| Quick Tip Archive: Public Relations |
A commitment to service*
Gandhi once said—
“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us, we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption of our work; he is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider to our business; he is a part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him,
He is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.”
How well do we treat our customers…?
*Koestenbaum, P. (2002, p 125). Leadership, the inner side of greatness: a philosophy for leaders
Attitude of gratitude
It’s Monday and you’re not going to take any guff from anybody, right? “There’s the line in the sand and I dare you to cross it…”
Once in a while we can get away with that attitude, especially if we’re confident everyone else is in the same mood. But it’s not a behavior that will win you points from Dale Carnegie, or many clients.
One thing that will, however, is an old-fashioned, hand-written thank-you. The next time you can spare a minute, single out someone for some genuine gratitude. Discount stores sell a dozen thank-you’s for $1.79, or you can order some ISU Extension Red Bar (PDO-0002) or Extension Montage (EDC 0286) note cards and personalize your own. Toss in a 41-cent postage stamp and a few honest words of appreciation, and you’ve truly got relationship marketing on the cheap!
Write a thank-you note and send it. Make it a habit. With a little effort and some luck, even Monday’s may start to improve.
Avalanche!
Is there a reasonable danger of avalanche in either your Extension front office or your private work space? If so, you may want to consider cleaning house.
Typically, we make light of workplace clutter with catchy slogans like "God bless this mess" or "Don't organize this desk – you'll screw up my system." Literally piles of research, however, indicate that in the public's eye, professional appearance is related to professional performance.
In the business world, most people don't buy life insurance from a barefoot rube in overalls, used cars from a junkyard, or fine jewelry from a hock shop. The public associates a neat, clean, uncluttered workplace with efficiency, value, and even trust.
So, let me ask you this: Would you buy from the person sitting behind your desk?
Back to the future
So, you think the times are a-changing and yearn wistfully for the “good old days?”
According to the Extension Workers’ Code written in 1922 by T.J. Talbert, Superintendent of Institutes and Extension, Manhattan, Kansas, things might not be as different as you think. Take a look at these key provisions from that Code:
- Study and serve the people—Understand the people and their problems. When you are able to know them, they will know you.
- Make friends with folks, especially leaders—It is important to make friends with all people, but especially those in leadership roles in the community, town, county and state.
- Contact as many people as possible—Acquaint large numbers with Extension’s work.
- Request names and addresses—The value of such a list is obvious.
- Advertise meetings—Use every available means to inform the people of your programs.
- Have a vision—Leave nothing undone which might contribute to success.
And finally…
- Smoke at the proper time and place—Don’t hold a cigarette in your mouth while giving a presentation.
Okay, maybe a few things have changed. But Extension’s core principles? Hardly.
Communicating impact
As summer winds down, it's time to begin reflecting on the impact you have had during the past year. By Oct. 1, each county will need to complete a stakeholder report. To pack more punch, keep the following in mind:
The target audience should include state and federal lawmakers, county supervisors, local civic leaders, County Council members and other Extension volunteers. From there constituency lists may vary.
Will your report explain the relevance of local Extension programming? Will it do so in a way that people totally unfamiliar with Extension will understand? Try answering these six questions to help communicate your impact:
- What has Extension done to help local constituents; what has changed?
- Why did the action take place?
- Are state and county funds used wisely?
- What types of resources or services are available?
- What are the benefits?
—and
- Why should the reader care?
If all else fails, remember the cardinal rule: impact is always an outcome, never a process.
The best and worst of times
County fair season is upon us. Some field staff describe it as both the best and worst of times. Certainly it can be stressful for all involved.
We know that rules aren’t made to be broken and that winning isn’t everything. Those truths, however, sometimes elude those competing for recognition. And, occasionally, honest mistakes are made.
There aren’t many perfect solutions for dealing with the public under stressful conditions. But there are some tried and true hedges:
- Careful prior planning
- Strong consensus regarding rules and policy
- Clear and frequent communication to minimize misunderstandings
- Thorough post-evaluations which analyze and anticipate problems
Beyond that, perhaps all we have total control of is our own reaction to stress. How did we handle the heat, the work, and the pressure of administering an event that is supposed to be, above all, educational and fun?
Equal time for reaction
ISU Extension prides itself on being proactive and anticipating needs. So, it came as a bit of a surprise when one staff member said recently he thought Extension’s biggest impact came from reacting.
It’s an idea worth considering.
Good reaction requires listening and paying attention, whether to a crisis, or a simple question over the phone. Poor reaction can be interpreted as client rejection and cause fallout that goes far beyond the individual or the moment. Disgruntled customers rarely keep a secret!
Despite the current proactive focus, maybe our colleague has a point. Reacting well 1) satisfies stated needs, 2) validates customer confidence and 3) promotes long-term relationships.
Three out of three ain’t bad.
Five ways to affect change in the face of resistance
(Sound advice before an election, a referendum—or whenever you happen to find yourself in charge)
- People tend to fill in the blanks of their knowledge base with negative information or worst case scenarios. They do so for a logical reason—self-protection.
- To avoid triggering people’s automatic resistance to the unknown, counter with accurate information, and plenty of it.
- Change happens each day as a progression of living. The trick is to accept it without over-reacting.
- In a leadership role, you have a choice – scaring people into complying with the change you propose, or offering a picture of a brighter future. One is push, the other, pull. Whenever possible, choose pull.
- Make sure your pathway to a brighter future has a firm destination and a road map for getting there. Without both you’re merely adding layers of the unknown.
Reference: Robbins, H. & Finley, M., The accidental leader: what to do when you’re suddenly in charge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Introducting introductions
Two staples of the Extension system are public meetings and guest speakers. Combine them and you’ll find the need for an introduction of some sort. Introductions serve two purposes: 1) warm the audience to your topic and 2) put the presenter at ease. The next time you’re obliged to do an introduction, try these tips from Communication Briefings/Marketing Matters:
- Get the background information you need, including special training, positions held, books or articles published, affiliations, etc. Make your audience understand why the person is qualified to speak and why they should listen.
- Construct your introduction like a miniature speech with a greeting, body, transitions and conclusion.
- Memorize your opening. To put the speaker and your audience at ease, you want to sound as conversational as possible. Reading sounds stiff and defeats that purpose.
- Pause long enough to gain your audience’s attention before you start.
- Speak with energy, enthusiasm and warmth. Remember, it’s your job to spark the audience’s interest.
- Pronounce the speaker’s name clearly and correctly.
- End your introduction by encouraging applause: “please join me in welcoming…” Then lead that applause! Speakers love a warm reception.
Leveraging partnerships
Typically in Extension we look at joint sponsorships as a way to expand program delivery. But, by focusing just on the details of a one-time collaboration (date, time, location, budget, program duties, etc.) some important marketing opportunities may be lost.
When you sit at the table with collaborators, don’t sell the opportunity short. Ask just a few additional questions for a potentially big marketing payback:
- Does the co-sponsor distribute educational information of its own?
- Can Extension information be inserted into a newsletter that goes to the co-sponsor’s customers or employees?
- Are there message boards that Extension can access for educational purposes?
- Does the collaborator have any special interest clubs or subgroups?
- Does the co-sponsor have a web page?
- Does the collaborator belong to any business or civic groups that you don’t?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it could provide another avenue for marketing Extension.
A quick quiz
Some sentiments attributed to Peanuts© creator, Charles Schulz, have recently made the e-mail rounds. Whether Schulz actually voiced them is uncertain—but the sentiments are worth repeating. Here’s a quick quiz:
Name the five wealthiest people in the world. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. Name five people who won a Nobel or Pulitzer prize. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor or actress.
How did you do?
Now try this: List a teacher who aided your journey through school. Name two friends who helped you through a difficult time. Name three people who taught you something worthwhile. Think of four folks who made you feel appreciated and special. List five people you enjoy spending time with. Name a half dozen heroes whose stories have truly inspired you.
Most of us tend to forget names and faces in the news, despite their sometimes spectacular accomplishments. Applause dies, awards tarnish, accolades and certificates often get buried with their owners. Those we remember most are not the ones with credentials, money or awards. We remember those who cared and made a difference in our lives.
"Teamworking" vs. a team, working
We talk about the benefits of teamworking in Extension. But is there a difference between teamworking, the catchphrase, and creating a real team that works?
The publication, Communication Briefings*, shares 10 tips for building a successful team.
- Post itemized goals so everyone knows the desired outcome.
- Encourage cooperation without nagging.
- Be direct. If something needs to be done, ask, don’t hint.
- Ban blame. Fault-finding inhibits the search for new solutions.
- Stay focused; don't generalize.
- Negotiate; don’t demand. People often recoil from a direct order.
- Create win-win situations. Show how everyone benefits from completing a task.
- Say less, listen more.
- Evaluate performance and progress frequently; be your own toughest critic.
- Reward the time and effort all of your co-workers put into the team project.
*http://www.briefings.com/cb/index.html
What customers are looking for
Walk into the produce section of any modern supermarket and the choices are overwhelming. Adult education is much the same. The variety and quality is astounding. So how do customers decide?
- Familiarity—We may have never purchased Quaker State Oil or Pampers, but we’ve seen their logos, heard their ads, and recognize them as “name” brands. Frequent, positive reminders from ISU Extension create a similar comfort zone.
- Reputation—How do strangers perceive us? Timely, relevant, convenient? A vital part of the community, or, that “government” office down the street?
- Appearance—Marshall McLuhen said it 40 years ago: “the medium is the message.” Do our printed materials, signs, office environment and attire scream “professional” – or something less?
- Interaction—There’s no second chance for a good first impression. Poor customer service is a market killer even the strongest businesses can’t afford.
So, which produce do we choose at the supermarket? That’s easy—whatever looks best on the outside! Until we’ve sampled the product, it’s the best criteria we have.
While you were away in Des Moines
After the Legislature has adjourned and gone home, you can finally forget about that group of stakeholders for another year, right? While it may sound tempting, that’s probably not the best approach.
Actually, legislators may be more receptive to information after they get back home than when the session was in progress. They’re less likely to interpret your input as pressure, and more likely to follow up on their own and ask good questions—simply because they have more time.
So keep in touch. Preface your information by saying “just thought you might be interested in _____ that happened while you were busy in Des Moines.” Select something that illustrates “between the eyes” Extension impact and back it up with news clippings, photos, or testimonials.
Then, when the heat is on next year and tempers flare and feathers fly, you can relax. You spoke when your legislator was actually listening…and chances are they’ll still remember.