Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Marketing The Search For Miss Teen Canada
Introduction:
Promoting The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World is all about building a brand. It’s a ground up social media marketing experience that has evolved from what used to be a pageant event. This 'celebration' is so much more now... When we agreed to market this event, we asked the same questions every one does about pageants and teenage girls. And then we realized after talking with the girls, and hearing their stories filled with hopes and dreams, that this is a chance to step up and step out. The slogan Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful is more than a catch phrase.
These girls are from all walks of life and they all want to make a difference. To many it’s a stepping stone to a future that will give them the opportunity for continued education, scholarships and more. The fact that they have chosen Free the Children as their charity of choice is telling and each of the 50 finalists is working hard to raise $400.00 each.
Brand Relevance and Social Media Marketing
One thing we know for sure about teenage girls and brand relevance is that marketing to youth has to be authentic and relevant. So we opted to go for a ground up approach and be where they are. We know that social networking is part of their culture. Who else but a teen can be called the communications manager in her family? The social media marketing initiatives created by Rob Campbell of Smojoe are completely on target. Here's a partial list of the Miss Teen Canada Contestant Blogs:
http://kylawills.onsugar.com/
http://wendyhuang.onsugar.com/
http://karmenguillas.onsugar.com/
http://oliviawolter.onsugar.com/onsugar.com
http://cassandratracy.onsugar.com/
http://taylorstronski.onsugar.com/
http://genevievejones.onsugar.com/
http://annissacheyne.onsugar.com/
http://chelsaedurocher.onsugar.com/
http://sarahstriga.onsugar.com/
http://azlynnyablonski.onsugar.com/
http://alexandrahanasz.onsugar.com/
http://jessicacatorc.onsugar.com/
http://genevievetucker.onsugar.com/
http://taralynwolfe.onsugar.com/
The MTC-W Contestant Blogs are designed to create a pipeline for finalists and sponsors to the MTC-W website. The practice will increase our client's Google page rank, and feed an ongoing conversation about The Search for Miss Teen Canada-World. Creating a blog squad using the 50 finalists will increase brand conversation marketing opportunities even more, as each girl talks about her experiences and communicates through her communities. It’s relevant, authentic and experiential. These blogs will really get the word out, as they engage so many communities at once. Add some national and local PR by our sister agency dkpr public relations inc. and you have the recipe for a powerful 'ground swell'.
Brand Relevance and the website
Brand relevance is also about the website destination. So we hired Richard Carmichael because of his vision and his understanding of what this target needed to experience as well as what sponsors required. It also needed to be first class on tight budget; first class because our goal was and is to bring the word integrity into an area that many have forgotten or view on a less than positive note. What’s been created is visual, engaging, and easy. These days a website is a corner stone marketing tool. It can make you money or loose you money –simple as that. We knew that our site needed to be on target and sustainable.
Miss Teen Canada- World is Katie Starke, here is her blog!
Michelle Weswaldi, the director of the Miss Teen Canada- World, has gone coast to coast selecting the final 50 finalist’s who have the ability to be role models, leaders and ambassadors for Canada. This is particularly important for two reasons. Miss Teen Canada-World is the only competition who is licensed to send the winner to Miss Teen World in Houston Texas. She will also be travelling with Free the Children to participate in the building of a school for kids in a country like Africa. Their story will become her story to tell. It all happens on July 25th at the John Basset Theatre – Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.
Brand Relevance: The final Event
As the competition date, July 25th, quickly approaches, Ms. Weswaldi, EnCourse and dkpr, are working to make sure that the final event is more than a competition. It's an event that's entertainment, but also a place where sponsors are proudly showcased alongside the brand. Our sponsors are integrated throughout competition week (July 19th to the 24th) so that our finalists can experience their support first hand
Brand Relevance: Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is more than a catch phrase. It’s taking the time to understand the target beyond demographics in order to speak to them in their language and in places that they frequent. Social Marketing couldn’t be more experiential or more relevant for The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World.
Promoting The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World is all about building a brand. It’s a ground up social media marketing experience that has evolved from what used to be a pageant event. This 'celebration' is so much more now... When we agreed to market this event, we asked the same questions every one does about pageants and teenage girls. And then we realized after talking with the girls, and hearing their stories filled with hopes and dreams, that this is a chance to step up and step out. The slogan Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful is more than a catch phrase.These girls are from all walks of life and they all want to make a difference. To many it’s a stepping stone to a future that will give them the opportunity for continued education, scholarships and more. The fact that they have chosen Free the Children as their charity of choice is telling and each of the 50 finalists is working hard to raise $400.00 each.
Brand Relevance and Social Media Marketing
One thing we know for sure about teenage girls and brand relevance is that marketing to youth has to be authentic and relevant. So we opted to go for a ground up approach and be where they are. We know that social networking is part of their culture. Who else but a teen can be called the communications manager in her family? The social media marketing initiatives created by Rob Campbell of Smojoe are completely on target. Here's a partial list of the Miss Teen Canada Contestant Blogs:http://kylawills.onsugar.com/
http://wendyhuang.onsugar.com/
http://karmenguillas.onsugar.com/
http://oliviawolter.onsugar.com/onsugar.com
http://cassandratracy.onsugar.com/
http://taylorstronski.onsugar.com/
http://genevievejones.onsugar.com/
http://annissacheyne.onsugar.com/
http://chelsaedurocher.onsugar.com/
http://sarahstriga.onsugar.com/
http://azlynnyablonski.onsugar.com/
http://alexandrahanasz.onsugar.com/
http://jessicacatorc.onsugar.com/
http://genevievetucker.onsugar.com/
http://taralynwolfe.onsugar.com/
The MTC-W Contestant Blogs are designed to create a pipeline for finalists and sponsors to the MTC-W website. The practice will increase our client's Google page rank, and feed an ongoing conversation about The Search for Miss Teen Canada-World. Creating a blog squad using the 50 finalists will increase brand conversation marketing opportunities even more, as each girl talks about her experiences and communicates through her communities. It’s relevant, authentic and experiential. These blogs will really get the word out, as they engage so many communities at once. Add some national and local PR by our sister agency dkpr public relations inc. and you have the recipe for a powerful 'ground swell'.Brand Relevance and the website
Brand relevance is also about the website destination. So we hired Richard Carmichael because of his vision and his understanding of what this target needed to experience as well as what sponsors required. It also needed to be first class on tight budget; first class because our goal was and is to bring the word integrity into an area that many have forgotten or view on a less than positive note. What’s been created is visual, engaging, and easy. These days a website is a corner stone marketing tool. It can make you money or loose you money –simple as that. We knew that our site needed to be on target and sustainable.
Miss Teen Canada- World is Katie Starke, here is her blog!Michelle Weswaldi, the director of the Miss Teen Canada- World, has gone coast to coast selecting the final 50 finalist’s who have the ability to be role models, leaders and ambassadors for Canada. This is particularly important for two reasons. Miss Teen Canada-World is the only competition who is licensed to send the winner to Miss Teen World in Houston Texas. She will also be travelling with Free the Children to participate in the building of a school for kids in a country like Africa. Their story will become her story to tell. It all happens on July 25th at the John Basset Theatre – Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.
Brand Relevance: The final Event
As the competition date, July 25th, quickly approaches, Ms. Weswaldi, EnCourse and dkpr, are working to make sure that the final event is more than a competition. It's an event that's entertainment, but also a place where sponsors are proudly showcased alongside the brand. Our sponsors are integrated throughout competition week (July 19th to the 24th) so that our finalists can experience their support first hand
Brand Relevance: Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is more than a catch phrase. It’s taking the time to understand the target beyond demographics in order to speak to them in their language and in places that they frequent. Social Marketing couldn’t be more experiential or more relevant for The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World.
Marketing Reach for the Rainbow
Earlier this year, EnCourse Strategic Marketing and Communications was hired to provide marketing consultation for Reach for the Rainbow, a not-for-profit organization that offers programs and environments of inclusion for disabled children and youth. Working with their partners, Reach for the Rainbow (“RFTR”) focuses on providing these children and their families with the chance to grow together and create memories. This summer, RFTR is teaming up with the National Post, Air Canada Kids’ Horizons and Canwest for the “Every Child Belongs” campaign to drive donations.
Marketing “Every Child Belongs”: “Every Child Belongs” is a collaborative effort involving the National Post, Reach for the Rainbow, Canwest, Air Canada’s Kids’ Horizons and EnCourse. They say it takes a village to raise a child and our mutual efforts are blended to drive donations that ensure the continuing efforts of Reach for the Rainbow.
Today, there are many charities reaching out to children in need and presenting them with opportunities. What makes “Every Child Belongs” different from the rest? All of Reach for the Rainbow’s efforts focus solely on children with physical and development disabilities through inclusionary environments.
If you would like to support this cause, donations are fully tax deductible or partially if you choose to enter a draw to win one of three trips offered by Air Canada’s Kids’ Horizon. While we hope that this will provide a bit of incentive to the general public to donate to “Every Child Belongs”, it is important to remind you that these children, aside from their disabilities are just as loving and joyful as any other child.
Marketing for a not-for-profit organization is not easy. It is a very competitive market, at the best of times, and the larger charities often get the wealthiest share of the available funds and volunteers. Reach for the Rainbow is a smaller not-for-profit organization that does not receive any government assistance. Partnerships like those with the National Post, Air Canada Kids’ Horizon and Canwest are an important part of generating awareness. Reach for the Rainbow is also active with other fundraising initiatives throughout the year such as the 23rd Annual Crystal Ball happening in November, the BMW Ultimate Golf Challenge and more.
At EnCourse, we strongly believe in giving back and are excited to continue our work with Reach for the Rainbow to ensure that they accomplish their ultimate goal of helping disabled children.
Final Thoughts:
Children are one of the world’s most precious gifts and to give them the chance to grow in a loving and caring environment is something we are proud to be a part of. Donna Trella, Executive Director, founded Reach for the Rainbow 25 years ago because of her own daughter, Dove. She believed then, as she does now, that every child belongs. The opportunity for them to attend one of Ontario’s most popular camps is life changing for them and their families. EnCourse is ensuring that their message reaches the widest audience possible and is excited for the success of this campaign.
Marketing Yourself
Introduction:
In today’s economic climate Brand Relevance also applies to the individual especially if you are looking for a job- your dream job. Working with a head hunter or posting on line resume is not enough. People don’t realize they are marketing themselves with that two pager with a cover letter. With such a saturated market, full of experienced and upcoming businesses, you need to differentiate and be unique from the crowd of applicants. This is where networking comes into play and the opportunity for you to showcase yourself in a more personable atmosphere.
Brand Relevance: MarketingYourself:
Many jobs these days are not advertised or publicized in the public and are mostly only known about the “hidden job market”. To access this market, you must know how to network within your current surroundings.
This starts with knowing who to talk to within your family, friends, fellow co-workers, etc… By starting with the people close to you, you are already building a word- of- mouth network foundation, and in hopes that they will spread the word as well. Once you start to gathering information about potential job leads and different companies, you need to start organizing your profile. This includes strengthening your resume and cover letter to reflect your point of difference and your promise. Remember that you cannot rely on old resume for its content or design since it will not be a true testament to your achievements and strengths, to date.
Next In addition the internet. Generating buzz and popularity online is quickly becoming a dominant trend and social marketing outlets, such as Twitter, Linked In and Facebook, are becoming popular for companies and individuals to showcase themselves. Social media marketing is becoming one of the strongest ways to network within your respective industry, whether as an employer or an employee, thus it is a beneficial channel for both parties.
Be proactive in following up with your leads (send emails, make regular phone calls, etc…). Building a relationship with them is very important and connection is what brand relevance is all about. Even if your skill set might not fit their needs, they could very well recommend you to a partnering company. Therefore, it is evident that word of mouth marketing does not just end at potential employers but goes much further if you’re able to successfully market yourself.
Final Thoughts:
As demonstrated, networking is a “no pain, no gain” approach. With the right efforts, the beauty of networking comes with great short term and long term benefits. Whether for personal or business reasons, marketing yourself will always give you that competitive advantage and confidence that you’ll stick out from the rest.
In today’s economic climate Brand Relevance also applies to the individual especially if you are looking for a job- your dream job. Working with a head hunter or posting on line resume is not enough. People don’t realize they are marketing themselves with that two pager with a cover letter. With such a saturated market, full of experienced and upcoming businesses, you need to differentiate and be unique from the crowd of applicants. This is where networking comes into play and the opportunity for you to showcase yourself in a more personable atmosphere.
Brand Relevance: MarketingYourself:
Many jobs these days are not advertised or publicized in the public and are mostly only known about the “hidden job market”. To access this market, you must know how to network within your current surroundings.
This starts with knowing who to talk to within your family, friends, fellow co-workers, etc… By starting with the people close to you, you are already building a word- of- mouth network foundation, and in hopes that they will spread the word as well. Once you start to gathering information about potential job leads and different companies, you need to start organizing your profile. This includes strengthening your resume and cover letter to reflect your point of difference and your promise. Remember that you cannot rely on old resume for its content or design since it will not be a true testament to your achievements and strengths, to date.
Next In addition the internet. Generating buzz and popularity online is quickly becoming a dominant trend and social marketing outlets, such as Twitter, Linked In and Facebook, are becoming popular for companies and individuals to showcase themselves. Social media marketing is becoming one of the strongest ways to network within your respective industry, whether as an employer or an employee, thus it is a beneficial channel for both parties.
Be proactive in following up with your leads (send emails, make regular phone calls, etc…). Building a relationship with them is very important and connection is what brand relevance is all about. Even if your skill set might not fit their needs, they could very well recommend you to a partnering company. Therefore, it is evident that word of mouth marketing does not just end at potential employers but goes much further if you’re able to successfully market yourself.
Final Thoughts:
As demonstrated, networking is a “no pain, no gain” approach. With the right efforts, the beauty of networking comes with great short term and long term benefits. Whether for personal or business reasons, marketing yourself will always give you that competitive advantage and confidence that you’ll stick out from the rest.
Brand Relevance
Introduction:
Brand relevance is about your brand being and staying significant in the minds of your consumers. It is about being able to deliver an outward promise to your customer that goes beyond your mere product and service. Being relevant means that your brand connects and resonates with the consumers, educates them, and provides them with a deeper meaning to their life.
Brand Relevance:
Achieving brand relevance, today, is much harder than perceived since traditional marketing strategies are no longer effective enough. Brand relevance includes a much more thorough understanding of your consumer, your market, and your brand. After reviewing these analyses, a company’s response and strategy to obtain brand relevance is a fundamental success factor.
Gaining awareness in itself is a challenging task, in that your brand must be exposed through the increasingly popular channels today, including all media and social marketing outlets. The message you deliver through these marketing channels will begin your path to achieving brand relevance.
Your company’s message is your company’s promise. Brand relevance means that your promise is authentic and differentiated; your consumers will overlook the price and the competitors to remain loyal to your brand, in the short and long term and throughout all stages of the economic cycle.
Also contributing to brand relevance is the meaning behind your brand: what it stands for and how committed and consistent it is in conveying that meaning to the general public. These days, consumers look past brands that only market for short- term profits; those brands become irrelevant, very quickly. Instead, they are attracted to brands that strive for that consumer connection by expressing themselves through diverse means, while maintaining their roots. Brands that are constantly re-inventing themselves and challenging their consumers, while being consistent in delivering their promise are the ones that become relevant in their respective product categories.
Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is often an overlooked objective in marketing plans. Many companies are quick to assume that strategies being recycled year after year have already established themselves as being relevant in the market. Unfortunately, with an ever evolving society, including new technologies and fresher marketing channels, old- fashioned marketing tactics are becoming weaker and weaker.
More than ever, today’s aggressive market poses the urgent need for brand relevance. Companies must look beyond their comfort zones and learn to take risks to be differentiated and unique. As well, the brand relevance objective and initial promise must be consistently revisited and pursued diligently.
Brand relevance is about your brand being and staying significant in the minds of your consumers. It is about being able to deliver an outward promise to your customer that goes beyond your mere product and service. Being relevant means that your brand connects and resonates with the consumers, educates them, and provides them with a deeper meaning to their life.
Brand Relevance:
Achieving brand relevance, today, is much harder than perceived since traditional marketing strategies are no longer effective enough. Brand relevance includes a much more thorough understanding of your consumer, your market, and your brand. After reviewing these analyses, a company’s response and strategy to obtain brand relevance is a fundamental success factor.
Gaining awareness in itself is a challenging task, in that your brand must be exposed through the increasingly popular channels today, including all media and social marketing outlets. The message you deliver through these marketing channels will begin your path to achieving brand relevance.
Your company’s message is your company’s promise. Brand relevance means that your promise is authentic and differentiated; your consumers will overlook the price and the competitors to remain loyal to your brand, in the short and long term and throughout all stages of the economic cycle.
Also contributing to brand relevance is the meaning behind your brand: what it stands for and how committed and consistent it is in conveying that meaning to the general public. These days, consumers look past brands that only market for short- term profits; those brands become irrelevant, very quickly. Instead, they are attracted to brands that strive for that consumer connection by expressing themselves through diverse means, while maintaining their roots. Brands that are constantly re-inventing themselves and challenging their consumers, while being consistent in delivering their promise are the ones that become relevant in their respective product categories.
Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is often an overlooked objective in marketing plans. Many companies are quick to assume that strategies being recycled year after year have already established themselves as being relevant in the market. Unfortunately, with an ever evolving society, including new technologies and fresher marketing channels, old- fashioned marketing tactics are becoming weaker and weaker.
More than ever, today’s aggressive market poses the urgent need for brand relevance. Companies must look beyond their comfort zones and learn to take risks to be differentiated and unique. As well, the brand relevance objective and initial promise must be consistently revisited and pursued diligently.
Friday, October 17, 2008
On Being Your Word: A 45 Day Challenge
There’s a lot of books and courses out there on leadership and success filled with the how to’s of being successful, managing your career, climbing the ladder, being a great entrepreneur and leadership. A lot of them are good books with good advice and written by people have already achieved a certain stature. So what’s the catch? Why, with so many helpful hints and tips and pathways are not more businesses showing healthy growth, or more people living there dreams.
I think it’s because there isn’t enough attention paid to one key and very basic element: Being Your Word. With all the complexity that is delivered it seems like a too simple thing; so simple that most dismiss it with a waive, or one of those “don’t be so naïve” looks.
The thing is; it works and I can tell you it isn’t as simple or as easy as the words imply. God knows it’s becoming an overworked phrase that people hear but don’t listen to.
I’ve considered myself one of those people who honor my word and boasted about it. Yet I was caught short recently. I had decided to do a couple of courses offered by a U.S. Coaching company that I will be doing some business with. Part of the decision was to become familiar with their model and the other part was to get a better handle on their core values. The first course was becoming an accountability coach so you can imagine how often I heard the phrase “be your word”. Well, I completed the course and I, like other participants, achieved that goal about 50% of the time. It was good enough or so we thought. The second course was designed for real estate agents, and it was about building a successful business. Yup another magic potion. To my surprise the content was actually very good but there was that phrase again. I remember thinking to myself that it was easy for these guys to keep nattering about it but things happen don’t they. The kids are sick or the school is calling; a meeting ran late or the boss has you working so much over-time you can’t hear yourself think or for that matter see straight. Or there is so much going on that you just forgot. All good reasons, so, I just tuned the damned phrase out – that is until one afternoon as I was sitting in on the weekly tele-class. There I was, sitting in a parking lot on a hot summer afternoon, phone pressed to my ear – half listening as I was managing some other paper work when I actually got it. To this day I’m still not sure what exactly the moderator said differently but it hit me and I heard. My business was not a raging success and if truth be known I was about to throw in the towel and go back to the big corporate job once owned. So why wasn’t it more successful? I had to face it. I had not followed through on more than half the ideas I had told myself I would put into motion. So what would happen if I kept those promises to myself and actually did follow through? It wasn’t that the ideas were bad, or the intention was faulty. I was not my word with myself. It wasn’t even the big things as much as it was the little everyday things.
Being your word means being at the top of your game. It means never forgetting. It means never over-promising to impress. It means high standards of performance, focusing on the outcome and flawless execution. It means honesty and trust that is earned. It means never having to be worried about being transparent, or scrambling to make up the difference on something that has fallen short. It’s about turning up every moment of everyday full present and accounted for. It’s not about being taken advantage of as some people claim, or being trampled on because bad things happen to honest people. None of that can happen if you are fully conscious of what you are promising. If you can’t guarantee it then don’t offer it.
So, I set my own challenge and decided that for 45 days, I would be my word no matter what. And guess what? I started to see results. Am I still working to build a ragingly successful business? You bet! But I’m working smart and having a blast.
So, I challenge you. Take 45 days and be your word on everything including the promises you make yourself. If you find you are faltering, step back, review and re-organize so that what you are promising is manageable and doable. I already know that it will be tough because sometimes life and work are moving too fast with deadlines that are often not set by you. And that’s when you again step back and re-assess, re-group, re-assess again and come up with a solution that will work for all concerned. You absolutely do have the power to do this whether it’s by yourself or with a superb team that you can rally. See if you don’t find that you too are working smarter and coming up with solutions that lead to success.
Oh- and if you are wondering why 45 days. Well, it takes 30 days to break a habit and one second to fall back into the same old same old. If you can break a habit in 30 days than another 15 is the building of a new one.
Ellen Smith
Strategic Coach
En Course
http://www.en-course.com/
I think it’s because there isn’t enough attention paid to one key and very basic element: Being Your Word. With all the complexity that is delivered it seems like a too simple thing; so simple that most dismiss it with a waive, or one of those “don’t be so naïve” looks.
The thing is; it works and I can tell you it isn’t as simple or as easy as the words imply. God knows it’s becoming an overworked phrase that people hear but don’t listen to.
I’ve considered myself one of those people who honor my word and boasted about it. Yet I was caught short recently. I had decided to do a couple of courses offered by a U.S. Coaching company that I will be doing some business with. Part of the decision was to become familiar with their model and the other part was to get a better handle on their core values. The first course was becoming an accountability coach so you can imagine how often I heard the phrase “be your word”. Well, I completed the course and I, like other participants, achieved that goal about 50% of the time. It was good enough or so we thought. The second course was designed for real estate agents, and it was about building a successful business. Yup another magic potion. To my surprise the content was actually very good but there was that phrase again. I remember thinking to myself that it was easy for these guys to keep nattering about it but things happen don’t they. The kids are sick or the school is calling; a meeting ran late or the boss has you working so much over-time you can’t hear yourself think or for that matter see straight. Or there is so much going on that you just forgot. All good reasons, so, I just tuned the damned phrase out – that is until one afternoon as I was sitting in on the weekly tele-class. There I was, sitting in a parking lot on a hot summer afternoon, phone pressed to my ear – half listening as I was managing some other paper work when I actually got it. To this day I’m still not sure what exactly the moderator said differently but it hit me and I heard. My business was not a raging success and if truth be known I was about to throw in the towel and go back to the big corporate job once owned. So why wasn’t it more successful? I had to face it. I had not followed through on more than half the ideas I had told myself I would put into motion. So what would happen if I kept those promises to myself and actually did follow through? It wasn’t that the ideas were bad, or the intention was faulty. I was not my word with myself. It wasn’t even the big things as much as it was the little everyday things.
Being your word means being at the top of your game. It means never forgetting. It means never over-promising to impress. It means high standards of performance, focusing on the outcome and flawless execution. It means honesty and trust that is earned. It means never having to be worried about being transparent, or scrambling to make up the difference on something that has fallen short. It’s about turning up every moment of everyday full present and accounted for. It’s not about being taken advantage of as some people claim, or being trampled on because bad things happen to honest people. None of that can happen if you are fully conscious of what you are promising. If you can’t guarantee it then don’t offer it.
So, I set my own challenge and decided that for 45 days, I would be my word no matter what. And guess what? I started to see results. Am I still working to build a ragingly successful business? You bet! But I’m working smart and having a blast.
So, I challenge you. Take 45 days and be your word on everything including the promises you make yourself. If you find you are faltering, step back, review and re-organize so that what you are promising is manageable and doable. I already know that it will be tough because sometimes life and work are moving too fast with deadlines that are often not set by you. And that’s when you again step back and re-assess, re-group, re-assess again and come up with a solution that will work for all concerned. You absolutely do have the power to do this whether it’s by yourself or with a superb team that you can rally. See if you don’t find that you too are working smarter and coming up with solutions that lead to success.
Oh- and if you are wondering why 45 days. Well, it takes 30 days to break a habit and one second to fall back into the same old same old. If you can break a habit in 30 days than another 15 is the building of a new one.
Ellen Smith
Strategic Coach
En Course
http://www.en-course.com/
Friday, October 10, 2008
Effective Leadership is Effective Listening
Did you know that 40 to 60 per cent of your workday is spent listening? Do you know that less than 2% of us are trained on how to do it effectively? And did you know that 75% of what is spoken is forgotten?
If you really want to get the most out of your client relationships as well as those of your staff and co-workers, try speaking less and listening more.
Listening is one of those skills that we tend not to develop. Rather when we are with someone, we are often thinking about what we’re going to say next or what is going to happen at our next appointment. If we’re not thinking about something else, we’re over-talking or jumping in and offering our opinions before someone else has finished talking. If that’s going on, I can guaranteed you that you are missing something important that your client or co-worker is telling you. Often it’s not obvious- it’s under the words or in the non- verbal clues. Catching these things can make the difference between solid relationship and one that is hit or miss. When you don’t listen, there is lack of clarity and people don’t feel respected or motivated to meet you half way.
It use to be that leaders created the vision and expected people to follow along. In fact there are many of today's leaders that still hold to that practice. However, leadership is changing. Today good leadership by any definition is more inclusive and that involves effective listening. An effective listener builds trust so that ideas can be heard, vision can be established and agendas can be understood. Effective listening is one of the most important tools you will have in building your business relationships. So, next time you are with someone or your team try the following:
Stop talking: Button your lips and give someone else the floor
Get rid of distractions: If you find your mind wandering, pull it back and give your attention to the person talking
Keep an open mind: The minute you let assumptions or judgments enter your head, you have stopped listening and you will miss a possible critical piece of information
Show Interest: Turn off your cell phone, your Blackberry and actually make eye contact.
Pay Attention to non-verbal clues: A person’s facial expressions, tone of voice and body language are clues that tell more than the words.
Don’t interrupt unless the building is on fire
Acknowledge what’s being said without comment or criticism. Try open ended questions like: How does that work or what did you do then?
Use paraphrasing to make sure you understand the key points being communicated
Give and receive feedback: See it as positive and encourage others to speak up and share their ideas
Take notes: Write down what you heard with as much detail as you can. The more you remember the better you listened.
These are simple things that we all know but don't do. Try them in at least one converstation today and see what you find out. See if what you find out makes a difference in how you move forward. See if how you move forward gives you better results.
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