Flynn Wright

Sometimes when I get fixated on making something happen, little stands in my way from securing it. I’m not unreasonable; I just set my sights on something and go after it. I’m not talking about summiting Mount Everest  or inventing the first and coolest online savings system. I’m talking about other things — things that might not matter to some but, well, matter to me.

Like the time about five years ago that I saw a dress I wanted to get for our daughter’s first birthday. It was perfect — but they didn’t have it in her size. I looked for something else, but somewhat obsessively wanted that dress. I spent the better part of that weekend searching for it. Nothing. Bound and determined, I ended up talking to the children’s buyer for Von Maur who LOCATED the dress for me in our daughter’s size in their WAREHOUSE. Von Maur shopper for life? You betcha.

Let’s be honest — she could’ve told me that my cause was a lost one and to move on. Wouldn’t you have? Probably a little more than a minor inconvenience on her part, but imagine how happy I was!

Now the flip side. A couple of weeks ago, we were on vacation and found the snack bars we buy our kids in a flavor not available in Iowa. We nearly bought out the local stores of their Clif Kid Organic Zbars in Chocolate Chip.

I couldn’t email my favorite local grocery store fast enough to ask if they would carry the chocolate chip version. And about 30 minutes after I hit send, they replied that they were going to ask their purchasing manager if they could get them and would let me know right away. I was really impressed that they replied so quickly and were looking into it. I thought in no time my kids would have an unlimited supply of chocolate chip Clif bars! But … that was two weeks ago, and still no word. Sigh.

Does it really matter in the big scheme of things? No, of course it doesn’t. They are busy people with busy stores and other customers who want other products. I get it. No problem-o, really. But imagine if they HAD replied. Even if their reply was, “We tried, but sorry, no.” It would’ve been better than nothing.

So, the question(s) for today is: in your busy world, with all of the customers you have, do they truly understand that you appreciate their business? Do they understand that you know they have a choice of who they do business with and you’re sure glad it’s you? Do you feel good about your internal team communicating with these people — the lifeline to your company — and ensuring their satisfaction? Do you have things in place to measure that level of satisfaction?

These things don’t need to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. We help our clients (who we try very hard to show our appreciation) with seemingly little things they can integrate into their business that might not look like a big deal but make an impact on how their customers view them within their business, their industry and within the communities they serve.

You should take away a couple of things from this entry…first, that we should always show the people we do business with how much we appreciate them, even if it means going an extra mile (heck, half-mile) to earn a life-long customer. And secondly, if you ever need help locating an item for your kids, I’m your girl.

Earlier today I attended a philanthropy luncheon on behalf of The Des Moines “I Have A Dream” Foundation, an organization with which I’m involved. They received a check for a Community Betterment Grant from Prairie Meadows, who funnels a ton of money back into our community each year.

I couldn’t help but think: In years past, that money was probably going to fund a specific event or program; today, it’s very possible that same money is going to help a non-profit organization keep their doors open. Of the handful of organizations I’m involved with, each of them has felt the impact of donor support tightening on some level. And it’s not just money — it’s donations of time, materials and professional support.

There are so many organizations in this community that need your support — and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time (because who has any extra of that?!), but it is a good opportunity to put your craft or talents to work outside of your professional career. Use the opportunity to explore a personal passion — or at the very least, support a cause that means something to you: kids, animals, the arts, the environment, sports. But before you dive in, some tips to ask yourself:

• How does this organization’s mission fit my personal and professional outlook?
• What can I contribute to this organization?
• Who can I talk to that is currently involved (board member, volunteer)?
• What’s the application/selection process?
• What’s the time commitment?
• When is the time commitment (during the day, evenings, etc.)?
• What is the financial commitment?

Nonprofits should also consider the benefits of reaching into their own community and tapping into the talent available. When people have a good experience with an organization, whether it’s for an event, as a volunteer, as a donor or just as a supporter, it means good promotion for that organization. It’s like having your own cadre of volunteer PR people who are naturally credible because of their first-hand experience with, and genuine passion for, your organization.

We’re fortunate at Flynn Wright that getting involved in the community is not only supported, it’s encouraged. I’d be interested to know where you concentrate your efforts and how you put your professional expertise to work for an organization that means something to you. Drop me an email or a comment and let me know…

If you’ve ever been involved in a media training session, you know that some of what’s covered is how you can easily say something that at the very least doesn’t come across the way you intended and, at the very worst, gets you into a heap of trouble.

Does this happen often? Not really. Does it happen more than you’d think? Probably. Could it happen to you? Definitely.  

Each day, members of the media go out into the community to report on what they think is the most relevant to what’s happening right now and what viewers want to see. Sometimes, they’ll find us and sometimes, we find them.  

But there seems to be a misconception (in my opinion) that the media is out to get us. That they are looking for a story within a story and trying to tell something not the way that it is, but the way that it isn’t. I believe that actually it’s just the opposite and that people can be their own worst enemy.

Here’s the thing: a television reporter has about three minutes (give or take) of air time to condense whatever the subject du jour is. They need to take all of the footage and information they’ve collected – sometimes hours worth – and whittle that down to three minutes chock-full of background, sound bites, images, evidence, stand-up, voice over, etc.  

Same with newspaper reporters. They take all of the collected interviews, research and investigation and have to condense that and write anywhere from an average of 500-800 words.  

So – if you’re talking to a television reporter for 30 minutes and they need to fit that interview plus everything else into a three minute segment – by the very nature of time, you’re going to be taken out of context. They have to tell the story through their eyes – how they see it based on all of the collected information they’ve gathered. 

So what’s an interviewee to do? One word, and you’ve heard it before: prepare. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Preparation is as key for a media interview as it is for a job interview or a speaking engagement.  

Is media training part of the preparation process? Absolutely. If you think you’ll ever find yourself on camera, in print, or just in front of people, media training is probably the best form of preparation. But it’s not the only step.  

Here’s an analogy I heard that I wish I had thought of: Someone goes to a great law school to become an exceptional lawyer. That doesn’t mean they don’t prepare for each case they work on. Just because you go through a media training session doesn’t mean you shouldn’t – or don’t need to – prepare for an interview.

If everyone did this to the fullest extent, we wouldn’t have people giving such horrific interviews. Watch the news – each newscast has at least one interview that I’m sure was the best sound bite that reporter had to work with, but someone totally missed an opportunity to say something enlightening or informative or interesting. Ask any fellow PR professional – they see the same things I do every day.  

Preparing doesn’t need to take a lot of time – it could be 5 or 10 minutes. Take the time to think about not only what you’re going to say, but what – here’s the key – what you have to offer to the story.  

It might be an interview about an event that you’ve done for the last 20 years or it might be an interview about a topic that you know so much about you talk about it in your sleep. Even if it’s a hot topic – especially if it’s a hot topic – tell the reporter you’ll call them right back (never say “no comment” and never burn a bridge by not calling them back – but that’s another blog post). Then take the time to think about why you’re an expert about this subject and list the top (no more than three) things you want to focus on. And, just before you make that call back to the reporter, call your PR person and ask them what they think. When the story runs, you’ll be happy you did.  

Tell me – who do you think gives some of the best television interviews? I have my list of top pros (local and otherwise), and would love to hear who you think is the best of the best.