Communication is the key to success
Date: 11/08/2012
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| Jean Pickford |
Communication is the key to success. How many times have we heard that expression in marketing and business models? It’s such a common and simple adage, but it continues to have a resounding influence on everyone, especially in today’s technology-based environment.
Those six words have been very prevalent in recent discussions and working groups at FIRST. One of our key initiatives over the next year is to really step-up our communications program. Are we doing a good job getting information out to our members and the public? Is FIRST known as the thought-leader for the country, if not the world, for ichthyosis support and education? Are we the trusted resource for medical information and research advances?
Members of our Marketing/Technology Committee took time from their personal lives and traveled to the Colmar headquarters to meet with our staff for a full-day retreat two Fridays ago. Guided by a professional public relations person, we hunkered down and came up with a robust and improved targeted approach for getting information out to the public. Using traditional methods like press releases and media outreach along with social media channels and FIRST’s website, you can look forward to a stronger communications presence with more information about ichthyosis and the latest news.
As a national organization with board members living across the country, it’s always a great experience to host face-to-face meetings. You get a chance to work closely together and exchange interesting and novel ideas in a small setting. It’s also a lot of fun when you have a chance to step outside the “working mode” and socialize on a personal level. In fact, some of the best conversations and ideas for our new communications plan came over a glass of wine and dinner!
In fact, it became a really small ichthyosis world during our dinner that Friday night at a local Mexican eatery. We bumped into a FIRST member and grandmother to a 1-year-old boy affected with lamellar ichthyosis. She was coming to enjoy a meal with her friends and soon-to-be husband. What a timely coincidence! She shared with us that in lieu of gifts for her upcoming December wedding, she has asked her guests to make a contribution to FIRST. It was inspiring to see how happy this made her and how proud she was that she could do something for FIRST. What a great way to give! 
It just goes to show how generous our members and friends can be. From volunteering their time and talent to serve on a working committee to thinking of creative ways to give back to FIRST, we are small but mighty!
