Thanks for stopping by!  We’re giving away a free copy of Kem’s book, Less Clutter Less Noise, to one lucky reader today.  All you have to do is post a comment here so we have a way to get in touch with you if you’re the winner.

Details and other participating blogs: kemmeyer.com

Here’s the Q&A:

JODY

You have a lot of great action items in your book, things to evaluate, then to implement some positive changes if needed.  Where would you suggest starting if there are many things that need attention?

KEM

I would start by removing some barriers to entry. Sometimes that makes sense to focus on things that are visible, but many times you’ll yield a bigger return if you focus on the things people can’t necessarily see—but feel. In particular, I’m talking about the importance of flow. 

One definition of flow is “to move or run smoothly with unbroken continuity.” In other words, people shouldn’t notice the process. If they do, it’s broken. What roadblocks get in the way of what people are trying to do in your church? There are plenty of areas to evaluate flow, and here are some places to start.

•        Eliminate the extra steps. Don’t make people “call for more information.” Anticipate the basic questions they will ask, and give them a direct channel to show up, register or RSVP. If you’re using this as your “connection point,” I recommend you revisit that strategy. I love it when my doctor calls to remind me of an upcoming appointment. But, I hate it when they leave multiple messages asking me to call to confirm. Instead of “call [so & so] for more information,” how about just giving the information people need up front? The basic who, what, when, where and how works almost every time. If I want to talk to someone, I can. But, don’t make me.

•        Eliminate confusing treasure hunts. Think of how people experience and navigate in a department store. The inventory is constantly changing, but the departments are constant. I know what direction to head, no matter what I’m looking for, and there are multiple ways to get there. At Granger, we’ve identified four pages on our site where you can find anything that’s happening: home, events, volunteer or group. By doing this, we have more time to focus on creating experiences and relationships in our teams and events, not by creating more content. And, the best part is people don’t get lost on our site.

•        Eliminate assumptions. Don’t assume your audience will train themselves. They won’t. Don’t assume people wake up in the morning and check the church Web site. They don’t. Don’t assume people will tell you when a process or link is broken. They probably won’t. Don’t assume the parents don’t read the student ministry blog. They do, whether you’re talking to them or not.

•        Eliminate extra work for people. Instead of organizing your staff directory by name and title, how about arranging it alphabetically by frequently asked questions or by subject? Make it easy to find the right person by topic versus title.

The benefit of paying close attention to flow is a great experience. When everything flows naturally, your guests have a lasting impression of a place where the actions match the words, and the result is a trustworthy environment across departments and media. When you break flow, you risk surprising people with conflicting personalities in the same experience. That’s frustrating to people, and it’s not the story you want them to leave with and tell their friends.