A recent PRSA Tactics article cited five strategies that will help people successfully network.
1. Have a Wingman
2. Do your homework
3. Be on your game and participate in conversation
4. Prepare questions
5. Follow up

Understanding how to work a room and coming prepared with a mission will make networking more productive, generate business leads and possibly be enjoyable. Remember everyone is there to talk about their business and find new prospects so make it easier for them and yourself by following the tips above.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 11, 2010) – Sturges Word Communications, a Kansas City, Mo.-based integrated communications firm that builds brands, moves product and manages reputations, today announced that Melissa Sturges has been elected secretary-treasurer of the board of directors for the Worldcom Group. Worldcom is the world’s leading network of independent public relations and integrated marketing communications agencies, boasting 104 partner firms across six continents.

Other board members include leaders of agencies in Bangkok, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Minneapolis, Munich, New York, Sydney, and Washington.

In addition to her role on the board, Sturges was also elected co-chair of Worldcom’s Sustainability Practice Group, which includes agencies with significant experience serving clients in the energy and public affairs sectors.

Sturges has held a variety of leadership posts in the Worldcom Group since the firm joined the network in 1999, including chair and treasurer of the Americas Region and a previous term as secretary-treasurer.

Sturges Word Communications is a full-service integrated marketing communications agency with special expertise in the development/real estate, financial/professional services, public involvement/public affairs, retail/hospitality, and utility sectors. The agency helps clients get results with experience and creativity applied to the right mix of communications tools including advertising, branding, community engagement, creative, crisis communications, event planning, public relations, social media strategy, and Web design. The firm’s work does what matters to clients – builds brands, moves product and manages reputations. Sturges Word is a member of the Worldcom Group, the largest network of independent integrated and public relations firms in the world.

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However, the article made several valid points about our culture’s addiction to instant information and people’s inability to deal with the constant stream. It mentioned that email volume is growing by 66 percent a year and more people are using Facebook and Twitter for work, making social media and e-communication “the way” to do business.

How are we supposed to manage this increasing volume of emails and find time for social media without it becoming a day drainer?

Simple, make it part of your daily routine.

For me, every morning I come into work and drink my coffee while checking email and social media outlets. I do this again over lunch. I keep my email open all day, but have it minimized so that I am not constantly checking it. In total, I would say I spend around an hour a day answering emails and managing my social media usage.

If I have a project with a tight deadline or a guest column that needs to be written, I put my phone on ‘do not disturb,’ close my email and block that time off on my calendar. These methods allow me to still have plenty of time to allow my creative juices to flow.

Some of the people the author interviewed checked email only four times during the day, or had their email open for part of the day. This helped them get their work done efficiently, but still allowed them to converse with coworkers and business prospects.

For those of you thinking “but none of these solutions will work for me,” think back to how you managed your time before social media or email existed. The ultimate solution is different for everyone, but it generally involves finding a way to manage the additional noise and making it part of your routine.

The endless barrage of real-time updates, emails and social media lifestreams is here to stay, so if you haven’t started thinking about how to handle it all, you should. If you have, I’d love to know what works for you.

Once completed, everyone received a printout of their most compatible career field. The library was abuzz with students sharing their results. At the time, I knew nothing about communications, so you can imagine my disappointment when that’s what my printout read. I pondered, “What is communications?”

But I didn’t dare question the results of the quiz and began to research this mystery field. In doing so, I discovered that people in communications work in broadcast media, not-for-profits, corporate communications, marketing, advertising, the government/public sector….the list went on. How was I ever to choose a path?

I eventually decided on journalism and joined the communications program at William Jewell College, as well as the campus publication, The Hilltop Monitor. During my time as a staff writer, I realized the difficulty in telling the whole story while reporting. Some say that sunshine is the best disinfectant, but in shining light on a topic, it’s hard to report on all the complicated little details that effectively tell both sides of any issue…especially with a 300 word count.

While this challenged me, I very much enjoyed working with the other reporters, interviewing and getting to know the faculty and staff, and being at the helm of my campus community.

That’s when I discovered my niche within the field of communications. Public relations. When you get down to it, this industry is about telling stories. Sharing the positive stories, managing the not-so-positive stories, halting the untrue stories, but above all, telling the entire story. It’s about being an advocate for a business or organization, whether it’s popular or not, and working with the media to report what my clients have to say.

So what can I, and fellow business communicators, learn in reflecting on our humble beginnings? For me, it’s to continue telling the stories that make a difference for my clients and the community. To give a voice to those that may not be heard, in ways that positively impact their business. That, and never underestimate the power of a career quiz. Being one of the few out there who actually planted the seeds of a career based on their high school quiz, it’s been quite the conversation starter.

I did all of my marketing through word-of-mouth and direct mail. Right before the start of school each year, I’d design a brochure on my computer, have copies made at Kinkos, stuff them in envelopes with a couple of business cards, and drop them in the mail. I’d repeat that process around the first of the year, when prom committees would be making their final plans for spring events.

I built my mailing list by going to the public library and looking through phone books from across the region to get the street addresses of all the middle and high schools.

This was tedious work…and fairly expensive by the standards of an 18 year old. But I paid for a good chunk of my undergraduate education that way.

When I think about the social media revolution, and all the tools that are available today, I often wonder what my business would have been like if I could easily build my own Web site, connect with clients and fans via Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, and show off my really cool light show on YouTube.

I don’t have to look very far to find the answer, because one of my brothers, Tim, followed in my footsteps. He started his own DJ business and plays at many of the same schools and events I used to do.

He’s a freshman in college, and makes full use of social media to market his business. He has hundreds of Facebook and MySpace fans, and takes requests through Facebook and text message. He can send e-blasts with the click of a mouse, and will never know the pain of paper cuts on your tongue from licking 500 envelopes.

Of course, social media is just a tool. Effective marketing still requires strategic thinking, compelling messages, thoughtful engagement with your audiences, and a solid product/service.

It’s still hard work, and it isn’t free. It requires regular attention and deeper engagement with audiences. But it levels the playing field and gives smaller companies access to tools and tactics that were once available to only the largest of brands.

Despite all of these opportunities, many small businesses are reluctant to embrace social media. I know it can be overwhelming…but with a little bit of guidance, patience, and perseverance, it can deliver significant ROI for your business.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 6, 2010) – Sturges Word Communications, a Kansas City, Mo.-based integrated communications firm that builds brands, moves product and manages reputations, recently unveiled a completely redesigned website, www.sturgesword.com. Developed as a collaboration between Sturges Word staff and Kansas City-based Web programmer Propaganda3, the new site is designed to be regularly updated with fresh content that goes beyond the traditional “billboard” or “filing cabinet” approaches to websites.

“Both our business and our industry have changed significantly over the past few years, and we’re excited to launch a new site that reflects this evolution,” said Linda Word, Sturges Word principal and creative director. “We want this site to be a living document where our clients, prospects and friends can engage in a conversation with us about relevant issues facing both our industry and the industries we serve. Our team and the team at Propaganda3 did a great job creating a site that shows the results we can deliver using a full range of integrated communication solutions.”

The site is representative of Web design and communications strategy work SWC is doing with clients that leverages these tools for thought leadership positioning, public involvement, B2B and B2C outreach through blogs, case studies, news updates and the like, extending their reach by connecting fresh content and communities across multiple social media and other platforms.

The launch coincides with the beginning of Sturges Word’s 15th anniversary celebration. The firm was founded on April Fools Day 1995 when Melissa Sturges and Linda Word teamed up.

Sturges Word Communications is a full-service integrated marketing communications agency with special expertise in the development/real estate, financial/professional services, public involvement/government, retail/hospitality, and utility sectors. The agency helps clients get results with experience and creativity applied to the right mix of communications tools including advertising, branding, community engagement, creative, crisis communications, event planning, public relations, social media strategy, and Web design. The firm’s work does what matters to clients – builds brands, moves product and manages reputations. Sturges Word is a member of the Worldcom Group, the largest network of independent integrated and public relations firms in the world.

On occasions such as this, it is customary to look back and contemplate all that has changed in the past 15 years.

On a personal level, it’s pretty easy to see the difference.

Back in 1995, while Melissa and Linda were hard at work developing business plans and laying the foundation of our company, I was focused on passing driver’s ed, surviving Mr. Charboneau’s honors chemistry class, and cheering the South Portland Red Riots football team to their first of two consecutive state championships.

Of course, our industry has changed a bit, too.

Fifteen years ago, the internet was just starting to grow in popularity. News releases were faxed and snail mailed. A Rolodex was an actual thing on your desk, not another term for your contact list in Outlook (though I must admit that I still have a Rolodex, too).

Today, social media is a staple of any integrated strategic communication program.

A great many folks in our industry like to say that everything is different in today’s electronic environment. That the rules have changed, and we have to fundamentally shift the way we communicate with our key audiences.

I disagree. Sure, the tools have changed. So has the speed at which (and the ease with which) information can be shared.

But you know what hasn’t changed? The way you build strong, lasting relationships.

Whether it’s a face to face lunch meeting, a letter in the mail, a voice on the phone, a message on your iPhone, or a post on Facebook, good relationships have always required work at the individual level.

I suppose that the new media environment has made it harder to take shortcuts like speed pitching, one-size-fits-all news releases, marketing that focuses on companies instead of their customers, and other top-down communication strategies. But I’ve been blessed with a several great mentors in my career…and none of them believed in shortcuts.

From my days as a student at USM, to my time as an intern at HNTB, to my first day as an account executive at SWC, I’ve always been taught that great communications campaigns are hard work built upon a foundation of research, planning, individual outreach, listening, problem solving, and doing what you said you would do. Anything less than that is a shortcut…and shortcuts don’t yield long term results.

I am excited to see what our industry will look like 15 years from now. I’m sure we’ll have nifty new media that makes today’s technology look quaint.

I’m also willing to bet that we’ll be building relationships the same way. It might look different and feel different, but at its core, we’ll still be researching, listening, understanding, communicating, problem solving, and doing what we said we would do.

What do you think?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 25, 2010) – Sturges Word Communications, a Kansas City-based integrated communications firm that builds brands, moves product and manages reputations, continues to grow its portfolio of clients with the addition of Cloverland Electric Cooperative, Ash Grove Cement Company, HNTB and the Tri-County Economic Development Alliance.

Recent account additions:

Cloverland Electric Cooperative in Dafter, Mich., is one of a half dozen rural electric cooperatives undergoing an acquisition for which Sturges Word has executed comprehensive communications including public relations, presentations, branding and collateral development, social media strategy, event support, and advocacy. The cooperative recently retained the firm to assist in its acquisition of the Edison Sault Electric Company.

Ash Grove Cement Company, the nation’s largest American-owned and family-owned cement producer, picked SWC to design its annual report and provide strategic communication planning and consulting services.

SWC’s most recent engagement with HNTB, a national architectural and engineering firm, is a public involvement campaign for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s “Safe and Sound” initiative which is replacing more than 800 structurally deficient bridges in the state.

Faced with a once-in-a-lifetime economic development opportunity, the Tri-County Economic Development Alliance (TCEDA) in northwestern Illinois turned to SWC to cultivate and organize grassroots community support for the use of the Thomson Correctional Center to house terrorism suspects now held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The public involvement campaign resulted in the advisory panel voting in 7-4 in favor of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn closing the prison so it could be used as desired by the Obama administration.

Sturges Word Communications is a full-service integrated marketing communications agency with special expertise in the development/real estate, financial/professional services, public involvement/government, retail/hospitality, and utility sectors. The agency helps clients get results with experience and creativity applied to the right mix of communications tools including advertising, branding, community engagement, creative, crisis communications, event planning, public relations, social media strategy, and Web design. The firm’s work does what matters to clients – builds brands, moves product and manages reputations. Sturges Word is a member of the Worldcom Group, the largest network of independent integrated and public relations firms in the world.

Here’s the deal:

I have an awesome bichon frise puppy. His name is Boomer. I also have an awesome girlfriend. Her name is Elizabeth. I love them both very much. Elizabeth has two kitties, Gracie and Zippo. And as you might expect, she loves them very much.

There’s a really good chance that some day all of these furry friends will live together under one roof. In anticipation of that event, Elizabeth and I are in the midst of “Operation Puppy Love,” our mission to create the Animal Planet equivalent of the Brady Bunch.

We’re in the early stages, but from what I’ve seen so far, it turns out you can learn a lot about how to effectively build relationships with key audiences from cats and dogs.

So to all you strategic communicators and/or animal lovers out there, I offer the following tutorial in relationship development.

Research
Take some time to get to know the players before making the first move. Get a clear picture of their personalities, interests, pet peeves, past experiences, habits, etc. The Bad Pitch Blog is filled with stories of what happens when you don’t take the time to do this. I suspect my vet’s office is, too.

In our scenario, Boomer is the baby of the group – less than two years old. He is very social, playful, and excitable. I’m pretty sure he thinks he’s a person. He’s very timid around animals he doesn’t know. But once he figures out that the other animal isn’t a threat, he switches gears, and reverts to his normal social state.

Gracie is a big, lovable girl (she weighs about the same as Boomer). When she wants a scratch, she’ll let you know. She’s a sweet cat and not mean spirited, but will correct you when she feels compelled to do so. She has been known to throw the occasional punch when particularly agitated.

Zippo is the shy and sweet elder statesman of our pack. He’s old, a bit arthritic, has a thyroid disorder that makes him paranoid when not properly medicated, and endured some dog-related trauma when he was a kitten. Despite all of this, he is the older sibling, and feels the need to protect Gracie.

Making the Introduction
Knowing this, we decided to cultivate the Boomer-Gracie relationship before introducing Zippo to the mix.

We started by bringing over some Boomer paraphernalia for the cats to sniff. Next, Boomer made his grand entrance, with the apartment partitioned in two halves: one for puppy, one for kitties. Once all parties had adjusted to the reality of the situation, we brought Gracie in the room, and put her in a place Boomer couldn’t reach.

She sat in her perch for a few hours, carefully contemplating the situation and giving Boomer a cautious stare. Eventually, she climbed down and sat with us. Boomer kept his distance.

It was the perfect introduction. Sure, there was a little bit of nervous energy. No, they didn’t magically become best friends. But everything was cool. We broke the ice, and laid the groundwork for future efforts.

If we hadn’t done our research and thought about how best to approach the scenario, we would have experienced a very different outcome…and perhaps caused damage so bad, there would never be a chance for a good relationship.

Build Trust and Earn Respect
Our pack is still in the early stages of this phase. So far things are going well, but we know it’s a slow and steady process.

Gracie has decided Boomer is not a threat (at least not yet). She spends part of her time keeping an eye on him from her lookout perch. The rest of the time she ignores him. Boomer is still scared of Gracie. He keeps his distance, but every now and then, he musters the courage to get a little closer.

It will be interesting to see what happens when he finally decides they are friends, and tries to play with her. I see a few left hooks from Gracie in his future.

Zippo keeps his distance, but he doesn’t hide as much as he did before. Once Gracie and Boomer achieve détente, Zippo will hopefully follow his sister’s lead. We’ll see.

We don’t know the final result yet, but we know the only way we’ll succeed is through a slow and steady process of building trust and earning respect.

So What Does This Have to do With PR?
Relationships take time, whether you walk on two legs or four. When you’re trying to build relationships with reporters, customers, community members, or any other key audience, follow these steps. Do your homework. Understand your audience. Respect their attitudes, values, beliefs and experiences. Be thoughtful about how to make your introduction. And once you’re in the door, take the time to build trust and earn respect.

It takes a lot longer, and requires more work. But it will lead to a stronger relationship that can stand the test of time.

I hope it does for me.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for rural access to high-speed internet service. Today’s Kansas City Star has a great article about the digital divide between urban and rural areas, and the challenges this disparity presents to people and businesses across rural America.

In 2010, high-speed internet access isn’t a nice-to-have toy that lets people update their Facebook status and download music. It’s an indispensible part of everyday life and commerce. For anybody who might question that assertion, I challenge you to check your email with dial-up and get back to me. I bet the average broadband user won’t last two minutes waiting for his or her inbox to load before angrily closing the browser window in frustration.

There’s been a lot of hand wringing among politicians and policy makers over how to fix this problem – but the solution seems painfully obvious. All you have to do is look back 75 years to see how we electrified rural America.

In the 1930s, we faced the exact same problem with electric service that we see today with broadband service. Stringing expensive poles and wires down miles of sparsely populated country roads to serve a handful of customers didn’t make economic sense to for-profit utilities. So the government stepped in and offered low-cost loans to consumer-owned cooperatives willing to help bring power to their local communities.

All across rural America, people united to transform their communities and ensure they had the same technology and opportunities as their urban brethren.

Now keep in mind, these weren’t government handouts…they were loans the cooperatives paid back over time.

Sturges Word has been fortunate to work with cooperatives across America, and we’ve seen first hand the amazing work cooperatives do in their communities. They are reliable utility providers, powerful engines for economic development, and outstanding community partners.

Many utility cooperatives, including current and former clients of ours, have worked hard to help bring broadband to rural areas, but they can’t do it alone. If we’re serious about ensuring equitable access to basic services for all Americans, we should stop talking about the problem, and start solving it. We have a proven model and an established network of reliable providers…all we need now is the policy leadership to make it happen.