Maxim Behar's Blog, page 2

Maxim Behar for TBmagazine: Where Are You, Captain...?

In his weekly column "Max's Column" for TBmagazine, Maxim Behar tells cautionary lessons from the past that open our eyes to the present.

Months ago I gave a super interesting lecture in the garden of the Vrana Palace in the presence of His Majesty King Simeon II of Bulgaria, many of my friends, business partners and without even suspecting what a great hole - international and local - we will fall into today, I told one of my favourite stories. It actually belongs to my good friend Nikki Nikolov, a great manager and a man with incredible experience...

So... at a very, very young age Nikki started his career as a sailor on a ship - a profession full of surprises and many adventures. He waited for days for someone to praise him, worked hard, stretched like never before and hour after hour asked the bosun: "Boss, how is it, how am I doing, are you happy with me?"... He was looking for recognition, he wanted to know if he was doing well. "Look now," replied the bosun, "you have asked me enough, wait until the first storm to come and I will tell you then".

Great lesson in one sentence. I remember it every day, every hour even, these days, because the storm came indeed. You can see who is making quick and bold decisions and who is hiding like a mouse in a hole, hoping to survive... You can also see who is moaning and groaning that the business is not going well and banging his head against the wall, but you can also see who manages to overcome the difficulties, to stay awake, to constantly give ideas, to be innovative and thus succeed. Not only in business, but also in life.

The storm is really here and it requires quick and bold decisions - for or against vaccines and which ones are the right, the war in Ukraine, about our Russian friends and Putin, about our Ukrainian friends and Zelenskyy, about the higher prices, about the crisis, about inflation...

We haven't had so many storms in one place at one time in a long time.

Only the Bosun is not there to assess us accurately and uncompromisingly. Where is he and who is he now, let everyone answer that question for themselves. And if you don't find him - decide for yourself whether the new life and the new business is not for you or you will adapt and succeed. ��

Source: https://www.tbmagazine.net/statia/kde-si-bocmane.html

Priceless Lessons by Maxim Behar: A Story with Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Maxim Behar shares his exciting meeting with former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his author series "Priceless Lessons" for BGLOBAL magazine.

Ban Ki-moon, who did not stop arranging puzzles for peace
The Korean diplomat, who served two terms as UN Secretary General, will be remembered for his "passion" for preaching peace, something increasingly strange and difficult in recent times

- Well, how will you do business if there is a war, if people do not understand each other...

Ban Ki-moon looks me straight in the eye, but doesn't scold me, instead he puts on a wide smile as he speaks these words. On the one hand, he has the iconic eastern expression of universal respect for everyone he talks to, but on the other hand, he seems to be a cosmopolitan class act.

Our meeting is in a small reception room at the UN headquarters in New York and probably strictly from curiosity to see what the first member of the Global Compact in Bulgaria looks like, Ban Ki-moon has agreed to meet and talk.

Global Compact is actually an initiative of his predecessor Kofi Annan, but when in 2000 the initiative appeared in Bulgaria without a drop of hesitation, I signed the application for accession on behalf of M3 Communications Group, Inc.

The Swiss lawyer, sent to explain the initiative to a small and rather obscure for the world then Bulgaria, was in the "seventh heaven" of happiness that he found a company that understands what it is all about, and quite enthusiastically. The idea of the Treaty is to unite politicians and businesses, to work together for a better, more transparent, and ethical world, a place where both sides have equal roles and responsibilities. The idea is simple and at the same time exceptional, because prior that, we all relied on people at the top of the political spectrum, meanwhile the business sector made money, goods and services, while also paying salaries.

- I know what is up with you businesspeople now. Why bother with global warming, the environment and peace talks when you have no influence over politicians. But I want to tell you, you have me.

And you in a small Bulgaria, or even the smallest businessman in the smallest country is important because they can set a precedent, an example that spreads.

Of course, I understand this person, with his very slow and calm tone, which can spark interest and capture the attention of even the most disinterested. Not to mention that throughout our whole meeting, he knew he was knocking on an open door.

For years I dreamed that business in Bulgaria would really feel its responsibility, especially against the background of weaker and unprepared politicians. And in fact, the Standard for Business Ethics in Bulgaria, which I wrote shortly before I realized that there is a Global Compact, by some strange and easily explained coincidence, reiterated its ten main points - the fight against corruption, rights for employees and their education, care for the environment...

- But you understood me well, without peace this cannot happen, and everything will lose its meaning���

I return to his words, and right now, at the beginning of this turbulent year 2022, I understand their meaning more and more.

A few years later, I was expecting Ban Ki-moon in front of the Sheraton Hotel in Sofia, and when the shiny car stopped in the parking lot and he got out of the back seat, a huge smile lit up his face with the words: "Here is the first Bulgarian I know to believe in the power of business!"

I looked at him with infinite respect and said, "But only if there is peace, because otherwise everything else loses meaning."

Years later, we are aware that peacekeeping has proved to be a complex puzzle that many UN Secretary-Generals have handled quite well. Indeed, it was very painful when, at the very beginning of the Russian attack on Ukraine, Ban Ki-moon's successor, the Portuguese Anthony Guterres, said: "The UN���s core mission, set up immediately after World War II, is to prevent warfare. The mission, at this moment, has proven to be unaccomplished..."

We must remember this, even when we do things that war would make meaningless. Ban Ki-moon does it to this day, at his World Peace Center, wherever, whenever, and whomever he talks to.

Photo: Maxim Behar with Ban Ki-moon, New York, 2010

Maxim Behar for TBmagazine: Where Are You, Bosun...?

In his weekly column "Max's Column" for TBmagazine, Maxim Behar tells cautionary lessons from the past that open our eyes to the present.

Months ago I gave a super interesting lecture in the garden of the Vrana Palace in the presence of His Majesty King Simeon II of Bulgaria, many of my friends, business partners and without even suspecting what a great hole - international and local - we will fall into today, I told one of my favourite stories. It actually belongs to my good friend Nikki Nikolov, a great manager and a man with incredible experience...

So... at a very, very young age Nikki started his career as a sailor on a ship - a profession full of surprises and many adventures. He waited for days for someone to praise him, worked hard, stretched like never before and hour after hour asked the bosun: "Boss, how is it, how am I doing, are you happy with me?"... He was looking for recognition, he wanted to know if he was doing well. "Look now," replied the bosun, "you have asked me enough, wait until the first storm to come and I will tell you then".

Great lesson in one sentence. I remember it every day, every hour even, these days, because the storm came indeed. You can see who is making quick and bold decisions and who is hiding like a mouse in a hole, hoping to survive... You can also see who is moaning and groaning that the business is not going well and banging his head against the wall, but you can also see who manages to overcome the difficulties, to stay awake, to constantly give ideas, to be innovative and thus succeed. Not only in business, but also in life.

The storm is really here and it requires quick and bold decisions - for or against vaccines and which ones are the right, the war in Ukraine, about our Russian friends and Putin, about our Ukrainian friends and Zelenskyy, about the higher prices, about the crisis, about inflation...

We haven't had so many storms in one place at one time in a long time.

Only the Bosun is not there to assess us accurately and uncompromisingly. Where is he and who is he now, let everyone answer that question for themselves. And if you don't find him - decide for yourself whether the new life and the new business is not for you or you will adapt and succeed. ��

Source: https://www.tbmagazine.net/statia/kde-si-bocmane.html

Maxim Behar for TBmagazine: Where did Covid go?!... Strange!

In his weekly column "Max's Column" for TBmagazine, Maxim Behar shares his expert opinion on a topic that has left many question marks - why did the media forget about Covid? ��

Stressed out, confused, vaccinators and anti-vaxxers, specialists in everything... suddenly forgot that there was a pandemic, forgot about all kinds of Covid variations and overnight became specialists in international politics. I'll bet that's an outcome even the most impressive analysts didn't see coming.

Somehow it was like a magic wand - we opened shopping malls, public buildings, cinemas, theatres, lifted all sorts of restrictions, and the media relegated news of infected and dead to either the back of the news or completely forgot to mention them.

The truth is different.

Exactly two years after the first recorded case of Covid-19 in Bulgaria, the pandemic is still there and the war in Ukraine can hardly displace this reality. In fact, the war will hopefully end soon. As well, I hope that the pandemic will not return again. But this super strange circumstance of the last few days only shows how the dynamics of the modern world are rapidly erasing from our heads, and from our news, the events of yesterday, because we are now being "bombarded" by quite different ones today.

Naturally, the bad things should be forgotten as soon as possible, but I would say that our disturbing memories should not be erased so quickly and overshadowed by every subsequent event. The pandemic did not hide, it did not disappear suddenly and overnight, quite the opposite - we are still careful in our meetings, in our offices, in public places. Just as - to our great regret - when the war is over we will not forget it for a long time. And this is further proof that it is not the news that should determine our important priorities. But ourselves.

Source: https://www.tbmagazine.net/statia/kde-izchezna-kovid-stranno.html

Priceless Lessons by Maxim Behar: A Story with Prince Philip

Maxim Behar talks about his meeting with Prince Philip, who is still revered after his death for his profound contribution to nearly 1,000 charities in Scotland, the UK and the world. It's a story with priceless memories that remain long in Behar's life and he now shares in his author series "Priceless Lessons" for BGLOBAL magazine. ��

Philip, who loved Bulgaria without ever visiting...
Queen Elizabeth's husband was a unique philanthropist, collector, a rare breed good monarch and a very, very literate man.

The emails I receive from my great British friend Alan Ogden to this day, for over 25 years, are usually just one sentence with no more than 10 words and signed succinctly with one letter - A.

However, one e-mail really took me a long time to decipher. "Max, HRM PP wants us to help him with GF, can we? -A ".
A complete mystery.

It was about midnight and knowing that I was two hours ahead of London time, I did not hesitate to call and patiently listen to the midnight transcript of the message.

And so, HRM turned out to be His Royal Majesty Prince Phillip, in short, the husband of Queen Elizabeth, who ran the Grenadiers Fund. Also referred to by his most popular title - the Duke of Edinburgh.

Alan, a dignified and proud Englishman, but also a former vice president of the Swiss bank UBS, has been my friend for centuries and one of the things he does is a variety of charity initiatives aimed at helping his island nation. Just like the Duke of Edinburgh, who had decided to start a campaign in the Grenadiers Foundation, set up in 1913, to assist British military veterans affected by various operations around the world, the most recent being Afghanistan.

Admittedly, the whole campaign and its goals were not very clear to me, but I have never refused to support anything that Allen does, so we created the first official and very professional website of the Foundation, through which even more proud Britons and supporters made donations to the fallen soldiers and their families.

Less than a month had passed, I had even forgotten this project, when the office assistant alerted me that Prince Philip of London wanted to talk to me... Just a few days before that he had sent me a long thank you letter with his photo and autograph, which still hangs on my office wall near the reception, and I was very certain that someone who had seen him was messing around with me... I took the call and in attempt to surprise whoever was on the other side I exclaimed cheerfully "Kalispera fille" (from Greek - Good afternoon, friend). There was about 30 seconds of silence, and then a deep baritone, which could only come from a prince or a king, answering me in Greek, which I didn't understand.

Then the voice on the other side continued in English:
- I did not know that you are Greek, they told me that you are Bulgarian, and I just wanted to thank you wholeheartedly and tell you that I love Bulgaria very much, not only because of what I���ve heard about it from my cousin Tsar Simeon, but also from the Bulgarians that I have met in my life... And unfortunately, I have never been there. That's why I called you. Thank you for your help. Oh, and don't forget, if you're free next Friday, I'm having dinner in London, and I want to invite you to join us...

Naturally, I froze.

I said that I am glad that we could be of help, that I wanted to congratulate him in his native tongue (he was born in Greece)... and of course I said I am free next Friday and would love to meet. We talked for about fifteen more minutes, he asked me about my business, about my relations with the Kingdom, about the reasons why I���m helping them free of charge. The site had helped them raise an unprecedented amount of donations, and he spoke enthusiastically about how new technology is helping people.
- Here in Buckingham, I have many opponents of these "new wonders" (so he called them), but with the Queen and Charles we are more convinced that we must go in this direction... I would be happy to work together.

Only weeks later, Queen Elizabeth created a Twitter account and started tweeting on a regular basis.

I was waiting for the invitation by email and when I received it in an hour or two and read that "the Duke of Edinburgh is pleased to invite..." a light flashed in my head... Oh my God - I immediately went to Google and read that he is also the honorary president of the university in Edinburgh, where my daughter Ralitsa was studying at the time. So, the following Friday, she and I sat at a great dinner table just for the people involved in the Foundation, and of course, we were the only foreigners.

We spoke about Bulgaria, about the British, who would frequently purchase properties in the ski resort Bansko and by the Black Sea, about our fellow Bulgarians who work on the British islands and how hard working they are, and then I heard a familiar voice, coming from behind me, it was my acquaintance from the phone call...
- Ah, here is our Bulgarian friend, who helps us so much.

In an instant I jumped, and we started a cordial conversation, which was a continuation of the previous one. Prince Philip was sincerely glad that there were Bulgarian students at "his" university and suddenly interrupted the conversation to ask Ralitsa a question.
- Can you tell me which books you're reading now, at least two or three of them? Without doubt University lessons are very important, but remember that your most important lessons are found in books...

And then he turned to me with a smile and added...
- But this also applies to you, my dear sir... as I have already told you, I hope one day I can see Bulgaria, my son Charles told me about it, and I have read so many good books on your country that "remotely" I am in love with it.

And to all these unique characterizations of Prince Philip, which were written in the last year, when he left our world just two months before turning 100, all of them ubiquitously mention him as the most literate person...


Photo: Maxim Behar and Prince Philip, Buckingham Palace, 2011

Maxim Behar for TBmagazine: The Trend of Ps...

In his weekly column "Max's Column" for TBmagazine, Maxim Behar writes about the art of being a leader and what are the main qualities he should have in the current times.

Well, it could have been all caps, of course, but since too many "Ps" have appeared in Bulgarian politics (reference to the name of the winning political party of the Bulgarian parliamentary elections), I will now focus on my formulation, which I developed more than a year ago while writing my book The Morning After.

And just so you know, these three "Ps" are far more important than any policy - precision, probity and proactivity. To me, that's the most important thing in today's modern business, and it seems to be the shortest possible formula for success.

Naturally - precision is super important. There is a Bulgarian, and probably not only Bulgarian, syndrome that I often call the "90 percent rule". Someone finishes their work at 90% or so, comes to you with a big smile and cheerfully reports, sayting "It's done!". Well, it's clear that it's unfinished work or not at all precise. Such business belongs to the past.

I don't know if I need to explain the importance of the second "P" - probity (or integrity). After all, social media has given us another huge advantage - transparency - and it is now clear to all of us that only those who are transparent, meaning honest, can have a future and a present.

And finally, although it can easily be at the beginning - proactivity in everyone. Remember - in any business it means only and only innovation, creativity and desire to develop.

Add to that a "pinch" of hard work and perseverance, and rest assured that business will go well. Because the trend of letters may pass away or others may come, but success should remain.

Source: https://www.tbmagazine.net/statia/modata-na-p-tata.html

Maxim Behar for the Indian Valasys Media: PR Pivotal to Effective B2B Communication

In an exclusive interview with the Indian Valasys Media, Maxim Behar revealed his secret to success: individuality. The individuality transcends both to his personal and professional life. He spoke about his passion for PR and how he is making a difference to the world with his engaging activities, contributions to the PR world, and innovative ideas.

Q.1) Tell us about your professional journey? How does it feel to be the CEO & Chairman of the Board of M3 Communications Group now & how do you look back to your earlier days when you started as the Managing Editor at Standard Daily?

Hello, my name is Maxim Behar and I am the Chairman & CEO of the board of MP3 Communications Group, Inc. I have been associated with the public relations business almost for the past 28 years. I have been the President of the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO) and now am currently in the Executive Committee of ICCO, in the Chair for International Growth. Besides, these days, I am also the President of the World Communication Forum Association (WCFA) in Davos, Switzerland, and a board member of the World PR Museum and also have many other assignments in hand. I think that my experience is covering the entire world and it was the subject of my recent book, the Global PR Revolution, published by all the press in the United States and distributed by Simon & Schuster, and available in all bookstores in Barnes and Noble in the US.

So, it makes me a really strong personality with the coverage of many countries, friends all over the world. And this was possible after all those years in business, after all those happy years, I would say in my business. But starting back in 1994 and even more, because I was a journalist for many years. Back in my early years from my position of managing director of Standard Daily, in fact, in 1992 and during the years of communism, I was a journalist. And then when communism collapsed in the early 1990s, I was a reporter or correspondent in Warsaw, Poland.

I amassed an amazing experience from all the Polish events that were very symbolic for following communism and the centralized economy. And then when I came back, I started Standard Daily as one of the first, if not the first private newspapers in Bulgaria, in my native country Bulgaria where I live.

Then, one day I decided to change my position, my occupation just for one simple reason.

Remember what Winston Churchill said a long time ago that you can achieve a lot of things with journalism, but you must know when to quit.

So that's how I decided to quit journalism and start my own company.

I was a great risk. I mean, at the age of 40, I started a new business. I started in a small kitchen because I really started from scratch and didn't have any money. Of course, the small kitchen space that I had was a rented one from a friend of mine who resided at a place very close to the place I was living.

And my desk was located in between the Watertop and refrigerator, where I used to meet my clients. Public relations, at that time, was an unknown concept in Bulgaria as for all the businesses in that region, not only in Bulgaria. So, I started off with a so-called advertising agency at the very beginning and then turned step by step. I also started producing some small ads or souvenirs or business cards or brochures, printing calendars, small business souvenirs, or presents. And it took a couple of months. And then one day, a friend of mine called me at the Sheraton Hotel. He told me, Max we have an American company coming to Bulgaria and they need a PR agency.

At first, I even didn't understand this call and said, what does it mean PR agency? He said, no, let's meet then. So that's how I met James Shields from America Petroleum, the huge American company in the old business. And they were investors in Bulgaria at that time building gas stations. So that was my first touch with public relations.

This incident happened back in 1995 and since then I am developing the business every single day, happy, motivated, and ambitious. And you should know that public relations are the most or the fastest-changing business in the world these days.

Q.2) What is the Global PR Revolution that you have highlighted in your book the Global PR Revolution: How Thought Leaders Succeed in the Transformed World of PR?

My book the Global PR Revolution entails how public relations is really such a dynamic business. And I term this "Revolution," not even a chance and that's what the title of the book is The Global PR Revolution. You would ask: Why revolution? Because everything in the media space changed over the years.

Do you know who were the journalists during the earlier times? The journalists were people working in media, newspapers or TV channels, or radio stations. They had their education and their press cards or media cards. They were writing stories, covering events on the TV, talking on the radio, and hence they were called journalists. Today, my friends, journalists comprise the 4 billion people in the world using social media. You're journalists and so am I. All of these participants in social media are journalists.

So, the total landscape of our job, public relations has changed tremendously.

Earlier, we the public relations experts who were breached our clients and media. The clients who were coming to our offices knocking on the door and saying, Mr. Behar, we would like to do a public relations campaign. And we want you to help us reach the media, faster and better. And at that time, everything was simpler because the instruments were completely known and completely easy. We had a press release, we had press conferences and then we had media breakfast and product presentations and we were making visits to factories.

And we had about ten to twelve tools, very easy tools that we were operating with and helping our clients. But we were really a bridge between our clients and media.

We were hoping that the media will be covering the projects of our clients and we will be telling the right stories. We didn't have media. These days we are not a bridge. Our clients come and tell us we have media, and so do you guys have. Let's make a good campaign.

From that perspective, we change our business from consultancy because we were consultants. This fact was completely clear to the decision-makers. These days, we are already decision-makers. Our clients cannot take an overview of each of their campaigns, of each of their postings, or each of their involvement in social media before. Of course, once we were publishing press releases, they were the ones to approve those press releases. They were the ones to say a yes or a no. They were the ones to give us the quotes.

Today, it's not possible. The scenario is entirely different and we make decisions on behalf of our clients.

So, this is the first and big revolutionary change that has occurred in our business ��� the fact that everyone owns media and operates with it and we have a huge competition that we must deal with eventually overcome.

From that perspective, we changed the business from consultancy because we were consultants. That was completely clear to decision-makers.

These days we���re already decision-makers. Our clients cannot take an overview of each of their campaigns, of each of their postings, or each of their involvement in social media. Of course, once we had come up with the publishing press releases, they were the ones to approve these press releases.

They were the ones to say yes or no. They were the ones to give us quotes.

Today that's not possible.

We make decisions on behalf of our clients. So this is the first and big change, the revolutionary one in our business.

The fact that everyone owns media and operates with media and that we have a huge competition that we must deal with and eventually overcome. The second big change is the merger.

The merger between the three main and the most important businesses in the public communications business. And this is the advertising, public relations, and digital. It's really a merger.

And social media brought this merger, not anything else. And now that there is a big fight between three businesses. Which one will be the leading?

Of course, advertising, says we will be the leaders because we have media budgets, we communicate with media on a financial basis. The media will follow our advice.

The digital says, of course, that we will be the leaders of the future business because we can't imagine a public relations or communications campaign without social media, without tax, without applications, or whatever.

But I think, and I'm absolutely sure as I say now way, guys, public relations business will be the leading factor of the new business. And the reason is very simple, everything is about the content, everything is about storytelling and we are the ���Masters of the Content.��� We are the ones to tell stories, we are the ones to talk to clients of our clients. We were the ones to spread the messages of our clients. So, this is really crucially important. And I think that this Merge is bringing a completely new landscape to the world.

Having said this, in my book, the Global PR Revolution, I gathered the opinion of 100 top decision-makers from 65 countries from all continents, all over the world. And I think the big advantage of this book is that readers can see the opinion of 100 top leaders from all over the world, especially from the United States and the United Kingdom, from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, everywhere, and to see and feel their opinions.

So basically, this is the global PR revolution, the most important change, using social media and having media in our hands.

Q.3) How the landscape of Public Relations has transformed over the years?

PR has been a completely new business for the past 10 years and this is completely new business for the past 10 years. This is a completely new business and requires our teams to have completely different abilities in terms of how to write and how to employ different social media platforms.

One must always be aware that also the different languages always speak English. English is spoken all across the globe and therefore, we must know how to employ the different approaches to speak in the same tone across all the social media platforms.

We write on Facebook in a certain way; however, we write emails in an entirely different way. Similarly, the language that we use to write on Twitter is entirely different. On LinkedIn, we write more seriously while on Instagram we emphasize more on visuals. On TikTok, we rely more on shorter videos. So this is a different language and by the way, this is one of the most important changes.

Additionally, in my business, I'm using a couple of flows and different unique concepts.

One of them which is very important for my business in the office is the law of the 3's. These 3's were formulated by me about 10 years ago, but still hold their ground actual and are becoming more and more popular. And these 3's are speed, simplicity, and self-confidence.

These are the most crucial low in modern public communications.

Speed of taking decisions, speed of answering emails, speed of providing concept, speed of realizing changes, speed of communicating with clients, speed of reacting in the crisis management, all are very important.

With crisis management, I remember the scenario we had several years ago.

A few years ago, we had 8 to 10 hours to solve a crisis if a daily newspaper to be published early in the morning was going to publish a negative story about our clients.

So, we had about 10 hours, 12 hours to reject this or to accept this, to approve this or to apologize or to say it���s not true because the newspaper was being published the next day. So, the crux is that we had 10 hours.

Today, we don���t have ten minutes, we have 10 seconds because everything spreads sporadically on social media. So the speed of resolving a crisis is within seconds. Even the speed of I'm disappointed is considerably low in seconds. It is so because the client, the partner, or the media, everyone should know your opinion immediately.

The second is simplicity. This is absolutely crucial because simplicity means to have priorities of your daily life, simplification of your daily tasks.

Simplicity means to also get the best news you want to get from the Internet and to allow what to read and what not to read.

Also, simplicity means the most important part of our business is to tell the audience something that will understand simply and very straight. The last one of three P���s is self-confidence. I don't know a single person who has made any success without very strong self-confidence.

That success will come with hard work and big creativity. So, I think this is one of the most important changes in the realm of public relations and one of my most important messages and rules in life that I created and put into my previous books, 111 Rules, how to make it.

It's that we must make quick decisions and they must be proven by our experience. So, a worthy decision is better matched, than a no-decision.

Q.4) Explain the vision of your company M3 Communications Group, Inc. and how you think you have made a difference in the realm of communication services?

You know, we as a company have changed a lot since inception. As I said, I started from nothing. I started from a desk and a second-hand computer in the old kitchen. And since then every single day I'm trying to improve the vision and the management and performance of M3 Communications Group. First of all, we are part of Hill+Knowlton Strategies. This is amongst the largest public relations corporations in the world and it gives us a lot of energy and it gives us a lot of experience and abilities to promote our business and then to improve our business to a much better level.

One of the most important changes which I want to share with you that happened recently, especially after the pandemic and after the COVID-19 situation which I turn into a rule and low in my office, is that we entirely changed our management style. Earlier there used to be a seal and general manager, then director, then directors of several departments, and then deputy directors of different departments.

A lot of management staff and administration which I think is absolutely not necessary these days. So, in my latest book, The Morning After, on sale on Amazon as well, in English, I have shared the concepts of horizontal management. So, this philosophy is based on the fact that the fewer managers you have, the better it gets for your organization.

Of course, you should have managers. However, the only difference even in the office between me, myself as the CEO and chairman of the board, and the assistant is that there is no title. The only difference is not the age and not even the salary or how many years you have been in office or whatever. The only difference should be the experience.

The more experienced is the manager, the more experienced is the person, the more responsibilities in the management he or she should have. So from that perspective of course a lot many things will change.

Let���s talk about social media, the social media department, which, in fact, these days, is the largest department in the office. Three years ago, it was not possible. Today, everyone understood social media, everyone emphasized social media importance and everyone is ready for that very, very soon.

100 to 120 years ago when our business was established, maybe 5% of the relations of the companies and it was launched in the United States, of course in the UK later on. But 5% of the businesses of the company were public and 95% of the business was non-public.

So with the appearance of the newspapers later on the TV channels, of course, the business owners and the politicians realize that they should have some part of their relations to be public. So they hired journalists, mainly journalists or some other people lawyers to work with them and to manage their public relations.

So, that���s how public relations term or business was launched as public relations today is nonsense.

Today, my dear friends, everything is public. So saying public relations, that���s very close to the wet water or transparent window. And this is public relations. So one day most probably this business will be changed to social relations or social communications. I think even the terminology called "Public Relations" will be changed to the term "real-time" relations. So, these days what is public relations? Let me share with you my definition of publishing relations, telling the truth in a way people understand it.

Q.5) Why public relations is so important for B2B businesses? How do you do a B2B PR?

Public relations is crucial for B2B PR because my experience shows that usually, businesses don't know how to communicate with other businesses, usually their partners and clients.

There are two main channels through which the businesses usually communicate with other businesses, usually their partners and clients.

So having public relations advisor, having people who would formulate their messages in a very precise and understandable manner, in other words having PR advisors like us who will advise them in how to approach different categories becomes very crucial.

And I���m sure that the B2B businesses that underestimate public relations will be on the losing side.

Q.6) What advice would you give to B2B marketers for the strategic planning of Public Relations?

My advice to B2B marketers is very simple. Hire professional PR service providers or professional business providers so that you can get professional business to advise all the time. This is extremely important and the public relations experts know how to do this all the time.

B2B businesses, these days, are more social media-oriented.

There exist meetings for dinners, lunches, breakfast, conference rooms, hotels, or even online Zoom.

And this is a social media business because business people, get their news, they get their information, they understand the brands, and they form their opinions. Where, from social media, of course. So public relations experts are crucial in this business.

Q.7) How PR can be used for Online Reputation Management, especially by B2B companies?

A brand is comprised 80% of its business communications, 20% is the quality of its product. Of course, the advantages of the product, the way products work is important, but branding and good communications are pretty crucial go online and look at your advertising on Facebook or Instagram or whatever you want, just take a look and you will see that you get much more attention to the brand you know then to anyone else.

So building a brand is the base of reputation management and then, of course, you should add the design, the way the product work, and the pricing condition according to the market.

Q.8) What are your favorite tools to aid PR endeavors?

Social media is undoubtedly my favorite tool to accelerate PR endeavors. Social media channels are excellent tools and channels to boost your PR efforts. And then we also have a private college on PR and marketing called the M3 Communications College (https://www.m3college.com/).

Social media is an excellent tool to send messages and teach people how to do good PR.

Q.9) How B2B marketers should plan their PR Research, and what are the key strategies that should be employed to evaluate and optimize the PR campaigns?

Of course, there are a lot of software tools to get exactly your branding to see how successful you are or you���re not. But I think that these campaigns usually really need maybe six months to one year to judge whether they���re successful or not.

So, there has to be a lot of patience from the side of clients and a lot of creativity and sustainability from the side of the PR companies. If you have a product, you must immediately start doing the public relations campaign with all possible tools and channels.

And you must very importantly every single week estimate and judge the results and upgrade your campaigns if there���s a need.

Q.10) How to leverage PR as a catalyst for change in corporate sustainability and why do you think this is important for modern businesses?

This is PR. It���s the most important business these days in the world.

You know what Bill Gates said, ���If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.���

Yes, you read it right, he would give that penny for PR and not on advertising.

All of us know the big difference between PR and advertising. That being that advertising buys media whereas PR earns media. However, in order to earn media, you should be very experienced and creative. But these days by the grace of God we have the public relations experts and have access to an amazing tool called social media in our hands. Therefore, all of us have to have unlimited creativity to leverage social media as a tool to grow our businesses in ways that will help our B2B endeavors personal or political interests or just business-client relationships to aid our businesses to flourish.

A public relations expert who isn���t well-educated in several business pursuits cannot in practice carve effective news or story for his or her clients.

We have to be far better prepared than our clients. We have to be much more intelligent and in my opinion much more progressive and innovative than our clients.

And of course, this is how we can help their businesses successfully.

So everything concerning our clients these days is in the hands of public relations.


Original source: https://valasys.com/pr-pivotal-to-effective-b2b-communication/

Maxim Behar for TBmagazine: New Version of the Three S's Rule...

In his weekly column "Max's Column" for TBmagazine, Maxim Behar writes about modern leaders and the basics of growing a successful business.

I've been talking for years about how important the Three S's rule is in modern business and much to my surprise they continue to be more and more defining in our lives, especially when dealing with management. Speed, Simplicity, Self-confidence...

Speed in all things is necessary these days - it was back in 1998 when I introduced the Five Minute rule at my beloved M3 Communications Group, Inc. and to this day it is one of our immutable laws. Yes, you read that correctly - 1998! Every company employee is required to respond to an email within five minutes of seeing it. The response can be: got the email, I'll respond next Tuesday, for example, but it simply and must be responded to. But speed is not just about that anymore. Rather, it's in making decisions, having discussions, even reading interesting things in the morning, not to mention in solving communication crises, one of my main businesses.

Simplicity can be translated in many ways, but really the one that fits me the most is understandability. In our quest to be original we often, very often, fall into some endless explanations that only make our messages harder to understand. This is simply absurd in these times. Texts really should be simple and clear messages - precise and direct.

Finally, Self-confidence. I don't know a successful and happy person in business without this much needed element. And of course, self-confidence has nothing to do with bragging or with loud phrases and beautiful promises, but only with experience, a lot of reading, learning and hard work, which gives confidence that every obstacle can be overcome...

But do these Three Ss have a new reading? Yes, of course. After all, it's 2022 and if I have to continue in the same style - and I like it very much - it's now the Three Ps - precision, probity and pro-activeness... ��

About them - next time!

Source: https://www.tbmagazine.net/statia/trite-s-v-nov-variant.html

Maxim Behar for DIR.BG: Do Things From The Heart and They Will Always Work Out

Maxim Behar was a guest of Biser Kunchev in the HR Guest section of the online media outlet DIR.BG and shared what the ideal job candidate looks like in his eyes, what are his most valuable professional qualities and what are the changes in standards and the way of working after the pandemic.

- Are there any awkward and mandatory questions during a job interview and what are the criteria for showing interest in the candidate?
There are no awkward or mandatory questions. In fact, each candidate is very different, it takes me about ten minutes to decide whom I'm talking to and exactly what question to ask them. I often ask things that at first glance have nothing to do with the specific position, but they reveal quite well what kind of character I am talking to, and if they are not exactly qualified for the position, I start thinking about where I can direct them. We are a company that is constantly interviewing, sometimes because of a sudden influx in customers, which needs to be served in the best way, other times because I want to have a few people in reserve - hired, paid, trained, and ready to work with potential new customers.

- What are the most valuable tips you would give to a person preparing for an interview? Do you think it is a good approach to send interview and job advice/hints to the candidates in advance, to examine how they prepared during the interview?
It may seem strange, but I am also the one who is interviewed, not just the interviewer. I manage several large world organizations, I constantly report to boards or boards of directors, to new and permanent members of these organizations. These are interviews, how else. I think that a job interview does not depend on the candidate, but on the one who interviews him - he sets the tone of the conversation, his gestures, facial expressions, even missing words, and exact question depending on the outcome of the interview. I do not think that providing online advice in advance can play any role, the interview is psychological and informative, not a professional meeting. Especially the first interview. But I look very positively at candidates who are radiant, have overcome anxiety and speak freely and confidently, know the company, have taken time to read up about the place where they are applying are familiar with it. This is a very good sign; in fact, it is 50 percent of a successful interview.

- How important is the first impression of a candidate, before you ask questions, and which candidates do you prefer: more aggressive or laid back in approach? Do you take into account your and the candidate's mood and how is this reflected in the process of conducting an interview and its conclusion?
The most important thing is ... Let me tell you directly. For many years I have had only one requirement for candidates, and it is very clear and simple. The sparkle in the eyes. Nothing more. In other words- the desire for development, for a career, for knowledge, for interesting encounters, for success ... I always look the candidate in the eye and try to understand what is there. I have dozens of cases where I have offered a job to a candidate only after the first fifteen minutes of the interview. I remember a few years ago I entered one of the conference rooms in the office, I had forgotten my phone or something else there. There I found an unfamiliar face, looked at her for just a few seconds, greeted her, and went back to ask my colleagues who she was. I was told that she was a candidate for an internship, not to waste my time with it at all. "Appoint her now," I told my colleagues. In less than a year, she was already a director of one of the company's most important departments.

- What has prevailed so far in your experience in choosing a candidate - the salary demands or the desire to develop in the company? Would you hire a candidate if he does not meet many of your conditions, but you see the serious potential to catch up and develop what is missing?
There is no way to judge what a candidate will look like in a year or two. A manager must take reasonable risks. I would immediately appoint a candidate, for whom I have great hesitations, this is one of the main rules in our company - to give a chance to everyone, literally to everyone. Well, with a few exceptions, of course. Just last week I had an interview with a Zoom candidate who was walking down the street with her phone and chewing a pie ... the interview lasted only three seconds. But, of course, these are exceptions. Remuneration is an important element of a conversation and here we have very clear principles. We never discuss money during the first interview, it usually happens on the third or fourth meeting when we are making a job offer. And secondly - we never "throw away" high salaries, usually our proposal contains a reasonable for the position, responsibilities and market starting salary with very clear commitments to performance-based financial incentives. We have to talk to a highly experienced candidate in order to accept conditions for a higher salary than offered, but even then, we don���t do it, because it is very demoralizing for the rest of the team.

- What does the ideal job candidate look like in your eyes and understanding? What are the three most valuable qualities that would impress you? What corporate values do you educate your employees in?
The business I run is one of the most dynamic in the world. That is why we all need to make quick decisions, and the more experienced we become, the more accurate these decisions are. As I already told you - the sparkle in the eyes is the most important feature. But then comes the desire to learn something new every day, to read a lot, and the ability to use all these sources in the best way. If the candidate or my new colleagues have these qualities, then the success of the company is more than certain. However, corporate values are also an important condition for this success, I would say that their relationship with character traits is somewhere in the middle. Honesty, accuracy, loyalty, curiosity, constant experimentation, good relationships with the team - these values may seem too banal, but you have no idea how important they are in everyday tasks and how crucial they are for success. And here we come to the equally important question - what is success? In my opinion, in business, it's about being happy with what you do. Everything else just comes into place, all it takes is work.

- What are your impressions of the internship programs in your company? Do you manage to find enough talent to take their first career steps in the business? What do you think about the new wave of young people coming from universities?
Internship programs are becoming increasingly important for companies, and we have relied heavily on students for years, who then remain with the company. We are living in such times that in practice a student, even in their first year, can be a well-prepared expert. Knowledge is everywhere - on social media, in forums, in newsletters, in global PR and marketing sites, you just have to look in the right places. That is why the interns who apply at our company already have a very clear awareness of where they are going to work and how they want to succeed in this business. The young people who come to us, those under the age of 25 have an awful lot of advantages - intelligent, ambitious, knowledgeable - and one, in my opinion, big drawback - this is the first generation in our recent history, which has never faced crises and difficulties. Of course, this fact has its good sides, but it seems that the reflex to fight is a bit dull and must be compensated by strict corporate rules, which on the one hand motivate, but on the other - set clear and precise boundaries on how to complete the tasks. Anyway, we all live with this, and I am glad that generations are finally coming who do not know what a crisis, hyperinflation, poverty, and uncompetitive markets are.

- Tell us in a few words the most important highlights of your first career steps. If you went back in time, would you change anything? What is the most important moment that determined your career?
I have no exact idea what "career" means to me, and I never have. I have always seen my work as a duty to be done, in the best and most innovative and non-standard way. Nothing more. But let's say, my "career" began on a summer day in 1969, when at the age of 14 I started working as a carpenter in the capital's Serdika plant and after graduating from high school I continued for another five years as a locksmith in a machine-building plant. These were glorious years, I found my job for the most logical thing in the world, and when I became a student in Prague I worked every weekday in an editorial office, and on the weekends, I swept the streets to earn some money to buy my first used "Trabant". In fact, a little off-topic, now, 40 years later, I'm driving a small plastic car again, an electric Smart, which I also call a Trabant. Then I got into serious journalism and just said "stop" one day, remembering the catchphrase attributed to Winston Churchill that you can accomplish a lot with journalism as long as you know exactly when to give it up ... So, I got into private business, I started from a small one-room apartment in the center of Sofia, alone, with a second-hand computer and with lots of ambition, motivation and a very accurate view of the future. Even if I want to change something in the past, I will not be able to do it, so I never answer this question ... Things have become as they are now ��� I control a respected in many places in the world, not only in Bulgaria, great professional company, announced last year as one of the best PR agencies in Europe by the influential PRWeek, I have an amazing team of honest professionals and people with whom I have common goals, what more can I dream of than to continue just like that... In fact, things are very simple: if you do things from the heart, they always turn out exactly the way they should.

- Has COVID changed your criteria for evaluating the performance of current and future employees? What policies do you have for joining the team and a positive working atmosphere?
For at least two years I have been repeating that remote work has its advantages, however, I still do not have a clear concept of how to create an even better team in these conditions. I am sure that by the end of 2022, if not earlier, I will invent it. But the main difference with the "previous life" before the pandemic was that I introduced the horizontal model of management very quickly - i.e., each of my colleagues becomes a leader in their position, in their projects, and in their clients ... This is quite a drastic difference with everything seen before and I describe it in detail in my latest book The Morning After. And yet - creating a positive atmosphere online is extremely difficult, so you need extraordinary ingenuity, which I think about literally every day and I'm not always successful. But I am very close to the goal ...

- Which work model does your company prefer - work in the office, at home or depending on the commitments of each one? Do you expect the standard workplace to look different in 2-3 years?
The future is in hybrid models. This is more than certain, there is no going back. Not in 2-3 years, our workplace already looks completely different and will be so in the future. Therefore, there must be new models of team relationships, new ways of management and leadership, new goals, and a completely different way of communication. The business has not seen such a drastic change in its history - it cannot be compared to any financial or economic crisis or any other difficult situation. Change is now psychological, mental, intellectual, communicative, and creative. All this together requires a very innovative approach for the business to become more successful. I am working very hard in this direction, and I am convinced that I will soon invent it in the best possible way. This will probably be one of the most complex business projects of my life. ��

Original source: https://business.dir.bg/karieri/pravete-neshtata-sas-sartse-i-te-vinagi-shte-se-poluchat

Maxim Behar Offers the Slogan "Bulgaria - Dream Area" to the Bulgarian Government

The communications expert Maxim Behar proposed in an official letter to the Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria to buy all the rights to the slogan "Bulgaria - Dream Area", which he created and registered years ago, for 1 euro.

He highlighted the advantages of the slogan as a key element of the communication campaign to attract investment, tourists and highly qualified professionals to the country. In a special letter to Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and the ministers in charge, the Bulgaria National Board of Tourism supported the PR expert's proposal to the Government to improve Bulgaria's reputation on the international market.

"This is just a suggestion. Maybe there are others to slogan Bulgaria abroad, but I have never come across them before. This is just a suggestion that Bulgaria should have a strong slogan that distinguishes it from all other countries, to be easy to remember and say a lot in few words. "Bulgaria - Dream Area" is just such a slogan" said Maxim Behar, the CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc.

Maxim Behar's proposal was accompanied by a promise of his grant support in future communication strategies to build Bulgaria as a more attractive brand with a modern vision and identity.

The slogan "Bulgaria - Dream Area" was created and patented by Maxim Behar two decades ago, it is quite well known abroad and over the years has contributed to the sharp increase in interest in Bulgaria by hundreds of investors and tour operators. In 2002, Maxim Behar launched a series of international investment forums, which he successfully implemented under the slogan, in partnership with Bob Miller, Governor of Nevada back then. The first such conference dedicated to tourism in the country was opened with a recorded welcome message��video by former US President Bill Clinton, which followed the participation of government representatives, experts in tourism and foreign companies investing in the country.