May Lunch: The Link Between Reputation Management and Social Marketing

WHEN: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 from noon - 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Bar Louie, 701 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
COST: $22

The U.S. Census Bureau is currently taking on the massive effort of enumerating the entire American population as is constitutionally mandated. Part of this effort is an unprecedented social marketing campaign to increase awareness of the Census with the ultimate objective of ensuring that people fill out their census forms.

This effort is an excellent case study of the interplay between social marketing and reputation management. On the one hand, the media exposure must be sufficiently consistent to ensure that the message gets across and 'sticks' in people's minds. On the other hand, the messenger must be credible in order to ensure that the message will not be summarily discounted. In other words, social marketing and reputation management go hand-in-hand.

May's speakers will discuss the social marketing campaign being conducted by the Census Bureau and then take a step back to look at reputation and reputation management from a conceptual standpoint, using the 2010 Census as a case study.

Speakers:

• Nancy Bates, U.S. Census Bureau
• Clifford Young, Ipsos Public Affairs

RSVP required: CapitalCommunicator (at) gmail (dot) com

April Lunch Recap: Tourism Communications and Reaching New Audiences

CCG members were treated to a lively luncheon talk in April with Pat Wheeler, Director of Marketing, Cultural Tourism DC; Barbara Bahny David, Director of Public Relations, InterContinental Hotel Group and Danielle Piacente, Publicist, & Manager for the National Cherry Blossom Festival who’s with Linda Roth Associates.

All three speakers focused on one of their newer challenges: tourism marketing and communications that no longer focuses just on reaching the out-of-towners. Each shared tips and hints about how they're really rooted in letting locals know what's going on. One reason for the change in focus? All of us locals play host to out-of-town family and friends who want to know "what are you taking me to see and do in D.C. when I visit?"

Pat kicked off by sharing the host of opportunities to experience the history and culture of D.C. and the tactics they employed including visible signs posted throughout the city highlighting the DC Heritage Trails. She also talked about what sort of events the local community turns out for, such as the Passport DC program. A wonderful partnership with Ben’s Chili Bowl owners resulted in Cultural Tourism DC being gifted with space for a visitor center. (You never know how a partnership can benefit you!)

Barbara built on this discussion of partnerships by explaining their anniversary celebration strategy. To demonstrate the reach of the Willard as an icon of D.C. she worked with organizations such as the Shakespeare Theatre Company, the National Building Museum and the American Institute of Architects to host off-site events but all focused on the Willard, including a costume gallery, building renovation talks and artistic photo gallery of the Willard. These events-around-town successfully demonstrated the status and role of the hotel within the D.C. society. Barbara also spoke about keeping this sense of community strong with programming designed to be inviting to all ages from holiday festivities involving local choirs performing free concerts to wine tastings with local bands. She advised leveraging the myriad of talented people in D.C. who could bring something special to your event.

Barbara also addressed using social media (Facebook and Twitter) to reach those in town and out-of-town and advised that communicators pay attention to ensuring a company's brand goes across all channels. For example, on Twitter, each tweet from the Willard imparts the personality of an ageless, worldly, sophisticated grand dame, a hip aunt sharing advice with her circle of friends.

Danielle rounded out the presentations by first sharing interesting statistics about the percentage of people visiting the Festival are actually within the D.C. Region. (Hmmm, I must run into the other 45% who are out-of-towners on the Metro then!) She talked about their efforts to highlight a host of activities under the Cherry Blossom Festival umbrella that appealed to those interested in the history, rich culture of the event but also to all ages from families to the young hipster crowd. Connecting to the community that calls D.C. home, she mentioned tree plantings (hyperlocal!) and the local restaurants embracing of cherry-infused and inspired cuisine -- ingraining the Spring time celebration into D.C. culture.

You can follow our April speakers/organizations on Twitter at @dcculture,
@willardhotel and @CherryBlossFest.

Thanks to our speakers and Elephant & Castle!

And make sure you check out the blog post from member Susan Rink that talks about this lunch!

April CCG lunch: Tourism Communications and Reaching New Audiences

** UPDATE: We're now sold out. You can RSVP to be placed on our wait list. **

Tourism Communications: It's Not Just for Tourists Anymore!

WHEN: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, noon - 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Elephant & Castle, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC
Metro Stop: Metro Center

COST: $25
Cash Only. Exact Change Preffered.

MORE INFORMATION: April kicks off tourist season in Washington, D.C., but for many local "tourism" organizations, marketing and communications is no longer just about reaching the out-of-towners. Instead, these professionals are increasingly being tasked with ensuring that they draw a local crowd to events as well. Come learn more about how some of our local tourism organizations are undertaking the challenges of reaching new audiences with their message.

SPEAKERS:

• Pat Wheeler, Director of Marketing, Cultural Tourism DC
• Barbara Bahny David, Director of Public Relations, Intercontinental Hotel Group
• Danielle Piacente, Publicist, & Manager, Linda Roth Associates. (Danielle handles publicity for the National Cherry Blossom Festival)

RSVP to: capitalcommunicator (at) gmail.com

February Lunch: Sustainability at the USPS

WHAT: February CCG Lunch -- Greener Than You Think

WHEN: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 from noon - 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Bar Louie, 701 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC (closest Metro stop: Gallery Place/Chinatown on the Red Line)

COST: $20. (Cash Only. Exact Change Preferred.)

DETAILS: U.S. Postal Service employees are instantly recognizable in their distinctive blue uniforms. But did you know the Postal Service is also earning distinction as one of the greenest "companies" in the country?

In fact, the USPS has been a green innovator since 1899 when it tested it its first electric mail delivery vehicle. That's right - 1899! In addition, the Postal Service is the only mailing and shipping company in the entire country to be Cradle to Cradle™ certified for its environmentally friendly shipping supplies.

Come hear Sam Pulcrano, Postal Service Vice President for Sustainability, talk about what the Postal Service is doing to leave a greener footprint across America, and how the agency is telling its green story, including shouting it from a certain green rooftop in New York City. You'll walk away having learned best practices for "greening" your organization.

RSVP REQUIRED.

Lunch Recap: Deploying with 'New' Gear: How the Department of Defense is Using Social Media

Yesterday was the FABULOUS CCG lunch with Price Floyd, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs for the Department of Defense. I can't say enough good things about this lunch and our speaker. Mr. Floyd captivated our audience for the entire presentation and Q&A session, during which he spoke about how the DoD is using social media tools to get its message to both internal and external audiences. He showed us examples of what they're doing, talked about guidelines he follows, and shared lessons learned.

Highlights:

• Ask yourself four questions with any communications / outreach effort: What is the message? Who is the audience? How are you going to reach that audience? Who is the speaker?
• "Non-approved messaging" -- i.e., letting people onto your website to publicly post comments, respond to questions, etc. -- gives credibility to the rest of your site and the content on it.
• Make sure you TRAIN and EDUCATE your employees as to "responsible and effective" use of social media tools. One way the DoD does so is via fun (and short) videos, including a popular "what not to do" video.
• Realize the importance of having personal voices (which can be more engaging) as well as institutional voices (which are more official). One example: On Twitter, he does this via multiple accounts -- @pricefloyd, which is his personal account and is a mix of work and personal updates, and @DefenseGov, which is the official DoD account.
• Realize your goal... One of DoD's goals with social media was to reach a new audience. The department knew that the website audience skewed "older" (i.e., 50+), so the focus with the social media presence was to reach a new audience (i.e., 18-25).
• Know that social media is only one component of a larger campaign. The audience on social media channels is growing, but it's still small. (For example, the viewers of the least watched Sunday talk show are more than the numbers you'll reach via social media. But they're different audiences, so you need to be reaching both.)
• Having problems convincing the boss your company needs a social media presence? Go tell him to himself or the company. She'll see firsthand that the company likely is already there, being talked about. Then ask: "Do you want any say in what is being said about you and the company?"
• Your social media policies and your general communications policies shouldn't be that different. What that means in the case of DoD, for example, is this: What a soldier can't include in a letter home, can't be online. In the case of companies... what you can't talk about to a reporter, shouldn't be talked about online.
• There's nothing more credible than the voices of the people doing the work (in the case of the DoD, the people in the field). So make sure your social media voice isn't just the CEO, Senior VPs, etc.

And perhaps my favorite piece of advice from the day, which is advice he gives to DoD employees engaging in social media: "Don't post something online if it's not something you'd say to or show your boss or your grandmother."

Thanks, Mr. Floyd, for such great advice. And thank you to District Chophouse for the great location with the top-notch technology.

January CCG Lunch: How the Department of Defense is Using Social Media

WHAT: Deploying with "New" Gear: How the Department of Defense is Using Social Media
Learn more about how the Department of Defense is using social media to connect with both internal and external audiences.

SPEAKER: Price Floyd, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Department of Defense

WHEN: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, from noon - 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: District Chophouse, 509 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Metro Stop: Gallery Place/Chinatown on the Red Line

COST: $28
Cash only. Exact Change Preferred.

RSVP required.

RECAP: December CCG Lunch, "It's All in the Spirit of Giving"

First off, let me just give a HUGE "thanks" to all my members who attended yesterday's lunch. We managed to collect 43 toys for Toys for Tots (plus one monetary donation) from our 37 attendees. Great job, everyone!!

Second note: Did you know that one of Toys for Tots biggest challenges is getting enough gifts for the 10-14 age range? If you haven't yet donated this year, think about choosing something for these older kids. (Even better, Tweet and Facebook this fact to your networks and help us start our own mini campaign to address this challenge.)

Okay. Now, on to the lunch recap...

December's lunch was about handling PR and communications for a charity or a charitable giving campaign. Our distinguished speakers were:

• Sergeant Matthew R. Johnson, who is in his fourth year as a Toys for Tots Events Coordinator... and was looking quite dapper in his Marine uniform
  
• Wendy Beach, Director of Communications, Global Impact. (In addition to raising funds to support international relief and development programs, Global Impact manages the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area and Overseas.)

Key messages from our speakers:

• Evaluation is key: Before starting this year's campaign, Global Impact evaluated past CFC campaigns. Staff used that feedback when creating key messages, revamping collateral materials, crafting a new "theme," and creating goals for this year (such as generating more participation from the the younger government employees and new government employees). This is great advice. I think a lot of us focus so hard on a particular project, and when that project is complete we move right on to the next one. As a result, we often don't take the time afterward to evaluate the project, collect feedback, etc. And there's so much to learn from evaluating what you've done... both good and bad.
  
• You Can't Ignore Social Media: I know. It sounds like a no brainer, right? But what do you do when you're in an environment that doesn't embrace social media, which is the case with many federal agencies that block access to Twitter, Facebook, etc.? Global Impact solved this dilemma by using the (social media) tools they knew government employees could access, such as GovLoop, which is a social media tool specifically for the government.
  
• Know Your Audience: Global Impact realized it was important that any collateral materials created for the campaign be customizable by the volunteers so that materials would speak to particular communities.
• Social Media Isn't Everything: For the Marine Corps, having Marines in blues on the street talking to people directly is the best advertising. So one of the top goals is to get as many Marines out there as possible. It beats any other advertising channel they could use. (Of course, my CCG members already understand the importance of direct person-to-person contact. After all, we're a group that thrives during our in-person monthly meetings.)
• Coordination, Coordination, Coordination: Toys for Tots is a HUGE campaign that always gets national and local media attention. When that's the case, communication is key. You need to make sure everyone has all the information available... after all, you never know when someone might end up being an "unofficial" spokesperson for your cause.

So those were my biggest lessons learned from yesterday. Sure, some of them weren't exactly "lessons learned" -- because they were strategies I already knew -- but I love when our speakers reinforce conventional wisdom and remind me that sometimes I need to go "back to basics."

For my fellow CCG'ers who attended yesterday's lunch... what did you learn from our speakers?

CCG December lunch: It's All in the Spirit of Giving

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
noon - 1:30 p.m.

It's All in the Spirit of Giving
Ever wonder about the unique ins and outs of running a PR/communications campaign for a charity or a charitable giving campaign? How about the challenges of doing so during a down economy? Come learn more from the experts!

Speakers:

• Staff Sergeant Christopher Gordon, Coordinator, Quantico Toys for Tots campaign
• Wendy Beach, Director of Communications, GLOBAL IMPACT. (GLOBAL IMPACT has the MOU to manage the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area and Overseas this year.)
  

Location: Bar Louie, 701 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Metro Stop: Gallery Place/Chinatown on the Red Line

Cost: $20 + ONE NEW, UNWRAPPED TOY FOR TOYS FOR TOTS
CASH ONLY. EXACT CHANGE PREFERRED.

RSVP to: capitalcommunicator@gmail.com
(You do not have to be a CCG member to attend. Cost is the same for members and non-members.)

Five Speechwriting Tips from one of our November CCG Lunch Speakers

Jeff Porro, a successful speech writer and author of the story for the movie The Great Debaters, has a five step program for turning interesting executives into inspiring speakers. Here, he provides us with a few tips:

1. Make the speech personal but not confessional.
2. Use stories, not statistics.
3. Find a theme and stick to it.
4. Repeat yourself repeatedly.
5. Give conflict a chance.

You can learn more about these or ask follow-up questions about Jeff’s talk by emailing him at jeff@porrollc.com or by posting your questions here. Also, make sure you're reading his blog, Tough Talk for Hard Times.

November Lunch Recap: Speechwriting

So if you missed yesterday's lunch, you definitely missed out!! Our speakers rocked... and I've heard nothing but rave reviews since the minute the program ended. (Heck, we practically had to kick people out because so many were hanging around chatting afterward!) As for me? I had every intention of tweeting via my Blackberry during the lunch, but got so caught up in the presentations that I forgot to do so.

First, our speakers:

• Ann Scholl, speechwriter, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who highlighted her 5-5-5 plan for speechwriting
• Jeff Porro, speechwriter (with his own company), who proved during his talk that he practices what he preaches

Some of the highlights:

• Always start with a bang... but make sure it's an appropriate one. (Your "bang" can be a joke, an anecdote, or a quotation)
• Write for the ear... meaning short, simple, clear sentences. Also, use active voice.
• Practice the rule of 3... all great speeches do. (This means using examples or phrases in groups of three.)
  
• Repetition... it works. (Think about one of the most famous speeches in history: Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech.)
• Write your beginning and your ending first.
• Support each of your points with examples and stories.
• Remember that the point of a speech is not to convey information. If you want to convey information, send a memo or writer a letter. A good speech is not someone reading a white paper or a person reading off a PowerPoint. A good speech is one that moves the audience to action!
• Tell stories, not stats! No matter how dry the subject, you can always find a good story. (And people remember stories much better than they do stats.)
• Research, research, research! Research should include interviewing the person who will be delivering the speech, but it also means doing independent research. (Newspapers can be your best friends, especially if they've done interviews or profiles with the person for whom you're writing the speech.) Internet is a speechwriter's best friend.
  
• Learn about your audience and who it is. This is crucial.
• A practical piece of advice: when you're printing out the speech, only include writing on the top 2/3 of the page. (If someone's reading off a speech at the bottom third of a page, he/she can't easily look up and connect with the audience.)

And this doesn't even delve into the mere entertainment factor from our speakers... like how Jeff compared speechwriting to making a stew. (You had to be there...)

I'd be remiss if I finished this post without a shout out to the folks running and working at The Darlington House in Dupont Circle. This was our first time here since the restaurant had opened up under this name. (It used to be Childe Harold.) The food was delicious... and affordable. The service was impeccable. The private room was gorgeous and truly private. They did a spectacular job! If you're hosting a private event, talk to them.

Looking for more perspective on our lunch? Check out a blog post on Denise Graveline's The Eloquent Woman blog.

Oh, one last thing. Jeff gave us a great quote about how marketing is like shaving... but you'll need to come back to the blog next week to read more about that.

-- Robin

November CCG Lunch: Speechwriting

It's Not Just What You Say, but Also How You Say It
Some would say that the hardest task within the world of PR and communications is speechwriting. And with that in mind, this month we're welcoming some veteran speechwriters to share some of the unique challenges of speechwriting as well tips of the trade.

WHEN: Thursday, November 12, noon - 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Darlington House, 1610 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Metro Stop: Dupont Circle on the Red Line

Cost: $20
CASH ONLY. EXACT CHANGE PREFERRED.

Speakers:

• Jeff Porro, a successful speech writer and author of the story for the movie The Great Debaters. Jeff also is the author of a blog about speechwriting called Tough Talk for Hard Times.
• Ann Scholl, a speechwriter for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

You must RSVP to attend.

SPACES REMAIN for Oct. lunch this Wednesday

Designing Websites for Action or Advocacy
Learn the art -- and science -- of designing websites for action and advocacy.

SPEAKER 1: Len Johnson, President & CEO of JDG Communications, will talk about creating a site that is a research-based solution, using as an example his experience creating the FTC kids web site YouAreHere, where kids learn to be smarter consumers through games, activities and online conversations. Learn how Len's team conducted interviews with kids, parents and educators; how they tested the site; and how they evaluated the outcomes.

SPEAKER 2: Stephanie Dailey, Senior Public Affairs Specialist, NIHSeniorHealth.gov, National Institute on Aging, will talk about the unique aspects of making a site for an older demographic.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from noon - 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Topaz (in the Enlightenment Room), 1733 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Metro Stop: Dupont Circle on the Red Line

Cost: $26
CASH ONLY. EXACT CHANGE PREFERRED.

Please RSVP.

October lunch: Restaurant Search

So I'm breaking our "no presentations" rule for the second month in a row with our October lunch... with good reason. Our October lunch is focusing on a website development topic, and it only makes sense for our presenter to be able to reference the actual web site. This, of course, has put a wrench in our plans... because "Internet access" is not one of our usual lunch location requests. So here's where you come in. We need your help finding a location. I'm including our qualifications below. Please send me your location suggestions.

• private room that seats 40-60 but doesn't charge to use the private room
• in D.C. and metro accessible
• as I mentioned above, must have Internet access
• food cost: approx. $20 for sandwich + drink

Thoughts? Please, please, please send some suggestions my way!

-- Robin

September Lunch Recap: Handling Communications Surrounding Controversial Projects

So for our September lunch, we were lucky enough to have Michael E. Newman from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Michael is NIST's Senior Communications Officer and served for six years as Communications Director for the agency's technical investigation of the collapse of three World Trade Center buildings on 9/11. Needless to say, he had a lot to share... so much so, that we even allowed him to break our "no PowerPoint" rule so that he could show some graphics. (Big thanks to the D.C. location of the Greene Turtle for helping us make this happen!)

So what did I learn:

• For a high-profile, long-term project like the WTC investigation, it's important to have one point of contact for the media. (It helps prevent confusion.)
• Whenever possible, it also helps to have one primary expert or project leader handle the majority of the media interviews.
• As a PR/PA/Comms professional, you have to make sure you or someone from your team is a member of any task force supervising the project so that you can provide input on strategy and plans. (i.e., Communicating what your company / org is doing can not be an afterthought.)

Michael also had some great advice on how to deal with those who may (very publicly) oppose your work:

• Be respectful and respond to their correspondence, but realize you don't have to get into an active debate. (It's too easy for those of us in the communications realm to feel like we have to respond to every media query, every letter, every invitation. Sure, we do need to respond. But responding vs. debating are two very different things.)
• Don't condemn or criticize those who oppose you. (i.e., avoid "we're right and you're wrong" debate.) Instead, address opponents' claims directly and without judgment.
• If you do respond to the opponents' claims, do so with the right goal in mind: to provide balance for others who already have heard the opposing viewpoint. Don't respond intending to convince the opponents to see things your way.

So there's my take on our latest lunch. Did you attend? What did you learn from Michael? Let us know.

September Lunch: Handling Communications Surrounding Controversial Projects

WHEN: September 22, 12-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Greene Turtle, 601 F Street, NW, Washington, DC
METRO STOP: Gallery Place-Chinatown on the Red Line

Cost: $20. CASH ONLY. EXACT CHANGE PREFERRED.

MORE INFORMATION: After the collapse of three buildings at the World Trade Center in NYC on 9/11 (the Twin Towers and WTC 7), the National Institute of Standards and Technology was tasked with the technical investigation to determine what caused the structures to fall. And NIST Senior Communications Officer Michael E. Newman was tasked with handling the communications around this investigation, an undertaking he describes as "a unique experience in public affairs."

During September's lunch, Michael will talk about this long-term, 6-year project, from the process of keeping the public informed to the challenges of dealing with the "9/11 Truthers," who attacked Michael for merely doing his job.

RSVP required.

August Lunch... er.... Happy Hour

As is our tradition, we skip hosting a CCG lunch in August in exchange for a happy hour. And this year, we decided to partner up with Washington Women in PR and hold a joint happy hour.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 18 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.
WHERE: RFD, 810 7th Street, NW, Washington DC (metro red line)

COST: That's up to you. It's pay as you go for food and drinks.

WWPR has created a Facebook page for the event. (Thanks, WWPR friends!)

July CCG Lunch Recap: Voice of America

I'm a big proponent of not reinventing the wheel. With that in mind, this month, instead of writing a recap of our lunch, I'm going to direct you to The Capital Buzz, where Capital Communicator Group (CCG) Member and Deborah Brody of Deborah Brody Marketing Communications posted a recap of the lunch.

Just click here.

-- Robin

CALL FOR LUNCH TOPICS / SPEAKERS

All...

In the next 1-2 weeks, the CCG Executive Committee will be planning lunches for Sept-Dec. With that in mind, please forward us the following:

• ideas for good speakers
• ideas for topics you'd like to see covered
• lunch location suggestions

Forward this information to the CCG email account.

Looking forward to seeing your suggestions!

July lunch: Voice of America

Voice of America: A Look Inside U.S. International Journalism
Tuesday, July 21, noon-1:30 p.m.

Did you know that there is a U.S. government agency charged with providing news overseas? That agency is Voice of America, which broadcasts in 45 languages and reaches 138 million people each week with approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming!

While VOA is well known around the world, this multimedia powerhouse is virtually unknown in the U.S. Our July lunch will change that!

Come learn more about VOA's journalistic mission, and how they promote it both domestically and internationally. Plus, take a tour of the VOA facilities.

Speakers:

• Steve Redisch, Executive Editor, Voice of America
• Joan Mower, Director, VOA Public Relations
• Language Service broadcaster TBA

Location: VOA, 330 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

RSVP required

June lunch overview: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!!

Earlier this month we hosted our June lunch: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!!

Our amazing speakers gave so much information, I'm not even sure how to recap it here. It would just take up too much room. So I'm going to give you some of what I thought were the highlights, and I'm hoping others who attended will chime in with their take-aways.

From Kate Perrin, Founder and CEO, PRofessional Solutions

• The most important thing in any job hunt is networking! If you know the right people, they can hand carry your resume to the HR department, making sure your resume makes it to the front of the line.
• Get personal: Those people you know through your neighborhood, church, synagogue, ski club, etc., may be great contacts when you're looking for work. They may be able to get your resume to the HR department of companies in which you're interested.
• On your resume, adjectives = bad. Show, don't tell, what you did. Results, results, results.
  

From Suzy Howard, Principal, McCormick Group

• Stay current with what's going on in the marketplace, even if you're in a steady job and not looking for work.
• Ensure you have the "basics." People in communications often think they have the best resumes, the best cover letters, etc. And often that's not the case. Make sure others have reviewed your materials.
  
• Make sure your materials (cover letters, resumes, etc.) show how you're a value add to the company.
• Volunteering for a professional society is a great way to fill out your skill set and get experience in areas of communications that you may not work with for your day job.

From Katherine McHale, Senior Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

• Top reasons resumes get tossed: grammar and spelling errors. Also, realize it's possible to "over produce" a resume.
• Demonstrate flexibility. Companies want the best employees. In the case of Booz Allen, Katherine hires the best people, not people who will fill certain contract needs.
• Realize that writing assignments can be about more than just your writing. They can be "culture" tests. How you respond to having to take a writing test can tell a company whether or not you would fit with their culture. (Also, people who are the most overconfident about how they did on a writing test are often the ones with the lowest scores.)
  

And that's just a quick sample of what was shared. (Please, attendees, weigh in with your thoughts on the lunch. Or maybe our speakers will share what they felt was their best piece of advice from the day!)

Oh, and I should mention, this is our second time at Bar Louie in D.C. And once again, they did a bang-up job of hosting us. The food came out quick. The wait staff was professional and attentive. The private room was, in fact, private. Thanks to Steve Centrella and his team for the great job once again!