On the last day of the IEDC Atlanta Conference (Wednesday, 10/22) a phalanx of 20 professional site consultants had at it with close to 700 development practitioners answering a couple of dozen queries seldom unanimously.

But on one point the location advisors agreed: how to and how not to contact them walking a tight rope between apathy on the one hand and annoyance on the other. Some highlights:

1)     They’re busy and their time is literally money so no big brochures. leisurely newsletters or multi-colored sales pieces no matter how flashy and flamboyant;

2)     Plug them in on the bad news too, especially newly closed facilities where a cluster of skilled and talented people are still available;

3)     For your website forget the pyrotechnics; stress hard up-to-date facts and figures particularly when they differentiate you from your competition;

4)     Most of the consultants favored regionally packaged information which covers and combines a number of places with differing characteristics; you’ll gain attention if you join with your neighbors;

5)     In all your consultant communications brevity is the soul of success and the right graphic, as the Chinese once pointed out, is still worth a mountain of words;

In talking to place consultants the famous “KISS” principle still applies (‘Keep It Simple, Stupid!”)