Communications in
Today’s Environment
Phil Morabito, CEO
Pierpont Communications
Ken Jones, President
KJ Partners
Director of Entrepreneurship, UHD
April 23, 2009
Overview

Communications has never been more important than
now in this down economy

Employees want to be informed

Stakeholders (customers / vendors / investors) all
want to know what is happening with your
business…good news or bad news

Clarity and consistency must resonate in all
messages
What to Do





Have a strategy and a plan
Crystallize your messages both internally
and externally
Get all your leaders on the same page
Be consistent with no surprises
Work harder and smarter
External Communications

Two sides

informative

stimulus

Paint a real picture

Be positive, but not fake

Use your messages consistently (i.e., our
company…largest in town….safe choice)
External Communications

Proactively seek out new venues to
communicate through

new groups

target companies

industries

vendors

external professional resources
Your External Communications

Be visible while others are invisible
 Speak more
 Network more
 Events
 Lunches
 Seminars
 Activities
Your Internal Communications

The art and technique of using words
effectively to impart information or ideas

The communication that exists within a
company, between and among
employees
Your Internal Communications

Many forms: face-to-face casual
conversations, formal meetings, phone
calls, emails, memorandums, etc.

An organization's adaptability to external
changes relies on efficient communication
internally
Communication Vehicles
Intranet web site
Wikis, blogs, podcasts, internal social media
tools (e.g. internal Twitter-style sites such as
Yammer)
An informal session where employees can listen
to and talk with the organizational representative
such as a managing director, such as a Town
Meeting or breakfast with CEO
Communication Vehicles
Conference calls
Employee television channel
Intranet web site
E-mail
Communication Vehicles
Team briefing sessions
Message boards
Personal or group meetings
Virtual meetings
Communications packs for line managers
Interesting Statistics and Data Points
Non-Verbal Communication
accounts for 93% of all
communication
–7% Words
–38% Tonality
–55% Physiology
Interesting Statistics and Data Points
Of all Internal communication
–13% pen and paper
–49% from email
–29% SMS text
–10% Internet Instant
Messaging
Interesting Statistics and Data Points
50 Billion emails per day world wide….in
2000, < 12 Billion
Average Company spends $15k paying
employees to read unnecessary e-mail
Many people use 10 words when they
could use 3…when communicating
Interesting Statistics and Data Points
Employees spend more time wading
through their messages than playing with
their children…according to one study
– Working parents spend 25 minutes per
day playing with their kids
Recent report – workers spend 49 minutes
per day to sort out their in-boxes
Interesting Statistics and Data Points
While texting:
– 32% of 15-24 year olds also watch TV
– 18% also listen to music
– 10% browse the internet
– 6% also are reading
Traditional lunch hour becoming thing of the past
– almost ½ of the workforce takes less than ½
hour for lunch and 1 in 10 take no lunch break at
all
Interesting Statistics and Data Points
2 hours and 10 minutes…amount people
waste each day at work…of which 1 hour
and 38 minutes was due to
communication technologies not being
used to good effect
70% of 15-24 year olds say they could not
live without their mobile phone
“ Words are the most
powerful drug used by
mankind…”
Rudyard Kipling
Interesting Statistics and Data Points
Internal communications budgets
have increased in 42% of
organizations over the last three
years
High performing organizations put
communications at the top of their
agenda…
“The problem with
communication…is the
illusion that it has been
accomplished….”
George Bernard Shaw
Pet Peeves
How much information do you share?
E-mail salutations
Voice mail
Business cards
Pet Peeves
Lousy receptionists
Phone mail messages out dated
Lack of knowledge on how to use the
phone system
Do’s and Don’ts of Communications
DO:




Be honest
Show your strengths
Have consistent messages
Execute a communications strategy



letters / e-mails / calls
Have a focus in your messaging
Inform your employees of your plan
Do’s and Don’ts of Communications
DON’T:




Be fake
Send mixed messages about your
company
Try to do too much
Hesitate
Tips and Tactics

Have a message / communications
meeting with staff

Put your messages on a card for everyone

Read your own website
Summary

Pay attention to your
communications

Develop a plan

Be genuine
Q&A
About the Presenter
Phil Morabito founded Pierpont Communications in
Houston in 1987. Under his leadership as CEO, Pierpont is
now one of the largest integrated communications forms in
the Southwest, with offices in Houston, Austin, Dallas and
San Antonio.
A regular on the networking scene in Houston, Phil is a
member of the American Marketing Association (AMA), the
International Association of Business Communicators
(IABC), and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
He is also on the Board of Directors for Theater Under The
Stars, and Houston Technology Center.
Houston 713-627-2223 | Austin 512-448-4950 | Dallas 214-217-7300 | San Antonio 210-372-9200
About the Presenter
Phil is a sought-after speaker on the topics of public relations
and marketing, Phil is well known in the Houston community
and across the state as an expert in all aspects of marketing
and communications. He was named a 2006 Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year in Houston.
Phil earned both a Bachelor of Science degree and MBA in
marketing. Since 1988, Phil has been an adjunct professor at
the University of Houston and today teaches a course in
integrated marketing communications in the Graduate School
of Business. You can email Phil at pmorabito@piercom.com
and visit Pierpont on the web at www.piercom.com, or in
Houston call 713-627-2223.
Houston 713-627-2223 | Austin 512-448-4950 | Dallas 214-217-7300 | San Antonio 210-372-9200
About the Presenter
Ken Jones has more than 25 years of experience creating,
building and selling businesses. His background includes an
array of responsibilities with documented success ding in the
areas of entrepreneurial development, turnaround management
consulting, software development and implementation, and ebusiness creation. Mr. Jones’ background also includes
experience in financial management, sales management and
strategic marketing.
Mr. Jones is the Director of the Entrepreneur & Venture
Development Center at The University of Houston Downtown.
He is a national speaker/instructor for the NKBA – National
Kitchen and Bath Association, teaching and consulting to
business owners in that industry.
Ken Jones picture
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About the Presenter
Ken defines an entrepreneur as “one who knows the outcome is
up to him and wants it that way.” This definition is proven
everyday through his consulting practice, KenJones Partners,
which targets small to medium sized businesses and provides
strategic as well as practical advisory services for revenue and
cost optimization. KenJones Partners also excels in the area of
turnarounds and strategic shifts sometimes necessary for early
stage businesses.
Mr. Jones has an undergraduate degree from Bucknell
University in Pennsylvania and received his MBA from the
University of Houston.
kjones@kjpartners.com
281-687-4633
Ken Jones picture
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