Proof points: So what makes you the expert?
Time to read: 2 minutes
How can you prove your clients are the zen masters they say they are? We go in search of those elusive proof points.
We know journalists get hundreds of pitches every day. Their mailboxes and Twitter feeds are full of companies competing for airtime, all offering informed, relevant comments. But why should a journalist listen to what they have to say?
Your client may be a world expert in their field, whether that’s digital widgets, cloud computing, or new legislation.
But if you can’t make them instantly credible in the eyes of the journalist, they’ll go straight to the deleted folder.
Once, a client wanted to remove a statistic from our pitch because a) he thought it wasn’t that strong, and b) he wasn’t sure it was accurate. We pointed out that, while we understood his concerns, we needed something concrete to show that they were well-established, had delivered a lot of great work, and were worth listening to. We thought the number was convincing, but if it couldn’t be used, it was vital to have an alternative.
Gain credibility by naming high-profile customers
This isn’t easy. Unless you can persuade your client to include ‘permission to be named in marketing materials’ in their standard contract (yes, this can happen). However, there are creative alternatives. For example, when one customer mentioned they worked with one-third of the London Boroughs, we didn’t need names – the statistic was enough. Similarly, the phrase ‘working with law enforcement agencies’, as was the case with one Comms Crowd client, speaks for itself.
Demonstrating credibility can be even more difficult in the finance sector, where every ‘expert’ has professional qualifications and offers similar services. Here, you will have to dig a little deeper. Links to topical issues can help, as can the ability to understand both sides of an issue. We obtained much coverage for one client on the topic of angel investment. Not only does he advise clients on obtaining investment, but two of those clients have appeared on Dragons’ Den, and he invests as a business angel himself. So, he is extremely credible.
Work with experts whose credibility is a given
Such as academics. Hitching your wagon to a star, to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, can be an effective way of enhancing your own credibility. Particularly if your opinions complement those of the expert.
If you’re still struggling to get hard facts, the solution may be your clients themselves. One of our favourite clients really ‘gets it’ where journalists are concerned. No matter how busy he is, he’ll quickly give us a short, snappy, often controversial comment to pitch, demonstrating that he knows his topic inside out. He then makes himself available at short notice if the journalist wants to speak to him. As a result, he punches well above his weight in terms of influence and coverage.
It’s not easy finding proof points, and it can be even harder to persuade your client to let you make them public. However, it will be time well spent if the goal is to establish them as credible sources.
