Brian Sooy's Blog, page 5
April 19, 2017
Four Insights for Better Communications
These four insights will help make you a better communicator, nurture trust, and build loyalty.
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Resist the urge to market to your audience when you should be communicating. Earn the right to market to your customers; nurture trust and familiarity first.
“Conversations help build understanding.” —Simone Joyaux, an internationally recognized expert in board and organizational development. “Think of email as a ‘gratification delivery device’”—Tom Ahern, the leading donor communications strategi...
April 18, 2017
The Core of a Culture of Communication
Being grateful is an opportunity for you to acknowledge how a donor feels about giving, not about the gift itself.
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Gratitude is the core of a customer-focused culture of communication.
Whenever there is a transfer of trust between donors and charities or buyers and sellers, the exchange of money is the validation of that trust. Gratitude acknowledges that you've received that trust, and will be a responsible steward of it.
A generous friend belongs to a giving club. A giving club is a like-mi...
March 29, 2017
The Social Side of a Culture of Communication
All media is social media. Community exists whether you're trying to build one or not, your role is to nurture it. Your social network is already everywhere you visit, speak, and listen.
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There is a groundswell of well-intentioned, but unfounded faith in social media as the cure-all for the lack of mission-driven design discipline.
Social media is a popular topic of discussion at every conference that seeks to educate social purpose sectors from education to human services.
Technology and soci...
February 21, 2017
Make it Personal: Words That Show Your Donors Love
My philanthropic friend loves to share about the causes she supports. Today was no different; only she wasn’t in a mood to share how wonderful the causes are.
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Just past Valentine's Day, she was feeling forlorn. She pulled out a stack of letters from nonprofits she supports and communities to which she belongs.
Each began, “Dear Friend,” or “Dear Sir/Madam.”
Hardly the way to begin a love letter to a donor.
She shared with me: “Of the dozens of nonprofits I care about, only one expresses their...
January 28, 2017
Mission-Driven Culture is Engaging
The mission-driven organization creates a culture of communication when it recognizes it must be engaging—listening more often than it speaks to understand the needs of its audience and constituents.
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An engaging organization empathizes.
When was the last time you asked your audience:
“What do you expect of us?” “What is your experience with us like?” “Why do you support our cause?”Being engaging isn’t always about sharing the great things you’re doing.
Sometimes you need to ask your audien...
December 29, 2016
The Secret Ingredient to a Culture of Communication
What inspires you? Why does it inspire you? Doeswhat inspires you about the purpose of your cause or company inspire your audience in the same way?
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Your organization creates a culture of communication and purpose when it shares stories that speak to the mind and appeal to the heart.
Words are powerful elements of alignment: key themes and messaging must be carefully selected and crafted to create a memorable perception of your organization and the cause it represents.
The words and phrases th...
December 15, 2016
Data and Insights Drive a Culture of Communication
Your organization can drive a culture of communication when it embraces data as a means of sharing greater insight into the outcomes of its mission, and understanding of its cause.
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I don’t necessarily mean big data (the current trend and buzzword). I mean anything observable and measurable: small data, patterns of behavior, feelings and triggers; stated and unstated motivation.
Insight is gleaned from what you measure, and from what you hear in your community’s voices and feedback. This is of...
November 22, 2016
Fostering a Meaningful Culture of Communication
The mission-driven organization creates a purpose-driven culture of communication when its character (its values in action) aligns with the reasons that motivate its followers to believe in its cause.
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An organization or cause becomes meaningful to your audience as individuals begin to form a relationship with your organization.
Your followers choose to support causes and companies whose purpose, character, and culture align with their personal values. Understanding and speaking to these motiv...
November 11, 2016
A Culture of Communication Remains Focused
Can you articulate your organization’s purpose (its cause and the reason that it exists), what it does (its mission), and why it matters (what difference it makes)? If not, you're not alone.
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We live in a world where we find it easy to change our focus and message to adapt to the circumstances and opportunities around us.
Doing so creates confusion in the mind of our audience and followers; it is imperative that we remain focused.
The mission-driven organization creates a culture of purpose-dr...
November 2, 2016
A Culture of Communication Begins with Strategy
Be Strategic. These two words should be among the first words shared with your team in your communication planning.
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Is your strategic plan measurable?
Does it align with your communication plan?
“Be strategic” should be the first words considered with any planning.
The mission-driven organization creates a purpose-driven culture of communication when it aligns its design and communications strategy with the goals of its strategic plan.
Strategy is not an option, it is a requirement of your mi...
