To the moon ... Alice!

It’s excruciating to watch SeaWorld Orlando do the “dance of death.”

The “dance of death” is the label I’ve given to an agonizing ritual we’ve all seen on the 24-hour TV news cycle. Some big shot (an official or public figure) has said or done something terrible. The big shot says he or she won’t quit. Public outrage boils over. And what happens? The big shot quits “to spend more time with family”.  He or she could have made it a one-day story, but instead they dragged it out.

It seems as though every day another musical group or performer bows out of SeaWorld’s Bands, Brew & BBQ concert series in response to Blackfish, a documentary critical of SeaWorld’s treatment of killer whales. Yet SeaWorld stubbornly refuses to cancel the concert series or change its business practices.

Pushing forward with the concert series next year is a loser that is sure to bring SeaWorld more bad publicity. And bad publicity is really bad for the park’s ticket booth.

In the interest of full disclosure, I like SeaWorld Orlando – a lot. A few years ago I had an annual “passport.” to SeaWorld and spent many enjoyable afternoons getting splashed at Shamu Stadium. Just because something was “acceptable” years ago doesn’t prevent it from becoming “unacceptable” today.

When I was a kid in the 1960s everybody used to laugh when the Ralph Kramden character on the Honeymooners TV comedy show would say “one of these days Alice ….to the moon …” meaning that one day his wife Alice was going to make him so mad that he would smack her “to the moon.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpHzPzjUTY8

Oh sure Ralph Kramden was a gentle, huggable teddy bear, but tell me how many laughing women you find at Harbor House, an Orlando shelter for survivors of domestic violence?

Blackfish is not a Michael Moore opus. It was neither shrill nor preachy. Having spent 30 years as a professional journalist I consider Blackfish to be the product of thorough reporting. As a communications professional Blackfish looks like a public relations disaster for SeaWorld.

Check out Blackfish and then go see the movie 12 Years A Slave (now playing at your local theater) and then let me know if you see any parallels? http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/us/cnn-films-blackfish/index.html

I want SeaWorld to survive over the long term. SeaWorld is a major employer and property tax payer here in Orlando. In addition it has generously contributed to community causes and conducted decades of valuable research to help sea creatures and the ocean.

But I fear SeaWorld faces a very difficult future if the company’s leadership continues its “stay the course” strategy.  Canceling the Bands, Brew & BBQ concert series and re-packaging the park’s offerings by ditching the animal performances and focusing more on the wonder and beauty of the ocean are the only steps that can save SeaWorld from a public relations tsunami.

Animal activists have been pestering SeaWorld for years, but now they can really taste blood in the water (a regrettable pun). You can count on them to really pour on the pressure to embarrass and break SeaWorld and that negative-publicity campaign will gain traction.

Before long kids will start telling their parents: “I don’t want to go to SeaWorld because they’re hurting Shamu.”

Have a beer and some BBQ and think about that.

David D. Porter is principal and owner of David Porter Communications Inc., in Orlando, Fla. The firm provides services to small businesses and produces www.B2BFlorida.com

Memo to SeaWorld: time for first aid

Ain't Gonna Play Sun City

Top leaders at SeaWorld Orlando would do well to follow basic first-aid measures: stop the bleeding. And do it quickly!

Almost every day another performer announces he or she won’t participate in next year’s Bands, Brew and BBQ concert series hosted by SeaWorld Orlando. Performers are dropping out in response to Blackfish, a recent documentary that was extremely critical of SeaWorld.

The response from the entertainment world reminds me Artists United Against Apartheid, a group of popular 1980s performers who produced Ain’t Gonna Play Sun City, a widely circulated music video that contributed to the end of white rule in South Africa.

If I was in charge at SeaWorld I would act quickly and cancel Bands, Brew and BBQ. Finding replacements for the performers who dropped out won’t be easy. How many entertainers do you know want to piss off their fans?

And then, what do you think would happen when the concert series started? 

There would be massive daily negative coverage and huge demonstrations outside the gates of SeaWorld. It would get pretty ugly.

There’s no way SeaWorld leaders didn’t know this day would come.

When I moved to Orlando 30 years ago SeaWorld was all about the live animal performances.  If you wanted rides, then you needed to go to Disney. But then I began to notice that SeaWorld started adding rides – a lot of rides. No doubt some of that was in response to the Universal Studios Orlando Resort, which is within 10 miles of SeaWorld. Yet I bet some SeaWorld leaders realized that it wasn’t prudent to leave their ages (financial future) resting on the back of a killer whale.

Killer whale … hmmm.  I always wondered what would happen if Shamu was in a bad mood one day and didn’t want to play. Now we’ve seen the tragic consequences of frolicking with a killer whale.

I’ve seen the Blackfish documentary.  It’s very compelling, but as an experienced journalist and a former corporate public-affairs manager I know there is more than one way to interpret and report facts. Yet what makes Blackfish so compelling is that it isn’t based on the interviews of one or two disgruntled former employees. The documentary contains interview from an array of people ranging from those who helped capture killer whales to trainers who worked with the animals every day. The stories they told are not for the squeamish.

Memo to SeaWorld leaders: This crisis will not fade away. And you’re not going to “no comment” your way out of this mess.

SeaWorld needs to face the public, admit their mistakes and misdeeds and tell their story.

And SeaWorld does have a powerful story to tell. SeaWorld is important to this community as a major employer, supporter of community causes and a steward of natural resources.

That’s right -- a steward of natural resources. The fact is SeaWorld has spent a fortune rescuing sick and injured sea creatures and conducting invaluable research. Sure some critics will say that work was just a publicity stunt. But the point is SeaWorld performed valuable work.

Now is the time for SeaWorld leaders to tell the public what it’s learned from this experience and how it will change the company’s business practices.

For one thing, ditch the smiling killer whale logo.

Good luck SeaWorld!

This blog post was written by David Porter, principal and owner of David Porter Communications Inc., an Orlando communications firm that produces www.B2BFlorida.com

 

Sign of the Times

We love this excellent example of an inexpensive, creative, seasonal advertising sign by a small business in Orlando.

Break the ice with humor

 

 

If you are going to a holiday party or a networking event and you want a quick way to break the ice with new or old friends, have a little humor in your hip pocket. Even if you need to give a serious presentation, laughter will help you quickly grab the audience’s attention.

But where can you find good, clean humor appropriate for a business or professional audience? Everywhere! If you’ve stopped at a red light, I’m sure you’ve read a bumper sticker that made you laugh out loud (LOL).

Veteran Toastmaster International speaker Karl Righter listed 12 sources of funny material in his book, “How to Win Your Audience with Bombproof Humor”. Four great suggestions Karl mentioned were to:

1. Be observant – If you know you have a speech or presentation coming up soon, start a humor journal. Write down everything that makes you laugh. You’ll come up with authentic, believable and original humor. The best humor comes from your own personal experiences. And every parent knows that their kids are a walking comedy gold mine. I once opened a Toastmasters speech by recalling the time my six-year-old daughter slept on Silly Putty and we couldn’t get it out of her hair! The punch line—and the truth—was that she cut the sticky putty-filled hair out and left a two-inch bald spot on the left side of her head!

2. Surf the Internet – You can Google “business humor” to find jokes or visit websites such as: www.comics.com, www.comedy.com, www.humorpower.com.

3. Watch TV Comedians – Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Arsenio Hall, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Steve Harvey bring humor into our homes (or computer screen or mobile device) every day and night. Local, state, national, and international news stories are often dripping with easy-to-spot humor that television talk show hosts love to exploit.

4. Read cards, bumper stickers, T-shirts – Greeting cards, bumper stickers and T-shirts are also reliable sources of funny material you can use to establish a good rapport with an audience of one or many.

When you find a great joke or funny story, don’t forget to personalize it to fit your style and your audience. And please keep it tasteful—even if you’re cracking a joke about Rob Ford, the crack-smoking mayor of Toronto!

 

This blog post was written by Rosalyn Gist Porter, a public speaking coach and founder of Better Speaking Skills, a communications-training firm. Contact Rosalyn at betterspeakingskills@yourspeakingskills.com, or call her at 407-761-7625. For more public-speaking tips, go to http://rosalyncommunications.blogspot.com

Go ‘Noles!

After several dreadful years, the Florida State University Seminole football team is rocking big time.

Not only last Saturday’s crushing victory over archrival – the University of Florida Gators-- but a superb 12-0 season landed the ‘Noles in the No. 1 ranking of collegiate team in America.

In the interest of full disclosure, I did not attend FSU. I graduated from Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y. (which did not have a football team).

Yet I’ve been prancing around town in an FSU golf shirt since last Friday because I consider myself to be an ex officio ‘Nole, by way of my daughter -- FSU class of 2011.

My football knowledge is almost nonexistent. (I can’t explain the difference between a down and a safety.) But I love an underdog and the way FSU took it in the chin for so many years before climbing to the top during this championship season.

All of that aside, Florida is blessed to Florida State University, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and all the other institutions that make up this state’s public university system that stretches from the Panhandle to South Florida. These schools are not only known for sports, but also for academic excellence.

I always tell my friends with young children to start putting away money in Florida pre-paid tuition program to attend one of our wonderful public universities.  In addition, Florida also offers grants to Sunshine State children who do well in high school.

Unless their kid is getting a free ride at Harvard or Princeton, I tell them their kids would be better off staying right here in Florida for college.

Between the pre-paid tuition and other incentive programs, my daughter received a high-quality college education (she graduated with honors), and unlike so many of her peers, she was debt free when she graduated.

And now, let me write it one more time: Go ‘Noles!

 

David Porter is the principal and owner of David Porter Communications, which produces B2B Florida. Please visit us at www.B2BFlorida.com, a resource that provides inspiration and information to help small businesses overcome challenges and meet their goals.

 

 

 

Got the gift of gab?

To be a business success, you’ve got to be a great communicator and that requires the ability to speak clearly, effectively and persuasively to customers and colleagues. So here's some food for thought.

Soon we’ll be gathering with family and friends at Thanksgiving. And no holiday meal is complete without hot food and memorable stories. “Do you remember the time…” kicks off an endless series of childhood stories, family legends and embarrassing tales from the past.

Every family has one person who can captivate the room with colorful stories that make you laugh, cry or feel very uncomfortable. In my family, my father takes the storytelling cake. No one can match his skills when it comes to recreating visions of his Grandma Sally (who knew all the neighborhood gossip), his uncle who got sucked up into a tornado while riding on a horse, or the day he drove his new 1957 DeSoto sedan home from the car dealership (and taught himself how to drive a car on that first solo trip behind the wheel).

But you don’t have to have the gift of gab of a Daddy Gist (my father) to be a great storyteller. If you can tell a joke, explain why you like or dislike a movie or recall—in some detail—a sporting event or past experience, then you can tell a story to a friend, co-worker or meeting audience.

The storytelling skills are the same (use descriptive words that make your listeners visualize what you’re talking about). If you are talking to an audience of one or 1,000, paint a word picture that lets them hear, see, feel, smell and get a taste for everything that went on.

I recently heard Mark Brown, the 1995 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, talk about storytelling. Mark said that every life tells a story and there’s always a message you can share. During the recent Toastmasters International conference in Daytona Beach, FL, he identified three ways to find stories to share with family, friends or business associates. Mark says:

MINE FAMILY STORIES – Keep your ears open at family events. During the holidays, family reunions or at the dinner table, someone is always telling a funny story.

USE POP CULTURE – Explain the impact that a movie, book or blog post had on you. “It’s all about lessons learned…and what you can share,” said Mark.

 RETELL YOUR LIFE LESSONS – Everyone has had some experience that knocked some sense into our heads. Share what you’ve learned the hard way from your biggest mistakes. “Your life tells a story and there’s always a message that someone out there needs to hear. Sometimes a lesson we learned can be valuable and powerful to someone else,” said Mark. “You have no idea the impact you can have by sharing one simple story!”

 

This article was written by Rosalyn Gist Porter, a public speaking coach and founder of Better Speaking Skills, a communications training firm. Contact Rosalyn at betterspeakingskills@yourspeakingskills.com or call her at 407-761-7625. For more public speaking tips go to http://rosalyncommunications.blogspot.com

 

Are you ready for Small Business Saturday?

In case you’ve been living under a seashell in Micronesia for the last few years, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has been designated “Small Business Saturday”. On that day shoppers are encouraged to spend money with locally owned businesses.

This year Small Business Saturday will be observed on Nov. 30.

Credit-card giant American Express deserves credit for leading the Small Business Saturday crusade. Three years ago Amex spent a fortune and launched a nationwide advertising campaign to promote Small Business Saturday. Now that’s what I call walking the talk!

Other major companies, government agencies and political leaders have joined the campaign to urge consumers to shop local on Nov. 30.

So Mr. and Ms. Business Owner, how will you take advantage of this magnificent opportunity?

Look around your sales floor. What do you have to sell?

Is it the same old same old? Or can you introduce a few new products to freshen things up?

Let’s face it, the Christmas countdown clock is ticking. Christmas season sales will make or break many retailers – both large and small.

If you expect people to spend money, you need inventory – especially items consumers are likely to buy. If you don’t know what’s hot, you better do some quick research.

By the way, what about some great discounts to sweeten the pot? Everybody loves a sale!

Since this is all about the Christmas sales season, please put up some holiday decorations in your store. The decorations you use are a personal choice, but don’t go overboard. I’ve been to shops that were so heavily decorated that it was difficult to tell the merchandise from the decorations. Remember, the goal is to make sales, not win a decorating contest.

And while you’re looking around the sales floor, does your shop need to be spruced up? Be honest! Some locally owned small businesses I’ve visited are cluttered and could use a deep cleaning. One of my pet peeves is storefront windows that are smudged and stained. If you’re too busy to clean, then hire a janitorial service, but get it done quickly!

Pay attention to your business exterior, too. Is there trash in the gutter? Does the sidewalk need to be power washed? Please encourage neighboring businesses to do their part because cleaning up benefits everyone’s business. If your business looks bad from the outside most prospective customers will drive right past you.

What American Express has done is wonderful, but please don’t rely on the national campaign to bring shoppers through your door on Small Business Saturday.

You need to take action! This week you should be sending a snail-mail letter or email to your customers encouraging them to make plans to visit your store on Nov. 30. Ask them to share the Small Business Saturday news with their friends. Shame on you if you don’t have a customer mailing list!

For those businesses with customer mailing lists, there are free resources available to help you prepare messages you can send out, post at your store, and on your Facebook page and business website. Search “Small Business Saturday” on Google and you can find all kinds of material, including logos and fliers to promote your business and Small Business Saturday.

If I owned a store, when Small Business Saturday arrives, I would have extra staff on hand, (everyone in clean pressed clothing with big smiles on their faces), and a nice platter of holiday cookies to greet shoppers. Remember the line from that commercial: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

This article was written by David Porter, principal and owner at David Porter Communications Inc., an Orlando-based communications consulting firm that produces www.B2BFlorida.com

We're here to help!

B2B Florida™ was created to help busy, hard-working small-business owners and entrepreneurs overcome challenges and reach their financial goals.

Even though Florida has a vast assortment of learning opportunities (classes, seminars, resource centers, etc.) for small businesses, many owners are too busy to take advantage of those resources.

However, B2B Florida videos:

*are only 2-minutes long
*are available 24/7 through the B2BFlorida.com website, or YouTube
*are free to watch. They were produced to help entrepreneurs overcome common problems – ranging from tax headaches to computer problems – that can ruin a business.

Our videos showcase local successful business people who have “been there and done that.”

We’re all about businesses helping businesses in Florida. That’s why we’re named B2B Florida.

Every two weeks we’ll post a new video. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@B2BFlorida). B2B Florida is a product of the team at David Porter Communications Inc.

We welcome and encourage your feedback, and we’re eager for recommendations for future videos. Send comments and suggestions to info@B2BFlorida.com.

Success starts here

B2B Florida™ is committed to helping small businesses in Metro Orlando succeed. It is a product of David Porter Communications Inc.
Here are 5 ways to support small businesses and B2B Florida:
       *Invite colleagues and friends to visit the B2BFlorida.com website. We really appreciate it when you share links to our website and videos on your Facebook and LinkedIn pages, Twitter feeds and blogs.

      *List your business in the B2B Business Directory. There is no charge for a basic listing of the name of your business, a 5-word description and your phone number OR email address. To be included in the directory, call 407-965-0080, or email info@B2BFlorida.com.
      *Join the conversation on the B2B Florida.com blog, on our Facebook page and the B2B Florida discussion group on LinkedIn. Please follow us on Twitter at @B2BFlorida. 
       *Consider advertising on the B2B Florida website.
             **Through this site you can reach thousands of small businesses in Metro Orlando, and around the country.
             **We offer affordable advertising rates in a number of categories, targeting businesses that provide services to other businesses and professionals such as lawyers, accountants, computer specialists, sales reps.
             **You can publish ads to buy and sell supplies, equipment, swap/barter goods and services, and announce new business openings and opportunities.
             **For advertising call 407-965-0080, or email sales@B2BFlorida.com.
             **Hire the David Porter Communications team to help your business grow and prosper. We provide services at prices small businesses can afford.
      *DPC can raise your visibility in the marketplace with:
             **websites/website content
             **videos
             **photography
             **graphic design
             **publicity
             **research
             **communications/marketing plans
             **business-event management executive and administrative support
             **language services (Spanish, Portugese, Haitian-Creole, Arabic)