There is a debate raging right now in offices across the country. It's an annual debate and one that started about 15 years ago with the increased use of electronic communications. Should we or shouldn't we send out Christmas cards (the secondary debate is should we or shouldn't we call them Season's Greetings cards).
I am going to start sounding like a broken record but in this case, that's a good thing. I'm being consistent. Whether or not your company sends out Christmas cards in the mail depends on what your brand is all about. When you have a solidly defined brand, a lot of the questions become much easier to answer in areas such as communications, marketing, human resource management and so on.
For example, when I was at St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, we had established that our brand was first and foremost about compassion. Everything the hospital, research and foundation stood for was in support of human compassion for those who were ill or were family or friends of the ill person. So as much as I personally don't like to send or receive Christmas cards, it made a lot of sense that as a Foundation we should send out Christmas cards to our biggest supporters - both donors, volunteers and suppliers.
Back it up a few years to when I was at Agricore United where we had established our brand was integrity. Everything we did was done with integrity - how we interacted with our farmer customers, how we interacted with government, with competitors, with suppliers - had to be done with integrity, adhering to moral and ethical principles. Among those ethical principles was a commitment to controlling costs. There was little advantage for us as a corporation to send out copious amounts of Christmas cards. It was contrary to our brand. However, sending out a handful of personal greetings to key customers and supporters from individual officers of the company did make sense. Did it have to be cards? Not necessarily - many of those greetings were made by phone which is more personal.
The debate on whether to send or not to send Christmas cards is going to carry on for years to come and now there is an added wrinkle in the mix -- the option to send an e-card. I suggest that you think about how you feel when you get an e-card from someone you regularly do business with before deciding if you want to send one out to your regular customers and suppliers. It may be more cost effective, but does it have the personal touch you are intending in the first place when deciding to send out cards?
If, after reading this entire blog, you are still unsure what your company should do I have one final suggestion for your Christmas card dilemma. Calculate the cost of printing and mailing the cards, add in the time required for your staff to sign, address and stamp the cards. Take that entire total and make a donation to a cause that is closely aligned with your organization's mission. Then add a post script line to automatically come up on every email going out from your company throughout the month of December that says something like: "To honour our clients, suppliers and supporters, ABC Company has made a donation to DEF Charity this holiday season. Thank you for your continued support."
Don't forget to put the same message on your website - front and centre - with a small explanation of why you chose to go this route, including some information on the charity and its mandate. You can also provide a comment box so that visitors to your site can let you know what they think of this idea - evaluation is the key to quality future planning.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
In a Crisis
Anybody who thinks sitting down and banging out a crisis communications plan on their computer is the end of that project has a lot to learn. Mostly because a crisis communications plan (CCP) is a living document and it is never at an end.
Well, arguably once you have to implement a CCP full scale you might consider it to have reached an end, but that just means you have all that real life experience with which to start a new CCP.
My experience with CCPs is quite extensive, having worked in two industries that face very serious, dangerous situations daily (forestry and agriculture) and another two industries that face very serious, reputation damaging situations daily (insurance and finance). Different types of crisis, but often the same type of response. And that response starts long, long before the crisis.
This is where having a truly strong brand in place makes a world of difference. If you have built a brand that includes a strong commitment to the community and social responsibility, based on actions not just words, it becomes much easier to manage public opinion in a crisis. And if, while building that strong brand, you have also built a solid relationship with the media based on the basics of media relations you'll find in another post on my blog, you're in a good position to call upon them to help you get out your message when in a crisis.
The thing with crisis is that you never know exactly what is going to be thrown at you - but if you and your colleagues on the crisis response team have done your homework - you have a pretty good guess. Preparation and planning involves a lot of 'what if' scenarios and research. The best crisis response team that I have been a part of was led by Mike Maida, a member of Agricore United's Risk Assessment Department. He was relentless (in a very good way) in making sure we had examined every possible crisis and disaster that we could face. It was great leg work and when we had a collision of an anhydrous ammonia truck with a civilian vehicle, we knew what to do. Everybody knew what their role was and who to call. It was a horrible situation that was made just a little bit less horrible by a quick and compassionate response from the company.
Most CCPs are designed for a massive disaster, such as an earthquake or explosion at your headquarters. It's a good way to think worst case scenario, whereby your entire plan would have to be implemented. In reality, though, most crisis are going to be a bit smaller in scale and will call upon only a portion of the entire plan. And taking it one step further, you could spend a lot of time drafting that plan, meeting with your crisis response team regularly to make sure it is current and understood, and never have to use it. That would be the ideal situation.
Well, arguably once you have to implement a CCP full scale you might consider it to have reached an end, but that just means you have all that real life experience with which to start a new CCP.
My experience with CCPs is quite extensive, having worked in two industries that face very serious, dangerous situations daily (forestry and agriculture) and another two industries that face very serious, reputation damaging situations daily (insurance and finance). Different types of crisis, but often the same type of response. And that response starts long, long before the crisis.
This is where having a truly strong brand in place makes a world of difference. If you have built a brand that includes a strong commitment to the community and social responsibility, based on actions not just words, it becomes much easier to manage public opinion in a crisis. And if, while building that strong brand, you have also built a solid relationship with the media based on the basics of media relations you'll find in another post on my blog, you're in a good position to call upon them to help you get out your message when in a crisis.
The thing with crisis is that you never know exactly what is going to be thrown at you - but if you and your colleagues on the crisis response team have done your homework - you have a pretty good guess. Preparation and planning involves a lot of 'what if' scenarios and research. The best crisis response team that I have been a part of was led by Mike Maida, a member of Agricore United's Risk Assessment Department. He was relentless (in a very good way) in making sure we had examined every possible crisis and disaster that we could face. It was great leg work and when we had a collision of an anhydrous ammonia truck with a civilian vehicle, we knew what to do. Everybody knew what their role was and who to call. It was a horrible situation that was made just a little bit less horrible by a quick and compassionate response from the company.
Most CCPs are designed for a massive disaster, such as an earthquake or explosion at your headquarters. It's a good way to think worst case scenario, whereby your entire plan would have to be implemented. In reality, though, most crisis are going to be a bit smaller in scale and will call upon only a portion of the entire plan. And taking it one step further, you could spend a lot of time drafting that plan, meeting with your crisis response team regularly to make sure it is current and understood, and never have to use it. That would be the ideal situation.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Brand Consistency
It takes a lot of work to establish a brand - both with your employees and the public. However, it can take very little to undermine it. One of the easiest, quickest ways to undermine your brand is to show inconsistency in what you are delivering to your audience.
Some people find it hard to understand why this is so important - why is something like always using the same font, for example, necessary? These are the same people who will unwittingly erode your brand by making little changes to suit their personal tastes. That's bad news.
A good example of this is a former colleague who was responsible for sending invitations to various stakeholders. The invitations were to brunches, lunches and special events. To ensure consistency of the brand, I had templates created for a variety of documents, including an invitation template. The template included the correct logo, approved corporate colours and the approved, single font in the body. It was easy enough to use: simply place your cursor on the area that needed updated (ie. date, location) and fill in the new information. The font stayed the same.
For this former colleague, however, invitations represented a chance for her to stretch her creative muscles. On one invitation she had sent out, prior to the template creation, she used five different fonts, a variety of colours and clip art. Not a very professional representation of the organization.
Even with the invitation template, this person, like some you will work with, still needed to have it explained why she couldn't use more than one font on an invitation. She really wanted to use a variety of fonts and script types to 'dress up' the invitation. She needed to understand that consistency, even in use of font, helps to show that the organization you work for is also consistent. Being consitent is a very good attribute for any company - so long as you are consistently good at what you do. Being consistent removes the guess work for your audiences -they learn what to expect from you and grow to appreciate and demand that consistency.
Whether it is using the same font, the same layout, the same logo, greeting with the same positive attitude and smile or serving the same delicious food or drink, a consistent brand is a winning brand.
Some people find it hard to understand why this is so important - why is something like always using the same font, for example, necessary? These are the same people who will unwittingly erode your brand by making little changes to suit their personal tastes. That's bad news.
A good example of this is a former colleague who was responsible for sending invitations to various stakeholders. The invitations were to brunches, lunches and special events. To ensure consistency of the brand, I had templates created for a variety of documents, including an invitation template. The template included the correct logo, approved corporate colours and the approved, single font in the body. It was easy enough to use: simply place your cursor on the area that needed updated (ie. date, location) and fill in the new information. The font stayed the same.
For this former colleague, however, invitations represented a chance for her to stretch her creative muscles. On one invitation she had sent out, prior to the template creation, she used five different fonts, a variety of colours and clip art. Not a very professional representation of the organization.
Even with the invitation template, this person, like some you will work with, still needed to have it explained why she couldn't use more than one font on an invitation. She really wanted to use a variety of fonts and script types to 'dress up' the invitation. She needed to understand that consistency, even in use of font, helps to show that the organization you work for is also consistent. Being consitent is a very good attribute for any company - so long as you are consistently good at what you do. Being consistent removes the guess work for your audiences -they learn what to expect from you and grow to appreciate and demand that consistency.
Whether it is using the same font, the same layout, the same logo, greeting with the same positive attitude and smile or serving the same delicious food or drink, a consistent brand is a winning brand.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Branding - So Much More Than a Logo
One of the main challenges of working in communications is helping an organization to identify what its brand is and then reinforcing that brand over and over again. For too many people a brand is easily dismissed as being the logo or colors - that is the visual identity of a company, not its brand.
Brand at its purest is an organization's "personality". It doesn't start with how you want to be seen - it starts with how you are already being seen. What is the impression people have when they think of "ABC Company"? Do they have a feeling of delight, warmth, compassion or is it more likely to be a feeling of antipathy, fear, distaste? And who wants to give that second impression to their customers unless you're the Mob?
The best way to determine what your brand is at this given time is to do a lot of research - ask your customers, your employees, your suppliers. Everyone has a different relationship with your company so will have slightly different viewpoints. Once you know what people already feel about your company, determine from that what you want to keep (reinforce) and what you want to toss (regroup).
Building a brand to be what you want takes a lot of work and very little of it actually comes from the communications department. Certainly all the materials prepared by communicators must have the tone and message that you want to reinforce. However, building the brand starts with your people - how does your receptionist greet guests, customers, suppliers? How do your people act at meetings? How do your people treat suppliers? Who are your ambassadors and what are they saying about your company? If you can get to the point where your customers are your ambassadors, recommending you because you represent exactly what they want in the type of service you provide, you have achieved brand nirvana.
If people on your team can't accept the brand that you want your company to represent - then they aren't going to be very good at living and breathing that brand. But before deciding that it is time for them to move on, be fair and give them a chance to really understand what your brand is - what is that feeling you want your customers to have when they think of your company? If your people still can't grasp that, then it is time for them to move on while you build your team with the right people with the right attitude.
It's not unusual to want to be a brand that makes people feel really good and positive feelings - but not every type of service or product is going to instil those kind of feelings. The important thing in identifying what your brand is, is to first be very honest with yourself about what you provide, and what is possible. Then dream. Then build. Then achieve. Branding is so much more than a logo, isn't it?
Brand at its purest is an organization's "personality". It doesn't start with how you want to be seen - it starts with how you are already being seen. What is the impression people have when they think of "ABC Company"? Do they have a feeling of delight, warmth, compassion or is it more likely to be a feeling of antipathy, fear, distaste? And who wants to give that second impression to their customers unless you're the Mob?
The best way to determine what your brand is at this given time is to do a lot of research - ask your customers, your employees, your suppliers. Everyone has a different relationship with your company so will have slightly different viewpoints. Once you know what people already feel about your company, determine from that what you want to keep (reinforce) and what you want to toss (regroup).
Building a brand to be what you want takes a lot of work and very little of it actually comes from the communications department. Certainly all the materials prepared by communicators must have the tone and message that you want to reinforce. However, building the brand starts with your people - how does your receptionist greet guests, customers, suppliers? How do your people act at meetings? How do your people treat suppliers? Who are your ambassadors and what are they saying about your company? If you can get to the point where your customers are your ambassadors, recommending you because you represent exactly what they want in the type of service you provide, you have achieved brand nirvana.
If people on your team can't accept the brand that you want your company to represent - then they aren't going to be very good at living and breathing that brand. But before deciding that it is time for them to move on, be fair and give them a chance to really understand what your brand is - what is that feeling you want your customers to have when they think of your company? If your people still can't grasp that, then it is time for them to move on while you build your team with the right people with the right attitude.
It's not unusual to want to be a brand that makes people feel really good and positive feelings - but not every type of service or product is going to instil those kind of feelings. The important thing in identifying what your brand is, is to first be very honest with yourself about what you provide, and what is possible. Then dream. Then build. Then achieve. Branding is so much more than a logo, isn't it?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The title will have to wait
I have a weird kind of writing style whereby I usually sit and come up with a title for what I'm going to write before I get into it. For this one, the title will have to wait until I've written down the content because this one is too personal - this is about communication with a loved one when they are dying.
I'm not an expert on this by any means - no more than anyone who has lost a loved one and can relate to the experience. Sometimes we hear people say that they wish they had told someone who has passed on what they meant to them, how much they loved them. I feel so blessed that I don't have that regret with my mom.
Mom passed away 15 years ago on July 25. I can't believe that she has been gone that long because in so many ways it seems like she was just here. That's probably because she is here all the time in my heart. One thing I definitely shared with my mom was good communication. I know that she knew how much I loved her and admired her. Simply because I told her. And she told me how much she loved me and what she was proud of about me.
Sometimes I'll forget about those conversations but all I have to do is transport myself back in my memories to a time when we were sitting in her living room on either end of the sofa, each reading a book and enjoying the quiet. Those were the times we had our best conversations, between chapters, we would lift our heads and talk. Just talk. About anything and everything - I never felt like a topic was taboo with my mom. She worried for me because I would get my feelings hurt so easily - maybe I've toughened up since then so she doesn't have to worry so much about me now, where she is.
Having regrets after someone dies that you never communicated with them well enough about your feelings is not a regret you have to have. There are so many ways to tell someone you love them even without words. A regular phone call to chat. A quick visit to help with some chores. A birthday or mother's/father's day card. But if you're really lucky, like me, you'll have memories of good, lengthy and sometimes very thought-provoking conversations with your mom or dad. Those are the memories that you can cherish even 15 years and longer after they are gone.
I'm not an expert on this by any means - no more than anyone who has lost a loved one and can relate to the experience. Sometimes we hear people say that they wish they had told someone who has passed on what they meant to them, how much they loved them. I feel so blessed that I don't have that regret with my mom.
Mom passed away 15 years ago on July 25. I can't believe that she has been gone that long because in so many ways it seems like she was just here. That's probably because she is here all the time in my heart. One thing I definitely shared with my mom was good communication. I know that she knew how much I loved her and admired her. Simply because I told her. And she told me how much she loved me and what she was proud of about me.
Sometimes I'll forget about those conversations but all I have to do is transport myself back in my memories to a time when we were sitting in her living room on either end of the sofa, each reading a book and enjoying the quiet. Those were the times we had our best conversations, between chapters, we would lift our heads and talk. Just talk. About anything and everything - I never felt like a topic was taboo with my mom. She worried for me because I would get my feelings hurt so easily - maybe I've toughened up since then so she doesn't have to worry so much about me now, where she is.
Having regrets after someone dies that you never communicated with them well enough about your feelings is not a regret you have to have. There are so many ways to tell someone you love them even without words. A regular phone call to chat. A quick visit to help with some chores. A birthday or mother's/father's day card. But if you're really lucky, like me, you'll have memories of good, lengthy and sometimes very thought-provoking conversations with your mom or dad. Those are the memories that you can cherish even 15 years and longer after they are gone.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Too Much Information
I admit I am guilty of tuning out - tuning out the news that is. In recent weeks there has been repeated stories in the newspaper and television news about a dog neglect situation near Winnipeg. You would think that as a communicator and news junkie that I would want to hear all about it and have my two cents put in. But no - I simply cannot handle hearing about someone neglecting animals, especially dogs, but any animals in any way. The fact that this is to such a horrific degree as to be 'news worthy' just turns my stomach. Literally, I change the channel, skip the page and have not informed myself about the situation at all. Forgive me for not being a better advocate for animals.
A strong advocate would learn everything and be vocal about change, about legislation, about penalties. A strong advocate would offer to take some of those poor, neglected dogs into their own homes and nurse them back to health and a long and happy life in a loving home.
I'm not that strong advocate but boy do I ever admire the people who are. For me, it hurts, physically, to see that kind of neglect and pain heaped on defenceless animals. All I can do is cuddle my Cleo and promise her she will never, ever be subjected to that kind of cruelty or abuse at my hands. But thank you to those advocates who do take care of the neglected and abused - in my books - you are akin to Saints.
A strong advocate would learn everything and be vocal about change, about legislation, about penalties. A strong advocate would offer to take some of those poor, neglected dogs into their own homes and nurse them back to health and a long and happy life in a loving home.
I'm not that strong advocate but boy do I ever admire the people who are. For me, it hurts, physically, to see that kind of neglect and pain heaped on defenceless animals. All I can do is cuddle my Cleo and promise her she will never, ever be subjected to that kind of cruelty or abuse at my hands. But thank you to those advocates who do take care of the neglected and abused - in my books - you are akin to Saints.
Monday, July 12, 2010
To email or not to email
So often it is easier for people who are very computer literate and accustomed to talking by keyboard to send an email rather than have a face to face meeting. Especially if the topic under discussion could present some form of conflict, minor or otherwise. Probably the best way to handle a situation like this is just to suck it up and go talk to the other person and you'll discover that it wasn't such a big deal after all. We human beings are very good at imagining the boogy man is much bigger than it is.
But there are those times when an email is a good way to communicate something - to one or a group of people. Many times I have been on the receiving end of emails that just make me shake my head and wonder if the person who wrote it took the time to self-edit before sending. Pretty sure they didn't. Pretty sure I have to constantly remind myself to do this too. Once you get typing BAM you can say a lot of things in a few, often insulting, paragraphs. Might not be your intention but there you have it.
When it comes to emails, no matter to whom or about what, always read it before you hit the send button. Check for spelling and punctuation, sure, because your email represents you. However, what is really important is to read it as if you were the receiver. How would you react to what you are saying? Is there a better way to say something so that it doesn't lose the message but doesn't come across as insulting, blaming, uncaring or belligerent? Do you have to use the words "must" or can you change that to read "should consider". Harsh directives by email get an equally harsh reaction so if you can soften it, try to do so.
But there are those times when an email is a good way to communicate something - to one or a group of people. Many times I have been on the receiving end of emails that just make me shake my head and wonder if the person who wrote it took the time to self-edit before sending. Pretty sure they didn't. Pretty sure I have to constantly remind myself to do this too. Once you get typing BAM you can say a lot of things in a few, often insulting, paragraphs. Might not be your intention but there you have it.
When it comes to emails, no matter to whom or about what, always read it before you hit the send button. Check for spelling and punctuation, sure, because your email represents you. However, what is really important is to read it as if you were the receiver. How would you react to what you are saying? Is there a better way to say something so that it doesn't lose the message but doesn't come across as insulting, blaming, uncaring or belligerent? Do you have to use the words "must" or can you change that to read "should consider". Harsh directives by email get an equally harsh reaction so if you can soften it, try to do so.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
A Communication Train Wreck
Last night I was riveted to the television watching an hour long interview with Jake and Vienna from last year's Bachelor talk about their break up. In my own defence, there was nothing else to watch and this was such a train wreck, I couldn't seem to stop watching it.
It was just a bad match up from the get go. No, I don't watch Bachelor on a regular basis and didn't watch it last year. But I do often read covers of tabloids when paying for my groceries. It seems obvious to me that if you put two egomaniacs together you're going to have a problem. Big problem.
However, I want to talk about the one communication issue they had that also drives me nuts. Throughout the interview Vienna basically didn't want to let Jake have a word in edgewise - and when she did stop talking long enough for him to make a comment, she interrupted him or talked over him to make her point or disagree with him. SO MANY PEOPLE do this. In this case it was a big red flag for a crumbling relationship but what about when it happens to you in the work place? Your ability to communicate your thoughts or ideas are seriously hindered when someone with interuptitis is in the room.
For someone with interuptitis, the most important sound is their own voice. Nobody has anything as important to say as they do and they'll make sure you get so frustrated you just give up. I've tried meeting these people head on with the same tactic Jake tried last night "Will you please stop interrupting me?" Which they do until you open your mouth again. Then you just scream in frustration or stomp off in anger.
The reality is - they don't hear you when you talk anyway. You can't force them to listen to you - any time they pause they are thinking about what they are going to say next, not what you are saying now. And I don't really think there is a solution to fix these people - but you can make sure you aren't one yourself. Remember from a previous post - listening is the most important part of a conversation. Be a good listener. Speak softly, it forces other people to pay closer attention. Save your comments for really important observations, and people will start to anticipate your wisdom and let you talk. And if possible, stop inviting Interuptitis to your important meetings.
It was just a bad match up from the get go. No, I don't watch Bachelor on a regular basis and didn't watch it last year. But I do often read covers of tabloids when paying for my groceries. It seems obvious to me that if you put two egomaniacs together you're going to have a problem. Big problem.
However, I want to talk about the one communication issue they had that also drives me nuts. Throughout the interview Vienna basically didn't want to let Jake have a word in edgewise - and when she did stop talking long enough for him to make a comment, she interrupted him or talked over him to make her point or disagree with him. SO MANY PEOPLE do this. In this case it was a big red flag for a crumbling relationship but what about when it happens to you in the work place? Your ability to communicate your thoughts or ideas are seriously hindered when someone with interuptitis is in the room.
For someone with interuptitis, the most important sound is their own voice. Nobody has anything as important to say as they do and they'll make sure you get so frustrated you just give up. I've tried meeting these people head on with the same tactic Jake tried last night "Will you please stop interrupting me?" Which they do until you open your mouth again. Then you just scream in frustration or stomp off in anger.
The reality is - they don't hear you when you talk anyway. You can't force them to listen to you - any time they pause they are thinking about what they are going to say next, not what you are saying now. And I don't really think there is a solution to fix these people - but you can make sure you aren't one yourself. Remember from a previous post - listening is the most important part of a conversation. Be a good listener. Speak softly, it forces other people to pay closer attention. Save your comments for really important observations, and people will start to anticipate your wisdom and let you talk. And if possible, stop inviting Interuptitis to your important meetings.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Attention To Detail
There are lots of people who think of themselves as 'big picture' thinkers and they rely on those who are the 'attention to detail' people to make their big pictures come into focus. When it comes to communications, being a big picture thinker means you are also paying a lot of attention to detail. You simply can't be exclusively one or the other in our business.
I think what it really boils down to is understanding how important public image or perception is to everything we do. You can have the greatest idea, the most effective way to communicate to zillions of people but if you have a spelling mistake, your message is going to be less effective. Attention to detail.
When a customer or shareholder is looking at your company's promotional materials, they WILL get hung up on a spelling error or typo - because if you can't spell a word correctly, how can you be trusted to report financials correctly, or produce a quality product whether it is cheese or farm implements? It's a big burden to carry on the shoulders of your communications department, which is usually very small to begin with. That's why attention to detail has to work hand in hand with big picture thinker in the world of marketing and communications.
I think what it really boils down to is understanding how important public image or perception is to everything we do. You can have the greatest idea, the most effective way to communicate to zillions of people but if you have a spelling mistake, your message is going to be less effective. Attention to detail.
When a customer or shareholder is looking at your company's promotional materials, they WILL get hung up on a spelling error or typo - because if you can't spell a word correctly, how can you be trusted to report financials correctly, or produce a quality product whether it is cheese or farm implements? It's a big burden to carry on the shoulders of your communications department, which is usually very small to begin with. That's why attention to detail has to work hand in hand with big picture thinker in the world of marketing and communications.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Being Part of the Solution
I spent the last two days being part of a rapid improvement event (RIE) which is part of the St-Boniface Hospital transformation - the road to perfect care. It was fabulous. The goal of our particular RIE was to come up with solutions to get former patients and their family members more involved in the transformation of St-Boniface Hospital. It was two days of brainstorming, discussion and solution finding. I loved it.
I'm not going to delve into everything discussed but I will say that, as always, it comes down to good communication. We've done quite a lot of work over the past four months to get the message out to the public that we are looking for their stories, their experiences and their help in making improvements that focus on improving the patient experience. Public service announcements, information inserts in patient surveys, some radio promotion. Ultimately, though, the best way to get a former patient to take part in this kind of exercise is to ask them personally. That means a really good communication with frontline health care workers who work with patients and their families every day.
It's pretty exciting to be part of this kind of event. To feel like you're contributing to something that is going to have an actual benefit for you and your family in the future. As one of my colleagues noted during today's session - we all need health care at some point in our lives. It would be nice to believe that we're never going to have to be in hospital for anything other than good things like having babies - but that's unlikely. If we can keep working toward perfect patient care at St-Boniface Hospital - it will benefit future St-Boniface Hospital patients, sure, but the lessons learned here will be shared throughout the region and the country since St B is one of only a small handful (I think three) of hospitals in Canada doing this work.
We're already seeing huge improvements in the emergency department and surgery and that's just the beginning. With the very important input of former patients and their families, the work being done will become even more focused on their experiences, past and future. As a communicator, I feel very lucky to be part of something so important and so far reaching.
I'm not going to delve into everything discussed but I will say that, as always, it comes down to good communication. We've done quite a lot of work over the past four months to get the message out to the public that we are looking for their stories, their experiences and their help in making improvements that focus on improving the patient experience. Public service announcements, information inserts in patient surveys, some radio promotion. Ultimately, though, the best way to get a former patient to take part in this kind of exercise is to ask them personally. That means a really good communication with frontline health care workers who work with patients and their families every day.
It's pretty exciting to be part of this kind of event. To feel like you're contributing to something that is going to have an actual benefit for you and your family in the future. As one of my colleagues noted during today's session - we all need health care at some point in our lives. It would be nice to believe that we're never going to have to be in hospital for anything other than good things like having babies - but that's unlikely. If we can keep working toward perfect patient care at St-Boniface Hospital - it will benefit future St-Boniface Hospital patients, sure, but the lessons learned here will be shared throughout the region and the country since St B is one of only a small handful (I think three) of hospitals in Canada doing this work.
We're already seeing huge improvements in the emergency department and surgery and that's just the beginning. With the very important input of former patients and their families, the work being done will become even more focused on their experiences, past and future. As a communicator, I feel very lucky to be part of something so important and so far reaching.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Communication equals customer service
This past weekend my sister and I took my niece to one of Winnipeg's finer clothing establishments in search of a dress for the grade eight grad dance. We had a lot of fun oohing and ahing over the fabulous dresses at Swank Boutique - mostly because every single item my niece tried on looked amazing on her. But what made it even more fun was the customer service we received while at the boutique.
Randy was the guy who helped us out and he was doing what most of us strive to do every day in our working lives - communicating. First, he observed our shopping 'style'. Neither my sister nor I, nor my niece for that matter, like to have sales clerks in our face or stalking us while we try to decide if there is anything in the store we want to take to the dressing room. Randy gave us space while we toured around, pulling out various dresses for my niece to look at.
Once we had a couple of possibilities, Randy immediately set us up with a changing room and then offered his opinion when my niece tried on the first dress (it looked fabulous, of course). He asked a few questions about what the dress was for, observed how she seemed to be feeling in what was picked for her, and then he started bringing a variety of other dresses for her to try on. Notable in this was that he mostly stuck to the sales racks, which is where we had focused our initial search. I don't know how he did it, but he found great dresses that we completely overlooked.
Then, once she was down to just a few choices, he made it about her. Not about mom. Not about auntie. About the 14 year old who was going to be wearing the dress and what did she like and how did she feel. I was really impressed. We left the store with a dress that my niece absolutely loves and that she can wear for more than the one occassion. It wasn't the dress I would have chosen - good thing since I'm 30 years older than her! But she's happy and that's because Randy at Swank used excellent communications skills to provide outstanding customer service.
The moral of this post is that communications is EVERYWHERE and something we should all be striving to master, not just those of us who have the word 'communications' in our job titles.
Randy was the guy who helped us out and he was doing what most of us strive to do every day in our working lives - communicating. First, he observed our shopping 'style'. Neither my sister nor I, nor my niece for that matter, like to have sales clerks in our face or stalking us while we try to decide if there is anything in the store we want to take to the dressing room. Randy gave us space while we toured around, pulling out various dresses for my niece to look at.
Once we had a couple of possibilities, Randy immediately set us up with a changing room and then offered his opinion when my niece tried on the first dress (it looked fabulous, of course). He asked a few questions about what the dress was for, observed how she seemed to be feeling in what was picked for her, and then he started bringing a variety of other dresses for her to try on. Notable in this was that he mostly stuck to the sales racks, which is where we had focused our initial search. I don't know how he did it, but he found great dresses that we completely overlooked.
Then, once she was down to just a few choices, he made it about her. Not about mom. Not about auntie. About the 14 year old who was going to be wearing the dress and what did she like and how did she feel. I was really impressed. We left the store with a dress that my niece absolutely loves and that she can wear for more than the one occassion. It wasn't the dress I would have chosen - good thing since I'm 30 years older than her! But she's happy and that's because Randy at Swank used excellent communications skills to provide outstanding customer service.
The moral of this post is that communications is EVERYWHERE and something we should all be striving to master, not just those of us who have the word 'communications' in our job titles.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
We want a pitcher...not a belly itcher!
Okay so this blog post has nothing to do with baseball other than it is being written during baseball season and it's about pitching. Pitching news stories that is.
There may have been a time when there were so many reporters working at the various media outlets that getting them to cover your story was like, well, shooting fish in a barrel. Not the case since I've been working in communications. With so many cut backs in news departments across the country, most reporters are expected to produce multiple stories every day in multiple formats (think tv and web or radio and web or print and web). Reporters simply don't have the time to research stories from idea through to three minute feature anymore. In fact, 90 seconds is the maximum story you can expect on tv news broadcasts and 20 seconds is exceptional for radio.
That's why professional business communicators (like me) are so important to helping getting an organization's stories into the mainstream news. And that's where putting together a solid pitch comes in. It has nothing to do with throwing a baseball, but you are lobbing a story idea across the home plate to the reporter. It's important that your pitch is well developed and provides the reporter with not only the gist of the story, but statistics or any other back up research to support your claim, a list of potential interview subjects that you have confirmed are available and for television especially, a list of visuals that will support the story being pitched.
If it feels like you're doing the reporter's job - yes, in many ways you are. But if you don't do it, they won't likely cover your story unless it is a bad news story. Good news stories need you to do the legwork so that the reporter can come in, get the goods, get out and get it published.
Pitching your story starts with building a relationship with the right journalists in your community. Once that relationship is established, the journalist is more likely to receive your pitches with enthusiasm rather than skepticism. I find the best way to start making a pitch, once I've got the story already developed and researched, is to call the journalist and tell them you have an idea, give the gist and promise to follow up with a more detailed email. That detailed email is what your journalist is going to use when he or she pitches the idea at their news meeting, so you want it to be very appealing and very well developed.
Sometimes there is just too much other news happening on the day you pitch your story so you'll be shelved. Don't give up! Ask the journalist if there was interest and if the next day or later in the week would work better for them. You'll know if interest isn't there. Remember though - if you pitch a story to one journalist, you can't be pitching it to all and sundry hoping it sticks with someone. That's burning your contacts. However, if there is no interest from your original contact you are free to move on to your next contact to pitch the story. Just always remember that different media have different audiences so make sure what you're pitching is appropriate to that journalist's audience.
Warm up, windmill, spit ball, slider, knuckleball - whatever pitching terminology you go for - get out there and start pitching and quit belly itching (where in the world did we come up with that chant when we were kids?)
There may have been a time when there were so many reporters working at the various media outlets that getting them to cover your story was like, well, shooting fish in a barrel. Not the case since I've been working in communications. With so many cut backs in news departments across the country, most reporters are expected to produce multiple stories every day in multiple formats (think tv and web or radio and web or print and web). Reporters simply don't have the time to research stories from idea through to three minute feature anymore. In fact, 90 seconds is the maximum story you can expect on tv news broadcasts and 20 seconds is exceptional for radio.
That's why professional business communicators (like me) are so important to helping getting an organization's stories into the mainstream news. And that's where putting together a solid pitch comes in. It has nothing to do with throwing a baseball, but you are lobbing a story idea across the home plate to the reporter. It's important that your pitch is well developed and provides the reporter with not only the gist of the story, but statistics or any other back up research to support your claim, a list of potential interview subjects that you have confirmed are available and for television especially, a list of visuals that will support the story being pitched.
If it feels like you're doing the reporter's job - yes, in many ways you are. But if you don't do it, they won't likely cover your story unless it is a bad news story. Good news stories need you to do the legwork so that the reporter can come in, get the goods, get out and get it published.
Pitching your story starts with building a relationship with the right journalists in your community. Once that relationship is established, the journalist is more likely to receive your pitches with enthusiasm rather than skepticism. I find the best way to start making a pitch, once I've got the story already developed and researched, is to call the journalist and tell them you have an idea, give the gist and promise to follow up with a more detailed email. That detailed email is what your journalist is going to use when he or she pitches the idea at their news meeting, so you want it to be very appealing and very well developed.
Sometimes there is just too much other news happening on the day you pitch your story so you'll be shelved. Don't give up! Ask the journalist if there was interest and if the next day or later in the week would work better for them. You'll know if interest isn't there. Remember though - if you pitch a story to one journalist, you can't be pitching it to all and sundry hoping it sticks with someone. That's burning your contacts. However, if there is no interest from your original contact you are free to move on to your next contact to pitch the story. Just always remember that different media have different audiences so make sure what you're pitching is appropriate to that journalist's audience.
Warm up, windmill, spit ball, slider, knuckleball - whatever pitching terminology you go for - get out there and start pitching and quit belly itching (where in the world did we come up with that chant when we were kids?)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Big Bad Reporter
Jerry Seinfeld and his pals made a show out of nothing. Unfortunately, there are some reporters out there who think they can make a story out of nothing. These reporters are the worst to deal with and if I was a mean person, I would say they're not really journalists at all - but I'm not a mean person so I'll just say that they are 'desperate' journalists.
Let me explain. Imagine a reporter sitting at the round table for the morning news team meeting. Everyone on the team is pitching their story ideas for the day and one by one, the eyes are slowly swinging around the table to our desperate journalist. Desperate has no solid leads. No real story. Nothing to pitch. But he (or she) heard a rumor, read a blog, had a random thought or feeling about something in the past week. He grasps at it and before we know it, he is spinning out a fabulous story pitch about something that is made of nothing. The news director LOVES IT! Desperate is now committed to producing that story for the evening news (Desperate isn't always a television reporter but for this blog he is).
Now comes the rub. Desperate still has no solid leads or facts to support his story idea. But the story idea was so good, he's not going to let real facts get in the way of his pitch. So Desperate sits down and writes his story. Almost pure fiction but that's okay, because Desperate can find someone, somewhere to give him a quote that will corroborate his theory, he's sure of it. Once his story is written, he gets on the phone and sets up some interviews with whomever will talk to him on camera, on the record. And voila - he has his story for the evening news.
I admit that I am at a loss as to why an ethical journalist would do this but I have seen it happen quite a few times. I can actually tell during the initial phone conversation with the reporter when they have already written their story and are now just looking for someone to give it a 'credibility quote'. I don't know if it is desperation, stubbornness, or pure ego - but it is virtually impossible to get Desperate to hear the real facts and follow that story, rather than the one that is already written in their mind or on their laptop.
So what do you do with this kind of reporter? Well first you have to get enough experience to know when you're being used by one. Then all you can do is keep reiterating the facts and be very, very prepared not to be sucked into saying something out of context during an interview. It's hard - sometimes you will know that the story is pre-written but you don't know WHAT the pre-written story is - so all you can do is hope for the best, and hope that the journalist suddenly realizes what they are doing is wrong, and that they need to do what they were trained to do and listen to the facts so they can do a solid, quality story. And don't despair - there are only a handful of journalists that pull this crap and once they've done it once - you'll have them pegged.
Let me explain. Imagine a reporter sitting at the round table for the morning news team meeting. Everyone on the team is pitching their story ideas for the day and one by one, the eyes are slowly swinging around the table to our desperate journalist. Desperate has no solid leads. No real story. Nothing to pitch. But he (or she) heard a rumor, read a blog, had a random thought or feeling about something in the past week. He grasps at it and before we know it, he is spinning out a fabulous story pitch about something that is made of nothing. The news director LOVES IT! Desperate is now committed to producing that story for the evening news (Desperate isn't always a television reporter but for this blog he is).
Now comes the rub. Desperate still has no solid leads or facts to support his story idea. But the story idea was so good, he's not going to let real facts get in the way of his pitch. So Desperate sits down and writes his story. Almost pure fiction but that's okay, because Desperate can find someone, somewhere to give him a quote that will corroborate his theory, he's sure of it. Once his story is written, he gets on the phone and sets up some interviews with whomever will talk to him on camera, on the record. And voila - he has his story for the evening news.
I admit that I am at a loss as to why an ethical journalist would do this but I have seen it happen quite a few times. I can actually tell during the initial phone conversation with the reporter when they have already written their story and are now just looking for someone to give it a 'credibility quote'. I don't know if it is desperation, stubbornness, or pure ego - but it is virtually impossible to get Desperate to hear the real facts and follow that story, rather than the one that is already written in their mind or on their laptop.
So what do you do with this kind of reporter? Well first you have to get enough experience to know when you're being used by one. Then all you can do is keep reiterating the facts and be very, very prepared not to be sucked into saying something out of context during an interview. It's hard - sometimes you will know that the story is pre-written but you don't know WHAT the pre-written story is - so all you can do is hope for the best, and hope that the journalist suddenly realizes what they are doing is wrong, and that they need to do what they were trained to do and listen to the facts so they can do a solid, quality story. And don't despair - there are only a handful of journalists that pull this crap and once they've done it once - you'll have them pegged.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Relations with Media
A major aspect of working in marketing and communications is working with the media. For most people in this role, it's just an everyday part of the job and not much to get worked up about. For many of us, we started our career as journalists so we know that other news people are just that, people. What we need to remember, however, is that it isn't an everyday part of the job for our co-workers - many of whom we call upon to be experts to speak with the media.
I do believe that having experts from your organization trained and knowledgeable about the area in question are the right people to speak to the media. Having me be the spokesperson about genetic makeup of linola seed (for example) makes no sense. However, my responsibility is still crucial in this dialogue between journalist and seed researcher. Let me tell you how:
First, I have to build relationships with the journalists who are likely to be interested in covering any kind of news about my organization. That means knowing who they are, what particular interests they have, how they like to receive information, how to best get hold of them and MOST IMPORTANT returning their calls and respecting their deadlines. Building this relationship is not something that can be done overnight - it takes time, patience and a good attitude. As much as I am proving my reliability to the journalists, they are also proving their reliability and ethics to me in how they treat information I provide and how they cover stories.
Second, I have to ensure my team of experts are trained in media relations. Not just once, but at least annually, they need a bit of a refresher since after all, this isn't something they deal with daily. It's like my ability to speak French - it gets so rusty from disuse that when I do go to have a conversation it is pretty squeaky. People who haven't had any exposure to media will benefit from a one or two day intensive training course. Then they need to be eased into the role of expert spokesperson. My role here is sometimes to provide the training, if budgets are tight, but always to provide insight on my organization's media interview philosphy, even if I'm not the main instructor.
Third, I have to make sure my expert spokesperson, especially the new ones, are sufficiently prepared for the interview. I'm not talking about putting words in their mouth - they know the information, they ARE the experts. I just want to make sure they've thought about what kinds of questions they're going to be asked, thought about what their answers are, practiced them a bit on a friendly face, so that when it comes time for the in-person interview they aren't struck mute. That would be a waste of time for them and for the journalist who wants some quotable quotes, whether for print, radio or television. Preparation is key to a good interview.
Finally, I follow up with the journalist to see if they got all the information they needed for their story and usually just to give one last delivery of my organization's brand message. Very often a reporter will get back to their news room and realize they need a statistic or a spelling or something to round out their story. I'm there to track it down for them and provide it. I try to make their job easier so they're more inclined to cover my organization's good news and I try to make my expert spokesperson's job easier so they are more inclined to enjoy the media relations experience and do it again, and again, and again!
I do believe that having experts from your organization trained and knowledgeable about the area in question are the right people to speak to the media. Having me be the spokesperson about genetic makeup of linola seed (for example) makes no sense. However, my responsibility is still crucial in this dialogue between journalist and seed researcher. Let me tell you how:
First, I have to build relationships with the journalists who are likely to be interested in covering any kind of news about my organization. That means knowing who they are, what particular interests they have, how they like to receive information, how to best get hold of them and MOST IMPORTANT returning their calls and respecting their deadlines. Building this relationship is not something that can be done overnight - it takes time, patience and a good attitude. As much as I am proving my reliability to the journalists, they are also proving their reliability and ethics to me in how they treat information I provide and how they cover stories.
Second, I have to ensure my team of experts are trained in media relations. Not just once, but at least annually, they need a bit of a refresher since after all, this isn't something they deal with daily. It's like my ability to speak French - it gets so rusty from disuse that when I do go to have a conversation it is pretty squeaky. People who haven't had any exposure to media will benefit from a one or two day intensive training course. Then they need to be eased into the role of expert spokesperson. My role here is sometimes to provide the training, if budgets are tight, but always to provide insight on my organization's media interview philosphy, even if I'm not the main instructor.
Third, I have to make sure my expert spokesperson, especially the new ones, are sufficiently prepared for the interview. I'm not talking about putting words in their mouth - they know the information, they ARE the experts. I just want to make sure they've thought about what kinds of questions they're going to be asked, thought about what their answers are, practiced them a bit on a friendly face, so that when it comes time for the in-person interview they aren't struck mute. That would be a waste of time for them and for the journalist who wants some quotable quotes, whether for print, radio or television. Preparation is key to a good interview.
Finally, I follow up with the journalist to see if they got all the information they needed for their story and usually just to give one last delivery of my organization's brand message. Very often a reporter will get back to their news room and realize they need a statistic or a spelling or something to round out their story. I'm there to track it down for them and provide it. I try to make their job easier so they're more inclined to cover my organization's good news and I try to make my expert spokesperson's job easier so they are more inclined to enjoy the media relations experience and do it again, and again, and again!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
To Get Inspired
I haven't been particularly inspired to post on my blog this past week or so which got me to thinking about what does inspire us? Specifically, what inspires us to write? Okay, besides the fact that for communicators the difference between writing and not writing is often a pay cheque. But I'm not being paid for this blog and YOU don't want to read my ramblings about the weather, home repairs and dog walks.
And yet - those are the things that often inspire me. A sunny day, a refreshing walk in the park or a successful repainting of a room in my house make me want to be creative. Writing is about being creative. It's easy to forget that part of it when you're stuck writing in formula - news releases, speaking notes, ad copy - all of it is often formula. Even worse, sometimes you can dust off a news release from two or three (or five) years ago, update a few names and it still works. How challenging is that? It's not something I recommend doing, I'm just saying that it can be possible.
I think the way to get inspired when writing something routine is to visualize someone in your target audience reading it. Imagine that written piece inspiring them to take action. Better yet, imagine them taking exactly the action that is the point of the written piece and then write to persuade that action. No action required? Then why are you writing that piece? Unless it is a blog, where people like me get to write for the sake of seeing my own words, you should have a purpose to your written pieces. Inform - yes. But being informed without feeling an urge to take action is just more white noise. Give it a try.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Follow Your Bliss
Sometimes I am amazed at how lucky I am to be doing for a career what I want to be doing. Sure, there are days (sometimes lots in a row) that I hate my job for whatever reason, usually because I'm dealing with people who I can't mind meld with. But those bad times are made up for by the many, many good times in marketing and communications. In fact, most people want to be doing my job so much they try to do it for me.
It seems very romantic to be involved in creating television and radio advertisements and to work with the media. Creativity is exciting and can be very refreshing. However, to get to that really incredible finished product, like the ads created for St-Boniface Hospital, takes a lot of work, negotiation, input from the agency, input from the client, input from people who are considered stakeholders (see my blog on research). When it all gels - you get a product like the Hope and Healing campaign.
Other times my job is about sending off copy and design instructions and then waiting for something to come back to review, then sending changes, then back, then forth, then back, then forth. Lots of that goes on. Lots of phone calls to get information. Lots of meetings to confirm information. Lots of sales calls from vendors who want us to try their product or service.
As much as I love writing and really enjoyed having that as a big part of my job in the past, as I've advanced in my career writing has become a bit of a luxury. It requires concentration and being able to set aside chunks of time for interviews, research and then actually sitting down and writing. Fortunately, there are a number of really good freelance writers available to help with the bigger projects. I still get a real sense of satisfaction when I write something, review it and realize, "Hey, I'm darn good at this." Then I move on to the many other demands of directing a marketing and communications department.
For someone who is trying to decide if marketing and communications (public relations, public affairs, media relations) is something they want to pursue as a career, I would suggest they ask themselves three questions:
1. Am I interested in other people and what they do?
2. Do I like feeling the stress and thrill of having to meet deadlines?
3. Can I rise above being told by everyone from the janitors to the accountants telling me what will work in order to get to what my education and experience has taught me WILL work?
If you can answer yes to those three questions, you could be on your way to enjoying a fulfilling career in marketing and communications.
It seems very romantic to be involved in creating television and radio advertisements and to work with the media. Creativity is exciting and can be very refreshing. However, to get to that really incredible finished product, like the ads created for St-Boniface Hospital, takes a lot of work, negotiation, input from the agency, input from the client, input from people who are considered stakeholders (see my blog on research). When it all gels - you get a product like the Hope and Healing campaign.
Other times my job is about sending off copy and design instructions and then waiting for something to come back to review, then sending changes, then back, then forth, then back, then forth. Lots of that goes on. Lots of phone calls to get information. Lots of meetings to confirm information. Lots of sales calls from vendors who want us to try their product or service.
As much as I love writing and really enjoyed having that as a big part of my job in the past, as I've advanced in my career writing has become a bit of a luxury. It requires concentration and being able to set aside chunks of time for interviews, research and then actually sitting down and writing. Fortunately, there are a number of really good freelance writers available to help with the bigger projects. I still get a real sense of satisfaction when I write something, review it and realize, "Hey, I'm darn good at this." Then I move on to the many other demands of directing a marketing and communications department.
For someone who is trying to decide if marketing and communications (public relations, public affairs, media relations) is something they want to pursue as a career, I would suggest they ask themselves three questions:
1. Am I interested in other people and what they do?
2. Do I like feeling the stress and thrill of having to meet deadlines?
3. Can I rise above being told by everyone from the janitors to the accountants telling me what will work in order to get to what my education and experience has taught me WILL work?
If you can answer yes to those three questions, you could be on your way to enjoying a fulfilling career in marketing and communications.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
What We Know to Be True
When it comes to communicating with a broad audience, knowing them is the first step in reaching them. The smaller the audience the easier it is to know what will resonate with them. But when you're dealing with thousands of people, you can waste a lot of money on ineffectual communications and marketing if you haven't done your research on what makes the majority of them 'tick'.
There really is no such thing as a homogenous group - we are all individuals, and we all think and react with our own individual bias or emotion. While some research can be too broad sweeping - so much so that it really gives you no direction at all, pursuing a communications or marketing initiative without some basic knowledge is a big no-no. Individuality aside, good research will find the trends and commonalities that help you to better know your audience as a whole.
You can usually tell that you need research done when you're having a meeting with a group of people who keep saying things like "They probably think..." "They probably want..." "I think they're ..." "I think they might...". Not the most solid analysis to base a $5000 campaign on let alone a $100,000 campaign.
Some research is already done for us and if you have a good sense of the demographic of your audience, you can rely to some extent on sources like Statistics Canada to make some assumptions. In fundraising, for example, existing research generally shows that older people give to health care and younger people give to animal welfare. You can draw a conclusion that older people feel their mortality a bit stronger while younger people are still pretty emotional about their pets.
However, what if you want to reach an audience that is a mish mash of old and young? Working and retired and still in school? Multi-cultural? Multi-lingual? If you have a good list of questions and a good sampling of your entire prospective audience, then you're going to end up with some good answers to what will reach them best.
I'm no expert in developing those questions - that's why I hire outstanding research firms (like Viewpoints Ltd in Winnipeg for example). That's their job. My job is to take those results, the firm's analysis of them, and create the marketing and communications miracles that will resonate with my target audiences. And incidentally, the projects I've worked on over the past two decades that were based on solid research ALWAYS resonated with the audience.
There really is no such thing as a homogenous group - we are all individuals, and we all think and react with our own individual bias or emotion. While some research can be too broad sweeping - so much so that it really gives you no direction at all, pursuing a communications or marketing initiative without some basic knowledge is a big no-no. Individuality aside, good research will find the trends and commonalities that help you to better know your audience as a whole.
You can usually tell that you need research done when you're having a meeting with a group of people who keep saying things like "They probably think..." "They probably want..." "I think they're ..." "I think they might...". Not the most solid analysis to base a $5000 campaign on let alone a $100,000 campaign.
Some research is already done for us and if you have a good sense of the demographic of your audience, you can rely to some extent on sources like Statistics Canada to make some assumptions. In fundraising, for example, existing research generally shows that older people give to health care and younger people give to animal welfare. You can draw a conclusion that older people feel their mortality a bit stronger while younger people are still pretty emotional about their pets.
However, what if you want to reach an audience that is a mish mash of old and young? Working and retired and still in school? Multi-cultural? Multi-lingual? If you have a good list of questions and a good sampling of your entire prospective audience, then you're going to end up with some good answers to what will reach them best.
I'm no expert in developing those questions - that's why I hire outstanding research firms (like Viewpoints Ltd in Winnipeg for example). That's their job. My job is to take those results, the firm's analysis of them, and create the marketing and communications miracles that will resonate with my target audiences. And incidentally, the projects I've worked on over the past two decades that were based on solid research ALWAYS resonated with the audience.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Non verbal cues
As I sat in the dentist chair yesterday having a root canal, a good example of non-verbal communication occurred. Near the beginning of the procedure, I was feeling some pain as my dentist worked on the tooth. I didn't grunt or moan or hit him, I simply clenched my fist. He stopped immediately and asked if I was feeling anything to which I obviously responded "Gash" since I had a rubber dam in my mouth. He added more freezing and continued on with the three hour procedure and I had no more pain. Well, until the freezing came out but that's another story.
My point is that it doesn't matter what job you do - communication is absolutely vital. My dentist is one of the best and the fact that he picked up on that non-verbal cue so quickly is evidence that he is a very good communicator.
Just think of all the non-verbal communications we get in a day. Teenagers are famous for rolling their eyes to get across their disdain - but I've seen it happen in the office as well. Having a poker face would be a real blessing for some people - me included.
There is also the communication from a receptionist getting a flurry of complaints - she runs her hands through her hair repeatedly saying without words "I'm overwhelmed, somebody help me take all these calls." A good manager sees the non verbal cue and takes action.
I think the reason we rely on non verbal cues to get a message across is because many times we don't want to appear to be a whiner or to ask for help. We WANT help, we just don't want to have to ask for it.
Next time you see a coworker cover his or her face with both hands and expel a big breath, ask if they need a hand with something. They might say yes, they might say no, but at least they know someone was 'listening'.
My point is that it doesn't matter what job you do - communication is absolutely vital. My dentist is one of the best and the fact that he picked up on that non-verbal cue so quickly is evidence that he is a very good communicator.
Just think of all the non-verbal communications we get in a day. Teenagers are famous for rolling their eyes to get across their disdain - but I've seen it happen in the office as well. Having a poker face would be a real blessing for some people - me included.
There is also the communication from a receptionist getting a flurry of complaints - she runs her hands through her hair repeatedly saying without words "I'm overwhelmed, somebody help me take all these calls." A good manager sees the non verbal cue and takes action.
I think the reason we rely on non verbal cues to get a message across is because many times we don't want to appear to be a whiner or to ask for help. We WANT help, we just don't want to have to ask for it.
Next time you see a coworker cover his or her face with both hands and expel a big breath, ask if they need a hand with something. They might say yes, they might say no, but at least they know someone was 'listening'.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The 3-Second Rule
When you drop a piece of food on the floor you have the 8 second rule - pick it up within the count of 8 and you can still eat it. Great rule to live by even if scientists have proven that you get as much bacteria on that dropped piece of food in 1 second as you do in 8 seconds or more.
In marketing and communications we live by a lot of rules including something called the 3 second rule. When creating a billboard you have only 3 seconds of your audiences' attention - that's how long a car typically takes to drive past your billboard. In that 3 seconds you might try to get across who you are, what you do, why you do it, where you do it, why it's important etc etc. But that's not necessary. In fact, that counterproductive.
What you really want to accomplish in that 3 seconds is to plant a seed in the imagination of your audience. I believe the absolute best billboards are ultra-simple. They have your corporate name or logo and an image that says a thousand words. Phone numbers generally aren't a good fit for a billboard - but a website address can work if it is easy to remember. But you risk clutter when you add a website so err on the side of less is definitely more on billboards.
I recently worked on a campaign that included billboards and they were far from sterling. Far from simple. We tried to do too much in that 3 second space. Too many pictures, too many phone numbers, too many messages. Next time I'll spend a week, a month or longer finding the exactly right image to go with the logo - and that's all you'll see, even though you'll remember it for a long, long time.
In marketing and communications we live by a lot of rules including something called the 3 second rule. When creating a billboard you have only 3 seconds of your audiences' attention - that's how long a car typically takes to drive past your billboard. In that 3 seconds you might try to get across who you are, what you do, why you do it, where you do it, why it's important etc etc. But that's not necessary. In fact, that counterproductive.
What you really want to accomplish in that 3 seconds is to plant a seed in the imagination of your audience. I believe the absolute best billboards are ultra-simple. They have your corporate name or logo and an image that says a thousand words. Phone numbers generally aren't a good fit for a billboard - but a website address can work if it is easy to remember. But you risk clutter when you add a website so err on the side of less is definitely more on billboards.
I recently worked on a campaign that included billboards and they were far from sterling. Far from simple. We tried to do too much in that 3 second space. Too many pictures, too many phone numbers, too many messages. Next time I'll spend a week, a month or longer finding the exactly right image to go with the logo - and that's all you'll see, even though you'll remember it for a long, long time.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Face-to-Face - The Interview
Sometimes I find myself so busy with so many different projects that the temptation to do an interview by phone is pretty strong. And you know what? I do conduct phone interviews - but only if I have met the subject at least once before in an interview situation.
There are just too many things you miss while talking on the phone that can really add to your story. What the person says verbally is only half the message. Make sure you interview them on their turf and then observe. Always go to an interview prepared with a few questions based on the research you've already done about the person. But don't let that bog you down.
Let the conversation flow. Through your observations you'll find other things to talk about besides your interviewee's latest invention or project. You might see family pictures - did family ties inspire your interviewee to pursue his or her dreams? Maybe they have a crossbow hanging on the wall - what's that about? How does that tie into your story? How do the surroundings make your subject more human for your readers?
If you came to my home to interview me you would see in my living room some pictures of my family and my collection of pink depression glass. Beautiful glass - yes I inherited it from my mother who passed away 15 years ago. It's beautiful, and fragile and reminds me every day that relationships are important and not to take them for granted. My memories of my mother make me want to be as good at listening as she was. Listening is a key part of being a good communicator.
And that is why having an interview face-to-face is so important - you have to listen with your ears and your eyes to get the deepest part of the story. Besides, getting out of your office regularly is one of the perks of being in communications.
There are just too many things you miss while talking on the phone that can really add to your story. What the person says verbally is only half the message. Make sure you interview them on their turf and then observe. Always go to an interview prepared with a few questions based on the research you've already done about the person. But don't let that bog you down.
Let the conversation flow. Through your observations you'll find other things to talk about besides your interviewee's latest invention or project. You might see family pictures - did family ties inspire your interviewee to pursue his or her dreams? Maybe they have a crossbow hanging on the wall - what's that about? How does that tie into your story? How do the surroundings make your subject more human for your readers?
If you came to my home to interview me you would see in my living room some pictures of my family and my collection of pink depression glass. Beautiful glass - yes I inherited it from my mother who passed away 15 years ago. It's beautiful, and fragile and reminds me every day that relationships are important and not to take them for granted. My memories of my mother make me want to be as good at listening as she was. Listening is a key part of being a good communicator.
And that is why having an interview face-to-face is so important - you have to listen with your ears and your eyes to get the deepest part of the story. Besides, getting out of your office regularly is one of the perks of being in communications.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Communicating Through Conversation
Oh man, I don't know what to say to these people. I'm just going to sit here in my corner and pretend I'm wearing invisibility spray.
Starting a conversation or breaking in on a conversation can be very tough. When I took Dale Carnegie classes 25 years ago we were taught that people loved to talk about themselves, so let them. That's all well and good but you do have to contribute to a conversation to be part of it. Otherwise you start giving people the 'stalker alert' heebie jeebies.
Single person households in the United States increased by 21 percent in the 1990's which might explain why our converational skill set seems to be waning. We have nobody at home to practice conversation with. Well I do - I talk to my dog all the time. I say 'walk' and she runs around in circles. I say 'treat' and she runs around in circles. You can see where this is going.
But conversation with real people requires a bit more skill than a conversation with a dog or cat. I recently picked up a book called The Art of Conversation by Catherine Blyth. She's a funny British woman with some very witty observations about conversation. Her book provides everything from tips on small talk to appropriate topics to the fine art of flattery. At the end of each chapter, she also provides "The Typology of Bores, Chores and Other Conversational Beasts". If you find yourself described in this box, you need to rethink your conversational skill set. Blyth gives rules for each situation and I have to say that reading this little bible of information is fun, it's also very useful.
One thing Blyth and Carnegie agree on is that good listeners make good conversationalists. That doesn't mean you stand (or sit) there with your eyes glazed over nodding. It means you're actually hearing what the other person is saying and your responses continue the conversation, rather than steering it in another direction.
What to talk about
You can be a good conversationalist with just a little work on your part. If you have a dinner party or event to attend, during the day switch your radio to a news station at the top of the hour and listen to the five minute news cast. Read the newspaper - not just the horoscopes and sports, but other sections like entertainment and business. And something that will really make it easy for you to start or carry on a conversation is to have information about something that interests you.
Online is a natural place to look up information about so much stuff - what interests you? Start googling - home decor, home renovations, cars, pets, travel, French cuisine, movies, books, gardening, making stained glass windows, building bird houses. Find out some information on what makes you tick so that you can actually be informed. You'll be amazed at how much better you can communicate when you can have a conversation.
Starting a conversation or breaking in on a conversation can be very tough. When I took Dale Carnegie classes 25 years ago we were taught that people loved to talk about themselves, so let them. That's all well and good but you do have to contribute to a conversation to be part of it. Otherwise you start giving people the 'stalker alert' heebie jeebies.
Single person households in the United States increased by 21 percent in the 1990's which might explain why our converational skill set seems to be waning. We have nobody at home to practice conversation with. Well I do - I talk to my dog all the time. I say 'walk' and she runs around in circles. I say 'treat' and she runs around in circles. You can see where this is going.
But conversation with real people requires a bit more skill than a conversation with a dog or cat. I recently picked up a book called The Art of Conversation by Catherine Blyth. She's a funny British woman with some very witty observations about conversation. Her book provides everything from tips on small talk to appropriate topics to the fine art of flattery. At the end of each chapter, she also provides "The Typology of Bores, Chores and Other Conversational Beasts". If you find yourself described in this box, you need to rethink your conversational skill set. Blyth gives rules for each situation and I have to say that reading this little bible of information is fun, it's also very useful.
One thing Blyth and Carnegie agree on is that good listeners make good conversationalists. That doesn't mean you stand (or sit) there with your eyes glazed over nodding. It means you're actually hearing what the other person is saying and your responses continue the conversation, rather than steering it in another direction.
What to talk about
You can be a good conversationalist with just a little work on your part. If you have a dinner party or event to attend, during the day switch your radio to a news station at the top of the hour and listen to the five minute news cast. Read the newspaper - not just the horoscopes and sports, but other sections like entertainment and business. And something that will really make it easy for you to start or carry on a conversation is to have information about something that interests you.
Online is a natural place to look up information about so much stuff - what interests you? Start googling - home decor, home renovations, cars, pets, travel, French cuisine, movies, books, gardening, making stained glass windows, building bird houses. Find out some information on what makes you tick so that you can actually be informed. You'll be amazed at how much better you can communicate when you can have a conversation.
Friday, April 9, 2010
A Questionable Lead
The lead sentence of any written piece is unquestionably the most important sentence, so starting it with a question seems, well, rather questionable.
Tongue twisters aside, catching your audience's attention and then holding it is the main role of the lead sentence. If you ask a question, particularly a close ended (yes/no) question, then you are taking a huge risk of immediately losing a large percentage of your audience.
It's much better to lead into your article with the facts. We learn it in journalism school and we need to remember it- lead with the five w's and you rarely go wrong. Who is this about, when did it happen, where did it happen, what happened and why did it happen? The challenge as a writer is to make those five w's have enough flair to catch your audience and enough information to keep them reading.
There are dozens of books to read on writing a good lead but one you might want to check out is News writing By George A. Hough. Of course, a good lead isn't restricted to writing a news release or news article -- it's important when writing an email message, a letter, even a memo. Because bottom line, if you're going to invest your time in writing something, you want your audience to feel invested in reading it -- all of it.
Tongue twisters aside, catching your audience's attention and then holding it is the main role of the lead sentence. If you ask a question, particularly a close ended (yes/no) question, then you are taking a huge risk of immediately losing a large percentage of your audience.
It's much better to lead into your article with the facts. We learn it in journalism school and we need to remember it- lead with the five w's and you rarely go wrong. Who is this about, when did it happen, where did it happen, what happened and why did it happen? The challenge as a writer is to make those five w's have enough flair to catch your audience and enough information to keep them reading.
There are dozens of books to read on writing a good lead but one you might want to check out is News writing By George A. Hough. Of course, a good lead isn't restricted to writing a news release or news article -- it's important when writing an email message, a letter, even a memo. Because bottom line, if you're going to invest your time in writing something, you want your audience to feel invested in reading it -- all of it.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Politically Correct Communication
Working in the marketing and communications field for the past 15+ years, I have certainly seen my share of 'language' that has had to be changed to be politically correct. As a woman, I personally don't have a problem with calling it either a manhole or a utility cover - I think men would be more offended by the first than women, frankly.
When I'm writing copy, I'm always aware and conscientious about using the politically correct term. The letter carrier appears in my written work, but it's still the mail man that my dog barks at. On paper, I would refer to the people on the airplane as flight attendants but when asking for assistance, chances are I'll say, "Excuse me, stewardess, can you help me?"
Frankly, I have the same problem with miles and kilometers. Did that throw you for a loop? The changes that were made in both our weights and measurements world and in our politically correctedness world happened about the same time, right at the end of my elementary education.
For me, and I expect millions of others caught in the time warp, we are destined to forever being frantically doing the math or language problem in our head before we can spit out the answer:
"The fireman, make that firefighter, carried the little girl, make that child, down the 30 foot, make that 10 meter, ladder to safety." I'm very lucky that most of my communication is written, and edited.
When I'm writing copy, I'm always aware and conscientious about using the politically correct term. The letter carrier appears in my written work, but it's still the mail man that my dog barks at. On paper, I would refer to the people on the airplane as flight attendants but when asking for assistance, chances are I'll say, "Excuse me, stewardess, can you help me?"
Frankly, I have the same problem with miles and kilometers. Did that throw you for a loop? The changes that were made in both our weights and measurements world and in our politically correctedness world happened about the same time, right at the end of my elementary education.
For me, and I expect millions of others caught in the time warp, we are destined to forever being frantically doing the math or language problem in our head before we can spit out the answer:
"The fireman, make that firefighter, carried the little girl, make that child, down the 30 foot, make that 10 meter, ladder to safety." I'm very lucky that most of my communication is written, and edited.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
