Leverage data in identification of partners and partner recruitment.
Once you have done your research and collected data, you will want to leverage the information to engage partners—particularly in the identification and recruitment phases of the partnership development process. Communicating and using data may take several forms. Primarily, you want to use the data to make strategic decisions, such as identifying which partners to target that meet the needs you have identified in your state, as well as in formal presentations or materials. In addition, you should be familiar enough with the research and data to use it in conversation. For example, if you approach a state mental health professional association and secure a meeting through a network contact, you can use data you found as part of a simple, but powerful opening that says: "In [this state], suicide rates among Service members has risen by 16% over the last 12 months. I know that your organization’s mission is to equip professionals to meet the needs of [this state's] residences. I’m hoping you will consider a partnership with Army OneSource and other community organizations to help address this growing problem."
Communicate information and data with compelling visuals.
Creating compelling visuals will significantly enhance the impact of your message. There are many different types of visuals used to convey information, as well as various chart types to display data.
The following outlines types of visuals and corresponding information types:
- Portrait – Who
- Calendar, Clock or Timeline – When
- Map – Where
- Diagram – How
- Chart (bar, pie, line, scatter) – How much
In addition to simply knowing what type of visual to use, you also want to ensure a clean and simple visual aesthetic:
- Use exact numbers when possible versus percentages
- Only include the most relevant data to avoid information overload
- Apply a consistent color palette and use fill effects
- Avoid sharp borders
- Use a consistent font
- Use keywords versus long sentences
- Use color to highlight concepts or key data points
Develop audience-focused presentations.
In developing a presentation, one must carefully prepare and adapt the presentation to the particular context. Experts in public speaking suggest that the number one reason a presentation fails to achieve its goal is that the speaker does not know his or her listeners well enough. When preparing presentations, customize your delivery based on the particular audience. This does not mean re-writing the entire presentation; rather, incorporate information, such as data and statistics that are related to the interests of your audience. For example, if you are presenting to a potential partner, only use data points that are most relevant to the audience and incorporate information specific to their organization to show that you have done your research and understand how their mission and services align with AOS.
Click the Resources link for a list of online resources that are helpful for tailoring presentations and creating compelling visuals.