Five Simple Ground Rules For A Successful Brainstorming Session

Having ground rules is a good idea when you begin brainstorming session. This will help keep the atmosphere open and keep the ideas flowing throughout the session itself.  If you’re facilitating a brainstorming session, use a large sticky note to post these as a continual reminder throughout the session to encourage everyone to participate.  Go over the rules at the beginning of the brainstorming session to set the stage for the meeting and explain why you have these simple, easy-to-follow rules in place.

Respect Time

You must be respectful of time. Everyone is busy.  People don’t want to feel as if they’ve gone to yet another unproductive meeting.  Even though there will be times when people get off on tangents, it’s always a good idea to rein it back in so that it doesn’t take up the time to brainstorm the topic at hand.  If ideas don’t relate to the brainstorming topic itself, put those aside on a separate sheet of paper or white board that is your ‘parking lot.’ This ways it is noted, but understood as a separate topic and conversation.  Doing this allows you to validate a person’s input while keeping the meeting running on time.  It’s your job as the facilitator to be the timekeeper and keep things flowing.

Participation

Encourage participation. This is key. It’s quite embarrassing to host a brainstorming session and have only one or two of the people participate while everyone else just sits around. Equally embarrassing is allowing someone to monopolize the session with their ideas at the expense of others.  As a facilitator, it’s your job to ensure everyone has a voice during the meeting.  Call on folks that are quiet.  Ask boisterous people to ‘hold that thought’ while you ask for someone else’s opinion.

At the beginning of the session, tell everyone, “You are here for a reason.  You were invited to this brainstorming session because of your knowledge, skill set, and perspective. Your ideas are valued.  Please participate wholeheartedly and enthusiastically.

Electronic Devices

Phones and any other electronic devices should be turned off or silenced. Having a phone buzz or ring during an in-depth discussion or breakthrough moment can ruin the epiphany that was about to happen.  Schedule breaks during the session and let everyone know they will have plenty of time to check email and voice mail during that time.  Some folks go so far as to have everyone drop their device in a basket that gets set aside.  This may be too bold for some situations.  You’ll need to decide this for yourself and situation.  Make it clear that the brainstorming session was set up as a time to focus on the topic.  Creativity cannot flow when there’s continual interruption by electronic devices.

Equality

This is of utmost importance during a brainstorming session: everyone has to have equal importance when it comes to ideas.  Job titles need to get checked at the door. Depending on the brainstorming topic, you may have the president of a company alongside the door greeter at the same table coming up with ideas. All ideas need to be forthcoming and flowing easily. And, no idea should be considered too big or too small.  Everything should be treated with importance and appreciation- no matter who it came from.  Doing this allows everyone to feel welcome and equal as a part of the process and brainstorming team.

Go A Little Nuts!

The last rule in creating a successful brainstorming session is to welcome all ideas— no matter how crazy, wacky, silly, or ‘pie in the sky’ that they are.  Some of the wildest thoughts spur additional conversation. That dialogue can lead to additional thoughts and creative ideas that are exactly what your company needs to implement or expound on.  The key to success for a product launch, new service offering or marketing campaign can be found when you allow the looseness, creativity, and wackiness to flow.

Follow these simple rules for a successful brainstorming session and you will come away with some fabulous ideas.

Creative Postage Options To Enhance Your Direct Mail Campaigns

Postage for your direct mail— there are more marketing options and excitement than you might think. Studies have shown that direct mail pieces— envelopes, postcards, anything that you send in the mail— that has a postage stamp on it or actual postage that doesn’t look like bulk mail gets opened and read at a much higher rate. So what are your options when it comes to postage so you can increase your direct mail success rate? Read on for creative postage ideas.

Coordinating Stamps

You can use regular stamps from the post office. If you’re looking for something cost-effective and can’t afford customized postage, this is the best option for you. There are a lot of stamps in the market.  If you go online to www.USPS.com, you can order stamps online and have them delivered directly to you.  Do this in advance of a direct mail campaign so that you’ll have them in time for your next direct mail piece. There are a lot of different designs. It didn’t used to be this way.  There used to be only a couple of different options for standardized postage.  But now, there are several options. For example, if you are a wedding coordinator and need postage for invitations you’re handling for a client, there are stamps that say ‘love’ or wedding designs.  Pick stamps that match your brand at the same time you’re using the most cost-effective postage for your business. Technology companies can get stamps with innovators. Creative businesses can get stamps that are more artsy or abstract.

Customized Stamp

Businesses can also have customized stamps created. There are several services in the marketplace that allow you to make customized stamps. Find several by typing in ‘custom stamps’ in your search engine online.  Companies upload logos, taglines, and photos of mascots or team members to these popular sites. Others choose to simply print a message on their stamps. The message could relate to company values or a specific cause that the company supports. There is an additional fee for the customization in addition to the postage amount, but custom stamps are a creative and effective way to get the attention of the readers of your direct mail pieces. They are more apt to open the envelope with custom stamps.

Customized Indicia

Another type of customization is for the actual postal indicia used in a postage meter. There are different ways of creating them.  Some companies will actually make their indicia look like it’s in the shape of an actual stamp.  Others will put a message on theirs. A lot of non-profits use a customized indicia relating to donating. Companies use them to tout their mission or use a catchy phrase to get the attention of the recipient. Another thing beautiful thing about an indicia and postage meter is that it saves you money because you’re mailing in bulk and using bulk postage rates.  Don’t pay the full price for first class postage if you don’t have to.  Save the money for your marketing!

‘Dummy’ Stamps

An additional thing companies do is print ‘dummy’ stamps.  You can have one or more of these created. These are stickers the size and shape of a stamp (so that they look like actual postage). They will be positioned next to your indicia. Companies design them with different messages or promotions. The ‘dummy’ stamps might have different images of your latest campaign and some wording. Be very careful not to use a lot of wording. Doing this still gives the look and the feel of having customized postage while keeping the postage savings of your indicia.  Best of all, it still increases the response rate.

Of course you always need to make sure that you’re following postal regulations for these postage ideas. Any of these ideas will make your mail stand out. Your direct mail piece is an important, invaluable tool in your marketing communications plan.  Get creative with your postage to increase the open rate for even better direct mail results.