This is part 2 of a 4-part series riffing on signs I’m photographing on my summer walks. Let me know if you like them. There’s an endless supply of signs that don’t communicate as well as they should.

Today’s subject line is courtesy of Ace of Bass (YouTube).

Here’s the sign I saw. In fact, I saw three of these signs on three successive blocks in my neighborhood of Jersey City.

Stop the Drop sign

It’s a great sign, right? It has a catchy slogan and an arresting design (yes, I went there) in service of a worthy initiative.

Here’s what I saw when I looked down the street.

street with no trash bin

See the trash can? No? Me neither. Not here, not on any of those three blocks.

It’s silly to ask people to do something and then not make it possible—no, easy—for them to do it.

In other words, communication is useless without supporting infrastructure.

How does this relate to your operations? Well, for instance, you should:

  • Have a plan, before you mail the donor appeal, for sending thank-you letters within 48 hours.
  • Set up a calendar of social media or blog posts before you launch or relaunch.
  • Set up inventory and processes so you can fulfill orders quickly.
  • Pare down your online donation or order process before you launch the campaign.
  • Get your contact database in order before you do any of the above.

Improving infrastructure isn’t the fun part. It’s just the part that makes your communications worth doing at all.

For discussion:

  • What do you do with your trash when there’s no trash can?
  • Where have you seen signs telling you to do things it’s impossible to do? (Bonus points for a photo)
  • What’s your biggest challenge in making it easy for customers to do what you want them to?