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The Man Who Sold Hot Dogs!

There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. he was hard of hearing, so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers. But he sold good hot dogs.

He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were. He stood by the side of the road cried "Buy a hot dog, Mister."

People bought.

He increased his meat and roll orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of this trade. He finally got his son home from college to help him. But then something happened.

His son said: "Father, haven't you been listening to the radio? There is a big depression coming on. The European situation is terrible. The domestic situation is worse."

You never want a serious crisis to go to waste

Current White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel said, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. Things that we had postponed for too long, that were long term, are not immediate and must be dealt with. The current economic crisis provides the opportunity to for us to do things that you could not do before."

So what exactly was Mr. Emanuel saying? The current economy is an excuse but an opportunity for businesses, cities, and individuals to look at issues and all aspects of their business and evaluate how they are operating. This is especially true in the world of communications, are you developing long term relationships with your customers, your vendors, and the community in which you operate. Are you communicating using multiple tactics to ensure your messages are received for maximum impact. Or are you just waiting, treading water so to speak, until the economy turns around and you have the available funds to continue or start communicating.

2009 A Year to Focus on Communication

December 30, 2008

We are living through an economic crisis that has put thousands out of work, reduced the value of our homes creating uncertainiy in the financial markets. People are facing mortgage payments, rising costs of living and a daily fear of losing their job and their retirement. They are looking to the government -- their boss, important community leaders for a sign of hope and strength.

The question is in 2009 what is your role as it relates to communications during these difficult times. Should you get engaged with issues, should you position yourself as a leader or a figure of strength? Or are the risks too great -- should you sit in your home or office just trying to survive?

The impluse to be quite is understandable, but silence is only feeding the fear felt by the masses. Fear is created by confusion and apprehension which leads to misstrust. You and your organization must demonstrate why you earned the public's trust in the first place.

It may seem counterintuitive, but communicating now is an absolute imperative. It is a duty rather than a choice. Organizations that remain silent do so at their peril, endangering the employees, stakeholders, consumers and the community they are tasked with serving. They may even endanger their own future.

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The Spin

The Man Who Sold Hot Dogs!

You never want a serious crisis to go to waste

2009 A Year to Focus on Communication

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