CONTENTS. Effective Communication Six Steps to a Successful Newsletter Online Networking Chapter Mailings... 11

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1 CONTENTS Effective Communication... 3 Get to the Right Audience Use Appropriate Media Be Timely Include the Right Information Be Clear Be Efficient Six Steps to a Successful Newsletter... 8 Newsletter Guidelines Online Networking Chapter Mailings Mass Mailings and s BYU Alumni List Guidelines Process for Mailings Surveys Revised March

2 Revised March

3 Effective Communication Effective, efficient, and frequent communication is perhaps the most important tool in building and maintaining a successful chapter. Whether leaders are communicating with the community, the executive board, or the chapter members, communication is an essential part of any program. To be effective, chapter communication must meet several criteria: Get to the right audience Use appropriate media Be timely Include the right information Be clear Be efficient Get to the Right Audience The audiences for most chapter communications are current and potential chapter members. To remain enthusiastic about their chapter membership, current members need frequent communication. Tto provide continued chapter growth, potential members need to learn about the chapter and its activities. Whether referred by current members or discovered through other avenues, potential members must be targeted for receiving effective chapter communication. Additional audiences may include members employers, other businesspeople in members networks, and other local business groups that may be interested in more information. Use Appropriate Media Chapters can publicize their professional speakers by s, text messages, word of mouth, community newspapers, television interviews, newsletters, and other media. Advertisements can also be placed in magazines and newspapers or distributed as flyers or posters to help the chapter s community better understand the purposes of the Management Society. Media options must be carefully analyzed according to their characteristics and benefits. Consider such factors as richness, efficiency, convenience, and competition. For example, face-to-face communication is the richest media, because the two communicators can see and hear each other, enrich the message with voice emphasis, and give feedback and message corrections instantaneously. Further, research suggest that word-of-mouth advertising is very powerful in its ability to influence. However, face-to-face communication is often inefficient and inconvenient because it may require significant amounts of time, effort, and resources. Media choices should also consider a media mix, rather than relying on just one form, such as . Employing a combination that includes personal contacts, s, newsletters, text messages, and flyers might be better than just selecting just one media option by itself. Revised March

4 Be Timely Communications must be timed to coincide with important chapter events, such as regular chapter meetings, special service projects, or special events featuring outstanding speakers. Chapter publications must follow a prescribed schedule, both to ensure regular communication from chapter leaders and to keep chapter matters regularly and frequently in the minds of the members. Few things can kill organizational enthusiasm more quickly than a lack of communication from leaders. Include the Right Information Chapter communications must meet the real needs of chapter members. The information they contain must be useful. Members may remain with the organization out of duty for awhile, but not forever. To meet real needs, chapter leaders must discover what members want from their membership. Personal interviews, brainstorming sessions, surveys, current literature reviews, and other sources can provide ideas about what might be most useful to current and potential members. Other important information includes the goals and objectives of the chapter, contact information of chapter leaders, networking opportunities, details of upcoming chapter meetings and other chapter activities, opportunities for chapter involvement, news and information about chapter members, and information relevant to the chapter members professional careers. Be Clear The key messages of all chapter communications must be unmistakably clear. Before sending any chapter communication, make sure the message is complete and answers all questions what, who, when, where, why, and how (see Figure 1). Further, select words carefully and frame messages concisely for quick comprehension. Write not only so that the message can be understood but also so it cannot be misunderstood. Revised March

5 Figure 1. with essential information highlighted. To enhance clarity, place the most important information early in messages. For s, place the key point in the opening sentence or very soon thereafter. Then give appropriate supporting material in the following sentences and paragraphs. For flyers and newsletters, put the most important information in the most emphatic position in the top half of the page and on the first page of multi-page documents (see Figure 2). Figure 2. Give the most important information early in messages. Be Efficient Chapter communications must be efficient both with money and with time. Most chapters use electronic communications, because they are faster and less expensive than paper messages sent through the postal service. In addition to being efficient for the sender, communications should take as little time as possible for the reader. Thus, make all messages eye friendly so readers can Revised March

6 visually browse the message and get the key points quickly without investing much time. Use plenty of white space, along with visuals and enhanced typography to improve reading efficiency. These techniques also increase the message effectiveness. Leave plenty of white space. No one likes to read a page filled with solid text and no visual breathing room. Instead, break information into small chunks, keep paragraphs short, and leave generous margins. Use visuals. Visuals, such as photographs, capture attention and increase the power of a message. They can also give information more quickly than text alone. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Figure 3 illustrates effective use of visuals to publicize and upcoming event. Figure 4 shows a map to help chapter members find a meeting location. Figure 3. Use photos to enhance the message. Figure 4. A map can be worth a thousand words. Enhance typography. Typography should also be enhanced to aid in getting the appropriate message across. Figure 5 demonstrates effective use of type. Revised March

7 Figure 5. Use typography and white space effectively. Revised March

8 Six Steps to a Successful Newsletter Many professional organizations use newsletters to communicate with chapter members. Here are six steps that can help. 1. Make sure the chapter leaders are solidly in favor of the newsletter and will support it with appropriate information and articles. 2. Decide on the specific objectives you wish to accomplish and write them down. Don t decide to produce a newsletter just because everyone else is doing it. Use a newsletter to accomplish specific objectives. 3. Select an editor who is committed to making the newsletter successful. This person must have time availability, writing ability, initiative, tenacity, and patience. The most difficult part of publishing a newsletter is getting people to submit contributions on time. 4. Determine the logistics of production, including software to be used and publication schedule. A common word-processing program, such as Word, can be used if you don t need an enhanced layout, but a page-layout program, such as Microsoft Publisher, is better if you wish to achieve a more professional design. 5. Design the newsletter. Design the nameplate and decide on the general typography and format of the newsletter: number of columns, width of columns, margins, alignment (e.g., left-justified text), standard headers and footers, type fonts for body text and headings, and standard information that will be included in each issue. Keep the nameplate attractive and distinct, yet simple. It is the first thing readers will notice when they see the newsletter. Make sure the sponsoring organization is reflected in the nameplate. Create and keep a newsletter idea file. 6. Include the right content. Make sure the newsletter has reader appeal. Include such information as the organization s plans and activities, job-related information, jobadvancement opportunities, personnel changes and promotions, current issues, stories about chapter members, and personal news. Make sure the newsletter is both informative and interesting. Revised March

9 Newsletter Guidelines Overall appearance Uncluttered and an inviting look of quality. Page layout Two or three columns; most readable line is about 40 characters with left justification (ragged right). Headlines and subheads Sans serif typeface, at least two points larger than body type. Body type Serif typeface, nine- to twelve-point type for general audiences. Margins, gutters, white space Leave plenty of white space; avoid pages of solid text. Rules and borders Use vertical and horizontal rules and boxes to guide readers eyes. Table of Contents May include on front page to tell what is inside. Headers and footers Make them distinct from body copy. Nameplate (title of the newsletter) Attractive, good balance, image consistent with publisher, complete information, issue and date information, appropriate typography. Page Numbers Number all pages after page one. Copyediting and proofreading Check body copy as well as headings, dates, etc. Text access (bullets, numbered lists, headings, etc.) Make information easy to find. Jump lines Tell where carry-over articles are continued. Special text treatments (pull quotes, side bars, etc.) Give variety to your page layout. Photographs, graphics, captions Use graphics to complement (not compete with) the text, ensure good-quality photos, and include captions for photos. Revised March

10 Online Networking Online networking, when used strategically, can add to a chapter s image, visibility, and ability to communicate with members, while also helping the chapter attract new members. In addition, these tools help with posting job opportunities and other useful links for professional growth. With the advent and adoption of social media technologies, including Twitter and Facebook, networking has moved from face-to-face interactions to a new ecosystem that facilitates various personal and professional relationships via the internet. Personal networking has grown in recent years as friends, family, and acquaintances have been using tools like Facebook to keep people up-to-date on what is going on in their lives. This may include photos, blogs, and other media to make the online interactions even more personal. While personal networking tools have become a common part of day-to-day interactions, and many are even moving into the business world, other tools have become specialized for professional networking. Professional networking has grown from the days of online job search boards like Monster.com to more specific networking technology sites like LinkedIn and Plaxo. People can now create their own professional brand by developing online profiles, posting colleague references, and demonstrating other elements of their career that define who they are. In short, online professional genealogy is now a necessary facet of any person s employment preparedness. Any professional chapter should consider how it should be leveraging these new and continually evolving networking tools as part of its overall portfolio of membership benefits. The Management Society sponsors and uses society-wide sites on LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as maintaining a blog. Links are found on the Management Society s homepage. LinkedIn Group: Brigham Young University Management Society Blog: byumanagementsociety.com Revised March

11 Chapter Mailings Mass Mailings and s Once the audience, media, and message have been determined, the Management Society office at BYU can help with communication by providing one free regular mailing per year per chapter (at the standard class, bulk rate). These mailings can go to BYU alumni in the chapter area plus all chapter members in the online database. Additional bulk mailings may be requested, with the chapter being charged for the copies and postage. The office can also send out mass s to BYU alumni (no more than one per month to alumni in the chapter area only). Mailings are not available to international chapters. However, mailing labels, electronic lists, and mass s are available by request from the Management Society office. BYU Alumni List Guidelines BYU Alumni lists are offered as a service to BYU Management Society chapters. These lists are the property of BYU. They are to be used only for chapter purposes and not for personal or commercial use. Lists should be deleted and/or destroyed after use. Mailing labels may be generated from the lists (as the mailing addresses have already gone through a do not send sort). However, chapters may not send mass s to the list. To send a mass to alumni in the chapter area, the chapter should send the to management_society@byu.edu with the request. The message will then be sent out by BYU to ensure alumni contact preferences are honored. Chapters may not download the lists into their chapter membership records or groups. Chapters may only send mailings/ s to those alumni who have asked to be placed on the chapter communication lists. Permission may be obtained through personal invitations or by including a message at the bottom of an sent properly through management_society@byu.edu that says: If you are interested in receiving regular information updates about the BYU Management Society, please go to click on Newsletter Sign-up and select the chapter you are interested in. Revised March

12 Process for Mailings Send requests for chapter mailings to with the following information: Chapter name and contact information. Type of media requested: or mail. Audience mailing list. Mailing content attachments, letter, message, etc. (BYU will provide proofreading and may change content as needed). Deadline for material to be received by the recipients. Other information as needed. The chapter contact will be notified when the mailing or has been sent. Surveys Communication through surveys can also be a very effective way to establish new member interest and determine the effectiveness of chapter programs. Surveys are often conducted as new chapters are established to find individuals who are interested in participating and serving. The Management Society office conducts these surveys both through mail and . Contact the office for help. Sample mail surveys and letters, along with surveys for establishing new chapters, are found in the Appendix. In addition, there are samples of surveys that chapters have conducted with their members. Revised March