Great Small Business Resource

I’m delayed in posting an update about a great resource for small businesses we’ve recently started working on. The Business Bank of Texas, which specializes in the banking needs of small businesses has launched a Business Resource Center with invaluable resources and advice. Better yet, it’s available online so no need to be in Austin or Texas to take advantage.   The reason I mention this is you can start finding postings about green business from us on the resource center.  Check out one of our latest on how to recycle used computer equipment, “Get the Tech Outta Here“  Enjoy!

Effective Environmental Communications

I had a great opportunity today to speak on a Texas Public Relations Association’s Webinar about effective environmental communications – thank you to TPRA for the invite and to all of today’s participants!  If you are a Texas based communicator, check out the Webinar series, there are some great sessions coming up including one about crisis communications from Sarah Russ, and one about effectively using social media tools in public relations by Libba Letton at Whole Foods.

I’m attaching my slides on “eight ideas for effective environmental communications” here.  Send me any feedback and/or questions.  Even better, you can reach me through our brand new Twitter identity –Gr8Communicate – check it out!

title slide

welcome slide

idea 1

idea 2

idea 3

idea 4

idea 5

idea 6

idea 7

idea 8

NatBloPoMo

One of  my favorite lines from a movie is from Carrie Fisher’s character in “When Harry Met Sally,” when she says several times throughout the film, “You’re right, you’re right…I know you’re right.”  In the film her delivery makes it hysterical, in real life it’s one of those quotes that come to mind at the right moment – and even funny if your audience catches the reference.

I caught myself doing the ol’ V-8 slap to the forehead today when I read a post on the HARO blog, “Is your Social Media Expert Really an Expert.”  It’s a good post to check out if you are looking for advice about this “social media stuff” and written by some experts that really are expert.  Number 15 on their list jumped out to me — an active blog means at least two new posts a month. You’re right, you’re right….

The need to update has been weighing on me lately as I’ve been consulting several clients about the importance not only of having a blog but of having a plan to keep it updated, topical and responsive if one is going to go through the effort of launching.  Logging in to my WordPress account to reactivate this blog I read that it is National Blog Posting Month – who knew?  The NatBloPoMo construct made me laugh – though I have to say it’s memorable. NatBloPoMo suggests one post something new every day for the month of July.

Every day may be a bit much, but in an effort to walk the talk – I’ll commit to be here at least every week in July.

In other news — stay tuned to this blog and www.greatcommunicate.com for our new logo and visual idenity to appear soon.  The logo and business cards are receiving rave reviews and if anyone is looking for an outstanding designer let me know.  A post on why good design is still a critical communications element is coming soon.

Clean Up Your Language

I admit it, I’m as guilty as anyone for falling into the use of corporate speak from time to time. That is, use of those words that really don’t mean anything, or are used incorrectly, but somehow take on instant credibility in business vernacular. 

And therefore, I do love reading a good critique of corporate speak – my friend Tim Hart writes on his blog about the topic and it’s well worth a read and chuckle.  Actually, what I love watching more is the sociological impact of how quickly a corporate speak term can spread in an organization when a senior exec is first to impart said term. (I can remember at a certain corporation, which shall remain nameless, if I had to hear “bifurcate” one more time I might annihilate the speaker.)  But that’s a topic for another day.

Yes, yes, yes, I must post more often.. will… get… there

Time For An Update

When an old colleague got in touch after finding out I had left Dell by reading this blog, I realized I was delinquent in posting.  It’s time to report on what I’ve been up to over the last two months.

 

I’ve actually been quite busy.  Between working on the new office, traveling for the holidays, suffering my annual bout of Austin cedar fever, working on some interesting projects, and, perhaps most importantly, networking a ton, the pace feels about the same as it did in the corporate world.

I’ll begin working in my office next week.  Anyone in the Austin area who needs a great contractor or a great painter let me know – they have really done an outstanding job.  I’ll post final pics when I have been able to do a cleaning and final organization but here’s a sneak peek attached.  I can’t wait to get up and running – I never found working at home distracting until I was working for myself – some separation between work space and home space is much needed.

Great Communicate is also now online thanks to my good friends at db Interactive.  Let me know what you think – we’ll continue to add to it but I’m thrilled the company is now on the Web.

I mentioned networking, and more on that in a coming post, but it’s something I know I have not networked enough in the last few years. Catching up with old and new contacts and making some good connections for the business has been energizing and rewarding.

I’m in San Francisco for the next few days.  Today I’m attending the State of Green Business Forum and will report in on what I hear.

Thanks for reading and stay in touch.

A New Adventure

Sometimes in life an opportunity comes along that you simply must take.  Several things have aligned and I’m realizing my dream of launching my own communications consulting business much earlier than originally planned.  December 2 will be my last day at Dell; Great Communicate will launch December 3.

Yes, it’s true, the business will share the name of this blog.  One of my first tasks will be launching www.greatcommunicate.com.  The idea of this blog, that great communications can help anyone do great things, is exactly the foundation on which Great Communicate, the business, will be built.

Some may question the logic of leaving a job in this current economy.  I happen to believe that small and nimble, smart and hungry, is a recipe for success in the current climate.  Also, one of the best pieces of advice I heard while wrestling with this decision resonated with me, “If it scares you, do it.”

The next 10 days are going to be hectic. In the midst of that, I am admittedly having fun creating a new office.  I am lucky enough to have a semi-finished out garage with utilities which is being transitioned. I’ll post some pics about the transformation.  Here you can see the raw space as of yesterday (after much work removing the piles of stuff that seem to end up in empty garages ).

Manners Matter

I was enjoying my weekly read of the Sunday New York Times yesterday and a quote lept off the page for me: “I really dislike people Black-Berrying in front of me while we’re speaking; I can’t stand it.”  I couldn’t agree more with the speaker, and sadly I see the bad practice all the time.

The brief was about a new site, www.theetiquetteeffect.com, created by Anna Post, great-great-grand-daughter of Emily Post, and Hyatt Place Hotels.  The site is interesting, it ties directly to the hotel’s site and, while still new, will address how etiquette can give one an advantage in business.

While this blog is about great communications and not etiquette, it struck me that the two are inextricably linked.  Getting one’s message across through bullying only works for so long. And if your personal brand is one of rudeness, it won’t matter what your message is, people will tune out.

I won’t try to supercede the number of etiquette sites, columns and courses out there.  The term “etiquette” alone can turn some off -it sounds formal and rule-based.  With that, my quick thoughts on the good manners that any communicator should be using:

• Please and thank you rarely can be used too much, can be easily learned in a number of languages and should be employed regularly, especially when requesting help, advice or support.
• Think from an audience perspective how your message is about to come across.  Pause before hitting send on email (especially if written in haste or anger), and think about how the message will be received.
• Technology is a tool, which should be used appropriately. Cell phones have vibrate settings, there are times to turn off or put aside PDAs, and email is not always the best medium for a message.
• You are always “on,” every interaction, in social and business settings, is building your personal brand. And if some simple table manners, social ability and listening skills can add positively, why not employ them?

So readers, any great examples of good communications gone bad due to bad manners you’d like to share?

Twitterific

I know I’m still a newbie to something when I try to explain it to someone else and cannot.  As I found myself talking about using Twitter at lunch today, I knew I had more to learn.  I continue to try it though – and you can follow me by visiting @BryantHilton

But – it’s one thing to be a person on Twitter, another to represent an organization/client/cause.  I saw an interesting post from the Austin American Statesman‘s Internet editor about just this the other day.  And the post’s comments are an interesting discussion if a large corporation could do the same as a news organization.

I happen to think that @Statesman does a great job at both delivering timely updates to be followed on Twitter and keeping a personality that works for the medium.  Another organization I’ve seen use effectively (and this is out of left field), Greenpeace India.

Thoughts:  I already posted that if you are not engaged online, you are missing part of the conversation. I’d add to that that Twitter is a useful tool in building your online brand.  Let me know if you see other organizations effectively using the tool – I think the disucssion of if an organization can have a “personality” that works here will be an interesting one to follow.

Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

I had a funny moment today. I either stumbled upon an odd Aussie swear, or maybe my home state has engendered some Web backlash.  In an attempt to post a comment on a blog down under about my employer’s environmental efforts, my comment was initially rejected because I used the word “Texas”

 

It led me to think how often a poor choice of words can lead to confusion, or worse, a message not being heard.  I continually see endless chains of dialogue by email (death by email?) back and forth that could easily be avoided.  Add in the fact that most of us are overloaded with email, and the potential for confusion grows (sorry David Allen, my inbox never seems to get completely emptied).

With that, my thoughts on effective emailing – unlike others I don’t hold hope we will get out from under email in buisness anytime soon so we might as well make it work for us:

• Make your subject line as clear as absolutely possible – but in as few words as possible
• Scan for the small screen — your formatting, color of text and special characters can all get lost on a blackberry – so be sure your words are clear without those tools.  And don’t forget the visible subject line on a PDA is rather short.
• Tone doesn’t transmit — though it’s human nature to read tone into incoming messages.  Make your words carry your message clearly and succintly.  If it needs more massaging than that, deliver a message in person or on the phone.
• Brevity is beautiful – make an ask at the beginning of a message – it’s much more likely to be read.  If a reader sees only the first paragraph of your note will they know what you need?
• Context counts – without sacrificing brevity – I most often see email chaos that would have been avoidable if the sender had added one sentence about why he or she needed something.
• The 5 W’s can always help. If your message answers the who, what, where, why, when that your recipient will ask – you have an effective message on your hands.

I’ve certainly been guilty of bad email before but continually trying to address bad habits.  What about everyone else – has social media helped address email overload at all? What’s your best email horror story?

It’s All About Networking

I was rather happy today to see my good friend Jason Edwards join as a follower of this blog.  Jason is an active blogger himself (I’ve added his site to my blogroll) and an excellent public speaker.  I’m sure public speaking will again be covered here so great to have an expert in the fold.

Jason was one of the first to follow me when I joined Twitter – which brings up a good point. In today’s world, your online brand is as important to your communications success as your “real world” persona.  And in my opinion, and not everyone agrees, your persona should be the same online or off.  Old news to my blogger friends, but for others who haven’t yet jumped into the social media pool, the time has come.  If you are not communicating online, you are missing a big part of the conversation.

As for me, at this moment, you can find me on LinkedIn, Twitter and now this blog (which of course is where you should come first– and tell your friends and family ). 

I know Jason’s answer to this already, I’ve resisted Facebook so far — time to stop resisting?

And, how about the online vs. offline persona thought, what do you think?