to report is something I am currently experiencing. I’ve recently been approached by a real estate developer about doing some consulting for them for a future project. I won’t go into specifics in order to protect the client but I will say that the project is on a scale unlike anything I have ever even thought about it, except, really in my wildest dreams. And in fact, I did have my first dream about Twitter this week that a lot to do with this potential project.
For the time being, and because my business is still in its infancy, I have been concentrating on small businesses and brands that allow me several things:
Face Time With Decision Makers
My creative process doesn’t get into gear until I have spent some time with my employers. I try to mix business and pleasure in this way, because for most small businesses, there is little division between the two, owing to the fact that small business people’s work is never quite done. There is always something to do. So aside from pre-consultation meetings, I like to see my employers socially, for dinner or drinks, to get a sense of how they interact and behave in the off-hours. It works for me, and on top of that, I have the luxury, which I value tremendously, of getting to pick who I work for. I get to say “No thank you” quite often.
Social Media Experimentation
Small businesses are more nimble. They can try different things, experiment a bit more freely. Therefore I have felt comfortable saying things like “Let’s try this and see if it works. It’s not gonna cost us anything and if it doesn’t work, we’ve narrowed down the list of things that will.” More often than not, the kind of engagement and authentic interaction I am advocating for my clients means that their social media experimentation pays off, even when it doesn’t. What do I mean by this?
Put simply, social media sophisticates appreciate a sense of adventure and experimentation, especially when it comes from brands or businesses. A brand willing to go out on a limb stands in opposition to so many enterprises that play it safe. So even if a project or experiment doesn’t hit our specific goals, we usually see a positive response from people who appreciate our willingness to even try.
What Happens When Big Projects Start Rolling In?
At this point, I am willing to talk to anyone and anything having to do with social media. I have said it before, but it is worth repeating, it is extremely beneficial to me to talk with as many people as possible about any and all kind of social media marketing. Because this is a new field of marketing, one with its own set of rules and codes, instruments and philosophies, I end up learning a little bit more each time I have a conversation. This week alone I’ve had more than 7 informal conversations with people about their social media needs. Most people are looking for answers that don’t really exist, which they seem to know. But what is even more captivating is that a lot of people seem on the brink of crossing over into some new territory where they stop looking for those answers outside of themselves and their experience, and start to look within.
It’s very exciting to watch and hear people going through this process. From my perspective, I’ve simply been guiding them a little bit, confirming what they already believed and all along saying that I don’t know anything really, just that I have some ideas. When you tell people you don’t have the answers, they trust you. Not sure how it works, but its beautiful when it does. I am guessing its psychological.
In fact, one of the first things out of my mouth at this recent meeting to discuss this large project was, “This is way over my head.” I had thought, before the meeting, whether it was advisable or not to state such a thing. To some, it might seem the heights of unprofessional-ism. Those people might have a point. Would I run the risk of forcing this potential new client into the warm hands of a large traditional PR firm? Maybe. Was I shooting myself in the foot just at the point of my biggest triumph?
Either way, it was a risk I was willing to take, and one, I am glad to say, has paid off. Subsequent to our meeting I received some feedback from the group of people I briefed and there was unanimous consensus that the thing that impressed them most about me was my willingness to be upfront and honest with them.
Does Honesty Equal Meekness?
Now don’t get me wrong. I was not meek in this meeting. I briefed them on social media, its tools and philosophies, mixed it in with some case studies that were specifically applicable to their situation and concluded my presentation with a few “Big Ideas,” basically WOW moments in which I really sparked their interest. This I did on purpose and had prepared ahead of time in order to leave them with a lot of food for thought.
I let them ask questions, I let them air their doubts. They even asked me if they couldn’t do what I was pitching them on their own. I love getting that question. Again, my answer is always yes. YES! You CAN do this. But will you? And if you do, will you do it right? Is it worth it to get it wrong and miss the boat?
It should be no surprise that the feedback I received also highly praised my “Big Ideas.” And in fact, it was on this last point that I am most grateful for the opportunity to work on something above my reach. When we have an assignment that is out of our comfort zone, that forces us to go deeper and think harder, we are more likely to challenge ourselves to think “out of the box,” or think of schemes that we might not with more limited budgets and companies.
This is the real reason to take on projects above our heads.
Image Source: ZanderRedux on Flickr
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