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Over 400 people, individuals from non-profit agencies, gathered at the Glaser Center in Santa Rosa for the 5th annual meeting of the North Bay Organizing Project (NBOP). Their theme this year was “Which Side Are You On: Public Resources for the Public Good.” Affiliated
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
with the Gamaliel Foundation founded in 1986, NBOP mission is to unite people to build leadership and grassroots power for social, economic, racial and environmental justice. According to Executive Director Susan Shaw, the goal of this year’s meeting was to demonstrate the power that we all have individually and collectively and to move their tasks forces and issue campaign forward. The current tasks force and campaigns are: Education Justice Task Force - ethnic studies, Transit Riders United and the Latino Student Congress: bus passes for student K-College at no cost, Housing – rent control and just-cause eviction and voter engagement. Visit their website at northbayop.org.
By Elizabeth Slater
This is my favorite quote about communication because it is so true. So many
California Attorney General Speaks in Santa Rosa
The phrase that leapt out at me in this definition was “exchange of information, ideas or feelings” which to me means that more than one person is talking; that communication should be a dialogue rather than a monologue, and communication as a whole is made up of talking and listening.
Over 80 people gathered at the Fountain Grove Inn to hear Attorney General of California Kamala Harris goals if elected to the United States Senate in 2016. Tony Crabb and Barbara Grasseschi, owners of the Puma Springs Vineyard
in Healdsburg, hosted the event. Harris’s campaign is focusing on what she coined as the 4 E’s: the Economy, Environment, Education and Equality. Harris states that, “Harm against anyone is harm against us all.” To support Harris attendees included Senator Mike McGuire, Congressman Jared Huffman, Assemblyman Bill Dobb and Sonoma County Supervisor Shirley Zane. Grasseschi was pleased at the turnout and when asked why events like this are important she responded, “It is one of the ways to give people a chance to ask questions and have a voice, particularly women who are less represented.”
Community Recognition and Awards
Many of us seem to be better at one of these than we are at the other. As a rule we are much better at telling people what we have to say, than we are at listening to what they have to say. Probably because we are usually more interested in what we have to say. Yet at certain times a good listener can be just as effective as a good speaker. This is especially true in business and in sales. It’s important that we allow visitors to have their say and not be in a hurry to jump in before they are finished.
Minimizing Occurrences of Violence in Everyday Society (MOVES) is
an organization whose mission to make people aware of what they can do to minimize violence in their everyday life. They recently held their 19th annual Day of Nonviolence Bob Tunks Peace Award Luncheon. Awards were presented to Gustavo Mendoza, Lead Intervention Specialist with California Youth Outreach which, is part of the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership; and Buzzy Martin, musician who works with young adults in juvenile hall and with adults who are incarcerated and has taught music to inmates at San Quentin. Each year in April during which is Child Abuse Month, MOVES joins with the Child Welfare League of America to honor children lost through acts of violence. They are seeking board members and are “open to ideas that people have in reducing violence in our community”. Their website is minimizingviolence.org.
Talking: In many businesses the passion and enthusiasm for the product, leads employees to present a lot more information to some customers than the customers need (or want). We can easily talk our customers out of buying the product because we have overwhelmed them with information that they either do not understand or in which they have lost interest.
Community Action Partnership Executive Director Vince Harper and Herman J. Hernandez, one of the founders of Los Cien Sonoma County, were nominated and selected to receive the Jefferson Award for Public Service 2015 for Excellence in Community Leadership and Public Service. According to Sylvia Lumas, Human Resources Program Manager and coordinator of the awards process in 2006 Sonoma County adopted the idea with the focus on honoring individuals, non profits, boards, Advisory County that demonstrates in community leader and civic engagement. The award is modeled after The Jefferson Awards Foundation, a national organization committed to tapping into the incredible capacity and spirit of Americans. Three organizations were recipients: Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County, Empire College’s board of directors and Mentor Me, serves youth at-risk-youth.
However, it’s not only about communication, but also about communicating in words and stories that customers will hear and find interesting. It is easy to forget to ascertain our visitors’ knowledge level and enthusiasm about our product before we start into our spiel.
Take a Walk
Learn about Santa Rosa history by taking a walking tour. Go to srcity.org/ visitors/pages/maps.aspx where you can find an excellent map that will guide you through the city. The map is divided into four sections, West End, Saint. Rose Historic District, Cherry Street, Railroad Square and Civic Art Walk. On the tour can discover why Santa Rosa was voted one of the Best Places to Live (2014, 2015, and 2016).
Elaine B. Holtz is producer/Host of “Women’s Spaces” Monday 11-12 noon &
11-12 midnight. All shows on line at www.womensspaces.com
Giving customers the time to ask questions is also crucial. You want to learn what may be holding them back from making a buying decision and their questions can give you that information. In addition to asking visitors if they have questions, you need to leave enough time for them to formulate a question or feel comfortable asking it. Count slowly to four or five (to yourself of course) after you have asked if the customer has a question, especially if you are talking to a group. Customers have to decide if their question is appropriate or if they are risking sounding silly, so once you have asked for questions don’t be in too much of a hurry to move on.
times we speak without realizing that the person we are speaking to is not getting it.
We talk about a lot communication in marketing and sales, but most of the time we are not very good at it. When I looked up the word communication in the dictionary, the primary definition was: the act or an instance of communicating; the imparting or exchange of information, ideas, or feelings.
While many sales people think that it is only by telling the customer every fact about the product that the sale will be made and the information will have been communicated,
it helps to remember that not everyone is as interested in or passionate about our products as we are. I work a lot with wineries and they are notorious for giving you ever fact about how the grapes were grown, in what kind of dirt, the clones used, etc. Whatever your business, for those customers who are fascinated by wine, go ahead with all the facts, give them as much information they want. Though even with these customers, when they stop asking questions take that as a signal that they have received enough information, especially if they have become glassy-eyed.
Listening: Sales are more often made by listening to and learning about the needs, wants and desires of your customers. Listening gives you the information you need to understand what the customer wants to buy, which gives you the opportunity to give him/her the information that will promote that buying decision.
When a visitor is speaking to you, are you really listening to what they have to say or are you busy formulating your reply? I believe that every one of us has been guilty of that more than once. It’s a rare person who listens with the intent to understand. Allow people to have their say and don’t be in a hurry to jump in before they are finished. If you can practice these traits, you will become a much better sales person and more importantly, a much better communicator.
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