Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise

Are you talking too much and saying very little?

Maybe you need to “Divorce the details that excite you but alienate your listeners.”

Great post from Blog Decker about being in the weeds.

Let’s be frank…

Love the original context here about online giving. This is fresh. It grows trust with unsterilized copy and refreshing honesty. I don’t feel like someone is talking AT me or wants anything FROM me. It engages me.

You’ll find this tone throughout the entire site… although I highlighted online giving because it’s the hardest thing to talk about effectively.

Well done, Knoxlife Church, well done.

Are you looking for a vendor or a partner?

Sometimes you need to hire a job done. But, before hiring any outside professionals (e.g., consultants, vendors, firms, agencies, etc.), there are key things to consider in the selection process. Technical skills or industry knowledge alone does not make for a successful union. Too many consultants optimize their businesses for themselves - not their customers. It's the difference between a strategic partner and service provider.

When we're looking for outside help, we need more than templates, products and a one-size fits all approach. We're looking for "A trusted advisor. A mental sparring partner. Someone with the flexibility of a great vendor, yet the resolve of a doctor who is not prepared to give bad medicine." With inspiration from this FutureLab document, I've created a list of things to look for in a partner.

1. Someone who focuses on solutions instead of products. Many consultants listen to a client's request for a solution and come back with an answer that fits their in-house capabilities and compensation models. We're leery of people who are quick to offer a product-only solution (their product only). I count on outside experts to help us navigate and give us good working options from which to choose. Third-party solutions are a good thing--don't build from scratch just because you can. Proprietary methods and strategies can take years instead of months to implement. In one short conversation, it is evident whether someone is interested in selling products or taking a personal interest in your continued success.
2. Someone who improves upon your ideas. Many consultants will do what you want--no questions asked. That's not a good thing. We're interested in someone who will tell us what is out there, challenge us and help us see potential problems with our objectives. We may have a great vision and plan to reach the vision that won’t sustain today’s technology or client environments. A partner will help us continually look at the big picture and avoid making decisions with blinders on. It’s their job to educate us about the potential consequences of our decisions, good and bad. Do they have the ability to serve as our "mental sparring partner" or not?
3. Someone who can reveal the cost of failure. Most consultants don’t talk ROI. Instead, they emphasize the budgets they manage as well as the client list, certifications and awards they have. While some of that is important, it’s more important to demonstrate they’ll make back more than they spend on your services. Name dropping is not a good sign--run away.
4. Someone who owns the troubleshooting. Our long-lasting partnerships are with people who demonstrate client-service to a fault. A “can-do” attitude is overlying tone of all interactions. As the expert, it is their job to tell us how something will work and ensure that it does. With all the technology solutions and resources available today, there is always a solution. It is our expectation that we will never hear “it can’t be done” but rather "here's what we CAN do."
5. Someone who educates your team to be self-sufficient. How our partner plans to transfer their knowledge to our in-house team needs to be part of the deal. Proactive is better than reactive. I want someone who will bring solutions to our attention that will improve our situation.
6. Someone who helps you grow into it. It's important to partner with someone who not only sees the current picture of today's reality, but also helps prepare you for course changes or growth without breaking or forcing you to start from scratch.

By the way, during my season on staff at Granger, there are a few companies who deliver on "all of the above." I consider them to be “strategic partners.”  While we've worked with other great people as well, these four companies rise to the top because of the size, scope and length of the relationship. They complement us -- focusing on the areas we are weak so we can stay focused on the areas where we are strong. We are better because of them.  

• AspireOne. Branding and web experiences.
• Fellowship Technologies. Database management.
• Lightcast. Media streaming.
• Commerce Guys. Ecommerce customization and implementation.

It's in your words...

This was one of those "forwards" from my mom. But, it's a good one. Thanks, mom!

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet.  He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help."  There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by.  He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.  He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.  He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up.  A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.  That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.  The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning?  What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth.  I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind.  But the first sign simply said the boy was blind.  The second sign told people that they were so blessed that they were not blind.  Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Are you giving people information or inspiration? Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and expect positive results.

Want to change people's behavior? Make it fun.

Want buy-in? Make it fun. It's been proven...thanks to the scientists at Volkswagen. (Thank Matt for the find.)

How many more people will choose the stairs over the escalator -- if you make it fun to do?

 

How many more people will actually throw their trash away -- if you make it fun to do?

It's not that people hate change. They just hate the way you're trying to change them. (via Michael T. Kanazawa) If you're not getting the results you're looking for, change your approach.

Want a more practical example? I snapped this photo at Christ Community Church. They get it. If you want more people to "follow the rules" you gotta make it fun.

Why some organizations succeed and others...

You want to maximize response? You have to minimize options. Will a picture help? Lucky for you, I just happen to have one from Stuff Happens.

Does it get you thinking about how you do things in your organization? Think about your print pieces, web sites, processes, voicemail...the whole shebang. There's always something you can simplify. In fact, I had one meeting today about simplifying our web site and have one scheduled for tomorrow about simplifying our volunteer sign-up process. In both cases, our current solution makes sense to us internally, but is stalling out externally. Instead of defending why we do it the way we do, we're going to figure out what needs to change. That means we have some work to do.

Simple is smart and it's hard work. Complicated is ignorant and it's lazy. Just sayin'.

Fight Information Obesity. How to simplify your marketing...

Recently Guy Kawasaki invited me to share a few words over on the Amex Small Business Blog. Inside scoop? He edited my original submission because he said it was obese. That's ironic. Made me laugh. And, he was right. You can always cut words. And, then you can cut again. Here's the edited article. Better than the original.

Fight Information Obesity...How to simplify your marketing.

Information overload occurs when we receive more information than our brain can process. Even if it’s good information, too much of a good thing isn’t good anymore. Whether you’re an information addict or Zen advocate, information overload affects us all.

If you’d like to contribute something of real value that improves quality of life, it’s as simple as dialing back your own volume. Here are five ways you should be looking to help reduce the stress for your customers.

1. Stick to the facts. Don’t over-sell, over-fluff, over-explain or over control. Just provide the information someone needs to self-sort and self-decide. People don’t need a page on the philosophy for every business, product, or event. They do need to know who it’s for, what it is, when it happens and how to get it.

2. Stick to the point. Start with the end in mind before you take action. If you know the purpose behind your letter, brochure, or meeting, it makes it easier for you to stay on track and focused. Otherwise, it’s hard to recognize your own excess. Do you want people to show up, respond, or buy? What are you asking them to do? If you can’t answer that question easily, neither can they.

3. Consider the crowd. Does your announcement (printed or verbal) apply to everyone or just a handful of people? If it doesn’t affect the masses, it’s going to land like dead weight. Don’t punish the crowd to keep a few people happy (even if they are the most vocal). Find a way to talk about the 20% that affects 80% of your audience.

4. Don’t intrude. Unless they’ve asked for it, people welcome your mass emails as much as a salesman ringing the doorbell during family dinner. Respect personal space and put information in a place easy for people to find when they want or need it.

5. Deflate your self-importance. Are you more attached to what you have to say than to who you are talking to? People are more inclined to read and respond when something is delivered from their point of view—not yours. Work hard to think like your audience to find ways to connect.

Life is overwhelming enough as it is. Your business, church, school, or social cause shouldn’t be piling on more and adding to the confusion. Look at your own emails, mailings, brochures, web site, and identify where you need to turn down your volume. It’s the right thing to do for everyone.

Shift happens...are you paying attention?

It's easier than ever to reach a large audience, but harder than ever to connect with it.

Did you know?

Thanks, Xplane for a great media. And, thanks to Jake for helping me find it.

Top 5 places to start reading in the Bible...

Somebody recently asked me how to start reading the bible. They were just kicking off their journey and were looking for handles that made sense. In the moment, I didn't know how to answer them. There's so many good places to start. I didn't know how to prioritize, categorize or communicate where to begin.

I could Google all the best Christian advice on the subject or ask some reputable pastors I know, but I felt compelled to make it more personal. I remember how frustrating it was when I was the one looking for help getting started. I didn't have the same filter as a Bible scholar or even a regular "seasoned church person" and was desperately looking for someone to answer my question in plain English and help me relate it to my life.

After giving this question some thought and reflecting on my own journey, I made this list. For me, these books were the most relatable, practical places for me to get a grip when I was introducing the Bible into my life. In no particular order...

• John ... to learn about Jesus
• Acts ... to learn about the Church
• James ... essential wisdom for daily living
• Ecclesiastes ... an expose of the arrogant and ignorant expectations we fall victim to
• Proverbs ... practical quotes, sayings and images for the here and now

* This list includes my personal recommendations and does not reflect the views of any recognized seminary, theologian or tract authors.

I want to associate with organizations that have personality

Case in point... this simple form letter is so refreshingly original and unpredictable it makes me want to buy more. I'll recommend this company to people because of this email alone. How much money and time did it take to create a new fan? Slim to none.

There's not enough personality these days. Have some fun. Take some liberties. Loosen' up. Where are you missing these simple, small opportunities for big impact in your church?