Blog - RyanShell.com

Shell Named to 40 Leaders Under Forty List

Just issued this info via a press release. Quotes in the article were chopped up a bit so they don’t flow all that well. Just a note.

The Triad Business Journal has become synonymous for recognizing outstanding young professionals in its annual 40 Leaders Under Forty publication. Truliant Federal Credit Union is proud to announce that Ryan Shell, marketing communications supervisor for the credit union, has been named to this year’s list. According to the Business Journal, this award honors “Young stars who have proven to be outstanding people within their business and within our community.”

“I simply believe in having a strong work ethic and being active in the community in which I live, and am truly honored to be among such a successful group of community leaders,” said Shell. “Being called a leader is great, but my only desire is to bring a positive influence to anything that I’m a part of.”

In terms of his community involvement Shell serves on the City of Greensboro’s Board of Adjustments, heads the Southside Homeowners Association and Community Watch, adopted a portion of Lee St in Greensboro, runs the popular blog GreensboroPolitics.com and recently graduated from the City of Greensboro’s City Academy. His name has also been mentioned as a future candidate for the Greensboro City Council.

“Ryan has proven to be extremely motivated and likes to challenge himself on a daily basis,” said Ginger Salt, senior vice president of markets for Truliant Federal Credit Union. “He has helped our organization think outside the box and his desire to be successful in all of his endeavors has proven to be very rewarding for Truliant. It’s a testament to his leadership to receive this honor.”

Basic Crisis Communication Tips

By Ryan Shell

Remember when you were a little kid and your parents told you not to do something? Didn’t the mere fact that they objected to something only make you want it more? The same rule tends to apply when the media comes knocking on your door questioning you about a subject that is less than pleasant to discuss.

I’ve read and heard far too many stories about crisis communication being handled wrong. Obviously a crisis is not good, but you can easily make things go from bad to worse by not handling media inquiries appropriately. If you try to hide they will only dig deeper and be more hardnosed about the subject at hand. Even worse, once they finally get a story together you will not have a voice. Why would you allow a one sided stored to break?

If you find yourself in this situation there are some pretty basic rules to remember. This isn’t the gospel but just some things to consider.

Don’t hide from the story
Provide all pertinent details and be as upfront as possible
If something has gone wrong and it is your fault, explain the status of the situation (are people hurt), and most importantly, outline what you are going to do to try and prevent the issue from happening again

Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s how you handle the mistakes that set you apart from the rest.

Has US Air Started to get a Clue?

By Ryan Shell

I’ve been fortunate enough to do a good amount of traveling during the past three months and for the most part my flying experiences have been decent. I went to Hawaii (Delta) shortly after Christmas, took a quick trip to Las Vegas (US Air) in January and was in LA (US Air) last weekend. Delta, like all carriers, charged for checked luggage, but did not charge for in-flight food/drinks. That being said, you can imagine how surprised I was that US Air charged for sodas… on cross country flights. Paying for something that you used to get for free is one hurdle to get over, but to be charged $2 for a canned soda is simply ridiculous.

I’m happy to report that I received a friendly email this morning alerting me that US Air is changing up how they are doing things and are re-implementing free drinks. If you ask me, this is a very smart move for the company. Just give me a free drink as I sit uncomfortably in coach and let me feel like you appreciate my business. I’m sure somewhere along the line an accountant said, “If we cut out the free drinks we will save X number of dollars,” but I’m equally as sure they underestimated the fact that people would choose a different carrier over a free drink. It’s principal!

Before taking away the inexpensive perks, you should seriously consider how much the repercussions could cost.

Taking a News Story from Start to Finish

By Ryan Shell

One thing is for sure, I love working with the media and enjoy the process of helping take a story from start to finish.

The local Fox affiliate (WGHP) called me about two weeks ago searching for a person that had recently refinanced their mortgage… not to mention I was given a two hour deadline. Luckily I was able to track down a source (member for the credit union I work for) and the story came to fruition.

From my perspective, when situations like this arise I have several “clients” to watch out for: my employer, the reported and the member helping us with the story. Check out the finished product below.

Onboarding, why do It?

By Ryan Shell

Onboarding campaigns are really hot at the moment, as they should be.

[Background Info] I recently accepted the fact that my six year old cell phone was becoming ancient. While shopping at Southpark in Charlotte a month or so ago I found myself walking past the Apple store and for whatever reason thought, “I should get an iPhone.” I walked in, asked lots of questions and then left the store without a phone. Surely you didn’t think I would simply buy the phone without processing right? I walked around for a while thinking about the pros, which there were a lot of, and the single con, which was the increase in my monthly payment. Needless to say the pros outweighed the cons by a long shot.

Now back to onboarding. A couple days after purchasing the phone I received an email (partial screenshot below) that I found to be extremely helpful. Granted, I could have found most of the info myself had I gone searching for it, but AT&T dropped it in my lap. Kudos to their efforts.

att

Why onboard? The cost of getting new customers can be quite pricy these days, so once you get them why would you just let them sit idol? These campaigns are a simply a friendly nudge that lead folks in the direction you want to take them.