George Lee - The Business Show
“There is no way that I am going on TV” , “Neither am I, not a chance”
Here was a golden opportunity for the Fuzion team to achieve some national coverage for the business, which would be invaluable and the PR team’s first reaction was a collective “No way“!
The call had come through from RTE as they were looking for the Fuzion team to appear in the new George Lee, Business Show.
As soon as I heard about and understood the opportunity it was time to put the foot down – Guys, we’re doing it , end of story .. like it or lump it and that was it (for once I got away with being authoritative!).
This was a terrific learning for all of us – here was a clear opportunity for the business, which better than anyone we fully appreciated but the immediate “gut” reaction from the team was – No way!
What was that all about?
I think for most of us there is a humbleness, a shyness, a natural instinct to stay behind the camera – we are more comfortable as the reader than being read about, we are more comfortable watching than being watched. Is this even more exaggerated in Ireland or does it happen everywhere?
The learning was terrific – all of a sudden we were the reluctant client!
Everyday we spend our time negotiating opportunities for our clients, pitching their businesses to newspapers, radio stations and TV programmes all with the objective of achieving valuable coverage for them. We will look at every angle, attempting to excite the different media with that interesting story that they hopefully agree to cover.
Bingo! ..they love the story but they insist on an interview, an appearance, a photograph of our client. Often the media prefer the “people” behind the story rather than the story itself.
Thrilled with the successfully negotiated opportunity, we pick up the phone and call our client to convey the great news, the success..
Hmmm, what is this reluctance from the client about? “They want to do a piece about me? Will my photo be shown? Will I have to answer some personal questions as well as business ones? Will they want me to actually talk on the radio? Will I have to go on TV?”
Even though this is what they are paying us for, even though they fully understand the benefit to their business of the coverage in that instant “something” takes over and we get a point blank “I’m not doing it”
Oh my god, the frustration – we have negotiated a clear win and the client is letting it slip through their hands.
- Richard Branson was really shy but realised that he had to push himself forward for the business
Our own experience with the George Lee Business Show at least gave us a deep understanding of what it feels like for our clients.
Our appearance went great and we were featured on national TV with other big companies such as Google and it was superb for our business. If we had given in to our natural instincts and refused to appear a huge opportunity would have been wasted.
.. Is your natural instinct holding your business back?
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
