Less Clutter. Less Noise: Beyond Bulletins, Brochures and Bake Sales

by Kem Meyer

Simple Strategies for Getting the Word Out Do you ever wonder why people today aren't getting your message? Maybe you can relate to how they feel--bombarded, skeptical, stressed, overloaded--looking for something amidst the pressure of life that will make a real difference. Your mission is as compelling as ever! But hitting people with more promotions, flyers and brochures isn't helping them find the good news. What if you could break through the clutter and find the direct route to their hearts and minds? It's easier than you think. With proven "now" communication strategies--practical solutions and principles that build trust instead of walls--you can make every aspect of a person's engagement with your church simple and more rewarding. Packed with short illustrations and real-life stories, this book is written for leaders in today's attention-deficit world, making it easy to grab, read and use anytime. When you help clear the path, you help people take their next step toward Christ. You'll find that less clutter, less noise speaks louder than anything.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Communication, Christian

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2009

About the author

http://kemmeyer.com/about/

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book for people with short attention spans who are interested in church communications, but I was hoping for some more theological reflection behind the recommendations. The church is not just any business. This book is definitely geared more for business communications simply with a church twist (the intro to the book even says it could be for anyone's communications, which is too broad an audience). The recommendations are practical and helpful, but the church is an organism, not an organization. These same pieces of advice could be given, but with a little more biblical reflection behind them. The doctrine of pragmatism abounds in this book, the same doctrine followed by church growth advocates. Overall it's a decent guide for many churches who do need to get with the program when it comes to communication, but it makes the error of treating the church like any other business.

[Lucas Mroz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75. Solid book. Good points but nothing that made me go aha! Her fun voice made it a quick and insightful read.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Communication is not about the communicator; it’s about the audience. Armed with years of experience and real-life illustrations, Meyer unpacks the implications of this truth for communicators of all stripes. Meyer begins by debunking five myths that perpetuate miscommunication (e.g. the more choices, the better; you are in control), and then leads her readers into five best practices for clear and relevant communication (e.g. know your audience; tell one story at a time; reduce the noise). While the work seems more like a collection of blog entries than a book, it offered – nonetheless – well-illustrated and workable communication principles. B

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on communication. Some insights:

"The more elements you put on a page, the less important each element becomes."
"Stick to the facts. Don't oversell, over-explain, or over-control. Just provide the information someone needs to self-sort and self-decide."
"Clarity is the new creativity." LOVE THAT!
"Do not expect people to come to you online any more, go to where people are online."
"REACH FEWER PEOPLE MORE TIMES." Narrow your focus.
"Information is getting out. Communication is getting through."
"The successful company is not the one with the most brains but the most brains acting in concert."

[Kyle Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book. It is a collection of articles organized around topics that relate to communications and the church.

With that being said, Kem Meyer does a good job in it and offers a lot of tips from her experience in and out of the church working in marketing and communications. Easy to read and plenty of info to take away with it.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ANY hand in communicating ANYTHING within or from your organization, then you need to have this book on your shelf. You need to read through it to mark and make note of where things are located so that when you need it, it will be easy to pull it off and use it for the success of your group. Timely and purposeful guidelines for daily, weekly, and annual communications.

[Thomas Irby · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Less Clutter, Less Noise" gives you the tools to communicate much more effectively. This book should be on the shelf of anyone who works at a church. If you are responsible for anything in a church, you can learn from this book.

[Randy Elster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for a second time. This time our whole team read it. This is, in my opinion, the best book out there on doing communications in a church. Inspiring with tons of practical advice. Highly recommended for all church leaders, especially communications directors.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read - but don't expect it to be a treatise on the subject. True to its title, less is more. And I for one appreciated the thought provoking nature of the content. Rather than being spoonfed, you are presented with information to consider for yourself. Absolutely recommended.

[Caylene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm reading this for work...I'm a Communications Director at a church and so is author Kem Meyer...hopefully she can help me ;)

[Linda]

Read the Title....how could I resist? :)

[Thomas Kinsfather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insights and advice for designers and church media leaders. Lots of examples and pictures. Well written.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read on new marketing uses (internet, online, etc.). Written by church leader.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Lots of food for thought.

[Krisette Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to church leaders. Two thumbs up! Kem provided practical tips and insights on how to communicate The Message with utmost clarity and simplicity.

[Sarah Boyette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aimed at a pretty narrow audience, but full of useful information for that audience.

[Criss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of useful information; some of it is very geared toward multi-campus mega-church-types, with multiple websites and such, but the basic principles still apply.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick-fun read, filled with need-to-know facts...