Launch a FACE for your organisation

Have you thought about naming a "Face" for your organisation? This is not just for cosmetics companies, although they have certainly developed it as a marketing tool. You can do it too no matter what your organisation's role. Find someone who can speak well about what you do, preferably someone within your organisation so that you don't have to pay them fees to market for you. That face then becomes the human image of your operations. Their picture gives your prospective members and clients a person to relate to. Record that person's testimonials and use them on all of your materials. Business cards, letterhead, websites, blogs ... anywhere people are seeing your brand is somewhere you can feature the face of your organisation, and that person's powerful testimonial. They can then also attend your functions, meetings and conferences and speak there as well. This is a powerful marketing tool and one that is not just limited to "beauty."

Executing good strategies

I find that in many organisations, there are people who dream, who have a wonderful shining vision for the organisation. And then there are the doers, who will go along to events and meetings and are happy to fill the rosters, but who do not glow with the vision. One of the greatest challenges of an organisation is to link the two. Basically a matter of communication and delegation I would think. But a more detailed answer lies in this article by Lawrence G. Hrebiniak. While the title, Three Reasons Why Good Strategies Fail: Execution, Execution... is a teaser, that's all it is, because the answer lies in far more detail. YOu can read it at the Wharton site.

You can also check out my article on delegation for more simple tips on translating the vision into practice.

Speech making confidence tip

Confidence in approaching an audience is a powerful tool to have in your presentation kit. Implementing the old exhortation "Head up, shoulders back" not only expresses confidence; but also creates it. Try this, and you will see that it works. So does a smile. Posture and smile not only make you feel confident, but they also convey the image of confidence, sincerity and professionalism.

COMMUNITY GROUPS PREFER SUPPORT OVER DOLLARS - SURVEY

MORE COMMUNITY groups would prefer people to join their group as a member, serve on the Board, contribute to lobbying efforts or sign up as a volunteer than give money, a survey of community organisations has found.

The State of the Community 2005 survey, which was run as a lead-in to this week's Communities in Control conference, found that 33 per cent of respondents would prefer the community help them to lobby for support to achieve their mission compared to just 21 per cent who said they would prefer them to give more money.

A total of 28 per cent of respondents said that helping through volunteering was the best thing the community could do to support its work while the same number nominated offering to join the Board or committee of management as the most useful way people could help.

A further 26 per cent said the community could best help the organisation by becoming a member and 22 per cent said offering pro bono services.

Read the full report