More Than Just a Drill: The Method Behind the Message
You’ve seen the email.
You’ve heard the ding.
You’ve probably thought, “I’ll get to it later,” or “Not this time,” or even “Ugh, not another OWCN notification!”
We get it. You’re busy. Hands on trainings are way more fun. But here’s the truth: those emails matter more than you might think.
At the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), we live in a constant state of readiness. While we love seeing you in person; Tyvek, gloves, boots, and other gear on, your inbox is one of our most powerful tools in keeping this Network sharp and at the ready.
So, step one: are those emails going straight to junk or spam?
If so, let’s fix that.
Letting our emails go to junk hurts us too! The more emails that go to junk, the greater the chance that email servers will think every OWCN email is junk or spam, and you may miss the call to respond.
Check your spam/junk folders and get us out of there. :D
What about those drills and notifications? They’re not just busywork. They are how we track who’s engaged, who’s trained and who’s ready to respond. Our virtual drills are often meant to encourage you to go into your profile and check that ALL your contact information is correct.
Your email, your phone number, your member organization, have you engaged in the last 2 years? Are all your certifications up to date
We can see all of that and do, in fact, track that information for each drill. We even spend time noting who logged in since the notification went out. We build reports based on the participation that leads to future training and engagement opportunities.
Participating is considered engagement and frankly, we get excited to see you all choosing shifts and getting a new spark to watch a webinar or two. It allows us to connect on a more personal level and helps us gauge where the network is at.
So Next Time…
Don’t ignore that OWCN notification;
Don’t leave it for later;
Don’t think it doesn’t apply to you;
That one log in tells us you’re part of the team.
It means you’re ready - and that we are too!
Keep an eye out for the next drill - there may be a raffle for participation ;).
(I always do raffle prizes for participation)
Sincerely,
The Girl Behind the Email Notification Drills
Frankie Lill