In this episode of “Where We’re Heading: Business in the Age of Covid,” I spoke with Paul Robbins of Paul Robbins Associates about the importance for businesses and organizations to continue to get their messages out, and how they can modify their messages for the “new normal.” The interview is like a series of short white papers, as Paul gives us a few case studies on how to thrive in times of uncertainty.
I recently spent time in Houston, Texas, on a video shoot. The goal was to produce a couple of videos the client can use to recruit prospective associates and clients. It was a fast-paced, frenetic few days with many highlights (not the least of which was getting direct flights each way! Whoohoo!). I really enjoyed the time I spent with the people there, which is the purpose of this post.
The people were great and that made the all the difference because they’re in an industry where there’s very little differentiation between products and services from one firm to the next. So that’s what we decided to capture — the people stories.
But wait! Don’t their competitors have great people, too? Probably. But how effective are they when it comes to telling the stories of their people and the difference they’re making in the lives of the people and the communities they serve? Done well, visual storytelling can be compelling and a difference-maker. It makes people say, “I want be a part of that.” “I want to work there.” “I want to do business with them.” It provides a connection.
So that’s what we did for a couple of days. We spent time with people to understand their stories and the places where they live and work. It was a blast! It’ll be a while for the final production to make its debut, but when it does, I’m confident it’ll be . . . different.
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