Speaker - December 2007

Quips, tips and parting shots

Say No-No to Client Logos

Silence Savers to the Rescue

Whoever said “silence is golden” has never tried to make an audience laugh. Silence is deadly if you’ve just said a line that was supposed to get a laugh and didn’t! Don’t fear—Silence Savers are here.

Silence Savers are typically self-deprecating lines that get a laugh based on your poking fun of the situation you’re in. Here are a few that always seem to work:

To a lone laugher: “If you could just run around the room and sound like a crowd, this will go a lot easier for me.”

You should only use one Silence Saver at a time—one after each line that gets silence. After you get your laugh from the Silence Saver, move back into your program and your next line. The Silence Savers are most effective if they are scattered throughout the program.

Well, actually, they are most effective if you don’t have to use them at all. Using them means something didn’t work.

So the next time your always-gets-a-laugh line gets nothing, revert to a Silence Saver.

“This is good. I was looking for a nice quiet place to rehearse tonight.”

“Wow, when you guys get quiet, you don’t fool around.”

“That’s okay. I can wait.”

“Have I said something to upset you people?”

“You know, that one was hysterical on paper.”

“Wow, and I thought that one would kill.”

David Glickman Tampa, Fla. www.DavidGlickman.com

Making a CONNECTION

What wireless services are on board with the most airport contracts in the United States? Here’s a list of top Wi-Fi companies helping you make the travel connection:

74

Boingo

13

AT&T

13

Opti-Fi

12

T-Mobile

10

ICOA

Do you think that since you name-drop a few of your stellar, recognizable clients into your materials and on your Web site, what’s the harm in dropping their logos into the same marketing pieces? Simple and instant credibility, right?

Maybe. While the jury is still out on the legality of using a client’s logo without his permission, there are some ethical boundaries you might be crossing.

Think of it this way–if you were to call Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Intel, Bank of America, Mutual of Omaha or Hilton Hotels and ask for permission to use their logos on your Web site they would automatically say, “No.” Their legal departments (affectionately called the “Logo Police”) have already determined that this would potentially be construed as an endorsement.

So, is this one of those proverbial “ask forgiveness, not permission” decisions? No, because another way to say the same thing is, “I know the client will deny my request, so I’m not going to ask.”

Most large, well-recognized companies have invested heavily to secure trademark protection for their logos and go to great lengths to protect their brands. You’ll get the same credibility by simply using your clients’ names and not taking the risk of using their logos without permission. The last thing you want to receive is a cease-and-desist letter from a client telling you to stop using his logo on your Web site. How much credibility do you think you’ll have then?