Mick Ord’s Post

Last week, I had an insightful discussion with a senior staff member about the role of communications in organizational growth. They suggested that communications and marketing might be unnecessary, especially for organizations that don’t sell or promote products. However, effective communication is crucial, whether for business or non-profit organizations. Here’s why: 🔍 1. Enhanced Performance: According to Harvard Business Review, organizations with strong communication practices are 25% more productive and have 47% lower employee turnover (HBR, 2018). 📈 2. Increased Engagement: The American Marketing Association notes that marketing builds value and connects with stakeholders. For non-profits, it boosts awareness and support (AMA, 2020). 🌐 3. Building Trust: Effective communication is key to building trust and a strong reputation, as highlighted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA, 2019). 💡 4. Better Decision-Making: The Institute for Public Relations reports that strong communication strategies lead to more informed decision-making and effective crisis management (IPR, 2021). 📊 5. Stronger Relationships: Effective communication fosters better relationships with community and stakeholders, crucial for non-profits seeking increased support (Charity Navigator, 2022). What’s your take on this? Have you encountered similar views? Share your thoughts below! #Communications #Marketing #OrganizationalGrowth #BusinessStrategy #NonProfit #StakeholderEngagement

⭐️Free training on how to manage trustee conflict⭐️

Do not underestimate the power of effectively communicating with your internal teams and external community. Unless you promote your charity goals, offerings and activities, how do you expect people to find you?! Join us for our FREE 60-minute workshop on Wednesday 17th July at 18:00 (UK). We will cover how to communicate, what platforms you use and what you say. In our modern world, sometimes these questions can feel overwhelming. Don't worry this session is packed with tips and guidance! What you will learn: ✅ How to effectively communicate and share knowledge with internal teams ✅ How to build internal communities and attract the right people to your charity ✅What tech and software are available to charities at reduced/discounted rates to support you These workshops are designed to provide you with a base knowledge of areas to consider when thinking about communicating. You do not need any prior knowledge to attend. To get you started, download our FREE ‘Outreach Audit’. Don't miss out – secure your spot today. Sign up HERE 👇 https://lnkd.in/edjYkTA5 #CharityTraining #SetTheStandard #MBS #MindfulBusinessServices #FreeTraining #CharityManagement #Trustees #Clerk #LearnForFree #CharityAdmin #Communication #Outreach #CharityPlanning #CharityLearning #ClerkTraining #TrusteeTraining #Marketing #Administration #Promotion #EffectiveCommunication #FreeTemplate #FreeResource #MBS #BestPractice #CharityOperations

As a nonprofit or business leader, you may think not having the right answer or the right “message is” holding you back from attracting the right opportunities, clients or donors. Instead, I think it is that you might not be curious enough. By that I mean, how much do you listen instead of put out messages into the world? When you have your ideal prospect in mind, how much do you really know about them? And, if you are fortunate enough to get yourself in the right conversation with the right person, do you ask questions or do you talk and sell? The most effective communicators are curious. We ask questions–open-ended questions at that. We really want to hear what life is like for the people we are trying to serve in our businesses or invite to donate to our nonprofits. Two reasons: 📌People love to talk about themselves. When people are invited to share their story and authentically listened to, they are much more likely to walk away with a positive impression of you, the listener. 📌When you listen, the information they give you is gold. How better to get “inside the heads” of people you want to do business with than to listen to them and ask good follow-up questions when they talk? Knowing what keeps them up at night and being honest about whether your service or product actually helps solve that problem is key to a successful professional relationship for both people. When was the last time you asked a good question and got a valuable answer that surprised you? Fire & Bliss Creative helps values-driven businesses and organizations develop communications and marketing strategies that attract the right clients and donors so you can sleep well tonight and grow tomorrow. If you are interested in seeing if we’d be a good fit for helping solve your marketing or communications challenges, send me a message and we can set up a time to talk. #marketingstrategies #communications #curiousity

Looking to boost your charity's communications with training and development? 📣 If you’re part of a charity comms team wanting to improve your media presence, sharpen your messaging, and engage your audience more effectively, I now offer bespoke training for charities of all sizes. With many years of experience in charity communications, I’ve worked with organisations facing a variety of challenges. My training is hands-on, focusing on the real-world skills your team needs to amplify your message and reach more people. 💬 I offer a range of training options, including 👇 📰 Increasing your media coverage: Learn to craft stories that capture attention, pitch effectively, and build lasting relationships with journalists. 💻 Writing for the web: Create engaging, accessible content that drives action and works across all devices. 🚀 Building a strong brand and online presence: Especially for small charities, this session helps you use affordable tools to grow your digital presence and boost engagement. 🌍 Inclusive communication strategies: Develop messages that resonate across diverse audiences, ensuring accessibility and cultural sensitivity. ✍️ Persuasive writing: Learn to write compelling opinion pieces and speeches that influence public debate and reach key decision makers. If you're interested, drop me a message and let's discuss how I can help. 😊 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ewfVEpAC #CharityCommunications #NonprofitTraining #StorytellingForChange #InclusiveCommunications #CommsTraining

Being concise and honest in your professional communication is vital to being respected and getting things done; however, being too direct can make you seem insensitive and hurt team dynamics. How do you find the balance? Prioritizing clarity while preserving charity could be key to striking the right cord with your workplace communication. Read more in our blog: https://lnkd.in/ePbUepWV #Speakeasyinc #Communication #LeadershipSkills #ManagementSkills

A truly insightful and practical creative group session today from CharityComms on “Ethical Storytelling”. Some of my key takeaways from the fantastic sessions by Gauri S. and Maryam M. : • How empathy is at the heart of why we do what we do and we need to employ that, always no matter who we engage with. • Often charities speak for those without a voice, but we must always remember to not speak for them, but alongside them, they have agency - and together we can articulate how best they want their stories told. • People. We’re all the same but so very different, and thats what makes it so special working in this sector, we can constantly learn about each other and ourselves by really listening and being open. • Don’t fear being on the right side of history, take a rightful stance where needed and you will see you attract more support and influence change towards a more equitable future. • The basics: consent, respect, dignity, feedback, deconstruct biases, truth, and life experiences - these will guide ethical story choices and the ways in which you choose to represent and present causes, communities and people. Thank you to all the team CharityComms for hosting, and to all participants and peers from across the sector - some of whome I briefly had a chance to talk to in the break-out session, was great meeting and hopefully we get to connect again in the near future. Many of the topics raised in the sessions are points and issues I’ve experienced, repeatedly over the last two decades, and it’s wonderful to see how how far we’ve come and how they’re now being addressed within the third sector. I am hopeful things will continue on this upward trajectory of positive and meaningful change and with it will come better outcomes for the people we serve. Now, on to telling more stories through comms!

This is a fantastic piece written and shared with us by Jennifer Stapleton. Regardless of your type of entity or business or solutions you provide, when seeking to engage a target audience and deliver your services or solutions to those that might need it, how you go about that engagement and conversation tells a great deal about you. I couldn't agree more with the concept of listening versus speaking, as a result of asking well prepared and organized questions. When conducting a discovery call, I have taken almost two decades to design my inquiries for the business leader or owner, in which the responses they provide literally help them understand the gaps, challenges, and potential needs of their organization. Then, as pointed out by Jennifer and several commenting, it becomes transparent and obvious that you actually have the expertise and wisdom to advise on and potentially solve their problem. Listen more than you talk. Understand the goals, dreams, and aspirations of those you are trying to serve and don't ever focus on selling anything, focus on helping another person achieve their goals and success they desire and deserve. Trust me when I say, if you treat people with respect, dignity, and care, and help them achieve success, selling becomes irrelevant and the money will come anyway. Focus on solutions and helping others and you will never need to sell again. Take care, be safe, and if you are seeking an expert to help with communication and marketing strategies I highly recommend Jennifer Stapleton and Fire & Bliss Creative. If you are seeking an HR or Business Advisor to explore business strategies or seeking peace of mind with regards to your employment practices risk, reach out to me for a free discovery call at TAHR Services Inc.

Is your organisation finding it challenging to meaningfully engage and empower young people? Do you struggle to stay across young people's current needs and interests? Need support to understand the best way to communicate and build trust with young people? With over 10 years of experience working with young people, I can help! Here's how: ✅ Strategic Advice and Review: Review and develop tailored engagement strategies that resonate with young people today and are based on best practise frameworks. ✅ Training Workshops: Equip your team with the skills and tools needed for meaningful, effective and tailored engagement with young people. ✅ Program Co-Design: Develop co-design processes with young people to create innovative and relevant programs that speak to the interests and needs of young people. I've got some availability coming up from July - Sept and would love to work with you! Send me a DM or email [email protected] if you'd like to learn more and chat about how we can work together :) #YouthEngagement #NonProfit #Consulting

A report by Bristol-based comms agency, Strike Communications Ltd sets out the increasingly challenging and complex landscape that UK charities are operating in, and how strategic communications is levelling the playing field in the UK’s £88 billion sector.   It discusses how a strategic approach to communication enables charities to achieve their business objectives by raising awareness, building trust, and meaningfully engaging with stakeholders.   It also lays out the communication challenges that charities currently face. These include:    * Limited resources for communications * Gaining visibility in a crowded landscape * Building trust and credibility * Communicating complex issues * Keeping up with digital transformation and AI   Strategic communications can support charities by crafting compelling and credible narratives, maintaining transparency, and building long-term stakeholder relationships – all of which reap longer term reward.   Strategies for effective communication include: * Building a clear brand identity and narrative * Maintaining transparency and accountability * Having crisis management plans in place * Developing strong partnerships * Creative engagement to combat fundraising and disaster fatigue Founder and managing director Catherine Frankpitt argues that charities often fail to take a strategic approach to communication and default to tactics. If you work in comms in the charity sector I recommend downloading a copy. 🔗