Engagement Strategies e-News - February 2011

• Second Annual EEA Conference & Expo Scheduled for June 1-2, 2011.
• 31% Not a Passing Grade Says New Engagement Study.
• AMA, Marcus Evans Embrace Enterprise Engagement.
• Measuring Intangibles Boosts Performance.
• Engagement Event Returns $2 for Every Dollar Spent.
• Authenticity, Tree-Pruning and the 'Wisdom of Crowds'.
• Gift Card Landscape Has Shifted, Bringing New Vistas, Values.
• White Paper Links Social Media and Performance.
• About Selling Communications Inc..

News Briefs

Second Annual EEA Conference & Expo Scheduled for June 1-2, 2011

If you were at last year's Enterprise Engagement Alliance Networking Conference and Expo, you know it drew rave reviews for the level of serious business discussion and learning that went on over the two-day period. So be sure to mark your calendar for this year's second annual event, scheduled for June 1-2. Who will be there? Marketing, promotion and incentive companies seeking new growth markets and innovative solutions to bring to their clients; corporate practitioners seeking new strategies and resources to improve performance and advance their professional careers; professionals who wish to become certificated as engagement practitioners and participate in the EEA's Speakers Bureau program. This is your chance to be a part of the growing field of Enterprise Engagement, a unique, two-day opportunity for suppliers and consumers of engagement products and services to learn specifically how they can profit from this new business opportunity. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to meet suppliers covering all of the critical issues of engagement, including: Leadership, Training, Communications, Rewards & Recognition, Engagement Surveys and Polls, Consumer Loyalty Programs, Measurement and Incentive Programs.

• Go to www.eeaexpo.org for more information, and sign up to receive updates and priority notification when registration opens.

31% Not a Passing Grade Says New Engagement Study

A new study, Employee Engagement Report 2011, recently issued by global consultants BlessingWhite, has found that fewer than one in three workers worldwide are fully engaged. Moreover, 17% are completely disengaged. Based on a global survey of nearly 11,000 employees and interviews with line managers and human resource executives, the study explores five levels of employee engagement in the workforce: engaged, almost engaged, honeymooners & hamsters, crash & burners, and disengaged. BlessingWhite CEO Christopher Rice warns that current engagement levels could derail ambitious corporate agendas for 2011. Among the study's key findings:

• Executives aren't getting the basic building blocks right: Creating an environment that supports high performance correlates strongly with high engagement levels, but this item received the least favorable response in the entire survey.
• Trust in executives can have more than twice the impact on engagement levels than trust in immediate managers – yet employees are more likely to trust their managers than their top-level leaders.
• Employees worldwide view opportunities to apply their talents, career development, and training as top drivers of job satisfaction.
• Engagement surveys without visible follow-up action may actually decrease engagement levels, suggesting that organizations think twice before flipping the switch on measurement without 100% commitment for action planning based on the results.

• The study can be accessed at www.blessingwhite.com/eee__report.asp.

AMA, Marcus Evans Embrace Enterprise Engagement

The emergence of Enterprise Engagement is substantiated by the growing cadre of business executives specifically responsible for engagement and the expanding number of education and seminar programs on this topic. Now, Marcus Evans, one of the world's leading business conference producers, has announced it will formally integrate Enterprise Engagement into its educational and professional training series. And the American Management Association has just published an article entitled "The Art and Science of Embracing Engagement for Bottom Line Results." The article outlines the rise of Enterprise Engagement, offering a brief history and discussion of how organizations must learn to work collaboratively across business units to find the best way to achieve long-term financial results.

• To view the AMA article, go to www.amanet.org/training/articles/The-Art-and-Science-of-Embracing-Engagement-for-Bottom-Line-Results.aspx.

Measuring Intangibles Boosts Performance

A new EEA white paper, Human Capital Diagnostics: Measuring the Intangibles, offers compelling proof that companies perform better when they make a concerted effort to measure things like employee performance, engagement, innovation and change. If human capital represents a company's largest cost and most critical asset, it follows that decisions about talent are among the most important any organization will make. It also means that accurate human capital diagnostic (HCD) and assessment tools are vital to organizations in order to prevent expensive mistakes in hiring, training, deploying and managing the performance of talent.

• To view the white paper, go to www.enterpriseengagfement.org

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Insights from ESM e-News

Engagement Event Returns $2 for Every Dollar Spent

The Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) recently announced that research measuring the return on investment (ROI) of an annual meeting of healthcare insurance brokers that stressed training, relationship-building and networking opportunities found the sponsoring company enjoyed a return of almost $2 for every $1 invested in the program. Initial results reported in March revealed that the program had a profound impact on the way brokers thought and felt about the company, its products and its people. Part 1 of the report, The 'ROI in Channel Partner' Conferences – A Case Study, noted that the annual gathering translated into higher sales, performance and engagement among those who attended. Part 2 of the report examines the actual change in sales of Allsante, Inc.* products among program participants, summarizing the ROI the company achieved from the event. EEA analysis of the methodologies and findings reveals that Allsante earned significant ROI from its annual event. "After all variables were accounted for, a highly credible and conservative estimate of 190% ROI was arrived at," says Allan Schweyer, Chairman of the EEA. "In other words, the company enjoyed a return of almost $2 for every $1 it invested in the first six months following the event, and our researchers say it's likely that the returns, if calculated after another six months have passed, will be even greater." Parts 1 and 2 of the study, The 'ROI in Channel Partner' Conferences – A Case Study, can be downloaded at www.enterpriseengagement.org

* The company in this report is referred to as "Allsante, Inc." at the firm's request, due to competitive reasons.

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In The Current Issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine

The March/April issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine will be out soon! Here's a look at what you'll find inside:

Authenticity, Tree-Pruning and the 'Wisdom of Crowds'

In a revealing Q&A with ESM's editors, author and motivation guru Derek Irvine talks about how building a culture of recognition offers the most direct path to engagement. To make sure you get your copy of Engagement Strategies Magazine, go to www.enterpriseengagement.org/account/login/ and update your subscription today!

Gift Card Landscape Has Shifted, Bringing New Vistas, Values

Four industry experts discuss how recent changes in the marketplace are affecting the use of gift cards as a motivational tool. Read more in the next issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine.

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News From Selling Communications Inc.

White Paper Links Social Media and Performance

A new White Paper, How Social Media is Changing Corporate Performance, discusses how lessons learned from Social Media are helping corporate employee-engagement experts capitalize on the momentum in self-motivated, peer-driven participation. Corporate recognition, rewards and incentive programs for employees are actually the unsung pioneers of the kind of 'social points' activity like we see in Social Media games like Farmville and others. By leveraging the power of online systems, corporations can provide a familiar social environment similar to those in which people have already chosen to engage during their own time. You can bring the power of Social Behaviors to your employees by offering intrinsic/extrinsic motivation rewards and recognition programs. Peer-to-Peer awards let people recognize each other. Team-based activities allow for relationship-building and trust. Wellness programs show that you care about employees' health challenges and that you want to help through education and online tools. Open 'suggestion programs' accelerate innovation by creating a meritocracy. To view the full report, go to www.dittmanincentives.com

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About Selling Communications Inc.

Selling Communications, Inc. is a fully integrated, target marketing, media and technology agency that improves results for clients by focusing on the people who matter most. We can help your business grow and save you money by targeting key prospects, getting their permission and strategically integrating your marketing and sales communications with the specific audiences most likely to affect your business performance.

Take advantage of these SCI services to improve your business development:

• Engagement Marketing Agency Solutions
• Target media
• Integrated Communications Technology

For more information on Selling Communications, its products and services, contact Jim Kilmetis at 914-591-7600, ext. 229 or send an e-mail to .

Tapping new customers, and keeping those you already have, costs less than you'd imagine...

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