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Know Your Stakeholders' Stakeholders

Writer's picture: WSDWSD

We often talk about the what’s in it for me (WIIFM) factor.


This is chiefly about knowing your key stakeholders – their needs and wants.


Stakeholders may incorporate an array of different people with different interests and drivers. They include customers, suppliers, vendors, consumers, three-tier government (or more, internationally) government agencies, lobbyists, and the list goes on.


You will build your stakeholder, marketing, media, and communications plans – to meet the needs and wants of these stakeholders.


Sounds simple, doesn’t it?


Just prepare a table, with stakeholder needs and wants, followed by your communication channels (marketing elements, media, face-to-face, constant communication touchpoints etc).


I am here to dispel your dreams of simplicity.


Let’s paint the picture. We have a stakeholder or a number, thereof, whose needs we can meet, on face value. We can lose sight of the fact that our stakeholders, have their own stakeholders.


Who is talking to who? Who is influencing other key related stakeholders? Who are the influencers, lobbyists, benefactors?


The influencers may well be your target market blockers. They are what we call, intermediaries.


I am not professing, the need for a spiderweb effect. The difference is, to make sure what is important, is to know who are important the others’ that impacting your primary stakeholder servicing. Not your jobs, perhaps? Bullshit. If it suffices your organisation’s development – it is all, your jobs.


Have you done a diligent competitor analysis? Who is feeding into them and may interfere with your plans? What other external discussions do you require?


Prioritised targets should include second (if not third tier) – doubtful, on the latter, as you may lose focus.


There is a lot of trial and error in this process, so businesses disregard its importance.

Good luck with your stakeholder relations. If, you wish to discuss, please contact us at Words By WSD.

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