« August 2010 | Main | October 2010 »

September 16, 2010

Wal-Mart to increase selection. Maybe you should, too.

I spend a lot of time thinking about shopping. Not for myself: I like shoes as much as the next gal, but I’m talking about the science of shopping, the study of what motivates shoppers to put that item into their cart and check out.

Why? Because shopping in a retail store and communicating in an organization are amazingly similar. Both are about getting someone’s attention, despite the noise in that person’s head and the distractions of the environment. Both require persuasion: Providing information is not enough, you have to influence their behavior as well. And both are getting increasingly more difficult to do well.

That’s why a recent speech by Bill Simon, CEO of Wal-Mart, (covered in MediaPost) caught my interest. Mr. Simon admitted that the giant retailer has made some missteps recently, including reducing the number of different items offered. But he said Wal-Mart would increase its selection, to ensure that shoppers have the choices they seek.

"When you reduce the assortment, which we did, and focus on the item, which we did, it is really hard to win—our competitors can match us on items,” said Mr. Simpon. “Our promise needs to be around the entire basket. No one can beat us on breadth."

In other words, shoppers visit Wal-Mart because they want to find everything they need—from motor oil to baby shampoo—in one visit. Here’s the question for you: Do employees visit your communication channels for the same reason? If your objective is to offer a full array of information employees might need, are you delivering? Or are employees left unsatisfied, because there’s too much information about initiatives and not enough about topics that matter to them?

(By the way, if your objective is opposite—to be more like a specialty retailer like The Loft or Hollister—the question is different: Are you successfully carving out your niche?)

Pay attention to retailers, because you can always learn something. For example, here’s Mr. Simon’s prediction about the holiday season. Wal-Mart, he says, is forecasting a "very competitive Christmas and holiday selling season. Kids may be getting toys," he says, "but all you adults should be planning on socks and underwear—that's what you're going to get." Darn. I had my eye on some great shoes.

Posted by Alison Davis at 06:05 AM | Comments (0)

September 02, 2010

The best communication is concrete

My colleague Jane Shannon and I have nearly completed our book on HR communication. (The manuscript has been edited and is going into production; publication is slated for next spring.) Since the project is coming to a close, I decided to clean up my electronic files—and came across this e-mail Jane had sent me last summer.

We were having a conversation about the importance of making HR communication simple and accessible, and Jane said, “Don’t forget concrete. Too often, HR people and communicators deal in abstractions, and employees have no idea what they mean. The more employees can picture what you’re talking about, the better.”

As an example, Jane shared with me a message she wrote for her community organization in Ancramdale, N.Y. The objective was to encourage residents to participate in an upcoming weekend event, Community Days.

We didn’t use this example in our book, but I’d like to share it with you now, because it exemplifies writing that is specific, tangible and concrete. (And, by the way, it was extremely effective: More people volunteered than had ever done so before).

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

Here are five ways you can help make Ancram Community Days a huge success this weekend:

1. Help set up at 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 13.
Help get tables and chairs ready for the weekend—meet at Town Hall.

2. Come help at the "Dive In" Movie sponsored by the Youth Commission at 5 p.m. Friday at Blass Park Pool.
No sharks. We promise.

3. Bake something wonderful and deliver it to Matthew Boice after 8 a.m. Saturday, August 15.
Matt is working to get enough money to create a Haunted House at the Fire House this Halloween. If you think about all that Matt's parents David and Jennifer do for this community, I bet you'll find the time to do a little baking to help Matt achieve his goal. (He's the one selling milkshakes at a vendor table.)

4. Volunteer for just one hour or just a few hours on Saturday, August 15, from 9 to 3 p.m. at Town Hall.
There's plenty to do—from collecting 50/50 raffle tickets—to collecting money for the Bounce House—to collecting money from the Dunking Booth for Public Officials—to enjoying the Tractor Pull while you're not helping out—to helping direct people to park their cars—or sitting in for a vendor while he or she takes a short break. Come meet your neighbors and friends and help make this community celebration a success.

5. Clean up at 9 a.m. Sunday, August 16 at Town Hall.
This special duty should receive special rewards—how about some free ice cream after the 1 p.m. all-faith service and potluck picnic? You can even volunteer to help serve the ice cream, too.

Please come participate in Ancram Community Days in whatever way works for you. Thanks.

Posted by Alison Davis at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)