Communication – really selling your story – is crucial whether your’e singing to a crowd or evangelizing a product or technology you truly believe in. The bottom line is that your audience has to believe you, and you have to earn that trust through honesty and authenticity.
The days of the PR spin doctors are gone. Today, those of us working in PR and social media marketing spend our time researching conversations and counseling our clients about how to gracefully enter those conversation with an authentic voice.
As much as I love using my voice to melt an audience, I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a geek, and I’m still a sucker for a great technology. I cut my teeth on 8 inch floppies in the early 1980s and I’ve built my career working with dozens of Silicon Valley Start ups over the years. I can’t help it, I still love solving the puzzle of how to position and promote new technologies.
About my High Tech PR Life
Bev Barnett has seen the tech industry at its high and and its low, more than once. She’s worked through the 24X7 madness of a start-up in a hockey-stick growth curve, managed worldwide PR programs, counseled on crisis communications and she’s stuffed an awful lot of press kits while sitting on the Las Vegas Convention Center floor at midnight.
These days, Bev counsels high tech clients on how to enter to blogosphere with grace and continuity of messaging while adapting their marketing programs to the reality that “Now is Gone.” She interviews customers and writes case studies for print, blog and web content. She works with corporate management and product management to compile and present to industry analysts a well rounded picture of technology, market and product. She plans and executes blogging and social media projects that engage customers and deliver key messages.
And no matter how the delivery method changes, Bev creates compelling and direct content that educates and persuades while making every human effort to do so briefly and in plain English.
While vice president of marketing for Extreme Networks, George Prodan once introduced Bev Barnett to the sales team saying “This is Bev… she does lots of things, and she does them all well.”
That’s the advantage of longevity, coupled with a drive to see things done right.
High Technology Clients
Adimos (2005)
Amimon (2005-2006)
Alantec-acquired by Fore Systems (1994-1995)
Allegro Networks (2000-2002)
Accelerant Networks (2003-2004)
Ample Communications (2001-2004)
BrightLink Networks (2001-2002)
Centrum Communications-acquired by 3Com (1991-1993)
Cisco Systems (1995)
Doceri by SP Controls (2011-present)
Enigma Semiconductor (2005-2006)
Extreme Networks (1996-1999; 2003)
FaceTime Communications – now Actiance (2006-2009)
ipVerse (1999)
Network Peripherals, Inc. (1991-1994)
Novell Inc. (1995)
Palladio Consulting (2001)
ShareGate (2000)
Symmetricom (2002)
Tasman Networks (2001-2002)
Tesaria (2001)
Trapeze Networks (2002-2003)
3Com Corp. (1995)
Trapeze Networks (2002)
Early Career
SynOptics Communications
Worldwide Public Relations Manager 1988 – 1991
Franson & Associates
Account Executive 1986 – 1988
CADCOR Inc.
Marketing Communications Manager 1985
Chang Laboratories
Public Relations Manager 1981 – 1984
