Quick Tips for External Relations

These quick tips for Extension staff are brought to you by your ISU Extension External Relations Specialists.

Contact
External Relations

Need tips on using the templates?
Need marketing advice?
Contact your External Relations specialist.

Northeast Area
Kate Carinder, carinder@iastate.edu

Central Area
Willy Klein, wklein@iastate.edu

Jolene McCoy, jolene@iastate.edu

Southeast Area
Judy Isaacson, jisaacso@iastate.edu

Natasha Forsythe
natashaf@iastate.edu

Southwest Area
Clark Bredahl, clarkb@iastate.edu

Northwest Area
Julie Hlas, hlas@iastate.edu

| ISU Extension Marketing |

Add Benefits to Your Web Calendar Listings (12/8/2003)
Audience benefits are important to include in any promotional piece, whether it be news releases, brochures, newsletter articles -- even the web calendar system. When you add an event to the web calendar, use the description box to highlight the benefits in a sentence or two. A couple of examples:

* Dining with Diabetes - If you or a family member has diabetes, you face the challenge of fixing meals that are low in sugar, fat and sodium. This three-part series shows how to prepare tasty foods using artificial sweeteners, low-fat ingredients, herbs and spices.

* Beef Field Day - A two-hour program full of money-saving ideas for cattle producers looking for grazing alternatives.

Best advice for listing benefits on the web calendar: Keep it short, stick to facts.

Back to the Future? (11/16/2003)
So, you think the times are a-changing and yearn wistfully for the “good old days?”

According to the Extension Workers’ Code written by T.J. Talbert, Superintendent of Institutes and Extension, Manhattan, Kansas in 1922, things might not be as different as you think. Take a look at these key provisions from the 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 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.

Give Them More (11/11/2003)
A common ploy in marketing is to mention (just as you're about to make your purchase) a closely related item which you might also be interested in buying. If you or a family member have ever succumbed to a super-sized meal deal, you know the drill!

Giving customers more than they ask for can work for Extension, too--and you don't have to be an expert in every program field to do it. The key is communication among all office staff. Talk to each other regularly about upcoming events and activities, and any new resources that are available. Ask co-workers to share your information with their clients and collaborators. Learn what opportunities you can promote for them. Keep a monthly office calendar and keep it updated. Then work as a team to spread the word about all of what Extension has to offer.

Continually giving clients more is one way to insure that with Extension, no sale is ever final.

Leverage Partnerships for Bigger Marketing Opportunities (10/27/2003)
Typically in Extension we look at joint sponsorships as a way to expand program delivery. They are that. But by focusing just on the details of a one-time joint event (date, time, location, budgets, program duties, etc.) some important marketing opportunities may be missed.

When you sit at the table with collaborators, don't sell the opportunity short. Ask just a few more questions for a potentially big marketing payback.

Could Extension information be inserted into a newsletter going to the co-sponsor's customers or employees? Does the co-sponsor distribute educational information of its own? Does the collaborator have any special interest subgroups or clubs? Are there message boards that Extension could access for educational purposes? Does the co-sponsor have a company or organization web site? Does the collaborator belong to any other business or civic groups that you do not?

Is the answer to any of these questions yes? Could be an opening for cross marketing.

Smart Marketing: Stop, Look, LISTEN! (10/14/2003)
Extension in 2003 celebrates 100 years of taking the land-grant college to the people. The story is familiar of how Iowa State professor, Perry Holden, sprang to action in response to planting questions posed by some northwest Iowa farmers. The result was the now famous corn trains and birth of the Extension system.

Today, Iowa's population is much bigger and more diverse than it was in 1903, as are Extension's offerings. But Holden's success is just as instructive now as then. Extension started by responding to a need. Sometimes those can be anticipated and prepared for, sometimes not. But even with the growing array of promotional tools available today, the key to marketing Extension effectively is still how well we respond to needs.

What will it take for Extension to thrive in the century ahead? Chances are if we listen, our customers will tell us. In the railroad vernacular, the smart marketer will stop, look and LISTEN--then like Perry Holden, continue to roll out new trains!

Need Info? Who You Gonna Call? (9/15/2003)
It’s Saturday afternoon, or Wednesday evening at 10. The Extension office is closed and you have a client who needs information, fast! Who they gonna call?

If they have a home computer, the obvious answer is to log onto ISU Extension’s home page. But did you know there’s an even bigger database out there that includes information not just from ISU, but 48 other land grant colleges and universities around the nation. It’s called E-Answers Online (http://www.e-answersonline.org/).

E-Answers is a searchable web site that provides reliable, research-based information on a wide range of outreach-oriented subjects. You can get the straight scoop on topics such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, family/consumer sciences, lawn and garden, child development, 4-H/youth, the environment, public policy, economics, water quality, communities—and much, much more.

Clients who use the net for information might appreciate hearing about the site, and you may even want to bookmark it for yourself. E-Answers Online—if you can’t find it there, we’re not sure who you’re gonna call.

Communicating Impact (8/11/2003)
As summer winds down, it's time to begin reflecting on the impact you have had during the past year. By December 1, each county will need to develop a stakeholder report. To pack more punch, keep the following in mind:

The target audience should include state and federal lawmakers, county supervisors and local officials, Extension Council members and other volunteers. From there constituency lists may vary.
Will your report communicate the relevance of local Extension programming? Will it do so in such a way that people totally unfamiliar with Extension will understand? Try answering these six questions to tell your story:
· What has Extension done to help local constituents?
· Why did the action take place?
· Are state and county monies 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 an outcome, not a process.

Beyond Tired and Cranky (7/28/2003)
It's fair time, and most of us know that long, hot days can make us tired and cranky. It can be a real challenge to meet client, stakeholder and staff expectations when all you really want to do is go home and put your feet up. Research shows, however, that meeting expectations is essential when you serve the public. Clients and stakeholders expect you to make the organization work for them, no matter what.

In Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, authors Kristin Anderson and Ron Zemke remind us that perception is reality for most people. When stress and frustration cloud our interactions, clients will likely remember.

So, whether it's another long day at the fair or your third night meeting this week, remember this: Most clients and stakeholders ask only for a smile and a little help. A calm, professional demeanor will go far in creating loyal supporters who know us, value us, and are willing to act on our behalf.

Equipment IDs -- For Many Happy Returns (7/15/2003)
County fairs are in full swing and state fair is close at hand. With the seasonal flurry of summer outdoor activities comes the frequent malady of missing Extension equipment.
Items such as computers, LCD projectors, digital cameras, tripods, oak frames and display boards suddenly sprout legs and disappear. Happily, in most cases the items don’t go far and those who intercept them are usually more than happy to assist in their return—if they know the owner.

Take a lesson from 4-H’ers who go to great lengths to identify their prized animals. Put a name and a return address on your valuable equipment. A laminated business card or adhesive label will do. You can improvise your own, or contact Emily Osam at ISU Printing on campus (elosam@iastate.edu, 515-294-0011) for something a little fancier. You aggies may want to just pop an ear tag.

The main thing is make it legible and attach it securely. The laptop you save could be your own.

A FABulous Selling System (7/1/2003)
Promotion is about words. It's about communicating with your customers. What you say does make a difference.

Customers look for both logical support and emotional reinforcement for all the decisions they make. According to The Business Doctor, the key to success is the FAB system--FAB being an acronym for Feature, Advantage and Benefit. Feature is a fact about your product, program or service. Advantage is a statement pertaining to its relative value. Benefit stresses what the customer has to gain from doing business with you.

The format is simple. The words are easy. It's a great way to initiate customer conversations, and it prompts you to verbally define your clients' needs. In a word, FABulous!

Extending Extension (6/16/2003)
Simplicity may be hard to beat as you consider ways to increase public support for ISU Extension.

County Extension Council and/or Citizens for Extension members are obvious candidates to help extend Extension's public outreach. But staunch support that is ready and able to put in a good word for Extension already lies within groups such as Master Gardeners, 4-H, Clover Kids, CYFaR, and a host of other interest groups. How do you engage their help? You ask.

At worst, you may have to assemble a few brief impact statements for them to share. At best they may provide their own--and deliver them with an eloquence and passion that staff could never create.

A wise marketing axiom says a happy customer is the best advertising. It isn't rocket science. But it's true.

Preparing for the Worst (6/3/2003)
If disaster strikes, will Extension be part of the problem or part of the solution?

Who are key emergency personnel in your community? Do you know the county emergency disaster coordinator? Are you acquainted with first responders and the law enforcement officials, health professionals, veterinarians, business and industry executives and school administrators who safeguard your community?

Who are the folks that can be called upon to provide expertise and leadership in case of a natural disaster, major accident or terrorist event. Does someone in your office have a working relationship with them? Do they know the services that Extension can provide?

Relationships have been the backbone of Extension for 100 years. Now that the topic of Homeland Security has been thrust upon us, many new relationships have suddenly become important. They are a critical first step in preparing for the worst.

Is your office working to establish or upgrade those relationships?

Let’s Talk (5/19/2003)
(excerpted from “Donald’s Comments” by ANR director, Donald Lewis)
Those of us in Extension spend much of our day talking—talking on the phone, talking via email or memo, talking to each other, talking to clients. Some of us even talk to ourselves! According to a Northeastern University web site, people working within an organization typically spend over 75 percent of their time in “interpersonal” situations—much of that talking.

Talking is easy. Communicating is harder because it requires that a message be sent and received. Receiving a message takes good listening skills and comprehension.

Listening takes effort. Often, during a conversation, our non-verbal time is spent planning our next response, plotting how to make our viewpoint prevail, or forming a “quick fix” solution. To be a good listener, concentrate on what is being said and don’t interrupt. Be objective and don’t leap to judgment. Stay focused on the speaker and remain engaged.

There will always be time to answer. Just make sure when you talk to yourself, you do it quietly.

One More Way to Help Iowans Become Their Best (3/31/2003)
Did you know that 11th and 12th grade students can take Iowa State University courses while still in high school? Did you know they can receive both high school and college credit for passing those courses? Did you know that many are offered via the World Wide Web or the Iowa Communications Network (ICN)?

The Post Secondary Education Options Act for Iowans provides high school students the opportunity to take college courses for FREE! Summer and Fall 2003 offerings are already posted on the web. Included are entry level courses in mathematics, economics, biology, forestry, and more.

Whether you work with youth directly or with their parents, make sure they know about this terrific opportunity. Check the web for frequently asked questions and program details. Or, to talk to a real, live person, contact Lois Becker at 515-294-2386. It's just one more way Iowa State University and ISU Extension can help Iowans become their best.

What Customers Are Looking for (3/5/2003)
Walk into the produce section of any modern supermarket and the choices are overwhelming. Adult education is much the same. The variety and quality of providers is soaring. 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, convenient, relevant? A vital part of the community? Or, that "government" office down the street?

* Appearance--Marshall McLuhen said it 30 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 business can't afford.

So, which product do we choose? That's easy--whatever appears best on the outside. Until we can taste the product, it's the best criteria we have.

Magic Words (2/17/2003)
Good internal communication goes a long way towards making a good organization even better. Whether working with people inside your office, or out, consider carefully the words you use.

Career specialist Marty Nemko, in Three Magic Words, suggests we look for ways to honestly add the words, “I respect…,” “I appreciate…,” or, “I agree with you” to as many conversations as possible. Doing so, he says, can rather dramatically turn discussions from adversarial to collaborative, from cordial to inspired.

Make an effort to use these and similar words or phrases more often. Make it a habit. It isn’t about being politically or socially correct. It’s just that everybody responds a little better when they feel their opinions and ideas are valued.

How to Wield the Red Bar (2/3/2003)
The Red Bar is that powerful, new visual image that is grabbing the attention of all who see it, from excited staff to gawking freeway motorists. Samples came in the marketing toolbox you received at annual conference. Used consistently and often, it has the potential to indelibly stamp ISU Extension in the public eye.

The opportunities are endless: from brochures, fact sheets and flyers to paycheck and grocery sack stuffers to, yes, even highway billboards. ISU Extension now has an eye-popping visual in its marketing arsenal.

But before throwing caution to the wind, realize there are a few things the Red Bar is not. It doesn't replace the wordmark--not on letterhead, and especially not on penalty mail. It doesn't replace (at least not yet) the outdoor signage that Extension authorizes. It may not be appropriate in promoting multi-partner collaborations, and it shouldn't be used in creating pdf files. For more information on how to use the Red Bar and other marketing tools, go to the FAQ's. That said, go ahead. Make a statement for ISU Extension. Boldly wield the Red Bar!

Branding: A Hot Item (1/27/2003)
Why is branding so hot? We're talking branding in the communications sense, of course, referring to all those labels Extension gives itself to maintain a public identity.

At a recent Agricultural Communicators in Education (ACE) workshop in Ft. Worth, Texas, Don Poucher, long-time communicator from the University of Florida, gave one of the most persuasive arguments for consistent branding that we have ever heard.

Why is branding important? Poucher says, "It's so they know where to send the check!"

"They" include clients, collaborators, public policy makers, and other stakeholders. And payment isn't just in the form of money. It includes knowledge of the services we provide plus goodwill and respect for the job we do.

So the next time you get a blank look from someone concerning Extension's involvement with 4-H, Master Gardener, PPAT or any other signature program, consider this: For them to get the picture, we have to connect the dots. We have to brand our product.

Understanding the Challenge (1/9/2003)
To open an Annual Conference breakout session (October 2002), West Pottawattamie County Extension Education Director Tom Jensen offered some points to ponder when asking the question, “Why marketing?” We think they’re worth repeating.

* Expect less, not more, from Ames, Des Moines and Washington.

* Extension must lead community ventures, challenge others for market share -- and drop nominal programs.

* While maintaining current relationships, we must add new supporters.

* Five percent hate us, 10 percent love us; the rest of Iowa is indifferent about Extension. We need to focus on the latter.

* The traditional Extension marketing blitz is a ream of copy paper and a roll of postage stamps.

* What you think is important probably isn’t to our customers.

* Customers don’t need us to get their information.

* Many people would love to help, but aren’t asked, or we don’t value their participation.

* Extension goes by too many names and the public gets confused.

* Our storefronts invite comment, not customers.

Copyright © 1996-2003, Iowa State University. All rights reserved. Non-discrimination statement and information disclosures. Contact isuemarketing@iastate.edu.

Page last updated March 23, 2005