The Association for Women in Communications One organization embracing ALL communications disciplines
Communiqué Boring toR Bravo No one wants to be boring, and no one wants to be bored listening to you. During a presentation you are delivering to customers, co-workers or cohorts, you can’t afford to have your audience disengage – or worse – walk out. Here are five deal breakers and ways you can inspire your audiences to action.
Make it all about you. Yes, you are giving the presentation, but that doesn’t mean you have to hose them down with all the information you know about the subject. They can take only a sip from your fire hose, so why not share the handful of key, pertinent facts? Tell a story that helps them understand and apply their new understanding to their specific situation. Make the information relevant to them. If you were an audience member, would you be interested in what you’re saying? Stand behind a lectern. You must build a connection with your audience, and you can’t create rapport behind a lectern, table, chair or anything that comes between you and your audience. Come out from behind your barricade and mingle with the participants even before the presentation. If you need a place for notes, you can stand beside the lectern and glance at them when necessary. Ignore the audience. While speaking, shift your focus from how you are doing to how the audience is doing. They are constantly sending you verbal and non-verbal signals of excitement and interest, to boredom and disengagement. Pay attention and listen to what they tell you: Are they smiling and nodding their heads? Yes; you are in the zone. Puzzled looks? Hmmm; you may want to share an example or illustration. Are they leaning forward in their chairs or sitting back defensively? Don’t shy away from actual conversation during your presentation by asking a provocative question, requesting assistance or even interviewing one person about a specific issue.
Bravo, cont’d. on Page 3
by Kristin Arnold
No one wants to be www.womcom.org boring, and no one wants to be bored listening to you. During a presentation you are delivering to customers, co-workers or cohorts, you can’t afford to have your audience disengage – or worse – walk out. Here are five deal breakers and ways you can inspire your audiences to action.
July-August 2010
What’s inside:
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Student chapter honors
Volunteering gives back
Is it really your resume?
From AWC National Chair Judy Morency
Aug. 15 – National Membership Campaign Kicks Off Stayed tuned for information on the next national membership campaign that will start on Aug. 15! New members can save $50 on their membership and current members can win prizes for referrals!
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On a recent visit with the Springfield, MO, Professional Chapter, I had the chance to look back at my 36 years of membership in AWC. Television was just starting to use video tape, but the cameras and recorders were far too bulky to be mobile. The University of Wisconsin Journalism School had just received its first newsroom computer, and 30- and 60-second PSAs were the norm for radio and television. Back then I thought I had all the training I would ever need to be successful in my career. I was a whiz on an electric typewriter, I mastered both 35mm and 16mm cameras and could set up a darkroom and process film like a pro. Sit me down at an art table and I could turn a mountain of wax-backed typesetting into a brochure in no time. Photos were touched up using an airbrush, blue-line proofs came on mealy paper and reeked of ammonia, and sending out a press release involved licking hundreds of envelopes. With each passing year came new innovations and new expectations from employers. How did I bridge the vast technology gap between yesterday and today? By attending AWC workshops and conferences. Although my employers expected me to embrace desktop publishing, Photoshop and online marketing, continuing education was achieved on my own time and with my own dime. Like you, I am still looking to AWC to keep me abreast of the latest technology and trends. This past January, we surveyed the membership in an effort to learn what you wanted and needed to succeed in your career. The items on the top of your list included: keeping up with changing technology; increasing professional development opportunities; helping members retrofit their skills for the current marketplace; offering affordable and relevant programs at the national level and helping with employment. Armed with your input, the national board crafted a strategic plan aimed at meeting your needs. With the help of the national Tech Committee, we launched a monthly webinar program which provides affordable, educational programs led by nationally known speakers; we have provided regular free webinars to help our unemployed and underemployed members re-enter the workplace or launch new careers; and introduced TechTrekking, a regional, one-day, how-to seminar providing training on the latest technology tools. New national committees have been formed to give you the opportunity to apply your skills on a national level and make a significant contribution to AWC; we also set up LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts to give members a forum for sharing ideas and networking on a national level. We are holding quarterly chapter leader conference calls to address chapter needs and share valuable ideas, and have revamped the CommuniquĂŠ to include articles on career development as well as member and chapter news. This month we rolled out a new membership database that provides members with a more detailed, searchable, national directory and several new online features. While we have not yet addressed all of your needs and wants, we will continue to provide programs and tools to help you succeed. We hope you will continue to support and help develop the programs we have in place and provide feedback to help us to continue to meet your needs.
Bravo, cont’d. from Page 1
Talk in the dark. Multimedia projectors now have enough lumens (at least 2,500) to project your slideshow without turning lights down. Stop standing in the dark! While you’re at it, stop looking at your slides. Speak to the audience. As you begin, look at a friendly face in the audience and stay with that person for a sentence or two, or until you complete a thought. Allow yourself enough time to connect with that person — typically three to five seconds. Move to someone else in the room, distributing your miniconversations smoothly and deliberately throughout the room, without being too predictable as to where you will go next. Your goal is to build a relationship with every person in the room — not with the slideshow! It is your engaging eye contact that shows people how much you care. When they know how much you care about them, they will care about what you say. Eschew technology. Almost everyone has a cell phone. Embrace the technology. Poll the audience; take a Twitter break to get feedback from the Twitter feed or to get questions. Invite your audience to tweet during your presentation with a hashtag (#) for them to submit questions. Ask a friend, colleague or volunteer to monitor the “back channel” of text messages. If you’re brave, project the twitter feed on a screen (this is called a “twitter fall”). Be prepared to change course and adapt based on what you see! You will never bore if you genuinely care about the audience, connect with the group and converse with them. You’ll have more fun, too!
Kristin Arnold is on a mission to make all meetings more engaging, interactive and collaborative through her latest book, Boring to Bravo. As a high stakes meeting facilitator, trainer and keynote speaker, Kristin has worked with thousands of senior executives, project managers and team leaders, challenging their traditional notions about teamwork. Kristin is the incoming president of the National Speakers Association.
2011 AWC National Conference Mark your calendars now for Oct. 13 – 15, 2011 for the AWC National Conference in Tulsa, Okla.! Since the national conference is now bi-annual, AWC wants to encourage you and your chapter to start fundraising and planning now. The DoubleTree Hotel at Warren Place in Tulsa is offering a room rate of $89 a night! Have you heard a dynamic speaker who you think would be a great speaker for our conference? Forward Sheryl Liddle the speaker’s name, topic and any other information you have.
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National News
Check out the new ‘My AWC’ AWC has made some big changes to womcom.org, the online database and the online member directory! The new system’s more professional design has several new features: • Register for events and purchase membership at the AWC online store • See and update your profile, including your recent transactions, renewals, committees and upcoming events The • More robust and user-friendly member directory: instantly search for friends, colleagues, chapter members, and services that more members offer. information you • National committees and chapter leaders share notes and provide in your meeting minutes online To get the most out of the new system, please edit your profile. Sign in with your e-mail address and enter Password1 if you haven’t signed in yet. You will be prompted to change the password to your own. If you have trouble logging in, just click the “Forgot your password?” link and follow the instructions.
profile, the easier it will be to network with fellow AWC members.
Primary E-mail Address: (your e-mail) Password: Password1 Your profile The more information you provide in your profile, the easier it will be to network with fellow AWC members. If you do freelance work or provide communications services, those attributes will be searchable in the directory. You also will be able to register for events and webinars with just a couple clicks! Renewing your membership Now you will be able to renew your membership without filling out a bunch of long forms! When you are up for renewal, about 90 days before your membership expires, you will receive notification that you have an “open order.” To pay your open order, you simply go to “My Transactions” and pay via credit card online, or print out the open order and mail a check. For guidance on how to renew your membership, update your profile, and register for events, watch the new features training video. As always, please contact AWC national headquarters with any questions, problems or concerns you have at members@womcom.org or (703) 370-7436.
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Student Chapter Award winners announced
Drury & Texas State University catch top AWC honors Outstanding Faculty Advisor Dr. Regina Waters, Drury University The AWC Drury University Chapter could not ask for a more supportive and inspiring leader than Dr. Regina Waters, her nomination said. Under her leadership, DC Networks (Drury Communication Networks) has developed into the largest communication organization on campus and one that will continue to grow in the coming years.
This year’s competition for Student Chapter Awards was fierce. With entries doubling from last year, each nomination showed how outstanding our next generation of professional, women communicators will be.
Dr. Waters has given the chapter endless opportunities to learn, network, and prepare for the professional world. She consistently goes out of her way to search for available internships for chapter members and is happy to recommend valuable professional connections to any student. Amidst her busy schedule, she reviews hundreds of resumes, offering great insight and ideas, and cares about each member as an individual young professional. Thank you, Regina!
Rising Star Lauren Ormsby, Drury University Lauren was nominated by her peers because she thinks outside the box and has a very impressive resume full of practical aspects of communication, as well as her strategic achievements. She is pursuing double majors in advertising and public relations, along with a minor in global studies. Lauren maintains a full-time job in the communications office of a local hospital in the evening, providing her valuable hands on experience while maintaining a high GPA. She has contributed to the social needs of her community, and the academic and professional endeavors of her school with distinction. Great work, Lauren!
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AWC honors, cont’d. on Page 6
AWC honors, cont’d. from Page 5
Outstanding Chapter Texas State University Texas State has every qualification of an outstanding chapter! In their first semester, they have experienced tremendous growth and found time to reach out to professionals and other student chapters in their region. The chapter created an innovative PR campaign around the slogan, “AWC Stepping Out” and chapter members went class-to-class to present about AWC. They used a variety of media including traditional print, a website, Facebook and Twitter. They have become the largest chapter in the region, growing the membership to 61 members. The AWC Texas State University Chapter has established an e-mentor program with the AWC Austin Professional Chapter. Members are partnered with a professional based on similar interests, building relationships and establishing networking opportunities.
Members of the Texas State Chapter pose for a photo: Student chapter liaison from the San Antonio Professional Chapter, Liz Wheeler, students Sophie Sarvari, Aubri Nowoiejski, Chelsey Lamar, Sarah Fulton, Katrina Reid, and Caitlin Weekley.
Appeals Court Throws Out FCC’s Indecency Policy “Under the current policy, broadcasters must choose between not airing or censoring controversial programs and risking massive fines or possibly even loss of their licenses,” said the court, “and it is not surprising which option they choose. Indeed, there is ample evidence in the record that the FCC’s indecency policy has chilled protected speech.” Read more at BroadcastingCable.com.
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Member inspiration
Active citizens are the heart of democracy. The need for action always exceeds the means of the government. Service is not separate from national priorities; it’s integral.
Giving back
by Betsy Schroeder, AWC communications manager
Jackie Norris, a senior advisor at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), took the time to speak to a group of young non-profit professionals in Washington, DC, at ASAE & The Center’s Springtime Expo. The mother of three, on the brink of turning 40, stressed that the desire of the incoming professional generation is to give something back, not just to make money. President Obama, with a background in community services, signed the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009. The act expands national service programs and engages 4 million Americans in results-driven service each year, including AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America and additional community volunteer programs administered by the CNCS. Volunteering is up, with 63.4 million people volunteering in 2009.
Jackie Norris, senior advisor, Corporation for National and Community Service, gives the Obama Administration’s take on volunteering. (Photo by flickr.com/asaecenter)
Norris contributes this partially to the downturn in the economy. She says, “You cannot walk down the street without seeing something … someone that needs help or fixing.” There are 15 million kids in need of mentors, and you can see the hardships for people: foreclosure, unemployment, homelessness and addiction.
Technology is giving us so many ways to connect and create an impact. “New media – if you don’t get it, which I don’t,” Norris stresses, “you need to figure out how to understand it. You can create a revolution from your couch.”
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Giving back, cont’d. on Page 8
Actions=change 1. Have a positive attitude. Even if you’re not confident, pretend that you are. 2. Importance of speaking up. In the early 1990s, Norris worked for Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (D - N.Y.), who was on the national budget committee. After finding there was no line item for women’s health in the budget, but there was for men, the congresswoman sat and listed all of the ailments for female body parts – making the majority (men) very red and uncomfortable. The next year there was a women’s health line item. 3. Don’t forget to ask … again. 4. Just go for it! Norris was raising three young children when someone asked her to “help this guy named Obama.” After dismissing it quickly, she listened to her gut. “I wanted to be an agent of change,” she said, adding that she wanted her kids to see that she could make a difference. To those who don’t believe they have the time, Norris advises to set boundaries. “Work hard, but protect your personal time and space,” she said. 5. Importance of fulfillment. If you know your job plan for the next 20 years, think again. Reflect early, and often.
Giving back, cont’d. from Page 6 A prime example is Serve.gov which easily connects people with volunteering opportunities. Simply go to the website and type in your zip code to see opportunities. If nothing is available in your area, there are toolkits on how to get something started. Technology is used to empower people. Many people don’t believe they have time to make a difference. Norris says that everyone has power in their professional and personal life to affect things and make a change. During her experiences, she has devised five foolproof points to succeed in making a change. (see sidebar, Page 6) If you are interested in applying your professional skills to a volunteer activity, consider your professional association! AWC is always looking for volunteers to serve on national committees, projects, or even on an ad hoc basis. Visit our website to learn about more opportunities to contribute to your network.
Have you attended an AWC webinar yet? July 27 - UNFRIEND? Social Media Manners Learn how to manage the maze of online manners with Kristy Vetter of Directly Speaking Seminars. She will discuss the importance of social media etiquette and how the rules apply before you accidentally step over that line. Register now! Upcoming August 24 & 25 – Open Source Software – How free is free? If time is money, then sorting through all the options could be more costly than buying the popular brand. In this two-part webinar, open source software resources will be de-mystified as we cover desktop and Web-based solutions. Discuss the difference between components, modules, plug-ins, applets, and executables in this advanced user presentation with Deb Forsten of Zenith Associates. Register now! September 21 – Give Your Elevator Speech a Lift! Every business professional needs an engaging answer to the question, “What do you do?” Join Lorraine Howell, media skills specialist and 2009 AWC Headliner, for her proven process for creating a winning elevator speech. Register today!
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Check the new Upcoming Events page for more!
Time to reflect on heroes who made a mark Summertime brings a slower pace and it is not uncommon to find ourselves in a more reflective mood. National holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day stir up feelings about the heroes behind these national observances. We remember … we reflect … we are grateful. In our professional lives, there are similar opportunities when we find inspiration in the heroes of our own industry. The AWC Matrix Foundation recognized the importance of documenting their efforts and produced the AWC 100th Anniversary DVD that debuted at the AWC conference last fall. The story of the women who created and, over the past century, built this unique professional network provides important lessons for us to understand and implement in our own lives. It is a story that lives on in its own 100 Year Legacy page on the AWC Matrix Foundation website. Remembering and honoring the organization’s trailblazers has been the impetus behind the awards bestowed by the AWC Matrix Foundation. For instance, the foundation gives the Edith Wortman Award to individuals who have made significant contributions supporting the First Amendment and First Amendment rights. Edith Wortman was not only an outstanding public speaker and community leader, she was an artist, a teacher, a business owner and, most importantly, an advocate for freedom of speech. In 1970, Wortman was recognized as Rapid City’s (South Dakota) Woman of the Year for her humanitarianism and civic leadership. She personally worked with the Human Rights Commission to help develop leadership skills within the Lakota Sioux Tribal women and led a fundraising campaign that resulted in a $500,000 art gallery and auditorium on the campus of South Dakota State University. The Helen Duhamel Achievement Award is named for the 2002 AWC Hall of Fame inductee who recognized radio’s importance in the early 1940s. By 1954, Duhamel was the only female radio station owner in the country. In 1961, she became the first woman president of a state broadcasting association. In 1966, she brought cable television to rural South Dakota; and, in 1976, was inducted into the South Dakota Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. Helen S. Duhamel died in 1991 at the age of 87, but public recognition of her contributions continued. In 1999, Rapid City named her Millennium All-Star of the Past as an outstanding broadcast pioneer and businesswoman. Since their establishment in 2003, the two awards have been presented to a variety of communicators including CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier (pictured left), who was critically wounded while reporting from Iraq in 2006, and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif., pictured right), a forceful advocate for women’s rights, families, children, consumers, and the environment. To view the 100th Anniversary DVD and for information about other award winners, go to www.matrixfoundation.us.
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Chapter Connections
More than 350 people were on hand April 20 at Lubbock Memorial Civic Center to learn the recipients of two surprise awards.
Lubbock Chapter reinvents Celebrity Luncheon The venue was new, the look and colors were new and the ideas to upgrade the event were fresh and new, but the 26-year-old concept of recognizing Lubbock’s best and brightest at the annual Celebrity Luncheon continues to draw rave reviews from attendees and, this year, more than $12,000 for the coffers of the AWC Lubbock Chapter. More than 350 people were on hand April 20 at Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Moe Turner Banquet Hall to learn the recipients of two surprise awards — Margaret Talkington for the prestigious George Mahon Award and Renée Underwood for Communicator of the Year — and to honor two scholarship winners, five Headliner Awards, five Gold Medal Awards and one Louise Allen Award recipient. With outstanding contributions from literally every member of the organization, many changes were made to the event. Planning began last April with researching alternative venues to McInturff Conference Center, which had limited parking and allowed no room to “grow” the event — a sell out for the past several years. “The new, larger venue created more opportunities, but also more expense,” said Underwood, who was the event chair. “For the first time we were paying for a hall rental, event insurance, A/V equipment, a caterer ‘up charge’ and additional decor required by the larger space.” The increase in expenses was more than offset by the generous support of sponsors and table underwriters, solicited by Sherry Saffle and her team. They worked for months to achieve record sales of more than $22,000.
New to this year’s event, award sponsors received recognition and the opportunity to present awards to the recipients.
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It was a lot of work, but it also was a lot of fun for everyone involved. Honorees and attendees alike praised the event and its organization. The Lubbock Chapter benefited from heightened awareness in the community and new members already are joining our ranks. The net profit increase of 112 percent above the 2009 total will allow even more money to be contributed to the AWC Bea Zeeck Scholarship Endowment at Texas Tech and to the professional development of chapter members. Successful in every measure, the 2010 Celebrity Luncheon was the perfect blend of everything new and everything tried and true!
Chapter Connections
DC Chapter honors broadcast & PR pros; college communicator The Washington, DC, Chapter held its annual Matrix Awards event on Wed., May 19, at the National Press Club. Awards were given to Andrea Roane, weekday morning news anchor for the CBS affiliate WUSA-TV9, and Gloria Story Dittus, chairman of Story Partners, a public relations firm. This year’s Matrix Scholarship winner is Katherine Cotsonas, a rising senior at American University, who plans a career in broadcast news. The scholarship is made possible by PRofessional Solutions, LLC. The 2004 Matrix Award winner and chapter member Maria Rodriguez, president of Vanguard Communications, served as emcee. This is the 13th year the chapter Matrix Awards were presented. Previous winners include Helen Thomas, Cokie Roberts and Andrea Mitchell.
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Washington, DC, Chapter Matrix Awards: scholarship winner Katherine Cotsonas; award presenter Pam Gentry; Matrix Award winners Andrea Roane and Gloria Story Dittus; award presenter Mimi Simoneaux Kneuer; award emcee Maria Rodriguez; and chapter president D’Oniece Dillard. Photo courtesy Maggie Szymanek, Uncommon Photgraphy.
Reminder: Professional Chapter year-end reports due July 30 AWC’s fiscal year runs from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. In addition to the Year-end Report Form, you will need to file four other documents with national headquarters: signed affiliation agreement; direct deposit form, chapter officers’ list, and a copy of your chapter bylaws. All forms can be found on the Chapter Leaders page. All of these documents are due to national headquarters by Friday, July 30 via e-mail, fax or mail. E-mail members@womcom.org with any questions or help needed.
Chapter Connections
Austin Banner Brunch celebrates 37th year On April 24, the Austin Chapter celebrated its 37th Annual Banner Brunch. Known as the chapter’s annual homecoming of professional communicators, more than 200 attendees gathered to honor the year’s brightest communicators whose accomplishments have made a positive impact in the community and to the industry. The event’s keynote presenter, Haley Rushing, chief purposeologist at GSD&M Idea City and co-founder of The Purpose Institute, shared an inspiring story on “finding purpose” from the biggest brands in the world to our own organizations. In addition, proceeds from the event’s silent auction and raffle raised $7,500 to support the Austin Chapter and its Jo Caldwell Myer Scholarship fund. Through the fund young women are given the opportunity to accomplish their goals within the field of communication.
Julie Tereshchuk, freelance writer and event co-chair; Kay Rawlins, co-owner, Austin Aztex; Kathleen Reid, owner, SmartTalkPR; Judy Maggio, news anchor and managing editor, KEYE-TV, enjoy a fun moment prior to the Banner Brunch.
Hats off Kathy Towner was named Women Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Central Iowa Chapter. She is the co-owner of Win Communications and started its WinMail program in 2002. Christine Casewell, J.D. graduated cum laude from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich., and hopes to practice in the field of elder law. The Felt Design Group received a 2010 Communicator Award from the International Academy of Visual Arts for the Felt logo, as well as for united-mechanical.com.
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Career connections By Vicki Brackett
Is it really your resume? The resume has long been assumed as the “be all - do all” for a person’s job search. The skill sets, accomplishments, education, names of companies have been taken for granted to be the reasons someone is called, interviewed and made a job offer. But in this competitive market and a world that seems to be governed by the Internet, is that still really the case? The job search is really like a sales game. As a salesperson, you have your list of prospects, your sales tools and your strategy of how to get in the door to be able to present your product or service. After all, without getting in the right doors, do you really have a chance to make that sale? The prospect list is important, because you must have “qualified prospects,” but in the end the question for the salesperson always is: How are you going to get in the door? How are you going to turn the qualified prospect into a real prospect? That one piece of the sales game seems to separate the great salespeople from the mediocre. How many great sales people are out there? How many love to cold call and can get in the door to present their product to a potential customer? Companies spend millions of dollars on sales tools, great lists, direct mail campaigns, but in the end, what does it come down to? It comes down to the salesperson and how they get in the door. Spend more time working the strategy in a written game plan with the proper marketing channels, tracking your “sales funnel” and constantly analyzing and tweaking that game plan. Be inventive! Working on your strategy will help make you more successful than “fixing” your resume eight or nine times. By the way, there is no perfect resume. When you start believing that and turn your efforts to developing a sophisticated strategy to land that job, track that strategy and understand your job search is really like a sales game, then you will be moving forward, instead of just treading water. We know that people spend time doing what they like the most and put those tasks they don’t like to do or are uncomfortable with, on the backburner — so it is with some people’s job searches. The resume is the part people gravitate to. It’s the part that feels more comfortable. People can sit in their office or home and just plug away on their computer and there is no rejection. Another fallacy that people have about their resumes is their expectation that their experience and skill sets detailed on the resume are enough to “open the door.” That may be true, but experience tells us it’s the strategy that will get the phone to ring. Most hiring managers don’t care about the format, whether a resume is one page or two. They only care about “will you help them get where they need and want to go?” That’s what the resume needs to address. It’s HOW you get in front of that hiring manager that is the key. Since 2001, Vicki Brackett has worked with more than 10,000 people in their job search. Her company, Make It Happen For WomenSM helps women not only emotionally, but both strategically and tactically in their job search to get them on a career path that fulfills their individual wants and needs. Vicki’s unique take on job searches and tips for those considering or looking for a new job have been featured in stories for Forbes, CIO, Portfolio.com, the Denver Post and other national publications.
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National updates
Your AWC National Board of Directors Liaisons
Join the discussion More than 3,000 AWC members and communicators from all over the country are “linked in” and discussing some hot topics in communications right now! Here are some conversations you can find:
15 things job seekers do wrong, plus 15 ways to fix every one of them
Are you a good leader?
I don’t care about your pink toenails! Get a lesson in social media manners
New AWC homepage navigation and updated features! The Seven Secrets of Persuasive Copywriting? Here’s what one guru I deeply respect has to say via World (via RT @desaraev) Six Steps for dealing with detractors Dan Edelman’s 10 Principles for Success – How many do you already employ? (via RT @MarciaGomez)
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Each AWC professional chapter has a friend on the AWC National Board who makes periodic calls and responds to chapter questions and concerns. Please note, some chapter liaisons may have changed. Austin Prof. Chapter Jane Baxter Lynn Bloomington/Normal Prof. Chapter Maria Henneberry Dallas Prof. Chapter Jane Baxter Lynn Des Moines Prof. Chapter Linda Strelluf Detroit Prof. Chapter Sue Voyles Independent Members Melanie Trunkey Camp Kansas City Prof. Chapter Sheryl Liddle Lafayette Prof. Chapter Sheryl Liddle Lubbock Prof. Chapter Billie Rodely New Mexico Prof. Chapter Melanie Trunkey Camp N. New Jersey Prof. Chapter Carla Capizzi Madison Prof. Chapter Judy Arent-Morency Oklahoma City Prof. Chapter Billie Rodely Rochester Prof. Chapter Sheryl Liddle San Antonio Prof. Chapter Jane Baxter Lynn Santa Barbara Prof. Chapter Whitney Mason Seattle Prof. Chapter Whitney Mason S.E. Wisconsin Prof. Chapter Judy Arent-Morency South Florida Prof. Chapter Melanie Trunkey Camp Springfield, IL, Prof. Chapter Maria Henneberry Springfield, MO, Prof. Chapter Wendy Morlan Student Chapters Linda Strelluf Topeka Prof. Chapter Wendy Morlan Tulsa Prof. Chapter Judy Arent-Morency Washington, D.C., Prof. Chapter Carla Capizzi
Member education
Hired Guns
By Michelle Somers
How often have you visited a corporate website, and been surprised at the quality of the content you found? Expecting to find the typical rah-rah-rah message, you found unbiased, publication-quality articles that offer a journalistic take on the company and its products. Have you ever been so impressed by the quality of the writing on the site that it elevated your opinion of the company? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. That’s the impetus behind the growing area of corporate writing, or custom publishing. Custom publishing can make any company — even a mom and pop shop — look like a winner. Hire a journalist to write your marketing collateral. Choose an individual with industry knowledge, with a journalism background, and sources and contacts to bring your company’s story together in an “unbiased” fashion.
Custom content can In my work, my job is to execute on these custom publishing programs for corporate clients in the computer technology industry. My clients look include anything to us as an extension of their marketing department, and we are always from an advertorial to looking for writers who can turn out great content for their programs. Here a whitepaper, to all the custom content can include anything from an advertorial to a whitepaper, to all the “marketing” content on a client’s website. We can build a website “marketing” content for a company, or develop a full-scale corporate magazine ... or all of the on a client’s webabove. What a client gets is its corporate messaging presented in an authoritative and credible tone. The book “Get Content, Get Customers,” offers a site. great primer on the concept.
Finding great writers to tell your story may be getting easier, if the growing buzz in the writing world is any indication. The May 2010 issue of The Writer touches on custom publishing in the article “Add to your income with advertorials.” Advertorials are the print ads “that look like feature articles but promote a publication’s advertisers.” In the March/April issue of Writer’s Digest, the article “Breaking into Corporate Writing” touts corporate writing as “rewarding, creative and lucrative.” If you’re managing the marketing communications for your organization, custom publishing may be your next best strategy. Michelle Somers is a seasoned communications professional, with more than 15 years of progressive experience in marketing. At present, Michelle is director of custom marketing programs for a technology media company and recently graduated from Empire State College with a degree in advertising and communications. Michelle is a new member of AWC and in her spare time she authors the blog Out of My Mind.
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The Association for Women in Communications 3337 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314 Ph: 703-370-7436 Fax: 703-342-4311
Website: www.womcom.org
AWC Mission Statement The Association for Women in Communications is a professional organization that champions the advancement of women across all communications disciplines by recognizing excellence, promoting leadership and positioning its members at the forefront of the evolving communications era.
The AWC National Headquarters is managed by ASCENT Management, LLC, an association management company.
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Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion of the Association for Women in Communications.
Editor: Betsy Schroeder – e-mail: bschroeder@womcom.org Designer: Wendy Morlan – e-mail: wendy.morlan@redlogic.com Photography credit: Maggie J. Szymanek, Uncommon Photography, www.uncommonphotography.com, 703-618-6362 Communiqué is published by the Association for Women in Communications. Send ideas, photos, and Hats Off information to bschroeder@womcom.org. All past issues of Communiqué are archived on www.womcom.org in the Members Only section.
AWC contacts at National Headquarters
AWC Administrator – Pam Valenzuela, CAE, e-mail: info@womcom.org Membership Manager – Dan Mondloch, e-mail: members@womcom.org Clarion Awards & Communications Manager – Betsy Schroeder, e-mail: bschroeder@womcom.org
Welcome New Members June-July 2010 Austin TX Barry, Margaret Butera, Joanna Decareau, Ellen Flipse Hollis, Gina Diane Jenkins, Laura C. Long, Ericca McGranahan, Kathryn Adele Miller, Tatiana Dolfine Moore, Connie Kaye Pierce, Alicia Phillips Sargent, Kathy Ann Stoker, Kate Bloomington/Normal IL Hoffman, Emily Larson, Elizabeth R Secord, Wendy Tara Dallas TX Campbell, Susan Cotton, Claire Ellen
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Goelzer, Linda L. Stacy, Amy Detroit MI Cherry, Jennifer Lynn Greater Des Moines IA Guess, Suzanne Lubbock TX Harder, Ashley Armstrong New Mexico Harrison, Patricia Northern New Jersey Lewis, Sharon San Antonio TX Biera, Anais Festa, Ashley Mireles, Melissa
SE Wisconsin Fey, Joyce Ann Ketchman, Nancy Thea Pearce, Deborah W. Wysocki, Sandy M. Seattle WA Hsu, Judy Chia Hui Salita, Monika South Florida Gross, Anessa Jade Kreger, Jessica Rachel Springfield IL Fyans, Kristin Michelle Topeka KS Malik, Saadia Izzeldin Washington DC Berman, Caroline
Jeffries, Karen D McKee, Emily Pernik, Audrey At Large Brophy, Jessica E. Buttimer, Elizabeth Plunkett Cobian, Laura Douglas, Carol Annette Jones, Sarah Elizabeth Jones-Spillers, Stacey Ravotti, Michelle H Tager, Andrea Weinrauch, Jaclyn