SEATAC, Wash.–Credit unions are often told to tell their story. One person here told them how, especially when it comes to being heard by elected officials.
Brian Callanan, a former TV news reporter who is now with The Seattle Channel, said he knows credit unions have a “story that means a lot to you, but understanding what your story is, is much harder than you think. You may have a story that you believe in with all your heart, but what makes others believe in it?”
In remarks to the Northwest CU Association’s MAXX annual meeting here, he offered these seven pieces of advice for answering some of those questions and for telling the CU story at the local, state and national levels:
Know Your Story
“Telling your story is not just a job for public relations It’s everybody’s job,” he said.
Callanan said credit unions need to ask “what do you want? What problem have you identified? What solutions do you have?”
Callanan said he has often been told by politicians that people come into their offices and go on and on about a problem, “rather than taking it the next step and trying to figure out what the solution might be.”
When telling their stories, Callanan urged CUs to be as concise as they can be and to start small.
“You also need to know who has the power to help you tell that story,” he said.
Who Could Influence Your Story?
“This requires a ton of research and a lot of handshaking,” said Callanan. “I say ‘could’ because there are a lot more people involved than you think. The whole idea is to follow the paper. Where is the (political) committee where it’s first being signed? Understand that process and you’ll understand some of the inside routes inside government. You can tell your story into an issue into something people vote on.
“If you can learn what the people with whom you strongly disagree are saying, how they are saying it, how they are communicating, you can reach out to those same people they are trying to influence. It’s a really important part of the balance. Know the personalities of the people you are talking to.”
Who Opposes Your Story
Callanan said the ability to tell a story loses its effectiveness when the CU assumes its strategy hasn’t already been “predicted by the people who oppose you. You have to let the political leaders you talk to know who the opposition is, if they don’t know it already. In most situations you have one really good chance to make a good first impression. They don’t want to look foolish if they stick their necks out. If you underestimate the opposition to them, they won’t want to work with you.”
Who is Affected by Your Story
Callanan told the MAXX meeting this is about building consensus, building a movement, and building momentum.
“This comes back to the point that political pressure is no longer about a political insider. Truly building a movement is what’s happening. Finding the part of your story that galvanizes people to act is really the challenge.”
Who Will Cover Your Story?
Pitching a story is a complex challenge, because there are so many more sources now, said Callanan. “But it’s a similar approach to pitching a politician. Who’s affected? Who would care? In news it’s ‘tell me why I care.’ You need to develop the content. If you have an issue, have someone who is affected personally. An old news director used to say, ‘Have the facts, get the sympathy.’ So have the facts first.
In terms of where you pitch a story, my short answer is ‘I don’t know.’ But you know who has an impact in your community. I will say you shouldn’t limit yourself. The size of the media outlet isn’t the issue. It’s about developing the content and finding different ways to disseminate it. Sometimes you can even create the content, such as opinion pieces.”
Continuing Your Story
Telling a story, said Callanan, is really is a continuing process. “It’s about staying engaged, issue management and adjusting your story. The point is it’s a long, long process to create change. As you put your story out, too, you need to focus on community welfare. It can’t focus too much on your personal agenda; it’s not going to fly. It’s not about winning the debate; it’s about getting pubic officials to accept your point as legitimate. It’s about getting a seat at the table.”
Know When to End Your Story
Timing is everything when it comes to telling—and no longer telling—a story, he said. “When you have good news you want to keep that stream flowing. When you have bad news, keep it short. When your story is done, do your best to make sure news organizations are done with it, too.”
Callanan reminded credit unions they are in a strong position with both the media and politicians.
“It really is your job to tell a story, unless you want someone else to tell it for you,” he said. “You have the power to do some amazing things, so don’t let anyone take that power away from you.”