Deb Nelson – Page 14 – Be Well Consulting Group

Serving Your Clients: Are You Giving Your Clients What They Need, or What YOU Want Them to Need?

There you are happy as can be, having more fun than you ever imagined. Your product is operating just as you hoped it would. And yet, you can’t do the happy dance of success. Why not? Nobody’s buying what you’ve got to sell.

You see, it doesn’t matter how good you are at serving up widgets if your clients don’t see any value to those perfectly formed gems.

An example of a mind-baffling gift from Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) sits right in my backyard. There’s a park-and-ride lot in my town that can accommodate 300 cars. It seems, though, that MDOT forgot to tell us why we need this lot, and just who needs this lot. An article at the end of 2013 in a local paper reported that area students have found an alternate use for the lot. The lot, with its flat terrain and no obstacles (i.e., cars) becomes a training area for roller-skiers.

Built on the theory that if you build it, they will come, these photos taken June 25 reflects typical usage of the lot. If it were an ad, it would be the ultimate representation of use of white space. Not so good for a park-and-ride lot. So…yes, a great park and ride. BUT – whom is this lovely lot intended to serve? How about a marketing plan here? Or is word of mouth going to build usage over time? Hmmm…stay tuned on that one.

Few companies have the time MDOT has to wait for people to discover their need for a product. So how can you make sure you’re offering products and services that will be embraced by your clients?

Meet with your clients to find out what they like about your current offerings. Ask for their input: What is it about your service / product that keeps them coming back for more? What could you do that would make their lives even better?
While you’re hearing how wonderful your product is, don’t miss the opportunity to ask your clients what you could be doing better. Don’t defend against the short-comings. Thank your clients for their honesty here. AND – follow up on these points later. Maybe there’s a fix in the works; maybe there’s already a fix that your client didn’t know about. Or, maybe it’s back to the drawing board for you.
Share results with your co-workers. Have brainstorming sessions. The collective power of sharing information can be transformational.
Test drive before launch. Let a select group see what it is you’ll be offering up; this will help build a loyal following. It will also make sure you’re heading in the right direction even if you take the Steve Jobs approach: “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
Create and implement a marketing and communication plan.

While there is no foolproof plan to guarantee the success of every service and product, you can easily reduce the likelihood of providing a service (or a park and ride) that nobody knows they need.

Serving Your Clients: Are You Giving Your Clients What They Need, or What YOU Want Them to Need? was last modified: June 26th, 2014 by Deb Nelson

Is Your Approach to Media Relations Helping or Hurting Your Cause?

Oh my goodness. Did I ever have an eye-opening experience last week. Maine Public Relations Council hosted a media panel discussion for its members featuring three local award-winning journalists. Topics for discussion included best practices for pitching and storytelling. I love to share a good story and wanted to hear what these media reps consider best practices. So, I was off to learn a thing or two.

Call me naïve if you will, but I was not prepared to hear the first panelist indicate that she had NEVER in her career received a pitch from a public relations professional that made her say, “I’m glad that pr person called me.”

I was also not prepared to hear another panelist share her pet peeve: perky twenty-one-year olds calling to ask if she’s received their press releases. I’m certainly not a twenty-one-year old, and I am definitely not perky. So, why would this pet peeve get stuck in my craw and make my blood boil just a bit? Well, think about it. What’s the image that appears in your mind when you hear or read perky twenty-one-year old? For me, it’s a not-so-bright young woman. It’s also a not-so-helpful phrase that shuts down conversation.

Therein lies the surprise learning for me: the level of frustration that both of these women expressed about their interaction with public relations professionals. Day after day this editor’s inbox is filled with press releases that don’t speak to her readers. If that’s not bad enough, the phone call follow-up is the next item on the pr person’s checklist. No surprise here, the editor has deleted the press release and lets the phone call go to voicemail.

To my communications colleagues, it’s now our job to help mend these strained relationships. Each one of us should be looked at as a valuable resource to, rather than a painful thorn in the side of, journalists. Here are a few actions we can take that just might prove helpful:

If you’re new to the public relations field, find a mentor.
If you’re an experienced public relations professional, lend a hand to those entering the field.
Answer two questions before sending your press release: So what? Who cares?
If no one outside the walls of your company cares, chances are it’s not news. Send an email of praise to your co-workers and call it day.
Send newsworthy press releases to the right people, at the right time. EVERY press release is not appropriate for EVERY media outlet. Yes, this means doing some time-consuming homework; your reputation is worth this investment of time.
When following up with a journalist after sending a release:
Don’t simply ask: Did you get my release?
Ask the question you really want answered: Is this a story you’re interested in covering for your publication/news show/etc.?
If the answer is yes, ask what other information you can provide and how you can be of assistance.
If the answer is no, ask why not? Is it timing, or is the topic not relevant to your audience? That’s how we learn.

And, please, let me not hear the phrase perky, twenty-one-year old again.

Is Your Approach to Media Relations Helping or Hurting Your Cause? was last modified: January 22nd, 2014 by Deb Nelson

Check Out the Power of Handwritten Notes

Try an experiment this year. Make a commitment to sending handwritten notes every week (yes. with a stamp. via the U.S. Postal Service). Start small, with just three a week, and see what kind of results you get. Document your expectations and compare them to what actually happens.

What’s the big deal with handwritten notes? Aren’t they old school? Yes, they are old school in the best possible way. Old school meets new school in the midst of high tech communication – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and more – a personalized note to a client, donor, colleague, or friend provides the opportunity for you to send a unique message centered on the recipient.

Take a break from the practice of group message delivery; total focus is on one person. The main point here, though is that the note is NOT all about you and your achievements; it’s about the person who’s receiving the note. You’ll join the ranks of the very Likeable Dave Kerpen who is a note writer. Can he track the success of his career directly back to those notes? No, and yet, he continues to write them AND he encourages others to write them as well.

Staying connected with people who are important to you takes time, energy, and creativity. When you do it right, you stand to see some amazing results – for you, your business, and your clients. So get that pen out and get to work!

Drop me an email or a handwritten note to let me know how this works for you.

Check Out the Power of Handwritten Notes was last modified: January 15th, 2014 by Deb Nelson

The Sky’s the Limit When Your Board Has the Tools to Give You the Help You Need

Entering the new year is the perfect opportunity to press the reset button and recharge your nonprofit’s board of directors. By letting each member of your board know exactly what action they can take to help you reach your goals in 2014, you can put your plan into motion and make this year a successful one for your nonprofit.

Your board of directors should include your most powerful advocates; give them the tools to support your organization and you’ll all be better for it. Here are five easy-to-implement tactics to move your board to action early in 2014:

Give your board of directors a printed list of your organization’s goals for 2014. (You’ve set your goals, right?) While sharing goals with your board sounds obvious enough, it’s amazing how many board members are banging their heads against the wall in frustration as they try to figure out what they can do to move your nonprofit forward.
Keep board members updated as you move toward your goals and celebrate small victories. Monthly updates at a board meeting can cover this: a brief recap at the meeting itself and a visual in your board packet. Include a graphic element for those who need images to get the full meaning of progress toward goals. Continued focus on your goals will keep both board and staff energized throughout the year.
Help board members spread the news about your organization’s good work. Have a mission moment at every board meeting: bring in someone who’s benefited from your organization to share how his/her life has changed thanks to your organization. This is a powerful way to engage your board – making them proud to be associated with your organization AND providing them with a great story to share with friends, family, and colleagues.
Ask each board member to call four donors to say thank you. If they get voicemail, simply leave a message and this job is done. If they get to talk to the donor, make sure you’ve provided them with talking points so they can speak to how the donor’s funds will be / have been put to use (see points 1 and 3).
Ask five board members to visit with three donors to say thank you and to update them about your organization’s work. (What’s that, you don’t have five board members? That’s a whole other issue.) This will help strengthen the relationships with supportive donors and board members.

Bonus tip number 6: schedule a coffee meeting with any board member who isn’t able to make a board meeting to keep them current with board activities. If a board member doesn’t have time to chat about your organization’s goals, have that tough conversation to find out whether being on the board is a good fit for you both.

You can see that these tactics are certainly not rocket science – you’ve probably had these ideas in the past. The difference this year is that you’re going to make sure they actually happen. Put the plan in motion, follow up, and follow through. You’ll be amazed by the number 0f new stories these simple actions can generate. Enjoy the ride and share your successes below or connect with me directly!

The Sky’s the Limit When Your Board Has the Tools to Give You the Help You Need was last modified: January 6th, 2014 by Deb Nelson

Squealing Like a Pig in 2014: Five Tips to Get You on the Road to a Squealing Good Year

2013 is winding down in a big way; right now is the perfect time to make sure you’ve got yourself set up for success in 2014. These five elements can make the difference between a good year and a great year.

1. Now would be the time. Oh, yes, there are plenty of reasons for you to hold off on your project – whatever project you’re holding back on. Here are a few:

I need to do some more research.
The economy’s sputtering along; let me wait until things pick up a bit more.
I’m not ready.

Replace those feeble excuses with reality:

I know enough to move forward; I’m the expert here.
I’m the person who needs to share this story.
I’ve got this. I. AM. READY.

Yup, you guessed it: if you want to complete something, you’ve got to begin. Now. Right now.

2. Set those SMART goals. You know where you want to go, what you want to do, and what you want to become. Write it down, make it real. Put pen to paper and map out your steps to success. Tactics become your friend as you document your progress. What’s so smart about SMART goals? They’re everything you need to fulfill your dreams:

3. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your work. Get pumped up by positive energy instead of having the life sucked out of you by negative nellies. Yes, we’ve all got those detractors in our lives. Give yourself permission and marching orders to stay away from them. Plunk yourself smack dab in the middle of people who can support you. Breathe in the goodness and get some work done!

4. Say it out loud – find an accountability partner. Do not keep your plans buried in a secret journal, or in a box on the highest shelf of your closet. Naming those SMART goals and sharing them with others helps them become real. Need to start small? No problem. Tell one or two trusted people who can hold those wiggly feet of yours to the fire.

5. Celebrate small victories along your path. Acknowledging small victories along the way to large goals can provide just the extra motivation you need to tackle those big goals. Schedule time in your week to track your progress, and do that happy dance of success.

Share your goals below or connect with me directly to let me know what you’ve got planned to keep you squealing with delight in 2014.

Squealing Like a Pig in 2014: Five Tips to Get You on the Road to a Squealing Good Year was last modified: December 26th, 2013 by Deb Nelson

Sweeping the Homeless Under the Rug

Yes, you read that headline correctly. And, yes, one of my favorite cities – Portland, Maine – is trying its very best to sweep the down and out under the rug. The Portland City Council has banned standing, sitting, parking, or driving on a median in response to the outrage expressed by the good people of Portland. Their outrage was sparked by panhandlers – the homeless and poor who had staked out territory and asked for money at intersections throughout the city.

Were the people of Portland outraged that:

Their friends and neighbors have no job prospects?

Their friends and neighbors are asking for help as a last resort?

Their friends and neighbors have nowhere else to turn?

Sadly, I’m afraid not. You see:

It’s not good for tourism to have those pesky panhandlers at every intersection of the city.

It’s uncomfortable for those of us who have a place to rest our heads every night to look those who don’t in the eye.

It’s unnerving to be reminded that so many people consider having three square meals every day an unattainable goal.

Having homeless people in the city isn’t a new concept to Portland’s elected officials. Last December at a presentation hosted by the Institute for Civic Leadership, Mark Swann of Preble Street Resource Center and Suzanne McCormick of United Way of Greater Portland shared information about homelessness in Portland. Swann and McCormick reminded us that labeling things – homeless – lets us forget that being homeless is more than statistics. Being homeless happens to people; being homeless happens to people who have worked alongside us for decades; being homeless happens to our family, our friends and our neighbors.

So when Swann wanted to know what being homeless was like, he went to the source. Here’s how Bill responded when Swann asked him what it’s like to be homeless in Portland, Maine:

Being homeless means waking up on the floor, mere inches away from a total stranger, it means hoping you can find a seat in the soup kitchen because it is frequently standing room only and you may have to eat standing up. It means walking around in somebody else’s clothes because you don’t have money to buy your own. They don’t fit right but it was the closest you could find from the clothing closet. The shelter had socks so at least your feet are dry, unless it rains and the holes in your shoes start taking in water. It means carrying everything you own, everything, in a back pack or a black trash bag, trying not to remember when it wasn’t so – the job, the apartment, the wife, the car, the sanity, try to forget the losses, except you can’t because nobody will let you forget – you’re nobody without the trappings of belonging. People will look at you with pity or disgust – hard to know which feels worse.

You feel an asthma attack coming on and remember you don’t have an inhaler because you don’t have Mainecare. You hope it’s not too bad and that you can get to the hospital in time if it is. But, who will call 911? If you’re a woman, you may have to do things your mother told you never to do because you simply can’t take one more night on the floor of the shelter.

It means if you’re a senior citizen, it means sitting between the two bathrooms at Preble St. and being fearful of leaving because you’re never sure when you’ll have to go. It means watching from the shadows as the other half lives its life out in the sunshine full of hope and prosperity. And not having either yourself.

This account of what it’s like to be homeless is one of the reasons I’m so sad about how the City Council came to pass the ordinance. While the city’s police chief referenced public safety as his motivation for advocating for the ban, enforcing this ban simply means sweeping the plight of the homeless under the rug. When a problem is out of sight, we stop talking about it. That’s not the Portland I know and love.

Being homeless in Portland and asking for help isn’t about ripping people off or taking advantage of someone stopped at an intersection. Being homeless in Portland is about trying to find your way through a really scary time in your life – an experience none of us can imagine unless we’ve been there. And more and more of our friends are there right now. McCormick and her staff investigated some of the statistics and presented them in this video, What if it were you? The statistics are sobering and highlight the fact that far too many people – our family, our friends and our neighbors – are experiencing what it feels like to be homeless.

I don’t claim to have the answers when it comes to helping the homeless, but I know we need to ask the right questions if we want to get the right answers. Thank you Mark Swann and Suzanne McCormick for asking questions and keeping the conversation going to put us on the path to identifying good solutions.

This post is one in a series highlighting good deeds. Please share examples of good deeds in your community by commenting below or contacting Deb directly.

Sweeping the Homeless Under the Rug was last modified: August 9th, 2013 by Deb Nelson

For the Love of Simba

A lion and a pug walked into a coffee shop… and I got to learn about their fun, wacky, cross-country road trip. Here’s the story:

As Simba relaxed at Crema, one woman remarked, “Seeing that lion is the best thing that’s happened to me today.”

Crema, a Portland, Maine coffee shop, was my satellite office yesterday. It met all of my requirements: fun atmosphere, good coffee, wifi, air conditioning. How could my Crema experience possibly get any better? Enter a giant stuffed lion, carried by its proud owner wearing a pug-adorned t-shirt. (Note to readers: I have a mild pug obsession.) I watched the lion, his owner and two companions approach the pastry case. Unable to control myself, I walked over to find out what was up with this group.

Will Mitchell explained to me that me he and Simba, along with two friends, travelled from the west coast’s Washington to the east coast’s Portland. He handed me a business card and asked me to check out Simba’s website. Of course, I put my work aside to do a little surfing. Sure enough, I learned that Mitchell loves Lion King and has a Lion King collection that includes the five-foot lion. No need to worry that Simba is missing her clan – there’s room for more than one cat on this trip.

Mitchell and friends have documented this coast-to-coast road trip by posting photos online: Simba moose hunting in Montana; visiting Mount Rushmore; fishing in the waters of Portland, Maine; and many more stops along the way. Vegas promises to be a highlight of the return trip! Somehow I suspect that what happens in Vegas will be shared with all of us. I know I’ll be watching for the photo; it promises to tell a good story.

For the Love of Simba was last modified: July 18th, 2013 by Deb Nelson