Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Airplanes are great places to brainstorm. I had my share of airplane time in 2011. Someone recently asked me: "How many miles did you travel in 2011?" I have no idea. The mileage doesn't matter to me. Planes are valuable office time for me. I don't think about how many miles I'm flying, but the time to clearly think and plan while I am in the air.

Here's what I've been thinking and planning about marketing, communications and working with you:

The past 12 months
Lucky me. Thankful for bright, committed Association Executives who strive to get better

nSight Marketing worked with 40+ associations across the US  to help you get to know your members' needs, plan effectively, grow better leaders and think about communications in a more organized way.

The last 12 weeks
Information Gathering

• While I work, I was on my annual Q4 sabbatical. I was multi-tasking of course - working and learning, thoughtful reflection, surveying my team and target audience to get the facts and a basis for new ideas.
• I attend one major communications learning event per year. This one was at Southwest Airlines and the focus was brand and execution.
• I want insight from my customers and target audience, so I asked myself: What are my goals and what do I want to know?
• Analyzed my process and decide if I walk my talk. In other words, I want to make sure that I follow my own beliefs about my communications, and interaction with my current and potential customers.
• Formally asked my employees and support staff what we do well and what we can do better.
• I began getting nervous about starting the year at ZERO. Just like everyone else.
• Started on my plan for the new year. A plan to do better work with the heads and hands around me.

The next 12 days
Focus

• Update my brand promise and value proposition.
• Work with people around me to be sure we implement significant learning events and communications changes for the better.
• Finalize the 2012 plan.
• Stop eating and drinking so much!

The next 12 months
Passionate

• To work with associations who are determined, deliberate and aggressive in building a strong and living value proposition. 
• To help association executives and leaders create and communicate their brand and their value in order to exceed their membership and business goals.  

A wish for you
I wish you quality quiet moments - wherever you can find them.
I wish you thinking back to celebrate.
I wish you thinking ahead to get better.
I wish you a team who helps you get better in delivering the highest quality in every interaction.
I wish you joy in your work - knowing how many lives you touch in a positive way.

Happy New Year!

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Are you listening?

My favorite quote of the week: “In a society of super-sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners.”                                                                                                      – Erma Bombeck


If you and I haven’t met yet (or better yet if we have), you know my mantra from spending the past 20+ years with real estate professionals: REALTORS® really want three things from your association:


     1. They want to LEARN something they can apply to their work,
     2. They want you to ADVOCATE for them to keep the industry healthy, and
     3. They want you to help them MAKE more money! That’s it.

In a recent article I wrote for an association newsmagazine outlined how Nobu Hata, a REALTOR® in Minneapolis uses his Facebook business page as a referral and sales tool. He admits to getting nearly 30% of his leads there. Instead of telling you more here, you can link to the article by clicking here.


If you want to give your members a two of their three biggest asks – learning helping them make more money, you have my cyberspace permission to link this article onto your blog or forward it to your membership in your e-newsletter! Please use caution when promoting this: Social networking is not a selling strategy; it is a social strategy, and is meant to build relationships. As you well-know, the best sales professionals approach the relationship first, before (and many times instead of) a direct solicitation.

Let me know if Facebook is helping your members by replying to this post.

Are you listening?