Robert Ausura Writing

While Wall Street matadors and Main Street novilleros dance in the path of the miraculous Bull, I am enjoying the stampede of work (ole!) with one eye peeled for the lurking Bear. Not to turn a capote into a wet blanket, but from 20-plus years in this business I know that one of these days the Bull will either 1) collapse or 2) hear a distant call, leap the bullring wall, and gallop off to less arduous tasks than dragging the economy uphill. So I am busily distributing Bear repellant—gentle reminders that the communications strategies bringing us all showers of roses in the plaza de toros today can bring us equal glory in Bear country tomorrow.

During an upswing, everyone professes the value of communication. Businesses invest in glittering suits sequined with advertising and image-building, in-house networking, management conferences, trade show exhibits, training—all to boost profits and pry open new markets. Government agencies and associations don their own trajes de luces: consumer awareness campaigns, museum exhibits, industry education, and lobbying. But the day the Dow gets gored, these glories will be back in their cedar chests—mere frills, their daring deeds forgotten.

Communications budgets are a red flag to downsizers and bean counters, who rarely find hard numbers to justify big-ticket communications options. (“Replacing the planned video wall presentation at the annual conference with a speech by our CEO and revising the training manual instead of producing the CD-ROM training course will result in a cost savings of...”) But times are changing. The combination of:

new management paradigms based on empowerment and shared quality management responsibilities,
better understanding of what motivates managers and employees and satisfies customers, and
more precise tracking and evaluation of training, marketing and public relations efforts

is making the benefits of well-designed communications more measurable both for boosting profit peaks and leveling out troughs.

     Communications as Bear Repellant has a future. And so, I offer my Bear Repellant Formula, a homemade brew concocted from watching organizations, big and small, successfully ward off the mangy carnivore. It consists of:

          3 Parts Courage. Be bold and stand your ground. Promote a highly visible, two-fisted image to help your organization keep a grip on its piece of the market and regain more quickly any business you lose. Even people who never did business with you before will take notice.

          2 Parts Leadership. Nothing inspires confidence like a strong, steady, self-assured voice that is saying something useful. Demonstrate the biggest bear gun in the forest and the know-how to use it, and top employees and profitable customers will line up behind you rather than desert you.

          2 Parts Creativity. Startling noises and bright lights keep the Bear at bay. Concentrate your advertising budget into one or two dazzling, tightly focused core messages and sound them repeatedly. You will find yourself less vulnerable than those who cower silently in the underbrush or who glimmer and squeak instead of flash and roar.

          2 Parts Understanding. The Bear can smell fear. Noise and lights may distract it for awhile, but unless you address the fears of your employees and customers, the magic will soon fade. Listen. Respond. Open several channels (briefing videos, intranet newsletters, web sites, marketing mailings, quarterly meetings) to keep everyone as fully and honestly informed as possible about the state of your business and what you are doing about it.

          2 Parts Teamwork. It takes a village to trap a bear. Gather ideas from everyone, pool all available talent, recruit experienced professionals to work with your team. Far better to spend time and money once to build a reliable Bear trap than several times on a series of jury-rigged failures.

          3 Parts Patience. Expect reluctance from those you invite to join your Bear hunt. In the shadow of the Bear, people are wary of new ideas and initiatives. Craft your strategy carefully and present it consistently and professionally, and your employees and customers will eventually come aboard.

     I recommend mixing up a trial batch of Bear Repellant now, before you need it. I also recommend tucking away some of today’s profits to fund extra batches during Bear season. Because, except in Portugal and France, even the longest, most exciting and glorious corrida de toros eventually ends with the demise of the bull.