I just came across an interesting question on LinkedIn, posted by Mick Fleming, of ACCE.

“In 2008, are you using hope or fear?”

Here’s the full question (and other answers). I decided to answer in the form of a blog post.

Mick,

In practice, some businesses and chambers have used messages of either fear or hope, exclusively. Others may use them in tandem. I’m not sure that either is necessarily right or wrong. Fear may be a successful motivator for some. For others, it leads to paralysis. My preference, however, is hope. How can the two work together?

• Share time in the trenches – it’s difficult to validate someone’s fears if you’re not able to see his perspective. Christine mentioned the visits they’re making in Lynchburg and Frank suggests making contact as well. Make the calls/visits and ask all who will answer, “what’s keeping you awake at night?” And then listen. Validate what your members (or customers) are experiencing.
• Market benefits – don’t talk about Business After Hours or this program or that event. Instead, paint the picture of the end result, problem solved. Market how the person feels when they’ve received the benefit.
• Create Raving Fans – highlight the success stories of individuals who have already benefited tangibly from chamber membership. Be specific and personable, rather than broad and generic. And make the stories recent. Don’t be afraid to get to the feeling level in your story telling. It’s about engaging people. When you’re successful in engaging people, they will remember your stories and retell them often.
• Adapt based on feedback – In the future, successful organizations will deliver just the right service with lightning speed response times. They don’t have to go through three committee or staff meetings to simply set a plan in motion. They also aren’t afraid to overhaul a program or kill sacred cows when necessary.

Fear not! Hope looks to a brighter future. It’s a message we all need to hear, and share.

So what about you? What messages are you sharing with your customers? How are they  responding? Tell your story in the comments section here!

Creative Commons photos from Flickr by Manny Hernandez.