Sometimes what we say can make a world of difference
I talk about this and more as a guest on the Influence Women bi-monthly journal.
1) How would you help us solve this problem?
2) Who else have you helped?
3) What will it take to get us there? (time, budget, resources)
That’s it.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand where a Request for Proposal comes from and the purpose it can serve. But oftentimes an organization believes it needs to know HOW to solve the problem when creating the RFP and subsequently compares costs against executing that solution.
But it doesn’t matter which car we drive if we’re headed in the wrong direction. Don’t feel the pressure to figure out the how—That’s a big part of what you’re paying for.
Instead, tell them what needs to be fixed and look for a team that truly seeks to understand your needs, your culture and has the experience to back them up. Chances are high the proposed solution may not be what you expect but you’ll be delighted with the results.
I’m a huge fan of learning from others. Especially when they’re people who walk the talk & have a great track record.
If you somehow missed the new online conference everyone’s talking about, there’s still a tiny bit of time to sign up. Registration closes tonight at midnight CDT.
The roster of folks sharing what they’ve learned in the trenches is pretty amazing. Here’s just a few:
** A couple of things to note **
1) All of the talks are TED-style… 10 mins or less of the best stuff
2) Speakers will be chatting live & answering questions w/participants DURING their talks
3) If your schedule on Wednesday is looking a little hairy, the talks will be available again after the event for participants so you can watch them later
4) A private Facebook group has been set up for participants. Folks are already connecting & learning from each other
5) They’re including a bonus Facebook Ads Training (Which apparently I could use, as I’ve been rejected 3x so far–Thankfully I’m not talking about that)
I’m really excited to see how this event turns out. If you’re thinking about jumping on board, I’d recommend it.
A lot of the folks in my circles tend to be leaders. Oftentimes Lead Pastors, Executive Pastors and Communication Directors. And some of these leaders have huge hearts to help others—and others really need to know about it. So if you haven’t already heard of unSeminary, this is a resource you definitely want to check out.
Founded by Rich Birch, Operations Pastor at Liquid Church, (and all around great guy) he offers up some great, practical resources to guide your church communications. Here’s a highlight reel of some of the goodies you’ll find:
I honestly haven’t come across another one-stop-shop that offers so much free, quality stuff as unSeminary. Rich was a fellow speaker at Collyde last year when we first met, and he did a great job of helping me keep the crazy at bay before my session started. He’s continued to impress me ever since.
** Side note ** This is not an endorsed post. unSeminary is just a great resource and the world will be a better place if others know about it.
So you’re getting ready to launch a new brand.
You’ve got your new name, logo, signage, website, and social channels all locked up. Or do you?
It’s important to snag ALL the domains and social channels related to your brand that you possibly can. Even the ones you think you don’t need.
Otherwise you run the risk of what happened to Carly Fiorina, former president of Hewlett-Packard, who just announced her bid for the 2016 presidential race.
By failing to secure http://carlyfiorina.org/, someone else snagged it and is using it against her.
The devil is in the details, so make sure your resources aren’t being used to fight battles you can control.
A lot of people ask me this. Especially my marketplace friends making a billion dollars more than me.
“Isn’t working with nonprofits.. well, not… profitable?” they tend to wonder aloud.
(It’s not. But that’s not the point.)
It’s because I’m desperately hoping more churches will do this:
You can read the full story, along with everyone else who’s welcome at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Community here. (Hat tip to Jon Acuff for the post)
Best part is this doesn’t require a talented graphic designer. Or custom series graphics. Or a big print budget.
But I bet it’s insanely effective.