In honor of our 70th anniversary, we’re thrilled to present our most exciting National Conference yet: Leadership in Media: Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future, which will be hosted in Memphis, Tennessee, from October 22- 25, 2016 at The Peabody Hotel right in the heart of downtown.

To further our commitment to the professional development of members and media professionals alike, we’ve planned an assortment of interactive sessions each designed to help you make the most out of your experience at the conference. This includes keynote speaker Robert Swan, the first man to walk both the North and South Pole, who will present: Leadership on the Edge. Swan, with passion and vigor, has unquestionably been a driving force behind the preservation of the Earth’s last pristine continent-Antarctica. His pledge to keep Antarctica free of exploitation has gathered a lot of attention by the media, and in 2014, Swan was invited to present his story at TED Talks, an organization that highlights outstanding stories of discovery and innovation. We encourage you to learn more about Swan and his mission at 2041.com, or to watch his TED Talks session at
ilink.me/SwanTalks.

In addition to Swan’s session, many more notable presenters are slated to address the storytelling experience, providing inspiration and insight as well as digging deeper into storytelling through a workshop experience. And, taking a cue from membership feedback, there will be plenty of sharing and networking opportunities, in conjunction with case studies and expert panel discussions – both formal and informal.

Rich with history, Memphis is a world-class city for sightseeing and attractions. You will want to plan on arriving in time for Saturday’s pre-conference activities, as well as staying through Tuesday night’s President’s dinner, which will be held on the historic Peabody rooftop. Once you get there, you’ll come to understand what they mean when they say, “It’s a Memphis thing…”

Want to learn more? Be sure to visit cmma.org/events, where we’ll post more information as it develops to keep you up to date on essential conference information. Ready to celebrate with us? Go to ilink.me/Go2Memphis to register!

Be sure to stay connected before and during the conference! Follow us at @CMMA1 and tweet us what you’re most excited for using the hashtag #CMMAMemphis!

Have you ever felt like you are an order taker, taking in client requests from a request form like a Chinese food menu? Order one from column A and one from column B. Most agree that request forms have their place and value but it doesn’t have to be so transactional.

To thrive in today’s business environment, striving to be your client’s valued business partner can help separate you and your team from the appearance of being just an order taker to being a service; a service offering a partnership that, enhances value, shares experience and builds trust.

• Partnership: You are in it together. Achieving success as a team and having a shared desire of a successful end product.
• Value: Not only financial value but the value of your collaboration, skills, and innovation. Embracing the out-of-the-box solution, doing the basics flawlessly and consistently while providing legendary service.
• Experience: Best practices can be one of your most valuable assets. Your team does this work every day, your client maybe a few times a year. Guiding them through the successes and pitfalls from past experiences instead of just doing what was requested shows that you care.
• Trust: Building and cultivating trust are the results of your partnership, value and experience.

Take a look at this YouTube video I found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7XqZxsIyks. We are reminded that “at 211 degrees water is hot, at 212 degrees it boils. The extra degree makes all the difference. The one extra degree of effort in business and in life…separates the good from the great!”

Valued Business Partner

When providing a webcast for example, you could easily just come to the venue, setup in the back and wait for the presentation to start. It would meet expectations, but would do little to increase your value. To exceed expectations you could also make sure the PowerPoint is projected and formatted correctly, provide best practices when working with a hybrid audience, brief the presenters on the presentation technology used in the room, and to provide logistical support in blocking their event to name a few. Most of all make sure you are visible and available for any client need, in scope or out, to help ensure their success (and yours).

By becoming your client’s valued business partner you can seamlessly integrate into their business and become an invaluable resource to them and their fellow employees. What are some examples of what you have done to add that extra degree?

Article contributed by Jim Fox, CMMA Board of Directors

Jim Allen, AMM, Mississippi Power, sets the scene…Something happened the other day while I thought I was on vacation. My business phone rang; it was the CEO. My favorite pastime is quail hunting and my favorite quail hunting ground is a small patch of open field in the little community called Jayess, Mississippi. I’ve gone quail hunting since 2002 and for most of that time my hunts have been quite peaceful, due to inadequate cell phone coverage. It has only been since 2010 has a trickle of cell service invaded the privacy in my honey-hole.

Quail hunting is unlike most any other hunting sport. Yes, there is a bit of excitement when you make the impossible shot or bag 10 birds with 10 shots, but the greatest enjoyment comes from watching the dogs point. The guide I hunt with has a half-dozen bird dogs, all of different pedigree. On this particular occasion, Jaycee, Wayne’s English Pointer, was frozen stiff in mid-stride pointing a covey and Foxy, Wayne’s Brittnay, was a couple feet away with her nose stuck in a small clump of grass. Their point was an artist’s dream. Wayne held the hunters back a few seconds to allow all of us to marvel at what seemed like a Dutch Master’s painting. Everything was motionless, and we were all lost in the moment.

Then the iPhone rang…From that moment on, quail hunting hasn’t been quite the same.