Wachter-Boettcher on “Industry vs. Organizational Knowledge”

Sara Wachter-Boettcher took my domain knowledge post one step further, diving into what we need to know about a company’s organizational structure. From her post, “Master of which domain? Industry vs. organizational knowledge:”

Agencies have historically acted like suitors whenever a new client comes around. It’s all fluffy clouds and sparkles and sweet nothings in their ear. That’s how you win business, right?

Problem is, when we gloss over the ugly, mucked-up business processes that are driving content during the sales process, we’re establishing ourselves as the knights in shining armor. We’re creating a relationship where our clients expect us to sweep them off their feet, not roll up our sleeves and help them with the dishes.

But if you can’t get access to clients’ deepest, darkest problems, you can’t hope to dismantle them. You’re just sticking a Glade plug-in in the outlet and hoping for the best.

Herein lies the rub: we need to help provide organizational change, which means we need to become partners with our clients, which means we need to temper expectations when we present. Instead of bluster and shine, we need to impress potential clients – and current clients – with competency.

With real expectations. With the feeling that we’ll get things done, with or without the Grand Unveiling.

This is hard. Clients want to be courted. They want to be wowed. But, let’s be honest – there is no wow-factor in most content strategy plans: just the not-so-simple delivery of common sense, usable strategy for success.

Sara started her blog back in March, and it’s been wonderful since the beginning. Follow her.