Case Study: National Training Colleague

RMC Health (Colorado) is eerily similar to us.
They have 2 CDC contracts 1) to train funded state projects on communication strategies and 2) to help education partners communicate YRBS survey data. They often refer to their goal as "building professional development" and their skills as "marketing". I attended their session at the Boston training, and by browsing their website learned they also have an evaluation team and a library component.

What I learned about their work...

1) It's built on strategy. They think through each of their communications. The process they propose is nearly identical to community organizing (1. review available data, 2. identify audiences (targets and allies) to segment, 3. define communication, 4. write key messages, 5. choose tactics, 6. implement, and 7. evaluate).

"Start with the end in mind"

Example: Their goal is to touch all states for awareness and occasional help, only some of which become full clients. At a regular review of their evaluation, they identified a subset of states who were least likely to call them. So they devised a strategy to be more proactive with them.

2) It walks the talk. They reformed their own communications and used it as a model when sharing examples. But it was unnecessarily heavy on print materials.

"Everyone expected the yellow envelopes every month"

Example: They moved from text-based emails to sending all potential new clients a branded box of flip chart markets via mail, followed up with a monthly touch.

Similarities I recognized in their work...

• They have translucent dots they use as an activity to critique elements of printed materials like fact sheets.
• They had only images (no bullets) in the presentation and when they gave out prizes, it was the book "Presentation Zen"
• Their 6 characteristics of an effective story are: 1) invite people into a conversation, 2) has a clear purpose, 3) is relevant/framed for the listener, 4) allows people to draw their own conclusions, 5) helps people see the "what if" for future possibilities, 6) ends with an action.
• They mentioned "Brain grabbers": color, emotion, visuals, storytelling.
• Choose one fact only, "join a support group or something, but LET GO".
• The slide makeovers section seemed like the audience's favorite.

As I'm writing this, I wonder if they're our long lost sisters.