Author: sybil

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Customer service Engagement

Professional Associations: Where is Your Focus on Member Recognition and Engagement?

In a recent presentation I gave on “Marketing Tools of Engagement for Associations,” the topic of CRM (customer relationship management) came up. It’s not unusual for associations to experience problems with CRM systems based on limited resources or access to updated software. Another complication stems from organizational silos where different departments work with different data bases that they protect with a strong sense of proprietary ownership. Whatever the situation with CRM software, understand that it affects member engagement.

PASAE photo
PASAE photo

So the real issue is whether the association is member-focused or systems-focused. Here’s an example of the latter type. I recently spoke with several business owners and executives who are long-term members of a professional association. They were quite proud of their history of membership involvement and lamented how member recognition has fallen through the cracks. One 25+ year member shared finding a special 15th anniversary certificate in the office files, the last such recognition sent by the association. Another member actually called her association to ask how it missed acknowledging her 30th year anniversary and was sent a certificate in response to her call. With member engagement a hot topic these days, you’d think an association would want to recognize such members as part of its membership retention efforts.

Sadly, I learned the association is unable to effectively recognize long-term members due to its membership data base. It relies on the member’s inception date, and the association’s problem with the system is that a person could have joined 15 years ago, but might technically have only been a member for 12 years because the person dropped out for a few years and then rejoined. As a result, long-term members are not routinely recognized; however, the association will send an anniversary certificate if a member asks.

This organization has decided to forgo the opportunity to acknowledge and reinforce long-term members, because it might recognize some folks who don’t deserve it. It’s clearly a “systems-focused” rather than a “member-focused” association, and any declines in membership are blamed on the economy.

Member retention by inertia is NOT an effective member engagement strategy!

Here are several short- and long-term suggestions for becoming more member-focused:

  • “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” – G.B. Stern. Don’t make members “request” recognition – this really isn’t recognition at all, just “proof.” It’s also irritating to members if they have to prompt their association to recognize it. If the system is bad, fix the system or find ways to work around it. For example, randomly pick a date and recognize everyone who is a member on that date – even if that person hasn’t consistently been a member for five, ten or 20+ years, it’s likely s/he will appreciate the recognition.
  • Take a critical look at your membership retention numbers. Most turnover occurs in the first few years of membership – is this the situation in your association? Can you segment turnover by length of membership to see where any other drop-off occurs?
  • Seriously discuss how important members are to your association. In addition to being able to answer what “member value” you provide, also consider the value that members bring you in terms of brand strength and revenue.
  • Make member engagement – all activities encompassing the member life cycle from recruitment to retention – a strategic and intentional focus of your association. It should be an ongoing agenda item in your staff meetings, board meetings, and strategic planning sessions.
Categories
Engagement Marketing

Favorite Quotes on the Employee Engagement and Brand Connection

It’s a fairly simple equation – as hotelier Bill Marriott once said, “Take care of your employees and they’ll take care of your customers.”

Here are more of my favorite quotes about the employee engagement and brand connection:

“More than any other communications medium, employees can breathe life, vitality, and personality into the brand.”  Leonard L. Berry and A. Parasuraman, Marketing Services

“Brands are built from within … [they] have very little to do with promises made through advertising. They’re all about promises met by employees.”  Ian Buckingham

“The only reason your business is successful is because every interaction between employees and customers is positive. This only happens when employees are treated super well.”  Ann Rhoades

“Happiness in the workplace is a strategic advantage. Service comes from the heart, and people who feel cared for will care more.”  Hal G. Rosenbluth, The Customer Comes Second

“Over time, as we focused more and more on our culture, we ultimately came to the realization that a company’s culture and a company’s brand are really just two sides of the same coin. The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company’s culture.”  Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

“If you begin your branding process by declaring an ‘aspirational brand’ without aligning it with the reality of employees’ daily work experience, you are in danger of writing a check your culture can’t cash.”  Leigh Branham and Mark Hirschfeld, Re-Engage

Whose words of inspiration on employee engagement and the brand do you like?
I welcome your favorite quotes on this topic.

Categories
Musings Training & Development

Nonprofit Start Ups: Why Passion for the Mission Isn’t Enough

A corporate community relations professional lamented about a recent request she received from someone who wants to start a nonprofit. The passion is there, she told me, but little consideration for the scope of resources, structure, and process needed to sustain a successful organization.

A few days later I spoke with a woman who runs an all-volunteer operation; she is also unpaid. She acknowledged her expertise and time are heavily invested in running the nonprofit’s mission-based programs, more so than the critical activities of strategic marketing, volunteer management and fundraising. She enjoys the work – which is her passion – and wonders about continuity if something happens to her: who will carry on the mission?

These two examples illustrate that passion for the mission or cause by itself is not enough to sustain a nonprofit organization. What’s necessary, according to nonprofit professional Jan Masaoka, is “passion for the success of the organization and the work it does.”

Mission & More

A nonprofit’s success is two-fold: having an impact through its work AND a sustainable business model that allows it to continue to make an impact. This dual bottom line is characteristic of nonprofits that need: 1) a focused mission to inspire and engage people to do something worthwhile, and 2) the resources that will support the mission. In simplified terms, no mission = no money … no money = no mission.

Passion for the mission is a given when considering starting a nonprofit. However, founders and organizers also need to address hard questions that include:

  • “Are we looking past the myths [and our passion] to the realities?”
  • “Where will we get not only the start-up funding, but also operational funding to continue thereafter?”
  • “Who [will] help fine-tune our business plan?”
  • “Do we really know what we are getting ourselves into?”

These questions are adapted from the National Council of Nonprofits that offers a wonderful resource on how to start a nonprofit with key steps to follow and additional questions for consideration.

I also recommend The Five Life Stages of Nonprofit Organizations: Where You Are, Where You’re Going, and What to Expect When You Get There, by Judith Sharken Simon, to better understand the strategies and resources needed for nonprofit growth and development.

Categories
Engagement

Caring for Volunteers

In honor of National Volunteer Week, this post is dedicated to all volunteers who dedicate themselves to the nonprofit causes they care about.

How do nonprofits demonstrate care for the people who voluntarily serve them? Smart leaders know that effectively managing volunteers takes more than a “recruit ‘em & recognize ‘em” approach. Their organizations are intentional and proactive in engaging, developing and retaining volunteer talent.

For nonprofit professionals and volunteers new to volunteer engagement and management, here are some guidelines to help you create a strong volunteer experience.

1. Learn about your volunteers: who they are, their interest in serving your organization, and their expectations as volunteers. Ask them:

  • What about this organization appealed to you to get you involved?
  • What do you expect to give and get from your volunteer involvement?
  • Would you recommend this organization to other volunteers?

Also consider exit interviews with volunteers who leave your organization – whether through rotating volunteer service, term limits, burn-out, or other reason – to learn more about the volunteer experience.

2. Clarify and clearly communicate what your organization expects from its volunteers and what they can expect from you. Be honest about the time commitment and effort involved.

3. Provide the necessary tools and information volunteers need to best serve your nonprofit. This includes orientation and training, your mission-focused strategy and plans, program overviews and updates, etc. Also consider how operational or policy changes may impact volunteer efforts, and communicate any changes and the rationale behind them in a timely manner.

4. Recognize and acknowledge your volunteers’ value. While National Volunteer Week provides an opportunity to celebrate volunteers, it’s important to let volunteers know they’re appreciated throughout the year.

5. Proactively listen to your volunteers – ask for their feedback and ideas – and respond appropriately.

Volunteers are precious resources. Treat them carefully and with the respect they deserve.

 

Categories
Marketing Training & Development

Helping Animal Rescues & Shelters at BlogPaws

Dog adoptionI’m excited about the opportunity to speak at this year’s annual BlogPaws Conference, the largest pet-blogging and social media conference, on “Strengthening Your Brand: Relationship Marketing for Rescues & Shelters.” (More on this session topic later.)

Since this is a new nonprofit audience for me, I’ve spent the past several weeks learning about animal rescue and shelter organizations, including visiting their facilities. It’s been a fascinating experience listening to heart-warming stories of pet rescue and adoptions; sadly, there were also disturbing  stories of animal abuse and neglect. Here’s what I discovered:

  • Many shelters are mostly volunteer run, with few or no paid staff.  The people involved are exceptionally compassionate and passionate about their work with animals. (While it’s easy to be captivated by a healthy kitten or puppy, the volunteers are just as committed to helping animals with medical and psychological issues.)
  • Running a shelter or rescue operation is a 24/7, 365 day commitment. There is no time off.
  • Volunteers & staff wear multiple hats as: administrators … animal behaviorists … matchmakers (matching pets with people) … social workers … pet therapists … fundraisers … cleaners … vet techs & assistants (as allowed by law & training) … advocates and educators for animal spay/neutering, to name a few.

Silver girl PB071406While rescues & shelters have challenges that are unique to their respective missions and operations, they also share a common marketing challenge – competition.  There are many animal shelters within the same geographic region that compete for volunteers, prospective adopters, veterinary support, donors and sponsors. These organizations also compete with every other nonprofit in their communities for volunteers, funding, and consumer attention.

That’s why I was asked to speak about relationship marketing at BlogPaws, along with Kristin Elliott. I’ll provide critical insight on nonprofit branding and marketing engagement, and Kristin will share her experience as a pet-product entrepreneur who has helped animal shelter & rescue organizations.

I look forward to co-presenting with Kristin and being part of the BlogPaws Community.

Categories
Musings Training & Development

It Happens: Reality-Based Career Advice

It’s that time of year when college seniors find themselves getting close to graduation and (hopefully) either gainful employment or grad school. It also reminds me of the many times I shared my experience in career development programs hosted by my alma mater and other schools because I was a liberal arts major “who made good in business.”

After my first ten years in the job market (mid-1970’s to mid-1980’s), I had sufficient experience to help other young women about to graduate and join corporate America. Since I began my marketing career shortly after the Mad Men era, my advice centered on networking and professional development to build skills and credibility while making in-roads in a still-male dominated workforce. Students found it hard to believe that one of my duties as a bank corporate planning assistant was to make coffee for the Tuesday morning executive committee meeting.

My career advice from the mid-1980’s to the late 1990’s shifted to achieving career success while maintaining work-life balance. I was in the midst of an exciting and hectic time — raising a child, transitioning from employee to self-employed, and serving as a volunteer leader in my professional association. It was quite the balancing act for me and my husband, who was equally busy with his career and community involvement.

Stuff Happens

Sadly, I haven’t been asked to do much career development speaking in the past several years. Perhaps it’s because my Boomer experience is vastly different from those of Gen Y building their post-college careers – especially considering technology’s impact on how we now live and work. Reflecting on my long (but nowhere near finished) career, here’s what I learned:

While the term “career path” implies a straight line from graduation to some destination dream job, the reality is stuff happens that makes the path curve in unexpected directions. Accept these twists and turns as opportunities to “recalculate” your course through self-discovery and the support of your personal and professional network. There’s no definitive GPS for this – it’s a lifelong adventure.

For example:

  • I graduated during an economic recession [stuff happens] and was so desperate to find work, I searched for jobs using the phone book. (Remember those?) I struck gold in the “banking” section of the yellow pages and found a job as a mortgage clerk. After a few months I switched banks and worked in bookkeeping until a position opened up in corporate planning, an area that transitioned into the marketing department. I learned about marketing on-the-job and discovered I loved the work.
  • I survived one bank merger [stuff happens] with limited opportunity to grow in that bank’s marketing department. I changed banks and found myself in another merger situation [stuff happens again].
  • With a great deal of trepidation and the encouragement of my husband, friends, and professional network, I left banking to start my own business. I’m now in my 25th year as a solopreneur, having weathered several economic downturns [all because stuff happens].

I have no idea what the next 10-15 years will be like for my business … I just know we all need to be prepared for that reality that stuff happens.

Categories
Training & Development

Staff Meetings 101: A Guide for Younger Employees

Undercurrents in the workplace are conspiring against face-to-face staff meetings. Organizations seem to hold fewer of them, due to time constraints or a preference for the expediency of electronic communication. A growing generation of high school and college grads are entering the workforce with finely-honed texting and screen-time skills, but less experience in face-to-face interaction. In addition, corporate “soft-skills” training programs in management development and organizational communications have been waylaid by reduced budgets.

Despite this gloomy scenario, face-to-face meetings will never become extinct. So here’s a quick guide to help younger employees and/or those new to the workforce effectively participate in (and eventually conduct) productive staff meetings.

  • Know the reason for the meeting BEFORE you attend; if this info isn’t available, ask the meeting leader to clarify the meeting’s purpose. It’s a waste of peoples’ valuable time if they’re not told the reason for the meeting. The only exception is a special meeting called by senior managers to share sensitive information that they’re unable to let employees know about in advance.
  • It’s OK to ask: “What is supposed to happen as a result of this meeting?” For example, is the meeting’s purpose to make a decision? Or clarify issues and concerns as input for decision-making? Asking questions in meetings can be a great strategy to clarify information, probe deeper into issues, and demonstrate that you’ve been listening  – as long as you’re not asking questions just for the sake of asking questions. However, if you’re confused about the discussion, it’s better to speak up than to sit quietly and give the impression you understand when you don’t have a clue. In most cases, if you have a question, so might other people … and they’ll appreciate that you spoke up about it.
  • Be prepared to participate – know whether your role is to provide information, present issues/concerns, exchange ideas, and/or listen so you can take the meeting’s information back to your fellow employees. The more you know what is expected of you, the better you can prepare and contribute to a productive and efficient meeting.
  • Be respectful of everyone’s time; save any small talk during the meeting for the break room or coffee machine. There may be chit chat at the beginning of the meeting while the group warms up, but continuing it during the meeting only wastes time and annoys co-workers (not to mention the meeting leader).
  • It’s good to ask: “What follow up is needed? Who will do what … when?” The answers should confirm and reinforce any follow up that’s expected of you and others. Whenever possible, you want to avoid saying, “I didn’t know I was supposed to do [fill-in-the-blank] after the meeting!”
  • It’s also good to ask: “What, if any, information from this meeting needs to be shared and with whom?” This response should help ensure communication is passed along to others in the company. It will also prevent you from making the major mistake of sharing sensitive or confidential information not meant to be shared.

Besides knowing what to say and do in a staff meeting, it’s helpful to know what NOT to say and do. I’ll cover that in my next post.

 

Categories
Engagement Marketing Training & Development

“Share of Mind, Share of Heart” Award News

[Update: I’m proud to report that my book is the winner of the Small Business Book Award in the Marketing category!]

I just learned that my new book, Share of Mind, Share of Heart: Marketing Tools of Engagement for Nonprofits, is nominated for a 2013 Small Business Book Award, and I’m truly honored. This special recognition means greater awareness of the book and its reach among nonprofit leaders, staff members, and volunteers.

Now in its fifth year, the Small Business Book Awards celebrate the best business books that entrepreneurs, small business owners, CEOs, managers and their staffs should read. The Awards are produced by Small Business Trends, an online publication, which along with its sister sites, serves over 5,000,000 small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually. Small Business Trends has published reviews of small business books, including Share of Mind, Share of Heart. 

“Today’s business owners are hungry for information and insights to help them run a successful business. Also, they use books as a way to grow and develop their employees and management teams. The Small Business Book Awards are a way to acknowledge the books that small business owners and entrepreneurs appreciated over the past year,” said Ivana Taylor, Book Editor at Small Business Trends.

Please share and vote …

These awards offer a unique online opportunity for people to show their support for and vote on their favorite business books. Please vote for Share of Mind, Share of Heart for the Small Business Book Award and encourage your colleagues, co-workers, friends, and family to do the same. You can vote once a day now through March 26th. Together we can help more nonprofits achieve success with this book. Thank you!

Categories
Engagement

Stop Treating Employees Like They’re Stupid

A friend who works for a Fortune 500 company called me in disbelief. His company held an all-employee meeting to share its end-of-year results. Among the key messages:

  1. The company had a great year and profits were up.
  2. Due to the uncertain economy, no merit increases would be given.
  3. If employees were upset, they could write to their congressional representatives because the government’s inability to make a decision on the debt situation was to blame for fiscal uncertainty.

Sadly, it’s not uncommon these days for companies to hold back from sharing the wealth. [Check out this Business Insider post, We Need To Stop Maximizing Profit And Start Maximizing Value.] But to suggest employees blame the government?! I’m guessing the internal communications folks didn’t get a chance to vet the CEO’s remarks.

Here’s the takeaway for employees who do their best to help the company achieve its financial goals: their hard work is acknowledged and recognized but NOT rewarded because senior management says it’s out of their control. Yeah, right …

Not to worry, though, as this company’s employees are still engaged – they’re engaged in updating their resumes and networking for new jobs.

 

 

Categories
Engagement

Engaging Employees in Community Impact: Interview with Ryan Scott

I first learned about Ryan Scott from his blog post When Volunteers Become Voluntold. The term “voluntold” was new to me, but not the concept – it describes the oxymoron “mandatory volunteering” that many employees experience in the guise of corporate community involvement. I was once voluntold for a community fundraising effort by an employer and found the experience extremely frustrating. I read more of Ryan’s posts on his company’ Corporate Philanthropy & Volunteering Blog and discovered a kindred spirit with a passion for corporate community involvement and employee engagement.

We connected via email, and he graciously agreed to be interviewed here. Ryan is a technology entrepreneur who founded Causecast in 2007 to help companies harness their power to do good. He believes socially responsible companies can strengthen employee engagement through social engagement by involving employees in the company’s philanthropic efforts. However, when administrators are hampered by the cumbersome tracking of social campaign implementation and management, their philanthropic program may fall short. Causecast’s Community Impact Platform was developed in response as a centralized online solution to help companies better track and manage their giving and volunteer programs. According to Ryan, this platform “reinvents the possibilities around corporate philanthropy, enabling organizations to propel authentic grassroots momentum that captivates employees and the public alike.”

QSM: Why do you advocate corporate volunteerism as part of engagement? What does it mean for a company’s brand? 

Ryan: Employee engagement is a big concern for executives everywhere – in fact, one recent survey cited it as the top challenge for 2013. Many factors go into employee engagement, but research shows that one of them is social engagement – involving your company in purpose-filled work and getting your employees activated around that process. Not only does employee volunteerism and giving improve your brand internally – through increased employee retention, recruitment and engagement – it also helps your brand externally – through increased consumer trust and loyalty. Edelman’s Trust Barometer survey last year showed that the credibility of CEOs has plummeted, whereas the credibility of employees has risen. Never has it been more true that employees are your best brand ambassadors, and volunteerism gives them something meaningful to say and do that helps build authentic relationships with your community.

One company we just spoke with – Umpqua Bank – has an unheard of 93% participation rate in their volunteer program. They take their program very seriously, make it a priority from the top down and give employees one week a year to volunteer with organizations related to their cause focus. As a result, Umpqua’s compelling volunteer program has become a big boost to overall employee engagement.

QSM: What do successful companies do to get employee buy-in?

Ryan: Corporate volunteer programs are lifeless exercises in lip service without employee buy-in. A surefire way to drain any vitality from your program is to just set initiatives in motion on autopilot and assume that “if you build it they will come.” Actually, they won’t. Employees need to feel connected to the good citizenship your company is espousing, and they need to know that they play a role in setting the direction of that citizenship. After all, they’re your most important citizens.

So how do you get buy-in? Storytelling plays a big part – and I don’t mean storytelling from the top down. Companies that empower their employees to play a big role in charting their cause course and then encourage them to share their experiences with others do themselves a big favor in generating momentum with their program. That’s why our Community Impact Platform has social media capabilities built-in – to make it easy for employees to get the word out and get others engaged. When employees feel that they are drivers of change, and they can be public ambassadors of that change via an open forum of discussion about their experiences, the ingredients are there for a volunteer program with some real meat to it – the kind of program that generates impact for all involved.

QSM: How can a company maintain momentum with its employee volunteer program? What can a company do it keep it from becoming stale?

Ryan: I think you need to continuously find new ways for employees to get involved. Doing the same day of volunteering year after year is not only dull, it doesn’t allow you to build on your experiences or diversify your cause skills. That’s why Causecast offers numerous paths to impact, with ready-made campaigns like competitive corporate crowdfunding that gamify the challenge of fundraising to make it more fun and successful. Is your company engaged in disaster relief efforts after tragedies like Hurricane Sandy? Well how about expanding that to disaster preparedness, so that employees feel more connected to subsequent relief efforts and have the opportunity to become trained disaster relief volunteers who can help with hands-on work in times of crisis? There are so many different kind of volunteering opportunities to consider, and you’ll keep things fresh by staying plugged into the evolving thought leadership in this area and applying it to your own program.

We encourage our clients to map out a blueprint of their volunteer efforts throughout the year, so that we can fully leverage a calendar of volunteer opportunities and make them as meaningful and unique as possible – whether they’re theme-based (for holidays like Veterans Day) or strike deep into the heart of a company’s cause mission. The more you think ahead and put thought into the kinds of opportunities you’re presenting to your employees, the more resonant and interesting your program will be. The result will be increased participation rates, increased engagement around your company and increased impact for the cause at hand. Isn’t that what every company wants?

QSM: Thank you, Ryan!