Month: September 2015

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What Sets A Capital Campaign Apart From Annual Fund Raising Efforts?

Differences between a capital campaign and annual fundraising

That was the first part of a question … that continued to ask:
“I believe the answer to be a hard drive at research of prospective large gift donors, cultivating these prospects and obtaining a commitment or large gift. Where do general corporate and community direct mail efforts come in? Are there specific procedures for direct mail (donor-base expansion), or is there no specific correlation between the two. In other words, where do the Direct Mailing efforts come into play during a capital campaign?”

First, comparing the activities of an annual fund program with a capital campaign is like comparing apples and watermelons — both are fruit, but….

It has often been said that capital campaigns are a synthesis of everything else we do in development. It is also true that the skills and experience required to design/implement a capital campaign are so much greater than those needed for annual fund activities; and, that a comparison of the two isn’t realistic.

To fully understand what a Capital Campaign is, it would be best not to approach the concept from the AF-CC comparison. That would be misleading. It would just be better to define/discuss capital campaigns.

1. It is important, to be able to understand what CCs are all about, to understand the purpose and structure of the (CC, MG [Major Gifts]) “Pyramid” – see: “How To Use The Gift Table”. Since it would be insane to think of attaining a million dollar CC goal by obtaining 1,000 gifts for $1,000 — think of the number of solicitors you’d need, the leadership structure, the volunteer training, etc., etc., — the “pyramid” is a visual representation of the numbers and sizes of gifts you’d need to attain your goal.

The ideal capital campaign would identify, cultivate and (successfully) solicit the one person who could/would make the one (large enough) gift to satisfy campaign needs. Failing that, look for two gifts that would fill the bill; or three; or four; etc. Eventually, for most campaigns, you wind up with the “pyramid.”

The million-dollar CC should be able to attain its goal with relatively few gifts — fifty to one-hundred-fifty. The larger the goal, and some of today’s campaigns range into the billions, the greater the number of gifts would be needed to achieve it … but the “pyramid” will always apply.

2. The case for a CC is substantially different than that for an AF. The former looks at bricks-and-mortar, equipment, real estate, architects, etc., and the latter covers program, salaries, supplies, etc. The case for the former tends to be of the preparing-for-the future type, the latter focuses on the present.

3. CC (or MG) gifts may require months/years of cultivation; and, you need to know much more about your prospects than you would/do for the AF. If you’re planning on asking someone for a $1m gift, you’d better know enough about that prospect to show him/her how making that gift will satisfy his/her needs.

4. A CC usually relies on the prospect identification, cultivation and solicitation activities of volunteers.

5. Referencing #1 (above), the focus is on MGs for capital purposes, and rarely do such gifts come from corporate sources.

6. Referencing #1 (above), the focus is on MGs for capital purposes, and solicitation by direct mail (or other mass approach methodology) cannot and should not be relied upon.

If the smaller gifts are sought, it will only be for the public relations and/or constituent building value, not for their help in attaining the goal. Traditionally, the General Gifts Phase of a CC is implemented (if at all) only after the campaign goal has been (pretty much) attained; and, the purpose of that phase (although not public stated) is to allow the whole “community” the opportunity to be “part” of a successful campaign.

A capital campaign is not an annual fund that has been “expanded.”

To go back to the original question — and the way it was framed/worded, it gives the impression that what’s being asked is, “Why couldn’t an AF person run a CC ??” Answer: A CC requires a larger, more sophisticated set of skills, a different mind-set, a whole level of complexity, experience and training above what is needed for the AF.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
We’ve been posting these pieces for the last five years,
and we’re now at a point where, to keep this “blog” alive,
we need your questions/problems to engender further discussion.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Comments & Questions

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

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Closing your Meeting or Presentation with Finesse

shaking hands after a good business presentation

“Well, I guess that’s about all I have.”

“Well, I guess we are out of time.”

“That’s about it.”THE END

How do you close your meetings and presentations? Hopefully not like these endings, which are common enough, but entirely ineffective. Closing your presentation can be challenging, especially if you have run out of time, taken a number of tough questions or failed to win approval for your ideas. But the close is so important for reinforcing your message that you shouldn’t just leave it to chance.

Take time to plan the next ending of your meeting or presentation, so no matter what happens, you can still end with finesse.

  • Be careful not to use the words “in closing” or “in conclusion” until you are really ready to end. Once people hear those words they are mentally ready to move on.
  • Don’t thank them for their time, but instead for their participation, feedback or comments. Even if the meeting was contentious, you can honestly thank them for being passionate about the subject matter.
  • Remind people what they have learned or accomplished by listening to you. Keep it positive and forward-focused, even if there were areas of disagreement.
  • If you want more questions, don’t ask, “are there any more questions?” Instead, ask “what questions do you have?” or “what other questions can I answer?”
  • A brisk “thank you” will create closure after a question and answer period that just won’t end. So will an offer to answer any remaining questions offline, or after the meeting. Give your contact information if appropriate.
  • Try to end after a positive question or on a positive note. Watch how comedians refuse to end after a joke that bombs; they will always try one more, hoping for an upbeat ending.
  • Always end with a reminder of your key message or a call to action. Since people tend to remember what they hear first and last, select and reinforce what you want people to remember by repeating or restating it at the end.

Bottom line: Don’t let your presentation or meeting just wind down; instead plan ahead so you can end on a strong note that leaves a positive, lasting impression.

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Will beneficial ownership registers spread around the World?

Calculator on a white desk

Governments have become more and more focused on the risks posed by opaque and confidential corporate structures. In particular the ability of a certain type of person to use such structures to hide the true ownership and origin of funds, thereby facilitating tax evasion and money laundering.

Most bodies set up to tackle these issues are of the view that for law enforcement agencies, being able to quickly and easily identify who really owns a company or a corporate structure, would be a huge boon to the fight against money laundering and tax evasion.

Recommendation 10 of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) states that financial institutions should undertake customer due diligence measures to identify and verify the identity of the beneficial owner of the customer and not just the customer themselves. This is because it is the beneficial owner that really matters for money laundering, not the customer themselves.

This recommendation has been implemented in most countries who follow the FATF recommendations and it also extends to many non-financial institutions (including Elemental).These checks are done specifically by the financial institution though and they are not part of a government register of similar.

However, the UK has gone a step further in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (“SBEE“). Through the SBEE, the UKhas passed legislation to create a Register of Persons with Significant Control. This will require every company in the UK to maintain a register of every individual who holds or controls more than 25% of the beneficial interest in the company (Note: Please see here for the full test). Importantly, this register will be publicly available on the Companies House website for anyone to review.

In theory therefore, this achieves the desired aim of shining a light on any opaque or confidential structures involving UK companies. David Cameron (the UK Prime Minister) announced this policy to the G8 summit back in 2013 to great fanfare and he encouraged other countries to follow suit suggesting that it would be a great weapon in the fight against money laundering.

In many ways, this was a brave gesture. One of the factors that has discouraged countries from adopting policies to make it harder to use companies for illegal purposes, is the fear that increased regulation will harm other more legitimate businesses and maybe encourage businesses to utilise other jurisdictions. By taking a lead in this area, the UK has taken a risk and hopefully lead by example for others to follow.

On the other hand, the SBEE has not gone as far as David Cameron would like people to believe. There is no independent verification of the information on the beneficial owner register and it has no force of law relating to who the actual owner is.

Therefore, it would be naïve to think that those persons who are participating in illicit activity will disclose the true information on this register. In fact, Lord Blencathra, the former Tory home office minister David Maclean has gone further and claimed that this policy was a ‘purely political gesture’ designed to head off European attempts to curb the City of London.

So, will this idea go further and be adopted in other jurisdictions and potentially with some form of verification process? It can only be hoped, but I suspect that it will be a long and slow road.

Nick Lindsay is a director of Elemental, a corporate service provider who provides Escrow Agent services.

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Evaluating Your Development Program

Evaluation concept

Development Program Evaluation is not limited to comparing the dollars raised “this” year to previous years’ totals. It’s about being sure that each/every element of your “program” is performing as desired/required … to ensure adequate funding for your services, now and in the future.

The performance of a Development Program is evaluated based on Donor Acquisition, Donor Retention, Donor Cultivation, Donor Stewardship, Leadership and, of course, Dollars Raised.

The reasons for Donor Acquisition fall into two general categories – to expand your donor base, and to replace the donors you lose through attrition. Among the questions you should address are: (1) How productive are the lists you are using; (2) How effective are the letters you are sending to the different prospect groups; and, (3) Are you mailing too often or not often enough.

There are two aspects to Donor Retention; one relates to the percentage of donors acquired “last year” that contribute “this year; the percentage of donors who are “regular” contributors; and, the percentage of your donors that “lose interest” in your organization. These are fairly easy to determine … mere arithmetic. And, if you’re losing more than you’re acquiring, that raises a number of significant questions.

The central aspect of Donor Cultivation that requires examination is whether you have a sufficient number of (potential major) donors being cultivated, so as to maintain a steady stream of major gifts. Again, this is a numbers game. You have to have a large enough number of leaders who are working to identify , cultivate, solicit and maintain relationships with (potential) donors.

Donor Stewardship is your ongoing contact, and the substance of that contact, with your current and PYBuNT (Prior Years But Not This) donors. You should be keeping records as to how often you (that’s a generic “you”) are in touch with your donors, what recognition/visibility they get for their support, what information you are providing to them, and how you are providing that information.

“Leadership” is how many new leaders have been recruited, how many have been trained, how many are involved in the cultivation/solicitation/stewardship of donors, and how enthusiastic those leaders are.

A Grants (gov’t, foundation and corporate) Program would be evaluated based on the number/percentage of grant proposals that actually get funded, the size of those grants, and the number of grantors that “regularly” support you. A Grants Program is not about how many proposals you submit, but about your reputation/credibility with the grantors.

And, the success of your Special Events Program is measured by leadership participation, the number of new donors acquired, whether an event will draw a crowd (again) next year, and the extent to which each event enhanced your organization’s reputation/credibility. And, where it would be great if all your events were extremely productive, dollar-wise, that’s not always a measure of success.

I’m sure you noted the overlap of the elements, and that to evaluate a Development Program there is a lot of information to be gathered (on an ongoing basis) and evaluated.

One last item to consider: What is the cost-per-dollar raised for each element of your Development Program, and for your Program, overall?

The bottom line in doing your annual evaluation is having goals against which to compare your reality.

If you don’t have a Fundraising Plan with specific goals for each segment of the development process, you can’t evaluate whether or not you’ve reached your goals.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
We’ve been posting these pieces for the last five years,
and we’re now at a point where, to keep this “blog” alive,
we need your questions/problems to engender further discussion.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Comments & Questions

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

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Our Media Training Manual, “Keeping the Wolves at Bay” now 100% Free

A-man-sitting-on-a-couch-and-reading

September 16, 2015 – Monrovia, CA — Keeping the Wolves at Bay, the widely used media-training manual published by Jonathan Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., is now being given away in its PDF format. Formerly $10, there will be no charge for the publication as long as demand exists. The hard copy version will no longer be sold.

“To the many buyers of my book – thank you,” said Bernstein. “This is simply the latest extension of my ongoing willingness to share knowledge of the crisis management field, a topic that I’ve been privileged to help develop for over 30 years. I am particularly hopeful that professors of public relations will make Keeping the Wolves at Bay available as something quite rare, a free textbook for their students.”

It is our pleasure to share Keeping the Wolves at Bay with the community, and hope your find the information within as useful as our readers have for many years. To download the manual, click here. We ask only that all material stay unchanged and credited to the original author.

Thank you for reading!

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2015/09/12/reminder-for-david-cameron-always-assume-the-mic-is-on/#sthash.ZoSRyc4Q.dpuf

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Funding for Donor Acquisition & for Donor Research

Funding for Donor Acquisition & for Donor Research

As previously noted, Donor Acquisition, requires an investment … often, a significant investment. But with many nonprofits finding finances a little tight, the question often is, “Where do we get the money?”

I’ll start by examining the components of a donor acquisition mailing – the package: The carrier envelope, the letter, the return envelope and (occasionally) an insert – a brochure or flyer. Each of those elements can be used to raise the funds needed to produce and mail the package.

The letter can come from, and be “signed” by, a donor who will fund the mailing; and, the carrier envelope can have that donor’s return address – assuming that the donor is well known enough to get people to want to open an envelope with his/her corner-card.

An insert can bear the statement that it was funded by “Donor Name;” and, the return envelope can be addressed to the donor in-care-of the organization’s address.

In fact, different batches of letters can be signed by different individuals; the same for different batches of inserts; and, the different batches of return envelopes can be addressed to different donors….

That way, donors lend/add their credibility and reputation to that of the nonprofit, and the nonprofit adds to the donors’ visibility and position in the community.

A Planning Study is also an activity that can be funded by one-or-more donors.

One of the early steps in a Planning Study is to send potential interviewees a note describing the process and asking that they agree to be interviewed. A letter that comes from the right person can impact the likelihood of that participation. Then, when the potential interviewee is called to set up an appointment, the caller notes that s/he is calling on behalf of “Donor Name;” and, the “Thank You” note, for participating in the Study can be signed by a donor.

Each of these opportunities, like the Naming Opportunities in a major campaign, is “priced” at what the market will bear. The cost of mailings, of printing flyers, or of any element (or elements) of an activity, should bear no relation to what you might ask the donor to pay for the “Opportunity.”

One last thought: When you think of who might be the right people to approach to help with this kind of funding, don’t forget corporations.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
We’ve been posting these pieces for the last five years,
and we’re now at a point where, to keep this “blog” alive,
we need your questions/problems to engender further discussion.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Comments & Questions

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

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Tips On Communicating Your Business Case (Part One)

Group of people in a meeting

What is a business case?

A business case is a document that describes the reason why something has to be done. It will describe the usefulness of the project and the consequences if the project is not approved. Because it is a document that defines the project and its purpose, it can almost be compared and structured similarly to a Requirements Document which provides the desired details of a project and what its goals, resources, funding, and technology are. It shows what is needed to accomplish a task. The difference though, is that the business case will justify the value of a project. For example, it will show prove how a new product or application will benefit the intended audience. It details all the reasons for wanting a project to be done.

Why use a business case

We use a business case to show the worth and importance of a project. It will detail how the task will be accomplished. It will include items, i.e., a migration being involved, purchasing new equipment, or hiring consultants. Most importantly, it also specifies time and expenses, and the benefits and risks involved.

Once the document is completed, it is sent to all parties involved as well as to the client and respective project managers for verification and approval (if needed).

Creating your business case

The business case is usually written using a logical format and is written for those authorized to make a decision, so be logical when creating the business case. Structure it by presenting an introduction to the, e.g., product. – Let users know what the product is. Use simple terms to describe it and if there is a prototype, display it. If the document is of considerable length, indicate what sections should be read by which party.

A business case helps to define a possible solution to a problem, so include facts and details, such as the core requirements, i.e., Introduction, Research, Problems, Resolution, Recommendation, Strategy and Risks, Costs, Benefits, and Time. Also:

  • Break it up into logical sections that fit your case. Explain the logistics. For example, if it’s for new equipment, denote the equipment required and the reason why that particular equipment is required, e.g., providing more storage, easier use of software and maintenance for database access such as accessibility to files for specific tasks, i.e., system enhancements, documentation, testing, etc.
  • Include items such as dates for priorities, milestones, and deadlines.
  • For denoting security, list for example, the types of maintenance and issues that will be planned out and taken care of, such as protocols, archives, contingency plans, etc.
  • Also, denote resources required–e.g., who will be involved- Developers, DBAs, Testers, Lead Project Manager, Sub-Contractors, etc. This will ensure you have the right amount of personnel to perform the job as well as the right people.

As always, write for the intended audience to prove your case and to get it approved. If you have previously written business cases, please add to this content. Thank you.

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Reminder for David Cameron: Always Assume the Mic is On

A lady sitting in front of a camera recording a talk show

Even the savvy can be caught in media mistakes

British Prime Minister David Cameron had an important media skill reminder recently – always assume microphones are on. The PM was miked but off-camera preparing for a speech he was about to deliver when he made cracked a joke, stating, “We just thought people in Yorkshire hated everyone else, we didn’t realise they hated each other so much.”

https://vine.co/v/eFZbEh5dVUE

Luckily for Cameron, the British audience is more accepting of a bit of cheeky behavior from their public figures, and he quickly smoothed things over while seated with two Yorkshire cricketing greats to watch a match in the afternoon following the slip-up.

The reminder stands, however. If there’s a mic on your person, or anywhere near you (that includes smartphones and other recording devices you might not necessarily see!) you simply must be guarded in your speech. Many decry this as a loss of freedom, and that may be so, but fact is saying the wrong thing and having it immortalized in a recording can haunt you for years.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

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How to Stay Current on Social Media Marketing – Trends and Tools

a speaker shouting out tips of social media marketing

Guest Author: Tejas Veeramani

Do you remember when the power supply to a much-anticipated Superbowl Game was interrupted? This was followed by a Tweet from Oreo, the ever-popular cookie manufacturer, with an image captioned, “You can still dunk in the dark”.

The post was re-tweeted more than ten thousand times in an hour and proved to be a huge boost to the Oreo brand’s online reputation.

Oreo Brand Superbowl Campaign: "You can still dunk in the dark."

Social media trends are nearly impossible to predict because they are often based on real-time events. A company called Sickweather was able to pinpoint the geographic origin of illnesses based on public Tweets and Facebook updates of people in those areas, proving that there may be ways to monitor social media and gain insight into the possibilities the future holds.

Yet no tool can predict more generic social media trends that are truly spontaneous, like the one that was spurred by Oreo’s #dunkinthedark. So your best approach is to use a few of these social media tools to help you track current trends and really capitalize on them.

Current HOT Social Media Trends

While we’re talking about trends, here are the top three that seem to dominate the social media scene:

  1. Relationships between customers and businesses are becoming more personal: Customers value businesses which maintain a personal relationship with them more than businesses that are only keen on promoting their products or services. In fact, a survey by Fractl and Buzzstream found that 45% of the respondents would unfollow a brand on social media if it posted too much promotional content.
  2. More visual content is being generated and consumed: The popularity of video websites like YouTube and Vine has led to a huge increase in the production and consumption of short video content, which manages to deliver a message or start a conversation more effectively than regular textual content. The staggering growth of sites like Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest also reflects the increasing popularity of visual content as a medium of communication.
  3. Businesses are using content curation for social media management: More and more people are considering the online presence of a company to determine its reliability and credibility. The content that businesses post to their social media accounts now reaches a much larger audience than ever before, prompting them to turn to content curation tools to ensure that they have a steady stream of good content.

Clearly, it would make a huge difference to your business’ bottom line if you are able to establish and maintain a strong presence on social media. There are many social media management tools which you can use to improve the impact that you make on your audience.

Here are five such tools which would aid your social media marketing efforts:

  1. DrumUp.io – Discover And Collect Interesting, Meaningful Content

DrumUp.io – Discover And Collect Interesting, Meaningful Content

DrumUp.io is a content curation and scheduling application which helps you discover interesting content that you can share on social media. It supports Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts and allows you to manage all these accounts through a single dashboard eliminating the need for you to log into each of them separately. The content suggestions are based on the keywords you set for each account and can be changed at any time based on your preferences. The design of the app is minimalistic and clean. It allows you to queue suggested posts, as well as custom posts, and schedule them for sharing days, weeks, or even months in advance.

2. Easel.ly – Create Compelling, Original Infographics

Easel.ly templates with frag and drop Tecnology The task of creating infographics is made much simpler with this tool, where you get ready templates over which you simply have to drag and drop your content. The images created are high quality ones and it makes presenting data visually extremely easy. The interface is very intuitive and requires almost no time to understand and master.

Even functions like layering (which is quite complicated in Photoshop) is much easier to perform on Easel.ly. There are also hundreds of pictures that you can browse while you are building your infographic. If you are not an experienced graphic designer you can use this tool to create great visual content.

And don’t forget to Pin your infographic!

3. Followerwonk – Analyze And Build Your Twitter Influence

Followerwonk – Analyze And Build Your Twitter Influence Followerwonk gives you the ability to analyze your Twitter profile and get many useful insights. Once linked with your Twitter account it gives you a detailed report about who your followers are, the geographical region they belong to, their social authority, the total number of followers you have, the number of tweets, the number of new followers, unfollows and other such data. The analysis tells you which topics generate the most engagement, helps you identify influencers and also gives you a better understanding of your audience. It is an invaluable tool when you are trying to market your service or product.

4. If This Then That (IFTTT) – Automate and Simplify Your Social Media

If This Then That (IFTTT) – Automate and Simplify Your Social Media

IFTTT is probably one of the simplest automation services available. Simple tasks like receiving an email to remind yourself of a task or an upcoming event, saving important content to Dropbox, or cross-posting a Tweet on Instagram can all be automated on IFTTT. The tool simply uses the icons of these services for you to create automated processes, which the website calls “recipes”. Once you have created a recipe, you can change any of its parameters or even choose to turn it off. The tool also allows you to browse through public recipes of other people

5. Canva – Create Graphics With Drop And Drag Technology – EASY!

Another awesome tool to create visual content, Canva makes it easy for you to design original images for your Facebook, Instagram and other social media posts. The tool lets you choose from hundreds of thousands of existing high-definition photographs, posters, advertisements and other such content templates. Functions are very intuitive, making it easy to add text and layers to your images.

Canva – How to Create Graphics With Drop And Drag Technology – EASY!

While it’s a good idea to establish your presence on multiple social media platforms, the content you share on them will have to be tailored to each specific platform. Using social media tools will make managing multiple accounts a stress-free task. Try out different tools to see which ones would be most useful to you. Do not hesitate to explore new applications, as they might provide exactly what you are looking for. The ultimate objective should be to make social media management less time-consuming, which in turn will let you invest more man-hours in the core functions of your business.

Have you tried any of these tools? Which are your favorites and why?

Author Bio:

Tejas Veeramani is a blogger at Godot Media, a popular content service firm, where he writes about content marketing and social media marketing. His other interests include music and gaming.

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Chrysler Taking Flak for Crisis Management Methodology

A-group-of-female-employees-trying-to-tackle-management-crisis

Patching a security risk and creating more in the process

The major Uconnect hack that left 1.4 million Chrysler vehicles in danger was pursued vigorously by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and to its credit the carmaker acted quickly. Problem is, taking action quickly isn’t always the best route if the crisis management measures you employ are going to draw more criticism.

Instead of asking owners to bring their vehicles to a dealership for an update, Chrysler opted to mass-mail USB sticks that were to be plugged into the onboard system. On the surface this is a great plan. After all, it keeps costs low, avoids clogging up dealerships with service calls, and reaches the largest number of vehicle owners with the greatest ease. One little problem – encouraging end users to plug USB drives they get via a less-than-secure method is a security expert’s worst nightmare. Security groups and end users alike were quick to take to social media to share their concerns, echoing the sentiment in this Tweet from @automotivesecurity:

It would take significant effort for hackers to dupe vehicle owners into thinking they received a legitimate USB drive, but it’s far from unthinkable. And, if they were able to fool even a small percentage of people, the damage that could be done is immense.

It’s a little reminder that even your crisis management plans need to be evaluated for the potential to create crisis. Is it a bit paranoid? Absolutely. Will it save your rear repeatedly? You bet.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2015/09/04/want-to-improve-your-media-interview-skills/#sthash.LjjaHMI0.dpuf