Our most-read posts were more about relationships, the practice of PR and, of course, those business buzzwords that drive all of us bonkers.

Our group of followers is limited generally to those interested in business-to-business PR topics and tips, so we were delighted that we had 7,126 visitors to our blog in 2011 — nearly doubling our monthly average from 2010. If one of those visits was yours, thanks!

And in case you missed them, here are our top five blog posts of 2011:

1 10 Habits of Successful PR Client-Agency Relationships

2 Top 10 Bits of PR Advice

3 20 Business Buzzwords You Want to Kill

4 Top 7 Unfriendable Offenses

5 PR Retainers Are Long Gone. Aren’t They?

What topics would YOU like us to explore in the Bianchi Biz Blog in 2012?

Based on a couple of hundred responses from communicators, PR and marketing types from about a dozen LinkedIn groups, here are the 20 most hated business buzzphrases:

1. At the end of the day*
2. Social media expert
3. It is what it is*
4. Reach out*
5. Metrics
6. Moving / going forward*
7. Solutions / solutioning*
8. Out of the box thinking*
9. Paradigm shift
10. Right-sizing
11. Icon/iconic
12. Visionary
13. View from X-thousand feet
14. State-of-the-art
15. Best practices
16. Engagement*
17. Leverage* (as a verb)
18. Any synthetic verb made by adding -ize to a noun – such as calendarize
19. Seamless
20. Integrate

Those marked with an * were also on 2010’s top 20 list (http://bit.ly/h3Axzj ).

 Thanks to all who participated!

Is your most-hated business buzzword included? Do you have any additions?

 A good client + a good agency + the right attitudes = great PR ROI.

 In looking at the most successful client/PR agency relationships, there are several common ingredients:

 1.     Mutual understanding – Both client and agency need to invest the time and effort to get to know and understand each other’s organizations, people, goals and issues. A deep-dive session, regular visits to each other’s facilities, sharing materials and constant communication goes along way.

2.     Shared goals and accountability – The client and agency need to identify common objectives and measures upfront, so they can work together to achieve them. The client shares its marketing and strategic business plans with the agency to provide insight as to how the agency’s efforts fit into the big picture; the agency shares its perspective of the larger market and media landscape.

3.     Openness and fidelity – Both the client and agency are open and transparent in their  communication with each other, and are true to the relationship. Openness and faithfulness also helps eliminate mistrust, turf wars and competitive battles.

4.     Access and attention – Things work best when the agency provides the client with senior-level attention wherever and whenever necessary, and always acts with a sense of urgency and purpose. On the flip side, the client provides access to the right people and/or information, and makes responding to the agency a priority.

5.     Realistic expectations – The agency should understand what the client faces in terms of priorities, timing, budget and other constraints. Likewise, the client should understand what kind of timing and results are feasible and realistic.

6.     Thoughtfulness – The better agencies show the client they’re always thinking about them – offering up new ideas, opportunities, anticipating needs and going above and beyond the client’s requirements to ensure satisfaction. Both parties typically remember and nurture the human side of the relationship, as well.

7.     Predictability / no surprises – By establishing policies and procedures for the partnership early on – such as regularly scheduled meetings or conference calls, status reports, budget tracking, etc. – both parties minimize unsettling surprises and keep momentum going. Early warnings about emerging issues can help isolate and address problems before they become major issues.

8.     Desire to improve – The best relationships eliminate waste by regularly looking at the way they interact, determining how processes can be streamlined and what non-value-added activities can be eliminated to make the existing budget more productive.

9.     Good housekeeping – The agency is fair on pricing, meets deadlines, provides great service and listens. The client provides clear direction, makes sure the bills are paid, provides timely feedback and listens.

10.     Celebration – Just as in any relationship, the best partners don’t take each other for granted.  When they succeed together, they take the time to celebrate the successes (business and personal), build camaraderie and encourage each other to generate more energy for the next success.

 Singer Amy Grant once said: “The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.” If you do it right, the same is true for the client / agency relationship.

Business-to-business communicators are continuously battling the increasingly fast-paced world of communication caused by growing technology and instant communication capabilities. With today’s smart phones and their seemingly never-ending offering of applications, users have access to almost anything, anywhere and at anytime.

So as a business communications professional, why not take advantage and utilize your smart phone to be more productive?

Here is a list of apps that are either top rated or are Bianchi PR staff favorites. We’ve included a sampling of business organization, networking / communication and social media smart phone apps for Android (A), BlackBerry (B) and iPhone (I):

Business Organization

• CamScanner – Scans documents by taking a picture, and then allows you to crop and create a PDF. (A)
• Genius Scan – Scans documents and allows you to e-mail as a JPEG or PDF. (I)
• PDF Creator Ultimate Free – Edit photos to be converted into PDF’s. (B)
• Dropbox – Have access to all your documents anywhere you go and easily share with others you’re connected to in Dropbox. (A, B, I)
• Evernote – Stay organized by taking notes, capture photos, to-do lists, record voice reminders and Evernote allows you to search for content to find information faster. (A, B, I)
• Expensify – Create and keep track of expense reports by scanning receipts and logging purchases. (A, B, I)
• Pulse – Organizes your favorite news sites and allows you to mark and save stories to read later. (A, I)

Networking / Communication

• Bump – Bump phones with someone else to transfer and share contact information, apps, photos and more. (A, I)
• CamCardLite – Use to scan a business card and the information will be added to your phone’s contacts. (A)
• Google Translate – Translate text in more than 50 languages and speech in 15. (A, I)
• iSpeech Translator – Speak or type any phrase and listen to the corresponding translation in your choice of language (B)

Social Media

• Blogger – Google’s blogging service for sharing text, photos and video. (A, I)
• Facebook – General app for Facebook. (A, B, I)
• LinkedIn – General app for LinkedIn. (A, B, I)
• Google+ – General app for Google+. (A, I)
• HootSuite – Manage multiple social media accounts, monitor keywords, schedule messages and track analytics. (A, B, I)
• Tweetcaster – Top rated twitter app for Android, has multiple account support, notifications, and photo attachment capabilities. (A)
• Echofon – Twitter app for iPhone, simple to share photos, videos, location and links, has notifications for mentions and messages.  (I)
• UberSocial – Twitter app for BlackBerry, offers functionality, customized options and is user friendly. (B)
• WordPress – A blogging tool that goes beyond the basics, it’s easy to use and includes many great features including an integrated stats system. (A, I)

And of course, if you’re stuck in an airport and need help to pass the time, you can always rely on the top-rated, best app ever created … Angry Birds.

 What business apps would you recommend?

You’ve landed a media interview and have done all your homework. You know some background on the reporter and you’ve prepared your key messages.

So now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty.

Whether your interview is in person, over the phone, being recorded for radio or a podcast, or recorded on-camera for a video segment, the tips below can help ensure your success:

 1. Find a quiet place to conduct the interview where you won’t be inter­rupted by anyone and remember to turn off your cell phone, radio, fans, etc.

 2. If doing a phone interview, use a land line if possible. Cell phones are more likely to cut in and out and not offer as much consistency. Also be sure to turn off your cell phone and any call wait­ing or intercom alerts on the land line to avoid interruption.

 3. Regardless if your interview is on camera or over the phone, remember to speak up and smile while talking. It makes you look and sound better … and automatically bumps up your enthusiasm. Practice your key mes­sages out loud before the interview to get a feel of how they’ll sound.

 4. If you’re being recorded for a TV or video segment, dress appropriately. Try to avoid wearing busy patterns or solid black, red or white. Pastel tones and blues work best. Also be sure to nix any large or bulky jewelry that might distract or interfere with a microphone.

 5. Remember to always face and answer the interviewer – not the camera – unless otherwise directed. Find a comfortable position to sit, leaning slightly forward, and don’t change positions or fiddle.

 6. Be sure to speak in shorter sound bites, especially when responding to questions that go above and beyond your practiced key messages. Be careful not to be long-winded or use too much technical jargon. Covering a lot of information is great – just be sure to break it up. into digestable chunks.

 7. Don’t get flustered and stop mid-interview if you misspeak. Correct yourself and keep going. If the interview is being recorded for video, the interviewer will stop and back up if they deem it necessary.

 7.5. Always be camera-ready. Many print and radio reporters bring iPhones or Flip-Cams to capture interviews on video, so treat your interview as if it were for TV (see #4 & #5).

 What tips would you add?

One of the most rewarding things about engaging in social media is the feedback. It’s satisfying to see people commenting on your blog posts, tweeting you back on Twitter or posting on your Facebook wall.

 But how do you handle things when the most rewarding thing about social media turns negative? Mainly, what do you do when angry, argumentative or disrespectful people engage you online?

Here are a few tips on responding:

• First, it’s important to decide what kind of negative feedback you’re getting. Is it someone spamming nonsense or ads? Is it someone just looking to cause trouble? Or is it someone having a legitimate problem with your product or service?
•  Some negative posters are simply trying to stir up trouble. If you see a negative, unwarranted comment posted about your company or product from someone who doesn’t seem to have an actual basis or true problem, you can actually nip it in the bud by responding – in a polite and positive way. Many trouble-stirrers plan on you not reacting, so by responding in a professional way, you can deter other potential disrespectful posters from commenting.
•  If an error or typo is posted on one of your company’s social media sites, people might rush to point out the error – some in a nicer way than others. If there is a mistake, don’t simply fix it without commenting. Be sure to admit to the mistake and thank those who pointed it out.
•  The same goes for someone offering up constructive criticism, or a poster who seems to have a legitimate issue / trouble with your service or product offering.  It’s important to respond and thank them for their feedback and offer up the opportunity for additional communication offline.
•  The time it’s OK not to respond is when you’re dealing with “spammers” or “trolls.” Spammers are people who post spam material such as ad links or links to other products / websites in your comments section. Trolls are people who take things even further and may post inappropriate language or content in your feedback section.

How have you handled negative feedback on your social media platforms?

A recent post about “perfectionism” got me thinking about the difference between perfection and excellence. After spending years striving for, and being obsessed about, perfection at our PR firm, we have come to realize it’s usually better, more productive, more fulfilling and ultimately more appreciated by our clients – if we strive for excellence.

Here are seven reasons why:  

1. An obsession with Perfection causes procrastination because your work never seems good enough. A focus on Excellence gets things done with the time and resources you have.

2. An obsession with Perfection bogs you down in the details. A focus on Excellence propels you to keep moving forward.

3. An obsession with Perfection positions you to need the approval of others. A focus on Excellence wins you the approval of others.

4. An obsession with Perfection puts you in a constant state of stress. A focus on Excellence eliminates undue stress and inspires creativity because excellence is seen as within reach.

5. An obsession with Perfection prevents you from taking risks. A focus on Excellence helps you to see that risk generates rewards … and helps you to take appropriate risks boldly.

6. An obsession with Perfection kills teamwork, because others know you will find fault with anything they do. A focus on Excellence encourages teamwork and inspires teammates to do more than they thought possible.

7. An obsession with Perfection becomes a bottomless pit that’s difficult to climb out of. A focus on Excellence becomes a mountaintop that opens new vistas for you.

To paraphrase something said by one of America’s most heralded military strategists, General George S. Patton: An excellent plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.

So we suggest focusing on being excellent rather than obsessing about perfection … and don’t be surprised if you generate some simply perfect results.

How has being a perfectionista affected your work?

7.  Be a team player

• Two, three or four heads are better than one; other’s experiences can enrich your approach
• Get your teammates involved early and keep them informed and engaged
• Clients appreciate having available someone who knows the score when you’re not available or accessible
• Bounce ideas off of each other. Take teammates’ wildest ideas and enhance, adapt or shape them into something viable
• Utilize all the brainpower, insight and experience within your firm or department – it provides better solutions and helps avoid unintended consequences
• Don’t shoot from the hip – study the situation and consult your colleagues before proposing action or counseling

8.  Be a lean, mean PR machine

• Show genuine enthusiasm, interest and energy
• Be slightly early for meetings, and be prepared to the max
• Every effort should be your best. If you need more time because you’re not satisfied that it’s your best, say so
• Dress, act and communicate the part professionally – the client feels they’re paying BIG bucks for you
• Be responsive, humble and thoughtful. Sloth, arrogance and thoughtlessness are three things that irritate clients the most
• Under-promise and over-deliver
• Go the extra mile; when in doubt, think what you would want if YOU were the client, then do it
• When you’re with the client, give the client your FULL attention (ignore your mobile device!), and take notes to demonstrate your interest

9. Keep improving your writing

• Great writing is still the heart and soul of our business
• All client communications – including emails and text messages – should be carefully crafted, double-checked and proofed by someone else, if possible, before sending
•  Five or six revisions are NOT too many, especially if there’s a chance your document will be seen by your client’s boss or the outside world (and almost everything you do will)
• Read all the novels, blogs, out-of-town newspapers, speeches and newsletters you can, to observe different styles, techniques and terms
• Make and accept edits in the spirit of improvement, not egotism – it’s nothing personal
• Always remember who you are writing for, in terms of the client and his/her customer

10. If something is going wrong, get help

• Almost anything can be fixed if caught in time
• Don’t try to go it alone to save face; your boss and his boss have made mistakes, too
• If there’s a problem with the client or the agency, confront it blamelessly in the spirit of continuous improvement, assuming that everyone involved is competent and trying their best
• If there’s a personality conflict with your client or account team, try to talk it out early. Most times they arise out of misunderstandings
• When your personal life needs attention, tell your boss and take care of it now, so you can get back to focusing on the client with full attention
• Don’t keep account issues bottled up or try to hide account problems. They’ll just get worse

11. Always keep in touch

• Use email, voice mail, mobile calling, texts, etc. to stay in touch with your client and your teammates
• If you’re going to be out for an extended period, let your teammates and your clients know, offer alternate ways to reach you, and let the client know (by name and contact info) who’ll be backing you up in your absence
• When out, check in when you can, and delegate if you need to, in order to keep things moving
• Sometimes the client uses the late-in-the-day or after-hours call just to transfer stress so they can stop worrying, not because the matter is time-sensitive, so be there for that call

12. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

• We can learn from mistakes. Just don’t keep making the SAME mistake
• Weigh the situation, get insight, make your decision and walk the plank boldly
• If you goof up, don’t dwell on it. Learn from it and move on, knowing you’re a little smarter now
• If you don’t know something, don’t try to fake it. Ask questions. The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask
• Don’t shut others out, especially if you’re SURE you’re right. Your teammates may have made the same mistake and learned from it, and you can benefit from their learning, if you’re open to it
• Have fun – the pay is the same whether you have fun or not, so you might as well have fun. It will enhance the quality of your work and your life!

While we first shared these tips with the outside world in a presentation to the Detroit PRSA Chapter about 20 years ago, with a little updating to account for technology advances, the tenets still hold true today.

Here is the first installment of our top 12 tips to boost your PR professionalism:

1.       Work for the client/customer

• The client is your real employer
• At PR firms, the client is THE ONLY source of income
• Zen it – “be” the client; put yourself in the client’s shoes
• Big and small clients should receive the same caliber of service
• Remember that sometimes the media are your customers, too
• The client is king, but they can be wrong so don’t be afraid to ask the question if you think they are wrong

 2.       Know your client’s or company’s business

• Products/services and what differentiates them
• Key executives and organizational structure
• Customers/prospects/competitors/suppliers
• Mission/vision/guiding principles/priorities/key performance indicators
• Terminology/vernacular/jargon
• Journalist/bloggers/analysts who follow (or should follow) them
• Relevant associations/consortia/trade groups

 3.       Know your client’s sensitivities

• PR may not be their first priority
• Keep budget on-track and budget status transparent
• Know your supporters and detractors at the company
• Make your invoices easy for the client to understand, approve and pay
• Understand the client’s executive hierarchy, informal power structure and communication channels, including the grapevine
• Take note of and eliminate even the smallest of annoyances in the relationship with the client contacts
• Learn the client’s personal style, preferences and channels in communicating, working

 4.       Get involved in your client’s industry

• Read the key industry trade journals regularly
• Attend trade shows, conferences, seminars, etc. to gather info first-hand
• Visit the client’s facilities and their customers to gain insight and understanding
• Understand the key industry issues, trends and drivers, and where your client stands on them
• Identify potential opportunities or problems early
• Ask big picture questions and use the answers to improve your service

5.       Be pro-active in keeping the client informed

• Initiate communication, don’t just respond/react
• Remember that when clients hear nothing from you, they assume you are doing nothing
• Send relevant clips, stories, statistics and suggestions – to remind the client that you’re ALWAYS working for them
• Present new ideas and approaches, even for the most mundane tasks; take nothing for granted
• Don’t bury the client in useless information or problems, offer clarity and solutions
• Keep things organized and moving, with great agendas, call reports, activity reports, counseling memos and mini-programs

 6.       Always have a plan

• It gives you direction – The plan is a map that will help you and others moving together toward your goals
• It empowers you to be pro-active rather than reactive
• Get the client’s buy-in to the plan by allowing them to participate in its development
• Can be as simple as: Where are we now? Where do we want to be? How do we get there?
• Have a backup plan B in your pocket, in case your first plan doesn’t work out or the situation changes

(Tips 7-12 will come in the next post.)

Everyone is talking about Google+ … but what does it offer business-to-business communicators and marketers? In a word: POTENTIAL.

Google+ is a collection of social networking services we already use, all in one place and according to Google, made even better.

It allows you to link with friends, businesses, chat, organize your contacts, share your interests and much more. While currently only open to personal profiles, Google+ will include highly anticipated business profiles later this year. 

So, as a business professional, it’s worth catching the Google+ train now. Here are some of the key features:  

Stream: The easiest way to describe the Google+ Stream is to compare it to the Facebook News Feed but it’s so much more. You can view streams from specific Circles you belong to or all of them at once.

Circles: An easy way to sort your friends and connections. You are able to create as many Circles as you’d like and choose its name. When posting something, you are able to choose what Circles see that information. It could be all, just a few Circles, or even just one person. When you add someone to your circle, they don’t know what the circle is named or who else is in it. You don’t have to have permission to put someone in a Circle and no one has to in order to add you to one of their Circles.

 Profile & Posts: You have a lot of control over your posts. You are able to choose which Circles can see the information, whether a post can be re-shared and even edit or delete a post. Photos, videos and links can be shared in your posts easily by just dragging links directly to the ‘Share what’s new…’ box.

+1 Button: Similar purpose to Facebook’s “Like” button, +1 also helps make search results more relevant and is something Google would like to enhance in the future. You may have already noticed this feature incorporated to show up next to Google’s search results.

Hangouts: This is a video chat and can be utilized with multiple users, up to 10. When you are “hanging out” users in your Circles are able to see it in their streams and join you. There are controls so everyone or only certain Circles can see you in a Hangout or even just one person. Those in the Hangout can also share or watch YouTube videos simultaneously.

Sparks: This feature allows users to search topics and find relevant articles, videos and photos right on Google+ to keep up to date with your interests and share with your Circles. You are able to “pin” your favorite Spark topics for quick searches later on.  

Photos & Instant Upload: The photo capabilities developed on Google+ are one of its coolest aspects. Google+ has photo albums you are able to create to share photos with Circles of your choice. You can easily create new albums and upload photos by clicking “Upload New Photos,” dragging and dropping photos into your browser. Additional photo features allow you to edit your photos in Google+, tag yourself, and friends, but tags but be approved by those being tagged before it appears on Google+.

Taking the time to upload your photos from your phone can sometimes be a pain. Google+ has an option for photos and videos from your phone to be instantly uploaded as you take them to a private album for you to share whenever you’d like.

Huddle: Found in the Google+ phone app, a Huddle allows you to text multiple people at once. It becomes a group chat right on your phone.

Visit https://plus.google.com/up/start/?continue=https://plus.google.com/&type=st&gpcaz=78b254d to check it out.

What’s your take on Google+ as a business-to-business tool? Will you use it?