Let’s get one thing sorted right away: This sign, photographed by a subscriber (thanks, Becky!), was posted in a senior living facility, specifically in the Babson building. If you’re reading the sign, you almost certainly know what Babson is.

But you might puzzle over what it means. Exercise classes in Babson? No exercise classes in Babson? What?

We can’t know what happened here, but I have a guess: Good template goes bad.

The activities director at the senior facility probably posts frequent announcements about the classes in Babson. Most days, the announcement would make perfect sense:

Babson Exercise Classes
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Partial Fitness Level 1 at 9:30 am

The problem came, I suspect, when the communicator tried to use the same template to announce the absence of exercise classes.

You and I can think of several ways to clarify the flier.

But first we’d have to recognize that this template – this faithful template that serves the purpose day in and day out – doesn’t work this time.

It’s easy to miss that crucial fact when you’re in a rush and you’re on your own.

If the product is just a local daily announcement, it’s no big deal. If the product is an announcement of a new product or service, a donor appeal, or the invitation to your major annual event, it’s a very big deal.

You’re just as likely to be in a rush and on your own when the communication is an important one. So how will you recognize that last year’s template doesn’t work this year? There are two solutions:

1. Plan ahead so you don’t have to be in such a rush.
2. Get help so you don’t have to be on your own.

That is, contact me. I can help with both steps. Together we can keep your templates from going rogue on you.