For me, leadership often is about supporting the other people on the team to produce fine work. I demonstrate this by being available to coach and guide them as necessary, but also challenging them to reach their goals. 

Many times, I find when I ask someone on my team what they aim to produce, it is above what others had in mind for them. Thus, knowing when to stand aside and let people lead themselves has proved to allow for exceeding expectations again and again.

When it comes to time and money involved in projects or planning efforts, good leadership is very important. With issues regarding time and budget implications, I am open and honest with those with whom I work. I invite them to partner with me to produce ways to deliver within the parameters set. If one or both parameters are unrealistic, ultimately it is my role as a leader to communicate this to others and consider alternatives. 

As a leader, it is important to plan effectively. When this is done as a written marketing plan, it is a great way to chart success carefully, often saving resources as a result. This plan can then be chopped into smaller segments and used to lead an effort during tactical phases. 

One of the key elements that all groups—nonprofit and corporate alike struggle with is how to budget accurately for communications efforts. When funds are short, often communication fees and staff are the first to go—at the moment when communication is exactly the thing that should be invested in to revitalize or generate new interest! There’s a smart way to address this: by using a smart, phased approach focused on defining who you are in the marketplace, and spreading the expense out over time.

First, a list of reasons why to develop a budget for phased branding in the first place:

• As one phase rolls out, results can be used for subsequent phases.
• Defining, or branding, your group stops the confusion between you and your competitors.
• It differentiates your group as THE place to purchase from, donate to, or visit.
• It keeps you in a “top of mind” position for your clients so that when they’re ready, you’re easily remembered.
• It helps others accurately describe the services you provide, which comes in handy when they attempt to promote your services to other potential clients. 
• It’s easily integrated into current staff load and time commitments.
• It offers the flexibility to be self-funded or funded through smaller grants or lines of credit over time.
• It allows your organization to respond to a quickly changing global environment.

Deciding what amount to budget

In the for-profit world, the standard for a communications budget is often 10-20% of projected gross. For growing companies, it can reach as high as 25%. Things aren’t so clear in the nonprofit world, where the average allocation for communications is 9-12% of an annual budget, often less. By definition, advocacy organizations allocate more of their budgets to communications, because advocacy is communications or outreach-based.

To calculate exact figures, you can take a percentage approach or a flat dollar approach. Some groups decide on an overall figure per period (that is, per quarter, month, semester, sales cycle, campaign season), then assign a percentage of this overall number for each type of expense (design services, mailing services, expansion into areas which generate significant income or good public relations, database management, internal staff costs, etc.)

This approach parallels an organization’s growth or decline throughout the year and modifies the percentages accordingly. The main advantage of a budget based on your organizational finances is that it is organic: spending grows or shrinks in line with your operating performance. Exceptions can be made, such as the launching of a new program or the introduction of new leadership.

Rolling out your phases

To budget effectively, know what to plan for in advance. Below is a basic phasing roadmap you can execute with internal talents or with assistance from outside professionals, to gain market share via differentiation from your competitors.

• Phase one: Dust off or initially record your brand promise: who you are, what you promise, what you do, what sets you apart, etc. Survey external communication methods (sent to people outside your group) and decide which of the tired ones can be fit into each phase and within your allotted funds for the year. Phase out those that aren’t working or combine them with others to increase cost-effectiveness. Develop a calendar of which tools will be used for which audience, for what purpose, within your budget limitations.
• Phase two: Revisit or develop key messages sent to your audiences or develop messages for the first time. Consider each message from a variety of perspectives, such as a web site visitor, facility visitor, executive program or department level, etc., or staff perspective. Try them on for size to see if they need simplifying or further definition and refinement.
• Phase three: Visit your web site and view it from each of your audience’s perspectives. Update areas on the site where messages do not fit audience needs or fail to clearly define your group as unique from others. Consider new online technology and decide which tools are appropriate for your needs to communicate what you need to say easily and clearly.
• Phase four: Examine internal communication tools (sent to staff only) such as memo formats, employee updates, intranets, phone lists, forms, sign-up sheets, announcements, and so forth. How do each of these tools reinforce your messages? Modify those that are not in line with company messages, purpose, etc.
• Phase five: Educate staff regarding communication changes. Emphasize how these changes play a key role in building consistency. Working together as a team, you’ll help differentiate your company for people who hear from you via phone, email, public or in-house speeches, networking events, or face-to-face meetings.
• Phase six: Survey your products or services for gaps in consistency with new decisions. If needed, refine their look, feel, delivery approach, follow-up method, or packaging.
• ... and lucky Phase seven: Repeat again the following year, and update as needed as your organization grows and changes.

If we begin by defining, for the purposes of this discussion, that a brand is the impression a company makes on a customer, then it can be argued that a company leader often plays a key role in forming a brand. With that said, if you occupy an executive position in your group, how can you represent the brand with understanding and skill?

As a “face/leader/figurehead of the organization,” what you say and how you act embodies the experience that your customers, investors, workers, and other audiences will digest and remember about your group. Meanwhile with luck, your marketing department or creative agency will already have sorted out a set of key messages for you to deliver to these groups on a pretty regular basis.

Otherwise, you’ll have a bit of work to do to decide what you want both your team and outside entities such as customers, potential hires, and media sources to feel about your group—the essence of any brand. Do you want them to perceive your group as evocative and smart, or edgy and oh-so-hip? These are key marketing decisions to make, depending on whom you wish to attract. Once these are determined—and hopefully they’re different from those of your competitors—you’re ready to begin.

Here are a few things to try, so you can communicate your brand in a new, smart way:

• Say the same thing via different modes of delivery. Eventually it will sink in. For example, start with an email signature tag, then an announcement, followed by a quarterly update.
• Use the usual, but add key messages. When doing your usual staff announcements, client updates or PowerPoint presentations, challenge yourself to include as many of your company messages within them in a fresh, interesting way.
• Train your departments on the importance of consistency and clarity. Fine-tune how they describe the successes and attributes you want others to know about in clear, consistent, memorable ways. For example, does one group define a great customer experience” as not having to wait in line, while another defines it as super-low prices? It’s time to clear up the internal confusion and what others hear.
• Use your own words and encourage others to do the same. Your message will never be genuine or real if you don’t. While one person may describe something as “what is really wonderful about our …” the next person may say “…we are proud to announce our success with,” which still conveys a positive and personal position.
• Appreciate the power of your receptionist. As the front line for most new prospects, this position requires special care and training to foster clear, convincing conversations with others, or at a minimum to address questions with skill.

A friend of mine attended a conference today and wanted me to weigh in on a discussion: What should a small business consider to select the right marketing consultant to help promote their business? There is nothing like communicating virtually—I didn’t even need to attend the conference to offer my expertise!
 

There are many ways to judge success. It is particularly interesting when it comes to finding a great marketing partner for smaller entities. It is slightly different than that needed for larger ones. Essentially, I recommend: 

• Experience in small business. They should be able to reference success and failure, and lessons learned in the process. 
• Ability to write. Amazingly, very few communicators have this essential skill. They can strategize and discuss, but fail when it comes to documentation, writing succinctly, and the art of written persuasion. 
• Connections. By definition, a one-person consultancy does not possess all the skills needed to market a small business. Do they have a quiver of connections that are ready to augment their efforts?
• A personality that works with yours. Not all consultants are meant for all small businesses. Some are more straight-forward and no nonsense. Others can brainstorm and consider options for hours. Which one is more your style?
• Ability to listen, plan and execute. Armed with their experience and skills, your marketing consultant needs to convince you that they can do these three things to your satisfaction. There are lots of people that can craft messages, define audiences, and generate enthusiasm, but fewer that have the ability to focus and produce results. 

Who really wants to know when I eat lunch? I don’t have time to update everyone on what I do all day.

How often have we heard that response when we ask people whether they visit Twitter? I am guilty of the same—years ago, a colleague moved to San Francisco with her boyfriend who was going to work for Twitter. We laughed. We said pretty much the same thing. How wrong we were!

Now, I am among the millions of people who log onto Twitter regularly, and also post (@shawspeaking, in case you are curious). At first, it is a barrage of unfamiliar terminology (RT, for example), symbols (what are all those pound signs [#] anyway?) but after some time, it begins to make sense. 

For me, I think of Twitter as a well-attended cocktail party. It isn’t a networking event; it is a cocktail party, complete with witty repartee, unsolicited advice, and inaccurate accounts of daily occurrences. What is nice is that you can move from one conversation to the next—listening—without feeling obligated to say a word.

What I notice most these days when I talk to people about Twitter, is that they have read something on Twitter, rather than referencing a Tweet they created. In other words, rather than talking, they are listening. How novel in this forum of self expression!

This trend may or may not extend beyond my social circle, but does deserve mentioning. Twitter is probably one of the best ways to research that has ever existed. After learning of something via Twitter, you can immediately cross-reference it with other sources and assure yourself of its validity. You can follow trends, be led to great articles outside of Twitter, be among the first to catch a significant announcement in politics, art, culture, and more. This is all done through listening to others. Indeed, listening is a key part of Twitter, as with all communication.