In earlier posts, I discussed some of the most vital skills required to be a successful Chief Executive Officer. As you may have noticed, the recurring theme in those columns—and many others that have pertained to successfully managing a growing company—was the absolutely essential need for clear and consistent corporate communications.

1. C O R P O R A T E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S :
C A N Y O U H E A R M E N O W ?

2. In business it’s only natural
that within an organization
employees consistently
communicate with their
managers, while externally,
salespeople regularly
communicate with their
customers. However, as an
organization grows, it also
becomes increasingly
important that the company
consistently communicate
with all of its stakeholders—
internally as well as
externally–as well as the
media, which often serves
as the conduit for
communication between
business and the public.

3. For the senior management
of any business, the task of
successfully
communicating—both
internally and externally—
has always been somewhat
of a challenge, albeit a
necessary part of ‘doing
business.’ Entrepreneurs
are, by their nature, often
more focused on building
their businesses, rather than
sharing their corporate
stories.

4. It’s also ironic, but true, that in this Information Age–where the available tools for communication have never been
easier to access and utilize–successful ‘Corporate Communications’ has actually become more challenging.

5. The fact is that in the
Internet age–where even
your cell phone can
provide limitless amounts
of news and information
at a moment’s notice–
people are constantly
inundated with
information from a
seemingly endless
number of sources.
Breaking through that
informational ‘din’, and
actually connecting with
your target audience, is
indeed a challenge for all
business leaders, and
one that requires
considerable effort and
commitment.

6. For example: in the case of our company, Sackett National Holdings (SNH), successful communications has never
been more important. This year, we’re experiencing unprecedented growth, and as a result, we’ve also been hiring a
considerable number of new employees to keep up with that expansion. That is, of course, good news.

7. Still, it’s increasingly important
that we ensure that all of our
employees—both existing and
new hires—are kept abreast of
our diverse and growing
business. As we strive to
ensure that all of our
employees understand the
current state of our company–
and the direction it’s headed
going forward—internal
corporate communications has
become an even more
important priority for our Senior
Management team.

8. One of the benefits of
having a ‘tech savvy’
company such as SNH is
that we are well suited to
utilize technology to
benefit not only our
clients, but our own
internal communication
efforts as well.

9. Still, like many growing and
diverse companies, one of
the challenges we face in
achieving our internal
communications objectives
is basic geography. Our
corporate headquarters is
located in Las Vegas, but
we also have a large office
in San Diego, as well as
offices in Ohio and Kansas
City; in a less-technological
age, that geographic
disparity would present
significant logistical
problems for our
communication efforts.

10. Enter the benefits of technology. As a method of bridging the geographic distance between our regional offices, and
ensuring ‘consistent and clear’ corporate communications—our company recently began providing employees a
“CEO Communication” webcast; initially broadcast live, and then posted online for several days in case any
employees were unavailable during the original webcast, this video allows me—in my capacity as Chief Executive
Officer–to speak directly to all SNH employees, and deliver the good news about our company’s growth and
success.

11. In that same broadcast, we
also made a point of
singling out several
employees for their
exceptional work, and
thanking them for their
efforts on behalf of the
company. In addition to
sharing information about
our company’s growth, we
also included some lighter
fare, such as photos from
company gatherings as well
as contests offering
employees prizes.

12. And while internal webcasts are
most useful as a means of
updating and connecting with
staff, I also believe that
maintaining the ‘human touch’ is
an important element in our
internal corporate
communication efforts. To that
end, we recently held company
‘Town Hall’-type meetings in
San Diego and Las Vegas—
providing employees with a
chance to hear directly from
Senior Management about the
status of our company, as well
as fielding corporate questions
from those in attendance.

13. I was very pleased to find that, in response to an internal survey, 94 percent of our employees said they welcomed
the ‘Town Hall’ events, and hoped we would conduct many more on a regular basis; while happy with that result, I
wasn’t the least bit surprised, because I recognize the inherent and natural desire of employees to be kept ‘up to
speed’ with what’s happening at their place of employment.

14. Concurrent to our internal communications efforts, our company is also expanding our efforts to reach out to external
stakeholders—including current and potential customers—to share information about both our organization, and the
innovative products and services we offer.

15. With double-digit growth, rapid
expansion and unique and
innovative products to proffer,
we’re proud of SNH’s corporate
‘story’, and are committed to
the communication efforts
required to share our story
often, and with as many
stakeholders as possible.
In the business world, most
commerce can be divided into
one of two categories:
business-to-business (B2B) as
well as business-to-consumer
(B2C). At SNH, we’re fortunate
to have subsidiaries that are
industry leaders in both B2B as
well as B2C businesses.

16. While there may be some
minor differences in the way
a company approaches
communication for a B2B
versus B2C audience, it’s
imperative that the
corporate messaging for
both be clear and
consistent—and fully
aligned with an
organization’s internal
communications; the
several hundred employees
who work for our company
are our strongest ‘brand’
ambassadors, and ensuring
they are fully engaged with
our company’s progress is
key to our success.

17. When devising a corporate communications plan, it’s important to keep in mind that throughout all of history, there’s
never been a time when information was more readily available–everywhere and all of the time.

18. Given that reality, one of the most formidable challenges facing organizations—and those charged with running
them—is to commit the time, effort and resources required to ensuring successful corporate communications; by
doing so, you will also ensure that your company’s story gets heard, and doesn’t fall between the constant ‘clicks’ of
the Information Age.