One good reminder for all employees

A good question to explore with your workforce: Do employees understand the difference their work makes? Spell out their impact on customer, colleagues, and the organization as a whole. Employees who don't feel that their activities make any difference are likely to be discontented, burned out, and ready to leave. Show your people the results of their efforts: satisfied customer, a better workplace, a healthy bottom line. They'll be more fulfilled ad less likely to look elsewhere for meaning.

Source: Adapted from "Change management: Seven change management secrets to creating a winning culture of change," by Ed Sykes, on the Sykes Group Web site. 

Did you know...

1. Number of calls required to close a deal - Increased
2. More decision makers/stakeholders meant more sales calls
3. Length of the sell cycle - Increased
4. A decision by the committee to hold off buying anything altogether meant an increase in no decisions.

Source: Successful Selling in Turbulent Times, CSO Insights 

Selling tips

1. Sales Cycle is Longer: 22% longer when compared to 2001.
2. More People Involved: Average of 3.5 more people involved in enterprise decisions
3. Solutions Focus: 79% of marketing campaigns are solutions based.
4. Face to Face Calls: Average sales rep spends only 21% of their time face to face with prospects and customers.

Source: Sirius Decisions, B2B Advances in Lead Management 

Be cautious, but positive -- tips for safety & travel during this flu outbreak

This article was recently sent by Southeast Tourism Society -- Southeast Tourism Society is trying to sort through the copious amount of information concerning the Swine Influenza (swine flu) outbreak. While we try to separate fact from hype, we present a few central points concerning the situation and how it affects the travel and tourism industry.

Below you will find basic talking points about what is known. These tips are courtesy of the U.S. Travel Association. For more information on the latest events from a travel and tourism perspective, visit http://www.ustravel.org/pressmedia/pressrec.asp?Item=961.

Southeast Tourism Society will keep you informed as the situation develops.

The Experts Say: Cause for Concern, Not Panic

• Travelers, like all citizens, should heed the advice of experts when determining how best to manage health concerns.
• According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Swine Influenza (swine flu) should not discourage people from traveling to or within the United States.
• The top US disease control official rejected as unwarranted an EU warning that discouraged Europeans from traveling to the United States due to the swine flu. "At this point, I would not put out a travel restriction or recommendation against coming to the United States," said Richard Besser, acting head of the CDC. ! !
• According to the CDC, individuals should take common sense steps to protect themselves, including: "wash your hands…get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food."

Inform Travelers Responsibly, Without Discouraging Economic Activity

• Governments and opinion leaders around the world must strike a delicate balance of accurately and adequately informing citizens of health concerns without unduly discouraging travel and other important economic activity.
• Unnecessary panic has the potential to paralyze travel and further America's ongoing economic crisis.
• Recent health concerns, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Avian flu, provide useful guidance as governments, opinion leaders and travelers consider the appropriate response to swine flu.
• The 2003 SARS outbreak, in which 75 deaths were reported worldwide yet more than 750 stories were written in the New York Times and Washington Post alone, was an example of an "infodemic" rather than an "epidemic."
• According to the Asian Development Bank, the cost of SARS in terms of lost GDP for East and Southeast Asia was $18 billion, primarily through downturns in tourist arrivals. Tourist arrivals in the most affected economies declined by 20 - 70 percent in April 2003, one month following the announcement of the SARS pandemic. Lesser affected Asian countries experienced declines of 15 - 35 percent, leading to a loss of nearly $15 billion in economic impact.

Travel Industry Is an Important Resource to Government, Consumers

• STS says it is ready to assist the U.S. government and health experts in communicating critical information to travelers.
• The U.S. Travel Association has contacted all relevant agencies with an offer to help "in any way needed." These agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, State and Transportation.

The Rise of the C-Tweet

Points to Consider for Twitter-Friendly CEOs and CMOs

by Jonathan Paisner 

Published: April 21, 2009

Social media has obviously given voice to employees in ways that never existed before. Early corporate bloggers were often brand enthusiasts themselves and tended to "get" the brand a gut level; soon enough, voice and tone guidelines became more actively put in play to govern blog writing. But Twitter is different. The nature of the medium encourages users to transmit an interchangeable mix of musings about life, work, daily observations and whatever else. Employees on Twitter are either designated brand ambassadors or simply have personal accounts -- and these lines of distinction help offer guidance. But that line grays with the advent of the "C-Tweet." C-level execs are part-lead ambassador, part-celebrity. Twitter accounts can build a cult of personality and extend a dynamic that has long existed for top CEOs into a broader set of C-level executives.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has come to be considered the gold standard for CEO tweeting, thanks to a comfortable style that leverages both the brand he helped create and his own personal voice.

Among C-level execs, Twitter holds an allure as a seemingly simple vehicle to communicate thought leadership while staying connected to the market. Yet a daily supply of profundities in 140-character increments is a lot harder to pull off than it sounds. One natural obstacle blogs offered was the demand to actually have to write. Twitter is much less intimidating -- and the immediacy and ostensible intimacy of the platform may suggest that it is perfectly alright for executives to say things ranging from "Wow that was a delicious hamburger! Jalapenos, yum" to "Holding firm in my negotiations with Yahoo right now." And herein lies the greatest challenge of the C-Tweet: Where does the voice of the brand end and the voice of the individual begin?

Notable tweeting CMOs include Jeffrey Hayzlett of Kodak (@jeffreyhayzlett) and Barry Judge of Best Buy (@BestBuyCMO) -- each of whom ties his account closely to his brand. And each interprets the boundaries between the personal voice and the voice of the brand a bit differently. Of course, each brand has different social-media agendas that these executives are trying to push forward -- with variables ranging from the brands themselves and the strategic objectives to the audiences they serve (and aim to serve) and the styles of these individuals. Is there a blueprint for doing this right?

Tony Hsieh (@zappos), Zappos CEO, has come to be considered the gold standard for CEO tweeting, thanks to a comfortable style that leverages both the brand he helped create and his own personal voice. And he has gained a reputation for responsiveness and accessibility via Twitter that has come to epitomize the entire Zappos aesthetic. Padmasree Warrior (@padmasree), Cisco CTO, has also built a successful account on Twitter, finding that balance between business and personal that offers some good, relevant insight into the Cisco brand while putting a very human voice on a heretofore more removed role. While Hsieh's efforts are overtly endorsed by the Zappos brand, Warrior's does not carry the official endorsement of the Cisco brand.

As we see more such accounts in the rise of the C-Tweet, three things to think about:

1.The objective
An executive's objectives for a Twitter account are likely a mix of the brand's interest and self-interest. A simple rule of thumb here: If it is conspicuously endorsed by the brand (via the account name or use of the logo, for example), then the objectives should directly align with the vision and mission of the brand. If the brand is merely a description of the executive's occupation, there is more room for flexibility. And, with an endorsed account in particular, have a discussion with internal counsel to set up some basic legal guardrails before you jump in.

2. The commitment
Twitter is a hungry beast. If you're truly in it, you've got to tweet. Conventional wisdom seems to have it at somewhere between five to 10 tweets per day as the minimum for an active account with a healthy following. Generating 30 to 50 compelling, pithy statements (or links or retweets) each week may sound simple, but it can easily turn into a chore. Carve out time in the day to address this need -- to feed the beast without turning this into a distraction.

3. The exit strategy
Admittedly, this is a tough one -- considering the lifespan of Twitter itself and the questions that may exist around its own future. At the end of the day, an executive's account will be more of a reflection on him or her than it is on the brand. Executive impermanence is a fact of life -- and while creating deeper connections between a brand and its key executives can have tremendous value for partners, customers, analysts, employees and investors, an executive's inevitable departure along with several hundred thousand Twitter followers is likely to sting a bit. A strong Twitter following is becoming a brand asset -- and succession planning for the future of this asset is an important consideration. It may be worthwhile to try to mirror an executive's Twitter following within a more overtly corporate account. Or perhaps encourage junior executives to build their own followings, assuming this does not conflict with the points above.

Twitter is yet another example of where brands have to accept a loss of control. In this case, it is not about putting the brand in the hands of the market but in the hands of the people for whom the brand is their livelihood. A certain amount of letting go is a necessity. We will undoubtedly see a few missteps in C-tweets, and we'll learn and move on. Ultimately, the medium may change but basics of branding still apply -- both for the brands themselves and for their executive stewards: Be true, be relevant, be transparent, respect your brand and your customers, don't make a promise you can't keep.

Jonathan Paisner is brand director at CoreBrand. He works with Fortune 500 clients in areas of brand architecture, strategic alliances and brand messaging. CoreBrand clients have included Cisco Systems, AT&T, Internet2, ADP, TV Guide, American Century Investments and BearingPoint.

Encourage employees to dial back workplace tension

As if the usual seasonal hassles weren't enough, this year you can add layoff fears, financial woes, and uncertainty about a new president. So how can you keep the heightened tension from disrupting workplace moral?

10. It's difficult to remember 10 rules -- keep it simple: Treat others as you hope they'll treat you.

Source: The Motivational Manager 

Write it well, keep it safe

You've heard lots of techniques for e-mailing. Nonetheless, it's easy to forget why the big fuss. Here's why: E-mail is "slippery" and "sticky." It's slippery because it can be passed on so easily, and even accidentally. It's sticky because it can be stored -- and restored - easily, too, meaning that it doesn't go away. Out of mind does not mean out of sight. That's why it's so important that your e-mails are well-written an sensible.

Source: Adapted from The Hamster Revolution, by Mike Song, Vicki Halsey, and Tim Burress

Planners eye 2009 with apprehension, see need to prove worth

More than 2,000 meeting professionals agree: The biggest challenges they face in 2009 are the economy, proving the value of meetings and events, and enacting cost-saving measures. A record 2,740 Meetings Professional International (MPI) members, representing 53 countries, responded to the FutureWatch 2009 survey between Nov. 11 and 27, 2008.

Survey participants reported that out of all scheduled 2009 events, an average of 3.4 meetings per organization, at an average value of $200,000 per meeting, were cancelled in fourth quarter 2008. That amount represented, on average, 7 percent of each organization’s scheduled meeting activity for the year. Since then, many high-profile cancellations have made the news, from Primerica’s 55,000-person biennial conference in Atlanta and Wells Fargo’s employee appreciation event in Las Vegas to the 160 meetings and events cancelled by AIG earlier this year. Respondents said they expected reductions in bookings, travel, meeting, budgets, staffing and attendance to continue until the economy rebounds.

At the same time, those surveyed felt face-to-face meetings are the most effective way to build relationships and trust, engender a sense of community, conduct highly interactive programs, engage participants at an emotional level and demonstrate new products that require physical use. Going forward, meeting professionals see the need to:
1. prepare return on investment reports before a meeting is booked, using data such as past performance
2. attendee satisfaction, adherence to budget
3. the planner’s ability to negotiate “extras” like free transportation and complimentary meals.

FutureWatch found that nearly 75 percent of organizations currently conduct some form of in-house meetings evaluation, although primarily it’s for attendee satisfaction, along with revenue and adherence to budget. Also, to create a successful business case for meetings, planners will need to include business impact and return on investment information, as well.

In terms of meeting trends, both suppliers and planners felt that it was a buyer’s market, and 10 percent expect to see more environmentally friendly meetings. But despite 61 percent of respondents saying that corporate social responsibility is important to their organizations, most felt that those CSR initiatives would be delayed until the economy improves.

American planners said the top six influences on their meetings this year are:
1. the demand for more remote/virtual meetings
2. lower budgets
3. fewer face-to-face meetings
4. more green meetings
5. less frills (open bars, gifts, formal dinners and spousal entertainment, etc.)
6. more in-house/drive meetings.

Across the board, 25 percent of meeting and event planners said that the reduction in the number of available flights would reshape how they would plan and conduct meetings. Airlift was the No. 2 factor influencing destination selection in 2009, behind overall cost (26 percent). Other top factors influencing destination selection included:
1. travel costs (16 percent)
2. location relative to meeting purpose (11 percent)
3. ease of access/travel (11 percent)
4. proximity to members/attendees (7 percent).

The top two factors influencing hotel and venue selection in 2009 were reported to be overall cost (31 percent for hotel selection and 40 percent for venue selection) and customer service (14 and 11 percent, respectively). Other top factors influencing hotel selection included location relative to meeting purpose, willingness to negotiate, incentives/concessions, room rates, quality/condition of hotel, meeting space requirements and value. Other factors influencing venue selection included quality/condition of venue, location relative to meeting purpose, meeting space requirements, flexible/dedicated staff and value.

Source: By Kristi Casey Sanders 

The Economy & Travel

During this year's Techno Tourism Conference, Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Tourism, Kevin Langston commented that, "Twice as many travelers say they’re financially worse off than a year ago. 31% believe they’ll be worse off a year from now, versus 15% in Q1 2008. And 63% believe [the] US economy will worsen in 2009 – just 17% expect it to improve. [Travelers interviewed said] Causes [for this] consumer uncertainty – jobs, investments, vacation time…."

Mr. Langston when on to say, "[This] creates uncertainty for our industry – soft demand, weak revenue, dramatically different booking curves, tightened budgets – [which can] lead to missed opportunities."

[However] "people are still traveling – 56% say the number of leisure trips they will take this year will either not change or increase. And 64% say the duration of their leisure trips will either stay the same or increase They’re just being much more careful with their money and their time…."

"How do we as the tourism industry address these factors? We have to show customers the value of getting away, AND - show them value in our offered getaways!"

Good advice as we begin to enter into the early travel season. If you have ideas or promotions or need assistance in getting the word, let us know. We're talking about the Columbus experience and the added value of the destination.

*stats provided by Henry Harteveldt at Forrester Research 

What's all this talk about the "New Media"

Face Book, My Space, Twitter, You Tube, blogging... what the heck is all this techno-speak about? The most important thing to think about is that it's the new frontier of marketing your product and services. How you do it can be another matter all together. Southeastern Tourism Society recently conducted a webinar (another new tool in our instant gratification society) that talked about how to use social media to your advantage.

The Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau will roll out its own social media systems to get ahead of other CVBs and destinations. The goal is to have it completed and active by late Spring. So if someone writes on your wall or pokes you, it might be a new customer doing what folks do when from their Blackberry or iPhone or desktop when they're trying to find good rates or tickets or other incentives.

People

What my years of business experience have taught me is that the key to competitiveness is innovation, and the key to innovation is people. Taking care of people, therefore, is an essential way of taking care of business.

Source Randall Tobias, Chairman of Eli Lilly excerpt from Employee Recruitment & Retention

Great managers remove obstacles

Managing is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups. It is the art of creating an environment in which people can perform as individuals and yet cooperate towards the attainment of groups goals. It is the art of removing blocks to such performance

Source: Harold Koonts The Motivational Manager

Ft. Benning Works with Columbus Hotels

It came to my attention a few weeks back that talk on the street was that Ft. Benning was not willing to work with area hotels. I know, it's hard to even get your head around that kind of talk. The story was that soldiers writing home to families about their progress in basic training and inviting them to the upcoming graduation included in their letters that they should only book thru "on line booking companies." Again, hard to believe. So I did some research, made some phone calls and learned that this is anything but true. Matter of fact, a sample letter I was given a copy of actually say the opposite and encourage the use of Columbus hotels and list the CVB as an alternative source for information for hotels and booking rooms. And I was assured that if it was learned that there was anything but a "cooperative spirit and support" for Columbus, that that action or attitude would not be tolerated; that it was not good for the Installation or Columbus.

Good news in a sluggish economy. If you are in the hotel business, you're encouraged to bolster your relationship with Ft. Benning. BRAC is delivering over 20,000 people by September 2011 and those folks will need a temporary place to stay when they go through their own Columbus site visit and eventual relocation. And new jobs will mean new suppliers and vendors to Ft. Benning, also needing a good place to overnight.

Benning is a good partner. And our success is their success.

Leisure Travel Expected to Remain Steady

FAMILIES across the country are trying to find a way to swing a summer vacation in difficult times. It's a challenge, but with a little creativity and compromise, many are finding ways to make it happen. Among the tactics that can help: avoid the crowds and be prepared to bargain. Consider shorter trips and the great outdoors. Off-the-beaten path locations can cost far less and look at off-peak times. National parks and recreation areas can be bargain destinations, and with the global recession weakening foreign tourism, they are expected to be less crowded this year.

GAS PRICES EXPECTED TO STAY LOW FOR SUMMER. Gasoline prices are expected to be relatively low this summer, so motorists might want to take to the road despite the dismal economy if the federal government projection holds. The Energy Information Administration said regular-grade gasoline is expected to average $2.23 a gallon during the April-through-September driving season, although it will likely fluctuate and could jump to more than $2.30 a gallon during the peak driving period in late summer. But that's a bargain compared with last summer, when gasoline cost an average of $3.81 a gallon.

WELCOME to the great American road trip, 2009. From the Grand Canyon to Orlando to the Wisconsin Dells, concession and hotel operators are gearing up for a large influx of roadsters. Millions of Americans are planning to hit the highways this year as long-range drives come back into vogue. It's a resurgence fed by cheaper gas, childhood memories and a general reluctance o splurge by people who are fearful for their jobs, travel analysts said. Others are fed up with air travel, preferring the grind of the road to delays and fees. "In times like these-and we've seen this before-people tend to go back to things like national parks and heritage vacations to spend quality family time," said Bruce Bossman, director of reservations and sales for the Grand Canyon Railway, a tourist attractions that runs near the canyon's southern rim.

LEISURE TRAVEL INTENTIONS UP SLIGHTLY. According to the February Travel Horizons survey, the U.S. Traveler Sentiment Index rose to 90.2 in February 2009 from 78.2 in October 2008 due to an increase in the perceived "affordability of travel." The Index is a derivative of six separate statistical measures that have been tracked since March 2007, at which time the Index was pegged at 100. The spike in the perceived affordability of travel appears to be a direct result of many travel suppliers' recent efforts to stimulate short-term demand through the aggressive promotion of discounted fares and rates. Promotional pricing and related incentives are now offered by suppliers representing practically every segment of the travel industry from airlines to cruise lines, hotel companies, attractions and rental car companies, some of which are featuring rates and fares that are up to 50 percent off the prices being quoted just six months ago.

"We are very encouraged that more people are signaling a willingness to travel for leisure purposes," said Peter C. Yesawich, chairman of Ypartnership. "This is the first increase we have observed in the Index since January 2008, which indicates that the discounts travel providers and destinations are offering are working to attract more travelers, even in this down economy. As it turns out, this is actually a terrific time to travel because some of these great deals are sure to disappear once the industry begins to recover."

Source: Southeastern Tourism Society

Expectation

You're not expected to be perfect. You're just expected to reach a little further for some brand new stretch goals.

Source: Martha Finney, leadership consultant

Are you meeting your customer's expectation?

Today's economy has us all scrambling to keep our piece of market share.

Recent research suggest that "value" is what the customer is expecting. Now, what exactly does the word value mean is anyone's guess. For a meeting planner it could be a complimentary hot breakfast. To a ticket buyer for an arts performance, it might mean complimentary valet parking or upgrading to a better seat. The challenge is that we become aware, that although not quiet a buyer's market, yet, the customer is looking for "added" value in their experience. A suggestion would be to bring your team together for some quick brainstorming, go out and talk to your existing customers, and come up with several options you can then promote as part of your experience. It's another form of packaging or turning your shop in a one stop service for your customer.

The key to survival is knowing who your customer is -- they're the easiest to get more of.

Help workers get a grip on their economic concerns

Gloomy economic forecasts have taken an emotional toll on your workforce. Some employees are cowering under their desks, some are slumped in their chairs, some are wandering around in a daze. How can you help them process their feelings and start concentrating on their assignments? Try these tactics:

Purge panic. For some the economic crisis has sparked terror. But you can talk panicked works down by reminding them they've survived many ecnpomic challenges -- according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, in the last 40 years there have been six recessions lasting from six to 16 months. Counsel them to reflect on coping strategies they've employed in times past to use them to set goals for managing current challenges.

Dump depression. Weathering past storms may have given some workers coping tools, but it's taught others to expect the worse. Mention recession and their minds shut down, leaving their bodies to wait for the inevitable pink slip. Lift their spirits by enumerating the organziation's strengths and suggesting things they can do to help the company to remain solvent.

Disavow denial. What does it matter if workers ignore economic crisis and continue with business as usual? It's not business as usual. You need these workers to be diligent in pursuing new opportunities and looking for ways to cut costs. You'll all have to work together to ensure the organization's future, so you can't afford to let anyone mentally check out.

Source: adapted from : "Overcome your recession fears," by Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell, on the PayScale Web site. 

Test Change to be Sure It's Really Working

When you implement a significant change in your workplace, you need to test its effectiveness. To do that, ask the same questions after implementation that you did before: What problem are you trying to solve? What's the impact on how you do your work? Look for evidence that the problem has disappeared, or at least improved: Things are getting done faster, errors are down, and so on. If you're not getting the results you hoped for, don't be afraid to start over. Sticking with change that's not working will only increase your inefficiency - and cynicism within your workforce.

Source: "Managing people: Your most difficult, most rewarding task, Part II," by G.A. Marken on the Water & Waste Digest Web site.