The TDM Professional

Green Business is getting the hint...

For folks who aren't following the Green Business community, a recent post from cleantechblog.com gives some insight into how parts of the business community are looking to TDM as a method of reducing their carbon footprint.

http://www.cleantechblog.com/2007/12/flexible-work.html

Chris Simmons, TDM Corridor Integration Planner, Washington State Department of Transportation

simmocw@wsdot.wa.gov

Recommended Reading: Words That Work by Frank Luntz

This is the first in a series of books from our Recommended Reading List where we'll attempt a summary of the more salient points for those that don't have time to read the whole thing. The first of those books is also our most recent. It's called Words That Work. It’s not what people say. It’s what people hear. by Dr. Frank Luntz, 2007. Some of you may know Mr. Luntz' work from TV where he's been a pollster and pundit for years. Just a few weeks ago he was on the Bill Mahr show where they talked about how he studies/uses words. Whether or not you agree with his political leanings or clients (I don't), his research and expertise seems to give him a great sense of the culture and what makes people tick. I'd definitely read the whole book if you want some great examples and more context but below is a summary of the key take away points.

Words That Work. It’s not what people say. It’s what people hear. by Dr. Frank Luntz, 2007.

Ten Rules:

1. Simplicity: Use Small Words
2. Brevity: Use Short Sentences
3. Credibility is as important as philosophy
4. Consistency matters
5. Novelty: Offer something new
6. Sound and texture matter
7. Speak Aspirationally
8. Visualize
9. Ask a question
10. Provide context and explain relevance

1. Simplicity. Using a long word when a short one will suffice tends to raise suspicions. Clarify rather than obscure. The more understandable the more credible. The public prefers simple words and acronyms. KFC. DQ. M:i:III.

2. Brevity. Never use a sentence when a phrase will do and never use four words when three will do. The most memorable tag lines are fragments. Think. The UnCola. Got Milk? Small beats large, short beats long, plain beats complex. A visual beats them all.

3. Credibility. If your words lack sincerity, if they contradict accepted facts, circumstances, or perceptions, they will lack impact. New and improved better be. Credibility is established simply. Tell people who you are or what you do. Be that. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

4. Consistency. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. By the time people being to recognize and remember a particular message, it has already changed. Don’t do that. M’m! M’m! Good! We try harder. Good to the last drop.

5. Novelty. Offer something new. People are easily bored. If something isn’t shocking or surprising they move on. People appreciate predictability but they cherish surprise. Brand new take on an old idea (and back to #4 tell them again, and again and again). Try to generate an “I didn’t know that” response.

6. Sound and texture matter. The sound and texture of the language should be just as memorable as the words themselves. A string of words that have the same first letter, the same sound or the same syllabic cadence is more memorable than a random collection of sounds. Snap, crackle, and pop. Conjures up images. Intel Inside’s four notes. Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Help the tag line stick in the memory.

7. Speak Aspirationaly. Messages need to say what people want to hear. Hard to do for products and services. Personalize and humanize the message to trigger an emotional remembrance. People will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Humanization. Personalization. Because you’re worth it. Look ma, no cavities. Calgon, take me away. I have a dream. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

8. Visualize. Paint a vivid picture. Melts in your mouth not in your hand. You’re in good hands. Taste you can see. Visualizing has as much to do with words as pictures. One word helps with the pictures more than any other.  Imagine. Use the word imagine because it invites people to visualize and personalize.

9. Ask a question. Is it live, or is it Memorex? Can you hear me now? Got milk? Sometimes it’s not what you say but what you ask. A rhetorical question can have much greater impact than a plain assertion. Asking the question makes the reaction personal and personalized communication is the best. It is the “responsive chord theory.” People react best to language and messages that are participatory – allowing the receiver to interact with the message and the messenger.

10. Provide Context and Explain Relevance. You have to give people the “why” of the message before you tell them the “therefore” and the “so that.” Explain why the message matters. Context matters. Have it your way from Burger King (1973) effectively set it apart from other fast-food chains. Without the underlying context of fast food it doesn’t work. The “so that” of a message is a solution, but the solution is meaningless unless there is a problem. Try to respond to a felt need. Relevance. If it doesn’t matter to the audience it won’t be heard. Market research is crucial to relevance so you know what drives and determines the consumer. Imagine yourself in the audience’s perspective, the customer’s shoes.

Bonus rule. Visual Symbols. A visual context that supports and reinforces your language will provide a multiplier effect, making your message that much stronger.

Another tip: Transparency. A company’s communication with the public must be proactive, consistent and ongoing. The key word is more. More conversation, more information, more details.

21 Word and phrases for the 21^st Century

Imagine

Hassle-free (convenience)

Lifestyle

Accountability

Results and the Can-Do Spirit

Innovation

Renew, Revitalize, Rejuvenate, Restore, Rekindle, Reinvent

Efficient and Efficiency

The Right to…

Patient Centered

Investment

Casual elegance

Independent

Peace of Mind

Certified

All American

Prosperity

Spirituality

Financial Security

A Balanced Approach
A Culture of...

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Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a biking/Metro commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.