Post on 06-Jul-2015
description
It’s a Jungle Out There!Making Your Service Unit Communications
Gorilla Worthy
October 2014 |Laurel Gerdine, Managing Director, Take3 Communications
(And fellow Girl Scout Volunteer….)
What We Want to Achieve Today
• Learn how to improve your service unit communications
• Walk out with a communications commitment
• What else?
What We’ll Do Today
• Warm up
• Elements of Success
• Know Yourself
• Know Your Audience
• BREAK
• Know Your Content • 7 Rules of Highly Effective Communications
• Picking Your Battles
• Wrap Up
Elements of Success
• Divide into groups
• Each person: What is the MOST successful SU communication you have ever seen?
• Group: What made it successful?
• Timing: 10 minutes
Part 1: Know Yourself
Know Yourself
"we don't ever want to use a voice that's not authentic" can I get that
made into throw pillow? #raganinternalcomms
Know Yourself: The “Why”
Know Yourself
Apple:We believe in challenging the status quo and thinking differentlyWe do that through beautiful design and simplicity to useIn order to make computers…
Laurel:I am passionate about helping you grow as a leader and as a personWhich I do by excellence in problem-solving, experimenting, executing and communicatingIn order to run my Girl Scout service unit
Know Yourself
What’s your WHY?
Directions
• Write down your “why” statement
• Share with a partner and/or the group
• Timing: 5 minutes then share with group
Know Yourself
WHY: I am passionate about(what do you most value about being a Girl Scout)….
HOW: Which I do by (what UNIQUE skills and contributions do YOU make to Girl Scouting)…..
WHAT: In order to (make what happen in Girl Scouting)
What’s Your WHY?
Know Yourself
• Want more? Go to https://www.startwithwhy.com/learnyourwhy
Part 2: Know Your Audience
Basic Communications Framework
• Who: Target Audience
• What: Content and “Campaigns”
• When: Timing and frequency
• Where: Channels
• How: Tone!
• Why: Objective and Goal – Call to Action
Know Your Audience
Why know your audience?
It’s all about the results…..
Know Your Audience
The more you know about your target market, the smarter you will be in
developing communications strategies and tactics that work
Know Your Audience
Know Your AudiencePotential Girl Scout adult volunteer “target” groups:
By tenure/experience levelBy attitude/motivationBy demographicsBy role
It’s all about the results…..
Know Your Audience
Time to Put on Your Volunteer Hat!
Directions
• Break into groups
• Get assigned a target segment
• Think about and create her/his Girl Scout volunteer story: motivations, perceptions of GS, challenges, knowledge level, volunteer goals and how and where she prefers to communicate
• Now, draw some pictures that represent your volunteer
• Be your volunteer: Appoint one of your group to BE your volunteer and tell her story in her voice
• Timing: 10-15 minutes then share with group
Know Your Audience
National Profile of Adults in Girl Scouting, GSUSA, 1997
Know Your Audience
Same and different?
What did we learn?
What does this mean for our communications?
Part 3: Know Your Content #1
Rule #1: A little planning goes a LONG way
Rule #2: Pick your battles Rule #3: Spend time on the message
Rule #4: People have to see something (at least) 3 times
Rule #5: Good communication takes time and consistency. See #2.
Rule #6: Give your communication personality and people will read it
Rule #7: If it doesn’t work, try something different
Know Your Content
•Rule #1: A little planning….• “Campaign”• Purpose• Audience• Timing• Channel• Measurement
Know Your Content
• But…don’t forget Rule #2
pick your battles……What are your “battles”?
Battle #1: Cookies Cookies Cookies
Campaign Cookies- Cookie training- Cookie kick off- Cookie booth sales coordination- Cookie sales support- Cookie order entry and support- Cookie distribution- Cookie awards
Audience New volunteers especially cookie parents, not enthusiasts
Purpose To inform and support volunteers during the cookie season. Decrease repeat questions and frustration level in volunteers, especially new ones
Timing Begin early November, end in March
Channel Push - Email (biweekly - all leaders and cookie divas)Pull – Website (biweekly updates, forms and instructions, plus booth sales sign ups)Email box for questionsService unit meetings
Measure Qual feedback, e-mail response, general level of confusion, how many people access website
EXAMPLEYou can do BETTER!
• Concord Carlisle’s “Cookie Connection”
• Promote GSEM content associated with all things cookie
• ONE place for ALL things cookie
• EASY for BUSY volunteers
Battle #1: Cookies Cookies Cookies
• =
• Plus a new feature –sign up for and view booth sales right here
• Make it even easier• Rules and process
all in one place• Results: Less time to
manage booth sales for service unit and more booth sales overall!
Battle #1: Cookies Cookies Cookies
Office workers spend an average of 2.6 hours per day reading and answering emails, according to a survey conducted by McKinsey Global Institute.
That adds up to about 27 days per year.
648 hours that
could be spent doing something else.
What would YOU do with 648 hours?
Battle #1a: Cookie Help!
• Excitement + Appreciation + Humor = COOKIE HELP
• Results: Recruited 8 member cookie team in 2 weeks!
• Make it personal• Acknowledge the
obstacles and the benefits
• Results: Monthly meetings attended
by 10-20% of the
volunteer base. • Steady attendance
and growing base of “Enthusiasts.”
Battle #2: Service Unit Meeting Attendance
Email #1
Email #2
Email #3
Results: Over 50% of troops completed
(upward trend!)
Battle #3: Troop Financial Reports
Know Your Content
Let’s Plan It!
Directions
• Get your “plan alittle” template
• Get your “battle”
• Break into groups of 3-4
• Complete the plan – document your best practices, gaps and questions
• Timing: 15 minutes
• Share with group
“Plan Alittle” Template Instructions
Campaign • Put your “battle” (or campaign) in here• Describe the elements or key messages of your battle
Audience • Who is the primary target audience for your campaign?
Purpose • What is the purpose of this campaign?• What behavior or result are you trying to drive?
Timing • When will this start and end?
Channel • What types of communications will you use?
Measure • How will you know this has been successful?
“Plan Alittle” Template
Campaign
Audience
Purpose
Timing
Channel
Measure
Know Your Content
Rule #3: Spend time on the message….
Remember the 4 C’s
• Creative
• Compelling
• Conversational
• Concise
Know Your Content
Some More Tips for E-mail
SCFE – the self contained forwardable Email
“If you send an e-mail to everyone, you send it to no one” – some wise person
Think about the “fold” - put call to action (what you need them to DO) at the top
Think about your subject line (be direct and action-oriented, include SU name)
Wrap Up #1
Make your communications commitment
What:
When:
Why:
How:
Share with group!
Your Communications CommitmentWhat(is your action to improve your Su communications)
When(will you start and complete)
Why(did you pick this and what is your objective)
How(will it get done)
Who (will be involved and/or help)
Sign here
Wrap Up #2
What parts most useful? Least?
Would you recommend this session to a friend?
Additional Slides
And…..what about social media?
88% of non profits still use e-mail and website as main ways to
communicate with their communities although 97% have a facebookpage
And when they use social networks, it is primarily to get their message out,
like a bull horn
Social networking can be used to get the word out but it is also to build
engagement with your audience. Now some ideas for using social networks “right”…
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/23837-how-nonprofits-use-social-media-to-engage-with-their-communities.html
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/23837-how-nonprofits-use-social-media-to-engage-with-their-communities.html
#1 Be conversational
#2 Get visual
#3 Have a (little) plan
#4 Think mobile
Know Your Content
Let’s get hands on….
Take a sample e-mail
Does it “pass” the 4 C’s? Why?
How could it be better?