Book Review: Why She Buys

One of my favorite past times is devouring case studies. I’ll stay up late gorging on white papers about successful public relations or marketing activities. I consider them a buffet of knowledge and hope. Hence the book review on Why She Buys, cooked up by Bridget Brennan.

According to her website, The Wallstreet Journal touts Brennan’s book as, “essential reading” and Fortune Small Business states it’s “required reading for anyone burdened with a Y chromosome.” Funny, I didn’t know any of that. I picked it up on a trip to the library with my son. The kids’ section is adjacent to where they keep the business books. Every two weeks I scan the shelves quickly and grab one on the way to the checkout. That’s my reality of going to the library with a three year old. I say this because it’s an appropriate story that would fit well into her book.

I felt empowered and validated by the title, and better educated and equipped by her case studies. To understand how and why women make or influence 80 percent of the purchasing decisions in the household is to understand the economy and successful marketing.

My favorite morsels from this book are:

• The Lexus customer service model is one to be emulated. It’s not only the car; it’s the way the company and the employees exceed customers’ expectations in order to develop long term relationships. Isn’t that what women want most of all – longstanding, meaningful relationships?

• The research that Proctor & Gamble puts into their products is phenomenal. They actually live with their customers to see how their products are used - the challenges, shortcomings and benefits. You can’t get that kind of information from a survey, or even a focus group.

• Bluefly.com was smart to have a non-management employee blog about the reality television show Project Runway and then tie the episodes into their product line. The employee was an actual fan of the show and stayed away from corporate jargon. It was more like reading a post on your friend’s Facebook page than a company’s blog.

Potential readers should think of Why She Buys as a guide to the elusive core of what makes women tick – those hungry for this kind of information will find this book worthy of their time and money.

5 Ways to Improve Your Chances of Getting Media Coverage of Your Event

Getting on the ten o’clock news is easy for violent crime offenders and dead-beat politicians, but for the rest of us – it’s a challenge. I often speak to clients who are frustrated about the lack of attention they receive from the press. Most news stations won’t attend a fundraising event unless their anchor or reporter is hosting, but there are other ways to ensure your event newsworthy or at least news friendly.

Consider the following and make yours an affair to remember, or should we say cover:

1. Time - Be sure your event is held at a desirable time for the media to attend – early breakfasts and late dinners won’t get you coverage. Consider an 11 a.m. start time during the week. Wednesday is generally the best day for the media. Newsrooms operate 24/7 and they generally have more staff on the clock midweek.

2. Attendees – Securing local politicians and celebrities helps your press release get pushed up to the top. You’ve proved that you mean something to somebody.

3. Visuals – Secure something visual for your event. For example, ground breakings and dedications are not desirable because there isn’t much to see. I once planned a ground breaking where we unfurled a banner that was 30 feet in length from the top of a building. Rather than just shooting people turning dirt, news cameras got to see what the future building would look like on a grand scale! This visual got us great coverage.

4. Relevancy –How relevant is your event to recent local news coverage? Try finding an angle that relates to what is being written in the headlines. For example, if you are a non-profit, your organization may have a month in which its cause is recognized – i.e. October is breast cancer awareness month. Private companies should consider tying into latest trends – i.e. the economy.

5. Research – Search your cause or industry online and see how others have gotten coverage. What makes headlines in Atlanta or LA could also make the news in DFW.

Client Case Study - How a Media Campaign Helped a Small Business Hit the Big Time

When I first met Janice Stahl, a teacher with more than 30 years of classroom experience, and creator of TAKSKids School House Game, I knew she had a great story to tell. Her game helps third-fifth graders excel on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. The TAKS test helps teachers determine how prepared students are to go on to the next grade level. Children can sometimes be held back a grade if they do not achieve passing scores.

Challenge- Raise awareness of product on a limited budget.
Janice and I worked together to develop press releases for both print and television outlets in the DFW area. We crafted each release for specific media outlets. They were brief, only one page, and clearly outlined the benefits of children using TAKSKids School House Game. Most importantly the releases included everything the reporter needed including the obligatory who, what, when, where, why information, and testimonials from parents and school principals.

Outcome - Lots of Media Coverage!

The following news outlets featured Janice as a result of our efforts:

• Good Morning Texas

• WFAA, 5 p.m. news

• CBS 11 4p.m. and 5 p.m. newscasts

• Fort Worth Business Press

We leveraged her coverage by putting the stories on her website, and emailing them out to prospective customers. Additionally, her sales reps use the stories when they visit school districts.

Value Statement
Developing television and newspaper advertising would have cost Janice thousands of dollars. We were able to develop a plan that fit her budget. We gained added value through leveraging news coverage on her website and in sales materials.

Four Ways to Exit the Public Relations Emotional Roller Coaster

Public relations is an emotional roller coaster ride for many businesses. Profits dip and the C-Suite throws up its arms like a middle-aged man in the front seat of a tiny car hurling down the track of a thrill-seeking amusement park attraction. They want more public relations, more media attention, more campaigns and quick. Once the bottom line begins creeping up hill out of the red and the company re-focuses on customer needs. The public relations campaign gets tossed aside like the automated snap-shot taken during the roller coaster’s horrific drop.

We’ve all heard the adage, pay yourself first. Meaning put money in the bank, or under the mattress, and then pay the all-important life-sustaining bills. The same philosophy can be attributed to promoting your business. Managing your company’s website, blogs, social media, newsletters, smoke signals, etc. is overwhelming, and, more importantly, you can’t send the bill for those hours to a client. The pay off can sometimes seem abstract, until a potential client says, “Hey I saw your blog and you really seem on top of everything. Let’s have lunch.”

Keep these tips in mind when reviewing your company’s strategy:

• Public relations is a long term commitment. Formulate a 12 month plan, review it quarterly and make adjustments accordingly.

• The abstract is more concrete now than ever before. Your public relations efforts can be tracked thanks to social media.

• Schedule time periods on your calendar when you only focus on public relations. Protect this time. Your business’ life depends on it!

• You don’t have to go it alone. If you can’t afford to bring someone in house, contact a PR pro for hire.

Sell Your Story – Going Beyond the 5 Ws to Get the Media’s Attention

I recently sat down with board members of a local non-profit who were frustrated that their organization couldn’t get the media’s attention – no matter how hard they tried. They were discouraged that their previous attempts to pitch local news outlets flopped so they decide to reach out for public relations help. “We had folders made that included all of our information and hand delivered them to the reporters,” they explained. They had the who, what, when, where, why put together in a nicely printed high-gloss folder and touted their PR tool to help them land news coverage. What they really needed was a story.

Journalists are expected to have several story ideas every day, so they are in the market for good content. However, they are short on time. Stories that reporters are interested in are compelling and complete.

Public relations today means delving past the 23rd letter of the alphabet. You can start out by asking the following questions to help formulate an interesting angle:

• How visual is my story?

• Why is my organization unique?

• What experts will be available to lend credibility to my story – board members, key stake holders, customers, clients, etc.

• Have we been the first to do anything?

• Who have we helped and are they willing to be interviewed?

• Do we have any statistics to back up our story?

• Is there a mystery? Meaning, have we unlocked any secrets to success in our industry?

• Do we have an independent credible source that agrees with our viewpoint who could add credibility?

• Can everything fit in a one-page press release, and can I sell it to a busy reporter in 15 seconds?

Remember you are selling a story to someone with limited time and resources. Winning coverage, couldn't resist another W reference, is about having a compelling story that includes all the pieces and parts.

Three Tips on Getting Your Emails Read

Promoting your company or event through cyberspace may seem like an affordable and time efficient way to get your information out to a large group of people. No matter how well-crafted your promotional prose is, you could be wasting your time if your information is not getting read. I was offered a few pointers from a couple of trusted advisers – a.k.a. people smarter than me!

One expert source on the issue previously worked at a well-known online travel service. No need to name names. Let’s just say his previous employer had a pint-sized mascot with a flair for gardening. He referred to the criteria the company used when sending emails:

• Relevancy

• Compelling

• Timeliness

Bonus Tip!

I also received some bonus notes, if you will, from someone who has taken a couple of classes from a popular email marketing company. She suggested including the first few sentences of the email and then linking the remainder of the story to your website. That way you can review from your email management system not just who opened the email, but who was interested enough in the topic to continue reading. You might also consider giving something away – either for signing up for something, or for forwarding it on to a friend.

Editorial Content - The Swiss Army Knife of Public Relations

Writing editorial content is one of the most useful gadgets in the PR tool box. Think of it as the swiss army knife of PR practices.You need more than one hand to count how many ways a story for a trade publication or a professional journal can be flexed, bent and turned around. Spend a few hours crafting 750-800 words on a current topic, get it published, and you’ve got a piece worth well-more than the time you spent.

You can multi-purpose your work in the following ways:

• Newsletter – include it in your company newsletter – both internal/external

• Email blast – send out an email blast before and after your story is published

• Website – use it as fresh copy for your website and be sure to add the link to the publication’s website to your page

• Blog – make it your latest post

• Sales letter – include the published piece in your sales kit

• Facebook page – add to it your company’s and your personal Facebook and Twitter page

• Speaking engagements – if you are published regularly you can leverage it for more exposure

If you simply don’t have the time or don’t fancy yourself a writer, consider contracting help. Hiring out for editorial copy is far less expensive than generating paid advertising. In many cases, you can save up to two-thirds of the cost of traditional advertising.

Top 5 Networking Blunders

I had the opportunity to hear business training professional Sarah Zink speak at the monthly C3 for Women event in Fort Worth. She listed the top five worst networking habits. They are:

• Stop Assaulting People – stop “assaulting people with your business card,” Zink suggests. She advises that exchanging business cards is the last step in the networking process. Talk to someone for a few moments and then hand it over should they request.

• You’re not a card collector – “She who dies with the most business cards does not win,” proclaimed Zink. She suggests taking notes on the cards you intend to keep and then tossing the rest.

• How’s your hand? Where’s your eye? What’s that you said? – Learn how to give a firm handshake. Zink suggests Queen Elizabeth is the only one who is able to offer a bent finger shake, the rest of us should offer a firm hand ensuring a proper connection with the recipient. Don’t be bashful look your new acquaintance in the eye and speak clearly.

• Forget the name tags. – Even though someone’s name tag might not reflect a targeted industry, Zink advises what you really want to know is who they know not who they work for. “A professional networker doesn’t read name tags,” she said. Networking is about making a connection with an individual.

• Stop selling! – Go to events to give not to sell. You’ve got to give before you get!

Media Relations: An Extreme Example of the 3 Things You Should Never Do

I can’t help but laugh and then feel uncomfortable while watching the video of how a hospital public relations representative handled a television reporter in the San Francisco Bay area. This painful exchange reportedly took place at a public meeting at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.

For a little more than three minutes I sat with my jaw open as I watched communications director Marc Slavin follow reporter Dan Noyes around the room. This video is a prime example of how not to handle the media. The top three things you should never do:

1. Never touch a camera! Cameras are extremely expensive pieces of equipment and photographers are sensitive about people grabbing or swatting at them. Plus, you’re actually assaulting someone and they have it on tape!
2. Never keep touching a reporter after they ask you to stop. The same rules that we learned in kindergarten apply.
3. Never get aggressive with a reporter. No matter how tense the situation, you must keep your cool and remember you are a professional.

What could have made this better?

1. “No comment,” always implies guilt. The administrator needed some sort of prepared statement. Whether its, “This is the first I’m hearing of this, let me get back with you so that I can provide you more information,” or, “Our hospital adheres to high standards and our donation program is compliant with all State regulations.”
2. Media training, media training, media training. A few hours of media training will prepare you for being broadsided by an investigative reporter, and handling tense situations in general.
3. Treat people as they expect to be treated. Reporters, customers and the general public can be pushy and rude when they feel like they aren’t being heard or respected. Listen, validate and give a few moments of your time in order to save yourself from the long term stress of a formal complaint, lawsuit or worse yet - a YouTube video.

The Three Best Ways to Find New Business

I had the benefit of hearing Tom Pryor, author, growth coach and Executive Director of the Small Business Development Center’s Enterprise Excellence, at a recent event (more later on how you too can get invited to hear great business minds share their knowledge). According to Pryor, many of us are asking ourselves the wrong questions these days – specifically when it comes to the economy. Instead of contemplating, “when will this crisis end,” we should consider the following: How will it change the way we think, do business and our priorities?

Once we’ve divined satisfactory answers, Pryor encourages us to mine for new small facts that can make a big difference and provide competitive edge. He shared The Idea Mining Journal, a tool created the Eureka Institute. The journal suggests we mine for ideas in three areas:

• uniqueness
• your customers
• technology

Pryor suggests we choose one task out of the business building trifecta and work on it for 30 minutes each day for an entire week. For example, you might look for ways to green your business and standout from your competitors. You could also poll your customers and ask them what they value about your business, and what could be improved. Finally, see how you can leverage technology to improve your business, making you more competitive. 

Once you’ve gathered your data, Pryor suggests moving forward at a rapid pace. “People tend to make the wrong decision when they over think,” he stated.

"If you’re going to fail – fail fast, make it cheap and get smart."

Pryor spoke at the Business Bites luncheon, a free event sponsored by The Alternative Board. They are held monthly in downtown Fort Worth and lunch is provided.

5 Ways to Save Money on a Viral Video Project

Most public relations practitioners think of corporate video has high-dollar productions. However, the rules in today’s world of social media are such that creating a video for your organization doesn't have to be expensive, and it can be just as valuable as a big budget corporate blockbuster. Click here and check out this rapping flight attendant from Southwest Airlines. Southwest put it on their blog and not long after they were fielding phone calls from CNN and The Jay Leno Show! You can't buy that kind of press.

My opportunity to create a viral video came while working at JPS. We wanted to launch a new customer service initiative and roll it out to all 4,500 employees who were geographically separated. We decided creating a series of videos that used humor and was attention grabbing would be far more effective than sending out an e-mail telling everyone to be nice and smile more often. Check out how we created elevator heroes and reminded everyone to provide better communication to patients by clicking here. You too can create heroes or promote your company’s fun atmosphere without breaking the bank by using the following guidelines:

• Write it yourself
• Use your own people as talent
• Keep it short 1:30 – 2 min
• Shoot multiple videos at one time
• Use limited:
•  audio
• graphics
• lighting

Use these tactics and you should be able to produce a series of viral videos for $6,000-$10,000.

Why Your Company Needs Social Media Guidelines

My column as it appeared in the Fort Worth Business Press on Feb. 15, 2010

Though some executives may feel that social media isn’t a useful marketing tool for their company, and they could be right, employers must keep in mind that even if their company isn’t blogging, podcasting or tweeting – their employees are. Facebook, the site that allows users to share information about themselves through brief status updates, pictures, video and more, boasts 350 million users. TechCrunch.com reports that 20 million Americans are using Twitter, a service that lets you sum up and share your thoughts in 140 characters or less. And these aren’t just gum-smacking, iPod using teenagers. According to Mashable.com more than 65 percent of Facebook users are 25 years of age and older, with the greatest growth seen in those aged 55 years and older.

Companies have been governing communication tools since phones and computers became standard issue for employees. Policies regulating personal phone calls, e-mail and internet usage were naturally implemented with the technology. They serve has reminders to staff that they are able to use the equipment provided to them for work purposes, but it is not intended for personal use and nothing is sacred. The problem is that these policies don’t address how employees use their own technology when they are at work and off the clock.

Wired.com reports that 54 percent of companies ban social media usage at work. Even though the IT department has blocked social media sites on a company-provided laptop, employees can still access banned pages on their smart phone in their pocket. A study done by Nucleus Research shows that 77 percent of people who have a Facebook account use it at work. The social nature of Facebook suggests the fodder is less likely to consist of company trade secrets and more apt to be commentary on the weather, the coffee in the break room or other mundane happenings. Think of it as happy hour chit chat all day long.

However, bosses beware; this relaxed atmosphere creates the opportunity for remarks never intended for your clients’ consumption to become public. Even well-intentioned employees could create havoc by attempting to provide advice or insight and inadvertently representing themselves as a spokesperson for your organization. Regardless of a company’s presence online, a social media policy is necessary for most all organizations. One might argue some industries should have greater concern than others, such as health care, banking/finance and others that collect sensitive information from clients and customers. What might seem as friendly health or financial advice to a relative or fellow blogger, could mean trouble if the message is inaccurate or counter to a company’s mission. Additionally, depending on the method used, the information could be open for public consumption.

Winstead PC shareholder John Smart, a board-certified specialist in labor and employment law responded on behalf of The Health Industry Council, a nonprofit, organization consisting of North Texas healthcare organizations. He recommends that employers remind staff that they have no reasonable expectations of privacy on their computers at work, and that they can be held accountable for information posted after hours. “Employers have the ability to discipline employees for inappropriate postings, regardless of how they are discovered,” he said.
Before putting those reminders on paper, consider including the following in your social media guidelines:
• Employees may not use your organization’s logo on their personal blog, Web site, Facebook page, etc.
• Employees should make sure that it is clear that their views are their own and that they are not representing the organization
• Your company will not be liable for any misinformation that is published by employees on personal Web sites, blogs, etc.
• Consider whether or not you want employees to be able to include a link to your homepage
• Encourage employees to think before they post or publish, if they have concerns about information they are sharing to contact their supervisor and/or public relations department

Most employers can sum up their guidelines in a few paragraphs. Consider forming a committee of employees to review them and provide feedback before they are adopted by the organization. This will help create buy-in once you are ready to roll them out. Finally, make sure employees understand that their participation in social media is certainly their decision, but that they can be held accountable at work for what is posted on their personal time.

Communicating Health Reform

Corporate communicators would serve themselves well to pop the alka-seltzer now and begin educating themselves and their employee base about health care reform. Communicating the inner workings of health care reform can make the most senior Washington insider nauseous, much less a public relations professional. “It is an ugly set of circumstances,” remarked Jeff Kimbell, President Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates, a Washington-based healthcare consultant. Kimbell, Dr. James Rohack, President and Director of the American Medical Association (AMA) and Dr. Dan Stultz President/Chief Executive Officer of Texas Health Resources participated on a panel and discussed key components of health care reform.

All agreed the time is now to engage the process. Involving your staff today will help alleviate possible misunderstandings and concerns when changes are made to how the government and your organization provide health care coverage. Helping people feel a part of the conversation now will benefit your company later when changes are made. Don’t let employees depend on reports from the media or water cooler gossip.

• Send an e-mail to staff and include the following recommended web sites listed below for the salient details. Include important milestone events in your newsletter.

         http://www.ama.org/
         http://www.hsreform.org/
         http://healthreform.kff.org/

• Hold a town hall meeting and invite elected officials so they can receive feedback from members of your organization.
• According to Rohack, the AMA would like health care reform to include incentives for those who make positive lifestyle choices. Consider forming a committee of employees and form a wellness program.

With just a small amount of effort you can begin providing information and gaining awareness of possible changes that will help clear up the fog of medicine-head confusion that is likely to follow the final health care reform changes.

Rules to Thriving in a Recession

This is the time when money is made, according to Tom Niesen, a sales performance consultant. I listened as he shared his message with the Dallas Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). He noted several companies that were born out of recessions including: FedEx, UPS, Coors Brewing Company, Walt Disney and Cost Co – just to name a few.

The four rules to being successful this year according to Niesen are as follows:

• Rule #1 Follow the money – Money is out there. America’s gross domestic product is more than $13 trillion (that’s the amount of money that will be exchanged this year). Niesen suggests turning off the tv and stop listening to all the pessimists. Then clear your mind and let go of the head trash. Think positive!

• Rule #2 Make Decisions Based on Customers – Ask them, “What do you want to buy, and how can I help you this year?”

• Rule #3 Be Different – Make your competitors irrelevant. Find out what sets you apart and own it.

• Rule #4 Be Extremely Aggressive in Sales – You must think of all of your employees as members of the sales department.

Niesen is CEO and founder of Acuity.

Signs of Poor Communication

Signs are an interesting form of communication. They can bring forth a myriad of emotions with just a few words. A sale sign can make my heart palpitate with excitement. Detour signs generally make me nervous. Signs can also be responsible for great disappointment. I was at the grocery store the other day and there was a piece of paper on the glass door where the dairy products are kept that had Out of Milk – Sorry written on it. It didn't seem very apologetic, and I couldn’t help but hear the woman in sweat pants tell the manager so. Perhaps they could have typed something up explaining the milk truck was in an accident, or the cows weren't up for milking that day? Whatever the explanation, customers expect to see a fully stocked dairy case when they walk into the grocery store. Management could have considered providing more details and directions to the nearest convenience store (ideally they would have called ahead to make sure the milk truck didn't pass them up, too).

The worst signs are the grammatically challenged written in poor penmanship. They are usually found taped to an elevator, or unruly piece of machinery. Soda Machine is Broke tends to be one I see frequently. I can’t help but think of my eleventh grade English teacher every time I see that particular phrase.

The point is – nearly every business housed in brick and mortar uses signs. Most of the people who create them are well-intentioned. They want to let you know that you should hang on to your dollar rather than risk losing it for a bottle of water. Fair enough, but when the communication comes down to an important business function such as, discontinuing a particular form of service or the relocation of an office- you want to make sure that people are being informed at the right time in the right manner. Creating a sign is passive form of communication. It prevents front line personnel from having to engage customers. The notion is if they create a sign, then they don’t have to be the one to provide the disappointing news. Actually, they are only fueling the flames of frustration. The customer is now angry before they even get to the frontline staff person. Conversely, we can’t be angry about something we haven’t made aware of, and it is less disappointing when someone apologizes and offers a solution.

Signs can’t convey tone or sympathy - only humans. Stop spreading signs. Be human.

Leverage Your Corporate Video for More Exposure and SEO

Corporate video can be expensive and have a short lifespan. Annual meeting and milestone celebrations are excellent occasions for creating a video piece, however, once the event is over, the piece can sometimes be put on a shelf never to be seen again. You might consider editing portions of the video in order to make it appropriate for a broad audience. Why not promote your company’s success and culture?

You can continue to leverage your video without spending any more money. Additionally, you can increase your search engine optimization (that means Google and Yahoo will put you up higher on the list when someone searches your for company or services).

You can go about using previously shot video in one of two ways – you can create a YouTube account and add the link to your website, or you can utilize a service that will embed your video on your site for you with little or no cost to you. There are pros and cons to each. YouTube is great because it is free and easy, but it doesn’t add to the search engine optimization (SEO) of your site. However, you can put a link on your site and show off what you’ve done. Check out how the Cincinnati Zoo uses YouTube on its website http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/

Search engines (Google, Yahoo) are constantly reviewing sites for key words and phrases. They are looking at number of clicks of course, and if you add video, you have the opportunity to add more keywords and phrases and more clicks on your site. There are several sites that will do this for you for no cost or low cost. The process is relatively easy. You send them the video and they send you a link for your site. Your video will appear on your site, just as if you had paid a designer to incorporate it into your site. The downside is that many use ads to off-set the revenue. You have no control if viewers see a Tide or Coca-Cola commercial before they view your video. They might also add a logo to the viewer. Check out the following to see how it works. Check out the following sites to see the process in action for yourself:

http://www.fliqz.com/

http://www.vimeo.com/

http://www.videobloom.com/

Shazam! Helping Leaders Stay on Message without Spending Money

Every so often we all have those “ah-ha” moments. Those brief learning experiences in which some small truth is revealed to us. We get to feel a twinge of cleverness when that moment takes place. It could be finding a short cut that takes precious minutes off your commute to work, or discovering a helpful new tool buried in your smart phone. However, an experience that is much more exciting, though more elusive, is the shazam moment. Shazam moments bring a profound sense of enlightenment and can change our behavior or attitudes, but still you can’t help but feel like a five year old kid again when you say the word. That’s most likely because according to dictionary.com, the expression was made up for Captain Marvel by DC Comics in 1940. Regardless, they are exciting and rare occasions.

I had one of these moments about a year ago. I was working as the director of public relations for a large hospital and was feeling frustrated about how information didn’t seem to be trickling down from management to frontline staff. The challenge was to provide information to 4,500 workers who had varying education levels and work schedules, and were all geographically separated. Administration would have monthly meetings with managers to outline new programs, current financials, quality, etc. More than 100 people sat and listened – some even took notes. We relied heavily on managers who often could only meet with their staff once a month due to the diverse work schedules that come with running a 24 hour operation seven days a week.

We had other communication pieces in place – a colorful newsletter that came out every two weeks, an intranet, global e-mails, but each piece had its own flaws. We didn’t print a newsletter for every employee due to expense (we did supplement with posting it on the intranet). Additionally, the problem with our intranet and mass e-mails was that some groups had low computer utilization, such as environmental service workers and plant operations employees. There were still too many ways for employees to fall through the cracks.

As I looked around the room, moving my eyes from nurse, to physician, to accountant, to operations manager - it hit me – I was the only person whose focus was solely on communication. These were all bright people – they can fix your broken arm, balance your monthly statement, or re-build your office from the ground up, but they weren’t all natural communicators and public speakers. In fact we were making it hard on them; some of them wouldn’t see their staff for another three to four weeks. I can barely recount what I had for lunch yesterday; much less summarize all of the salient details of a meeting that was held a month ago.

So shazam! I went back to my office with all the energy, verve and gusto of a comic book hero and created a bullet point list of what we covered. I broke it down in short sentences so that managers could read directly from the list. I had our graphic designer jazz it up with some color. We gave it an easy title – Meeting Notes. Subsequently, we began e-mailing it out to all leadership prior to the monthly meeting. This made it easier for directors and managers to recount what happened in the previous leadership meeting and ensured key messages were being communicated.

The truly heroic element to this method was that it didn’t cost the organization any additional money, and it quickly became one of the most trusted and valued forms of communication we had. The information was provided by supervisors – the most valued source of communication, and helping foster greater discussion between leadership and frontline staff.

Though this shazam moment didn’t save a damsel in distress or prevent a bus load of people from going over the edge of a cliff in fine caped-crusader fashion, it did ensure that managers were able to stay on message. Consistent messaging for large organizations with multiple shifts, and geographic locations is a monumental task, but it doesn’t require a large amount of funds or a superhero alias.