Bill Rancic says, “Be Proactive, Not Reactive”

I had the opportunity to attend Richmond Biz Linc last week where Bill Rancic, first winner of The Apprentice, spoke.

The one point he made that I keep rolling around in my head was working with failing businesses on the A&E tv show, We Mean Business. He said over and over, entrepreneurs who are running failing businesses tend to be reactionary. They react to problems rather than being proactive and solving problems before they occur. 

This is something I’m seeing a lot when I talk to businesses about using emerging media tools. Often, these tools are unknown or untested. They are just developing and as such, so are the ways that we use them.

The NFL recently got attention for their social media policy that was largely a result of reacting to the social media interactions of Chad Ochocinco, who created contests to fly fans to his games to live tweet games for him. The league decided to place a 90 minute “No Tweet Zone” before and after games. Ochocinco is working hard to build real connections with individuals and is forcing the NFL to react to his media efforts.

This seems to be the pattern that I see repeatedly happening.  Someone within a company discovers the benefits of these tools and takes it upon themselves to put them to use. The company gets wind of it and feels a lack of control and shuts it down. Then, months later the company realizes the need for these tools and has to juggle with how to utilize them.

My advice is to be proactive! These tools aren’t going to disappear. Quite the contrary, new tools are being developed every day.  It is time for companies to create a policy that they feel comfortable with and then work to proactively embrace this new way of communicating and marketing their business.

Take the advice of Bill Rancic and learn from those who are succeeding in business. His top three tips for business are a great starting point for the framework for your emerging media policy:

1. Practical execution
2. Be agile
3. Take & manage risks to convert to success