How Entitled are You?

Maybe this has happened to you. It seems to happen a lot to me, or at least I notice it happening. Your standing in line and someone steps in front of you. They take cuts. They don’t ask permission. They simply move in front of you, or try to surreptitiously sneak into the line pretending to be unaware of the discourtesy they’ve just shown everyone around them. Or worse, they just don’t care.

There is a lady at my bus stop. We all arrive about the same time and wait for the bus in an random grouping. When the bus approaches, prospective riders begin to form a line and wait to board the bus. This lady waits until the bus stops and will walk right up to the door and get on, completely ignoring the line. I’ve watched her several times, and can see in her eyes she knows what she’s doing.

I remember once I was at the Orlando airport preparing to return home from a speaking engagement. It was crowded and very busy and we had to take our checked baggage to a special room because the conveyor belt behind the ticket agents had broken. So, there I stood in line and as I approached the front, another traveler walked up and stood next to me, even though there were many people behind me. As we approached the special room, this person moved in front of me and dropped of their bag.

I rarely say anything to these people. It just isn’t that important to me who gets on the bus or drops off their bags first. I figure we’ll all get there and if a person feels the need to disregard everyone else, or feels they’re entitled to something, that’s fine with me. There are more fruitful things to spend my energy on than arguing with someone who feels they need to go first.

But I wonder how many times I feel a sense of entitlement in my life. I don’t have to think hard to remember the many times where I’ve taken rather than asked, when I’ve gone first although I should have waited, or when my pride has convinced me that I deserve something at the expense of someone else.

Today I think I will invite someone to take my place in line, humbly offer my seat on the bus to another, or perhaps give to someone with a generous attitude rather than take from a sense of entitlement. It's something I can do.

-- David Kinard, PCM

What Women (and Non Profits) Want

I just finished a great podcast interview with Michael Silverstein, senior partner at Boston Consulting Group and coauthor of Women Want More. (Just to wet your whistle, according to Silverstein, women around the world want more of three basic things: Money, Time, and Love -- and they control about $20 trillion in consumer spending world wide.) The podcast will be available soon, but this whole interview got me thinking about what do non profits want.

I think the non profit list is the same: More money, more time, and more love.

For the purists out there, I would agree that the ultimate want is to not be needed anymore, to have the cause or need they are trying to meet actually met. But for the sake of discussion, let's assume that although a superior goal, the means to achieve it is still more money, time, and love.

I don't know any non profit leader that feels they have enough money. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing -- just a fact of the business. Even Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Programme, who is credited with being a remarkably successful fundraiser after raising more than $5 billion in 2008, would like more money. According to Silverstein, Sheeran says that with $10 billion the world could rid itself of hunger. She needs more money.

And most non profits are always looking for more hours in the day to get everything done. Unfortunately, some non profits are not set up to work with volunteers -- there is no system or method for those who want to give their time for the cause to be engaged. But for many, even the 169.7 million hours of volunteer time each year in the US is not enough to meet current needs.

And love...non profits need more love. What I mean by this is that non profits need more people to fall in love with their causes, their goals, and their visions. Some are naturally easier than others to love, but some make it inexplicably hard. Take Oxfam's Trailwalker program, it's designed with engaging people in personal and constructive ways. Quite a contrast to PETA's efforts to stop the clubbing of baby seals. Both are worthy issues, but one generates love, the other divisiveness.

I asked Silverstein what marketers should do if they wanted to genuinely and respectfully meet the needs of women and tap into the trillion dollar female economy. He noted a four step process that I am adapting for non profits. The 4 R's he notes are the same -- I've just changed their focus a bit.

• RECOGNIZE the value of your constituents. What value does each category of constituent have for your non profit -- and what value do you offer them in return. Without this fundamental knowledge, you won't know if you're spending your time, energy, and money in the right places.
• RESEARCH the satisfaction of your constituents with your organization, and their usability of what you offer. You've got to figure out the degree of relevance and usage barriers for your offerings.
• RESPOND to these insights in a respectful and precisely targeted way. Focus your energy to maximize your ability to generate money, time, and love.
• REFINE the process based on real time learning and keep it going. Constantly improve. Kaizen!

What do you think non profits want more of? Would you add to the list of three? What else would you suggest non profits do to get started in their efforts to generate more money, time, and love?

-- David Kinard, PCM

The Fall of Fundraising

I may be the only non profit marketer who is thinking this right now, but I think fall is a horrible time to do fundraising. To be more clear, rather I think it's a horrible idea to wait until fall to do fundraising. In fact, I think it's downright wasteful, irresponsible, and fails to appreciate the relational aspects of generating support for an organization.

As marketers, we know that it would be silly of us to be quiet for nine months of the year and then try to make all our annual sales quota in the last three months. We also know that in order to get consumers to buy our products or services, we need to constantly remind them of our value, our uniqueness, and the big damn difference we can make in their lives or businesses.

But since it's fundraising, let's ignore the simple laws of relationships and marketing and postpone everything until the last minute; 'cause that is the way we've always done it, right?!?!

Don't get me wrong, there's a good reason for our current practice in that many giving organizations will begin evaluating their budgets and see what they have left in terms of dollars to spend. Some may even be looking for some tax benefits. And still others are preparing for the following year so it makes sense to get on their radar screen now. BUT, way too many non profit marketers try to do ALL parts of their fundraising in these last three months. Again, not a good idea.

I will freely admit that I am not an expert in fundraising. Yes, I've generated monies for the organizations I've been involved in, but not to the extent that professional development people have. But I am an expert marketer and I do understand human nature -- and one key element to keep in mind is that fundraising begins at the moment your organization is first introduced to someone and continues until either you close your doors or that person's will is finally executed. Fundraising is a way of being, a way of communicating, a golden thread that must be woven through every communication and interaction with your community. This is not to say that you're always asking for money. On the contrary, what it means is that you're always giving your community reasons for them to see the value in supporting your mission.

Perhaps this fall, as you begin writing your annual ask letter and start your push through the end of 2009, you'll also begin a parallel path of looking at how you can retool your organization's interactions and communications with your community to create reasons for funding, create opportunities to demonstrate value, and communicate your big damn difference in such a way that people come to you with open wallets before you even ask them.

-- David Kinard, PCM

What Are Your 2010 Priorities?

Believe it or not, we're quickly approaching the telltale time of the year where marketers start peering into their crystal balls and try to predict what's going to happen in the coming year -- or otherwise known as the annual budgeting process. The challenge, however, is knowing what is going to be important, and what should be culled away as chaff.

According to a survey by virtual events provider Unisfair, your priorities are simple: Grow customers (or members), show how smart you are, and serve your customers in richer/fuller ways.


But while marketers may all think those are reasonable priorities, how to achieve those results vary widely. Not surprisingly, all things social media and online continue to drive to the top of the tactic list for most marketers.


But before you go out and plan your online strategy, build your budgets, or even set in stone your own priorities for 2010, ask yourself a simple question -- WHY DO YOU EXIST? And please, don't write the generic answer that's quick and easy to come by. Write a detailed and specific answer, one that defines your reason for being. Then you're ready to ask yourself the burning questions related to 2010 priorities such as:

1. How do we do this better?
2. How do we reach people who need what we have?
3. How do we find resources that match our vision and goals?
4. How do we engage in dialogue and communication to generate conversations?
5. How will we know if we made a big-damn-difference at the end of 2010?

Or, you can take the easy path and just do more of what you did this year -- more of the same -- hoping for a different outcomes (isn't that the definition of insanity?).

-- David Kinard, PCM

Making a Big, Damn, Difference

Recently, I unplugged. I decided to unplug from the socially-networked world and just be quiet. I found myself getting caught up in all the hype and frenetic pace of blogging, twittering, RSS-ing, and Facebooking that I forgot what I was doing there in the first place. You see, I started this blog because I wanted to equip and enable marketers to increase their ability to market for good (and yes, the double entendre is intended). But what I found was that I started posting just to keep up rather than because I had something to say that was important.

Earlier this month, marketing celebrity and pontificater Seth Godin wrote a blog entry entitled The Problem with Non. I think it's safe to say that non profit marketers and leaders got their underpants in a twist over the things he noted. Seth being right or wrong isn't the point of this blog entry. Many have already voiced their opinions to what he said (read here, here, and here). What struck me, and frankly pulled me from my self-imposed social media fasting, was that non profits continue to struggle to find their own voices.

Even in a sea of communications options, and with decades of instruction on how to craft stories, generate dialogue, and connect on an intimate level with communities, most non profits still fail at what I think is the single most important part of what they do -- telling the world why they are the only option for solving the problem they address. Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead said it best, "You don't want to be considered the best at what you do. You want to be the only one doing what you're doing." I love that.

To me, it isn't (as Seth notes) that non profits have failed at taking advantage of social media, but that most interactions with non profits are non events in themselves. Godin asks, "When was the last time you had an interaction with a non profit that blew you away?" Sadly, I think the answer is not frequently enough.

YES, there are non profits out there that are changing lives via one, two, or two hundred people at a time. YES, there are non profits that are making a difference in the world by building schools, feeding the hungry, digging wells, and even holding the hand of a lonely person who is on their death bed. YES, there are non profits that are blowing people away on a regular basis. But again, I think those are the exceptions, not the rule.

Finding our voices as non profits isn't about finding the tool to carry it. It's about being unique, being special, being the only ones. It's about making a big-damn-difference and then TELLING and SHOWING how if you weren't there that something huge and important would be lost.

I am ranting, I know. But to me we have an important opportunity right now to do our craft better...to not just accept the mediocrity forced upon us by our tight budgets or lack of resources. We have an opportunity to become the topic, become the solution, and become the voice that is heard from the mountain tops.

Earlier I noted that I took some time off to stop and listen. To unplug. I think that break was refreshing. It reminded me of my own purpose, and got me thinking about how non profits market -- and what we do well and what we fail to do. So, here's to a reenergized season of marketing for good. And while we're on this journey together, let's see if we can become the big-damn-difference we're trying to make in the world.

-- David Kinard, PCM

11 Rules for Today's Marketer

In today’s competitive world, there are many different beliefs about how to market a product or service. Regardless of approach, however, there are some core concepts that are found in every successful marketing program, effort and plan. By incorporating these traits into your marketing activities, you will increase the effectiveness of your marketing communications.

Commitment: No matter what your produce or service is, a solid commitment to the marketing process is required for success. Fervency, passion, and dedication are all essential.

Investment: Famous author and critic of his day, Mark Twain once wrote that if you can’t afford to advertise, place one last ad saying “Going Out of Business.” Rather than thinking how much you “have to” spend on marketing, consider “what investment” you want to make to ensure your organization’s future.

Consistency: Keeping in front of your customer’s eyes and in their ears ensures you’re also in their minds. Marketing is not effective when it is here today and gone tomorrow. A constant stream of messages increases top of mind consumer awareness.

Quality: Ensure your marketing is top quality. Your ads, newsletters, brochures—whatever you do—sends a message about your organization, product and service. If the visuals are poor, so will be the reader’s perception. Your marketing must confidently go head-to-head with your competitors.

Patience: The rapid rate of technological advancement has tricked us into thinking that our marketing must be an instant and huge success. On the contrary, since our marketing is building a relationship and perception in people’s minds, success comes much more slowly.

Assortment: Effective marketing uses a variety of tools to get the job done. There are many traditional mediums everyone uses, so sometimes doing something a little bit different may provide you the edge you need. Don’t get fooled into believing that one size fits all.

Adaptive: Because our world is changing on a daily basis, so must our marketing efforts. Stay away from the “We’ve always done it that way” mentality and constantly ensure your marketing efforts are focused on today’s customers—not last years.

Convenience: Elaborate and complex marketing programs or efforts tire people out. Make sure your communications or programs are simple and easy for the recipient to use or read. Successful marketing and red-tape don’t mix.

Amazement: Seek to astound, amaze and surprise through your marketing efforts. Today, successful marketing is about differentiating yourself by the experience you provide your customers. Don’t just try to satisfy, but amaze!

Measure: Successful marketing employs clear evaluative tools and check points to measure its efforts. Most everything we do in business has clear goals and evaluation processes tied to it. Measuring our marketing allows us to make course corrections as needed and provides confidence in the investment made.

Change the Rules: Jerry Garcia, formerly of the Grateful Dead, once said, “You don’t want to be the best at what you do. You want to be the only one doing what you’re doing.” When companies compete, they lose their focus on creating and delivering value for their customers. Instead, their focus is on the competition. Make sure your company’s focus is on providing value, not trying to beat the competition.

These are my rules. What rules would you add? For more rules, listen to my interview with David Meerman Scott, author of the New Rules of Marketing and PR...he's got some ideas on what rules we should be following today. I'd love to hear what rules you're trying to follow and live by.

-- David Kinard, PCM

What to do with New Community Members

Every year a lot of time, energy and money is put into acquiring new members for associations and member communities. And it usually pays off with growth on the membership rosters. But when all these new members arrive, it is equally important that the organization, and any regional or local outlets, engage these new members and deliver on the promise of value and community that originally attracted the new member.

While retention is important during the entire course of a person’s or company’s membership, here are some suggestions on things you can do to transform new members into champions for your organization within the first three months.

To Begin With:

Make sure your organization has at least one person at the local level whose sole job is to welcome new members. This person should be highly social, love picking up the phone and calling people, and is highly informed and well networked in the community to be able to connect and introduce new members to other like-minded members.

Within 24 hours of acquiring a new member via online channel:

The organization's leading spokesperson (e.g. president, administrator, chief voice, etc) should send a personal email welcoming the individual to the community, outline where to find more information, who to contact with questions, tell them what to expect to happen in the next few weeks, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY give the person something to do to engage with the community right away.

Within one week of notification of acquiring a new member:

If the new member joined through an offline channel, the same process is followed as noted above for an online membership. This can be done via a small card welcoming the new member. Be sure to invite the new member to the next meeting (online or offline), and include the leader's business card in the greeting so the new member can start to develop their own network.

Within one month of acquiring a new member:

A phone call by your membership coordinator is helpful to fully connect the new member to all that your organization has to offer. This is the chance to answer any questions the new member may have, ensure they know about upcoming events, information, the organization's website, etc.

If you hold regular offline meetings:

Make sure to highlight any new members you may have at each meeting. You can do this in two ways:

1. Have new members wear a special sticker on their name badge or their lapel. This will help identify them to any board members as VIPs who deserve a special welcome and handshake.
2. Have a board member sit next to a new member and introduce them during the meeting announcements. This allows the spotlight to shine upon them without the new member feeling pressure to talk at their first meeting.
3. Have the president invite a few new members to sit at his/her meeting table as special guests.
4. Be sure to have plenty of membership applications at each table for non-members to use as they see how well you treat new members.

Within three months of acquiring a new member:

Call the new member back and see how things are going. Help answer any remaining questions they may have, encourage them to participate in programs, and highlight any volunteer opportunities that may be available. Pass their name on to your volunteer coordinator for follow up (and if you don't have one, just think of what might happen if you did).

Other ways you can help make new members feel welcome:

1. Host a new member orientation -- this works online as well as offline. Personally invite new members.
2. Prepare and distribute new member packets that provide reference information, contact information and other important facts about your organization.
3. Create a buddy system pairing new members to more seasoned members. The more seasoned member is responsible for helping that new member for the year (inviting them to every meeting, introducing them to others, calling for mid-year check ups, getting them plugged into volunteer opportunities).
4. Give them something to do. Having new members become engaged through short-term, quick volunteer opportunities is an easy way to helping them take ownership in their membership, and the local group.
5. Highlight new members on your web site. Put a photo up and list their contact information.
6. Highlight new members in your newsletter with a photo, bio, etc.
7. Send a recognition or thank you letter to their employer and copy them on it.
8. Send a press release to local newspapers highlighting new members, copy the new member on it.
9. Hold special new member meet-and-greet events.
10. Pay attention if a new member isn’t participating...contact them and let them know they’re missed.

What else would you add to this list? What has worked for you in the past? What's working for you now?

-- David Kinard, PCM