Guest Post by Narciso Tovar
A night out
A couple of weeks ago, we went to see a live show at one of our favorite spots around Dallas. We like it because the atmosphere is a little laid back and the bands that they book are pretty solid.
This night was no exception – the music was interesting and the overall performance was enjoyable.
At least, the part of the performance that we caught.
You see, the sound levels were just WAY OFF.
Even though we watched one of the band members “test” their levels to a point that was satisfactory (to them); and even though they asked for some corrections on their levels during the show… they never quite made it work.
In fact, the more they fussed around with it all, the worse it got.
It’s not like they were holding their microphones upside down (yes… upside down)…
But the sound quality was so bad, we ended up leaving after four songs… and we weren’t the only ones leaving.
Here’s the thing, PR pros.
We don’t work around with sound levels or do mic-checks before a show.
But we do serve the “roadie” role from time to time by providing support for a “featured act.”
This could come in the form of making copies for a client presentation; getting an editorial calendar for a pitch; or even physically cutting and pasting a news article to make it look nice for a client that may not have access to the piece itself.
These “little” things go an exceedingly long way when done right.
Truly.
Because if any of those “little” things come out sloppy, EVERYONE in your team (top to bottom) looks sloppy.
And you lose trust. Rightfully so.
Would YOU trust your money; your time; your IDENTITY with a team that can’t handle being a “roadie” from time to time…?
Roadies make shows happen.
Plain and simple. Doesn’t matter how great your music is.
If you don’t have someone handling your equipment, levels, lights, etc. correctly, you’re only prepping for a bad show.
Image: Mike Schmid, Creative Commons
With more than 14 years of public relations experience, Narciso Tovar is president and founder of Big Noise Communications, that runs on Method + Moxie. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Rhonda, and has a strong track record in media communications, both “old” and “new,” with organizations such as Vonage and the Wall Street Journal Online. One of the most energetic young voices in social media, you can easily connect with Narciso on Twitter.
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This is a great example of how important paying attention to minor details are. WE might not think they’re important at times, but it’s safe to assume our clients sure do!
Without a doubt, Megan! This is why every member of your communications team should have their ‘A Game’ on when it comes to meeting with clients. I can recall one time when, during a meeting (I was with a PR firm in NYC), the client noticed one of our team members had on different colored socks. It wasn’t too major, but a bit obnoxious – made em’ start to look at every document, piece of advice, etc. twice.
The seed of doubt had been planted.
We lost them as a client about four months later…even though we had been producing GREAT work for them.
Absolutely, Yinka! I’m sure we can all recall a time when little things like worn business cards or bad copies of articles at a meeting sent us down a rabbit hole of unnecessary distraction. Tha bad part about this kind of thing is that it unknowingly gets people started on a sort of mental checklist (i.e. bad copies, picture out of place, etc.).
Thanks for this. Small details make a lot of different in how idea is perceived.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shonali Burke, Jennifer Wilbur. Jennifer Wilbur said: Another insightful, fun PR/music analogy from @Narciso17 over at @shonali 's place http://bit.ly/by6bDJ […]