007 Tips You Can Learn from James Bond to Ignite Your Tech PR Career

Photo:“Daniel Craig on Venice yacht crop” by Flickr user Wonderferret http://bit.ly/1NjiQYA- Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons- http://bit.ly/1HLzeTj

James Bond needs no introduction. He’s the most popular secret agent in the world with 26 films and even more books to his name. He’s also someone you can use as a model to strengthen your tech PR skills. Wait! What? Are you serious? Yes! Bond’s behavior, ambition, resourcefulness and more all work in tech PR. In honor of the new Bond film Spectre releasing this year, let's take a look at what 007 can teach us.  

001: Bond Adapts to the Present

If Bond stayed the same and didn’t redevelop his identity multiple times over the years, he’d be KIA (killed in action) just like every other 00 agent. While tech PR isn’t espionage, agencies that don’t adapt to new trends risk being abandoned by their clients and the media. So to ensure your agency remains relevant, always evolve your tech PR craft and pay attention to changes in the industry.

002: Bond Is Proactive

Observe Bond in the films and you’ll notice he goes to venues alone, conducts his own research and makes new connections without his boss M's approval. While you should probably get permission for high-level assignments, don’t be afraid to proactively pitch, share new ideas in team meetings and find that next great connection independently. Don’t wait around for opportunities to come to you. Make it happen.

003: Bond Constantly Seeks Out New Experiences

A day in the life of Bond is never the same. He’s always off having little adventures, whether it’s skiing in Switzerland, bungee jumping, playing a round of golf or using the latest Q-Branch gadgets. Obviously most people don’t share Bond’s luxurious work schedule, but devoting some of your free time to new activities can enrich your life in surprising ways. It might not seem practical now, but your interests and passions may prove invaluable to brainstorming the next great byline or press release idea for your clients.

004: Bond Is Ready for the Unexpected

Bond dresses to impress and lives a life of spontaneity. You never know when you’ll run into a client outside of work. So always be mindful of your appearance. Also, how you act in response to a client’s internal crisis can make or break your relationship. Do you know how to act under pressure? There’s no harm in preparing ahead of time, but you need to be able to act without hesitation – like Bond does.

005: Bond Is Very Thorough

Bond is meticulous with his research and knows his co-workers, friends and especially rivals like the back of his hand. He’s always thinking one step ahead and lining up his next move similar to a great poker player. You can do the same when interacting with your clients by demonstrating you’ve done your homework.

006: Bond Is Charismatic

Bond may be a cold-blooded killer, but he’s also an expert conversationalist. Watch his body language and behaviors to see how he demonstrates charisma. Observe how he focuses completely on who he’s talking to and displays just enough mystery to get people thinking about him when they’re alone. Be like him at your next networking event but also while you’re working. Consider this: do your pitches, conference calls and coffee meetings leave people wanting more?

007: Bond Never Gives Up

The most critical character trait of Bond is determination. Remember on those tough workdays that Bond has encountered much worse and still found ways to overcome his problems. You can’t win them all. So don’t let a reporter’s rejection or a client leaving your agency for someone else become personal. You might not be 007, but you can learn from him to better your tech PR career or any job for that matter.

For five more 007 tips check here and prepare for Spectre with this Bond film roundup.

Meet the BOCA Pets

At BOCA, we’ve enjoyed introducing you to our new BOCAteers over the last few months. Now it’s the BOCA pets turn in the spotlight. Each BOCA pet has a personality (almost) as unique as his or her owner, along with some interesting stories. Without further ado, it’s time meet the BOCA pets.

Bentley

Breed: Morkie (a mixture of Maltese and Yorkie)

Owner: Senior Account Executive Natalie Wolfrom

Bentley’s Personality

“He’s always super happy, which is what I love most about him. Recently he’s had this more territorial personality where he growls when he sees other dogs outside, which is something he never used to do. So he’s become more like a little-man protective type, which I still think is cute. In general, he’s a very loving dog and gets along with most other dogs.”    

Bentley’s Cool Story

“I’ve had him since he was a pup, and he’s pretty much used my cat Spartacus as his role model. So instead of a dog figure he has a cat figure in his mind. He has some cat habits like licking and cleaning his paws, and whenever he sees a dog he will get down like a cat and literally get ready to pounce. To me, I know what he’s doing so it's playful and cute. However, I understand when dog owners think Bentley is trying to attack their dogs, so that doesn’t really go off too well. Some other cat tendencies he has are to rest on the top of my couch like Spartacus does. Dogs don’t normally do that and sometimes Bentley gets up there and sits with Spartacus side by side, or sometimes on top of him.”-Natalie Wolfrom

Chai

Breed: Poodle/Bichon mix

Owner: Account Director Michelle Newburgh

Chai’s Personality

“Chai is friendly, loving, outgoing and loyal. I love that he is empathetic, wants to be around people and can sense when someone is stressed or in need of comfort. I feel having Chai in the office helps with teamwork. He helps people relax and de-stress by sitting on their laps and being held. Personally, he forces me to take breaks, which helps keep me refreshed. When I get back to my desk, I often have a new way of looking at a something and find myself more productive. I love having him in the office and that my colleagues enjoy his company as much as I do.”

Chai’s Cool Story

“Chai's former owners spoke fluent Japanese. One day I had a few Japanese friends over, and they started giving him commands in Japanese. To my surprise and delight, he started doing all sorts of new tricks! I had no idea he was a bilingual dog.” -Michelle Newburgh

Bella

Breed: Miniature Schnauzer 

Owner: Vice President Ashley Breinlinger

Bella’s Personality

“Many BOCAteers refer to Bella as Kim Kardashian, which I tell myself is because of her fantastic eyelashes and luscious locks, but I think it's actually because she can be something of a diva. She LOVES her work pack and was very sad to be home alone with me and the baby while I was out on maternity leave because she clearly thinks she has important work to do here at the BOCA office. She spends much of her time here greeting visitors and inspecting purses and backpacks for food. Beyond that I hope she functions as a work-therapy dog when people need a snuggle break from pitching and meetings.”

“One trait I love is that Bella is very perceptive. Unlike some breeds, she looks people directly in the face and will ask how your day is going and where the next adventure will be, all with her eyes. If she sees that someone is hurt or sad, she wants to help and give them love.”

Bella’s Cool (Sweet) Story

“My mom passed away from cancer at our family home nearly five years ago when Bella was just a puppy. My mom taught her to fetch and loved her very much, and the day that my mom died, Bella sat with her on her bed and would not leave her side for 24 hours. Bella refused to eat or drink or go outside, and instead stayed nestled under my mom's arm the entire time as she slipped away. In fact, all of our family dogs (we had three at the time) stayed with my mom either on her bed or underneath it during that time. I think Bella knew something was changing in my mom, and she wanted to be there to comfort her and all of us through it.” -Ashley Breinlinger

Zoe
Breed: Boston Terrier
Owner: BOCA Founder Kathleen Shanahan

Zoe’s Personality
“Zoe is the Mayor. Literally, she is the Mayor of BOCA and our street, Francisco Street. She trots around knowing that people know that she not only belongs on this street but basically owns the street. She is intelligent and loving - a huge people person. Everyday she comes to work, and she visits our lovely neighbors here on Francisco Street…be it Water Lilly Cleaners for yummy Chinese Food, Cafe Francisco for bacon scraps or Sweeties - a #1 dive bar here in San Francisco - so she can chase bottle caps. Lastly, she is a lover, not a fighter. She cuddles everyone and just likes to visit friends and chill out."

Zoe’s Cool Story

“One day my wonderful work colleague told me that her brother was talking about a super smart dog that he met on the corner of Cole and Carl (Cole Valley - the San Francisco neighborhood she lives in full time when not at BOCA). He met a Boston Terrier with brindle coloring that was playing ball with him.” 

“Not playing any ball. The dog was strategically nudging the ball to his foot and looking at him, making a bark (an order) and basically saying in dog language, "please pick up that ball or kick it for me."

“When this brother spoke about the dog, he met - our BOCA employee (VP) said that is Zoe…she is famous for her ball skills and lives in Cole Valley. Zoe is the ONLY brindle Boston in the Cole Valley area. So known is the Cole Valley area she is even part of a dog mural on Cole Street. I am just amazed by her intelligence. She truly sits apart from other dogs. Zoe, also swims…most Boston Terriers can't swim, but she can, perfectly.”-Kathleen Shanahan

Some of the most successful companies in the world welcome pets on their premises and BOCA is no different. Bentley, Chai, Bella and Zoe all help our staff finish an exhausting tech PR workday by cheering us up and keeping us motivated. We couldn’t imagine our work life without the BOCA pets and consider them an integral part of the BOCA family. 

Best Practices for Writing Emails

Photo: Seamus Mcgill Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons -

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Although you may not consider yourself an expert wordsmith, it’s likely you write as part of your job every day, and most of that writing is probably in the form of emails. The vast majority of jobs (especially in PR) require daily email use, so it’s imperative that your writing’s clear and concise. Try these email best practices to improve your writing and boost your productivity in no time.

EMAIL ETIQUETTE

Don’t beat around the bush

Nowadays most people read emails on their phone, so keep your messages short and easy to understand. Ditch overly long emails and get to the point in three sentences or less.

Pay attention to your email format

How your emails look makes a huge difference. Always check that your font matches, use bullets strategically and put keywords in bold so important facts stand out.

Watch your tone

Written communication differs from face-to-face conversations so make sure what you say doesn't send the wrong message. Use smiley faces or other emoticons if the conversation isn’t too formal, eliminate redundancies and avoid sounding negative. A positive and upbeat approach is much more effective.

Don’t forget the greeting and closing statement

When writing email make sure to greet everyone and leave them with an closing statement. It really comes down to personal preference, but words like cheers, best, kind regards and anything else that fits your style works.

EMAIL FUNDAMENTALS

Use a great subject line

Use a memorable subject line like a question, the recipient’s first name, or put the word urgent to ensure your email gets quick attention. If you’re reaching out to a reporter, try referencing their Twitter account in some way in the subject line.  

Respond quickly

People always prefer a quick response versus waiting days for a reply. Obviously, it’s not possible for every email, but acknowledging someone within 24 hours shows you’re paying attention.

Avoid playing email tag

To avoid lots of back-and-forth, ask all your questions upfront and provide answers right away. Also, repeat back instructions you received and ask for deadlines or any other important information so you can start working immediately.

Follow up professionally

Sometimes you don’t get a response no matter what you do. Instead of getting mad, take a more thoughtful approach. Add some additional information to your message and acknowledge that you know the recipient busy. Oftentimes people just missed your first email and need a friendly reminder. If this fails to produce a response, just pick up the phone.

PROOFREADING TIPS

Use Microsoft Word spell checker and read emails out loud

Gmail and Outlook don’t catch everything, so before hitting send use Microsoft Word or another spell checker like Grammarly. Besides spell checking, read your emails out loud. Doing so helps you detect run-on sentences, sentence fragments and misplaced or missing commas.

Send emails to yourself

It’s easy to make a typo without realizing it. Prevent embarrassing mistakes by sending emails to yourself first. Reading your message from the recipient’s perspective helps you catch issues you might have missed.

Have a co-worker or friend review your email

Sometimes a second pair of eyes helps you find writing flaws you wouldn’t see otherwise. When sending high-priority emails, like securing media coverage, getting peer feedback makes all the difference.

TRIM THE FAT FROM YOUR EMAILS

Eliminate long-winded sentences

Remove unnecessary prepositional phrases to make your writing easy to read. You don’t need to eliminate them all, but more than three per sentence is probably too many. See the Paramedic Method for a more thorough breakdown.

Shorten your paragraphs

If you do write long emails, shorten your paragraphs to improve readability. No one likes reading huge paragraphs with no white space. So keep your paragraphs concise (under 100 words) whenever possible.

Make a word watchlist

Maybe swearing like a sailor and saying bat-shit-crazy wasn’t the best move. Learn from your bad email experiences by creating a word watchlist so you don’t repeat the same errors again. Words people frequently misspell, like embarrassment, and meaningless jargon also make good inclusions.

EMAIL PRODUCTIVITY HACKS

Use a timer

Do you have an overwhelming number of emails that require a response ASAP? Try giving yourself a short deadline of 25 minutes to compose a pre-determined number of emails, say five or ten. This way you won’t waste time rewriting the same emails over and over again.

Wake up earlier

Waking up earlier does wonders for you productivity. Just ask Tim Cook. You don’t have to get up at 4:30am everyday like he does, but getting started before the 9am email onslaught begins means more free time for you.

Work on two screens

Having your email open constantly interferes with your productivity. So, to lessen distractions, limit emails to your phone or tablet. Use your computer only when you need to respond.

We’ve covered a lot of email tips, but feel free to try just a few. A few weeks of implementing these strategies routinely, and you’ll be an email all-star!

Introducing the New Faces of BOCA: Joel Jamora

It’s time to meet another new face at BOCA. Say hello to our newest account coordinator, Joel Jamora. Joel grew up in South San Diego near Imperial Beach and studied English at San Francisco State. He was drawn to PR because he always liked the idea of finding creative ways to tell companies stories and working with the media. After graduating from our intern program last year, Joel has quickly laid down the foundation for a successful PR career at BOCA.

1. How would friends describe you?

Pretty chill and low key, but I can get really excited about certain topics and end up pretty loud. I also have a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. For fun, I like to play basketball and occasionally go indoor bouldering, which is rock climbing without the harness. The routes are considerably shorter, usually around 10-15 feet high, and it focuses more on strength and technique.

2. How did you hear about BOCA and what are your job duties?

I found out about BOCA while looking into PR agencies in San Francisco. I saw the website and blog and thought it looked cool, so I followed it. I eventually saw the recruiting party post, and the rest is history. My main job duties include creating weekly reports for accounts, conducting daily news sweeps and researching speaking and award opportunities for clients.

3. What kind of animal would you be for a day?

I would want to be some kind of bird so I can just explore and finally be rid of my fear of heights. Just not a pigeon. I wouldn’t want kids to throw things at me.

4. What’s your favorite food?

It’s hard for me to have a favorite food because I like so many different kinds. One day I could crave pizza, another I could want a burger. That being said, you can’t go wrong with a good carne asada burrito from San Diego.

5. Where would you like to travel?

I want to go to Europe so I can experience many different cultures in a limited amount of time. One city I really want to check out is Barcelona, Spain. From what I’ve heard, the food is great and the city is gorgeous.

6.Which famous person would you like to have a conversation with?

Ethan Hawke. He seems pretty laid back and comfortable with who he is so it seems like you can talk to him about movies and writing without him being pretentious.

7. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

Growing up, we didn’t really have a lot of money, but my dad knew that my sisters and I had really wanted a Sony PlayStation so he made sure to save enough to get one for us. On Christmas Eve (my sister’s birthday), I woke up and saw my dad in the hallway talking to my sister from her bedroom doorway. After I asked him why he wasn’t at work, he points at my sister to show that he had placed it next to her head while she was asleep. We were all really excited and played that thing all day.

When I became an adult and realized how hard it must’ve been for him to save the money for it, all for the sake of making his children happy, it made me appreciate the gift on an even higher level. It is definitely one of my most cherished memories of my father.

8. What’s a random skill you want to learn?

I’d be interested in learning how to play the violin and piano so I can finally learn all the songs that I’ve been wanting to learn how to play, such as the ones on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins.

9. Which fictional character would you be for a day?

I think it’d be really interesting to be Jesse from Before Sunrise since the whole movie takes place in a day. If case you’ve never seen it, the movie is about a young American guy meeting a French girl on a train in Europe. They get along well, and he convinces her to get off the train with him in Vienna, where they spend all day and night just walking around and talking. As much as I want to deny it, I guess I can be a little bit of a hopeless romantic.

PR and Tech Growth Outside Silicon Valley(Part Two)

 

Can New York overtake Silicon Valley? Photo: Daniel Schwen. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http://bit.ly/1zP8fwW

Welcome back to part two of our “PR and Tech Growth Outside of Silicon Valley” blog post series. In part one, we covered northwestern tech hubs like Seattle and Portland. Then we covered southwestern areas including Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Austin. This week we’ll examine how the Northeast, Southeast and other lesser known spots compete with Silicon Valley to be the leading location for tech innovation.

The Northeast

New York, New York

If there’s one tech hub that could potentially dethrone Silicon Valley, it’s New York City. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made heavy financial investments in technology, created a tech resource website called Digital NYC for startups and hired key people like Rachel Haot as chief digital officer. New York also has one of the most powerful news organizations in the world and strong academic institutions for applied science and engineering, including a new tech-focused school being built on Roosevelt Island. Outside of work, it goes without saying that New Yorkers enjoy an exciting lifestyle and have no trouble finding fun activities to do, making it a very appealing place to live. The one thing holding New York back, according to Inc., isn’t a lack of resources, but people and culture that are more open to innovation and taking risks. Only then can New York overtake Silicon Valley.

Washington, D.C.

Hosting the White House and Congress make Washington, D.C., a major political hub, but the city has evolved into a great tech hub too. The city houses over 1,000 startups and the 1776 tech hub located in downtown Washington acts as a key resource for entrepreneurs and the birth of new ideas. Washington, D.C., also has a number of advantages over Silicon Valley, such as being more open to women working in tech and an abundance of federal government help available. Similar to New York, the mayor of Washington, D.C., Vincent Gray, sees tech growth as a priority. People love Washington for its extravagant festivals,which outnumber those in every other city in the US, its bike-friendly environment and its diverse culture, making it an ideal place for tech workers to live.

Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Boston is a leading tech innovator and considered one of Silicon Valley’s biggest rivals. In addition to Boston, nearby Cambridge has more dedicated research and development space than even San Francisco. Boston’s strengths lie in B2B technologies, big data science, biotech, robot development and its proximity to clients in Europe. Although Boston doesn’t have many big tech household names, social media giant Facebook started at Harvard before Mark Zuckerburg moved the company to the Bay Area. What people enjoy about Boston include its great public transportation system, extravagant sports events, beer and landmarks dating back to the earliest days of America.

The Southeast

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a true underdog and one of the fastest growing tech communities in the world. The initial buzz came after Fast Company ranked Charleston as one of the top ten hot tech spots back in 2012 because of its growing popularity in software and Internet technology. With the State Industry Partnership Act, its Seed Fund and the Charleston Digital Corridor acting as a public-private space for tech workers all contributed to Charleston’s tech growth. People come to work here because of Charleston’s ample opportunities for water sports, live theater events, gorgeous scenic countryside and its reputation for being a very friendly city.

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans and its people experienced devastating losses after Hurricane Katrina greatly damaged the area. However, instead of letting the hurricane defeat them, the community has revitalized the city as a strong tech sector. The low cost of building a startup, generous tax credits, the Idea Village organization and a culture that encourages entrepreneurship have all done wonders to give the city a second life. Performance of kids in school has gone up since the hurricane hit, so New Orleans makes an extremely good spot for educationally minded startups. The city’s also huge for IT growth and General Electric has invested greatly in the city. Outside of tech, rich history attracts people here along with a vibrant music scene, which was the birthplace of jazz. A port city like San Francisco with lots of cultural diversions, New Orleans attracts many tech workers from the Bay Area too.

The Midwest and Mideast

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City was the first city to get Google Fiber, and contributed to jumpstarting the startup community here. Tech workers who use Google Fiber report it saves them a few minutes of work time each day. The response to Google Fiber also helped create the lesser-known KC Freedom Network too and given those with limited resources the opportunity to build a business. Lifestyle factors people like about Kansas City include the famous underground art scene, how easy it is to getting around, and being a tech sector with affordability to match its growing tech job market.

Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa wasn’t considered much of a tech sector for a while, but that all changed in 2008 when Microsoft opened a new data center there. Although it took until 2012 to build, Microsoft’s presence resulted in strong tech job growth, which motivated Google and Facebook to do the same. Helping Iowa’s tech growth the most is its strong community and angel investors who provide tech workers with strong mentoring skills to help them grow. Des Moines makes a good starting point for entrepreneurs who want to experiment with tech and then go to Silicon Valley. However, many stay here because they love being in a city that has a small town feel and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Omaha, Nebraska

To start off, housing in Omaha costs half of what it does in San Francisco, so less money goes to paying rent, utilities and hiring employees, based on a SmartAsset study. All that extra money helps with things like marketing and advertising, key advantages to highlighting startups strengths. Omaha’s charm lies in the fact that startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators can communicate in a more open setting and less crowded area here. People can make bigger decisions with less time and need for approval. Also, since there’s a fraction of startups here compared to San Francisco, companies see much more visibility and find it easier to make headlines. People love Omaha for some of the freshest farmers’ markets in the nation, its impressive art scene, die-hard sports fans and more.

Even more tech hubs exist than what we’ve listed here, such as Minneapolis, Miami and those in foreign countries like China, Russia, and the UK. Nowadays launching the next great startup in Silicon Valley isn’t a must anymore. Creative tech innovators can now work from anywhere with technology being cheaper and more accessible to everyone. Silicon Valley remains a powerful tech hub, but don’t be surprised if another tech sector surpasses it over the next decade. And that's a good thing because stronger competition benefits everyone and drives tech growth.

This Week in Tech: BOCA Edition

TGIF! Cybersecurity and encrypted payment platforms dominated the headlines this week, and our news roundup includes stories about how President Obama and Facebook plan to prevent cyber-hacking, the rise of bitcoin in foreign countries and Google’s alternative to Apple Pay.

Obama Signs Executive Order on Sharing Cybersecurity Threat Information

After all the cybersecurity attacks over the last few months, a silver lining has emerged.

Today, at the White House summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University, President Obama signed an executive order insisting companies share information with other companies and the Federal Government to prevent future hacking attacks.

CEOs Skip Cyber-security Summit

Not everyone in tech attended the Cybersecurity Summit today. Prominent tech figures like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer from Yahoo, and Google’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt all passed on the event even though the decisions made here today will shape the Federal Government and tech companies relationships for year to come. However, Apple’s Tim Cook, Ajay, Banga from MasterCard and many other tech giants choose to attend. Be sure to watch the live event at 4:30 PM ET today for all the latest updates.

Facebook Launches ThreatExchange, an API-Based Platform That Lets Companies Share Security Threat Info

The White House isn’t the only one taking extra security precautions. Facebook revealed ThreatExchange, an API-based platform for companies to warn each other about potential security threats and strengthen their internal defenses. VentureBeat reports that hackers often go after multiple targets so ThreatExchange could be a valuable tool for preventing future cyber attacks before they happen.

Google is Reportedly Testing a Service That Will Let You Pay by Saying Your Initials

Excited about Apple Pay? Google clearly wants in on the mobile payments revolution too. A new service called Plaso lets customers pay by saying their initials at select businesses like Panera and Papa John’s. Business Insider reports that Google wants to use the service to learn more about customer behavior and enhance their ad targeting efforts.

Bitcoin Blazes New Trail in Emerging Markets.

Venture investment in bitcoin continues to rise. TechCrunch shared on Wednesday that foreign countries like Kenya, Uruguay and Panama experienced tremendous growth using bitcoin to overcome challenges with regional payment procedures. For more information on how bitcoin revolutionizes mobile transactions check out the full article by TechCrunch editor Christine Magee.