Finding Authentic in New Orleans and Community Corrections

Posted by Evan C. Crist, Psy.D. on 8/21/14 4:20 AM

CorrectTech Finds Authentic in New Orleans and Community CorrectionsThe CorrectTech team just returned from the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) summer Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana.  If you have never been to New Orleans, I assure you its passion is unmatched.  Fortunately, there was equal passion in the APPA workshops and exhibit hall.  We left with renewed energy in the importance and purpose of our profession, and empathy for professionals seeking technical assistance with the varied challenges of community corrections.

There is an interesting parallel between walking in the French Quarter and perusing the exhibit hall.  Whether your goal is to find New Orleans' best gumbo or the best software package for your community corrections program, there is no shortage of marketing for your attention.  With so much competition for your business how does a person cut through the sales message to identify what is authentic?

New Orleans is rightfully famous for its gumbo, and I planned to find the best.  My investigative process mirrored the experience of many community corrections professionals visiting the impressive APPA Exhibit Hall.  With so many different issues, problems, and options to consider and getting the sense that each solution claims to be the most important and best choice, it is not an easy decision. Whether investing time, money, or both, decreasing your risk of a bad choice is vital.

When you are not employed by The Food Network and must learn about the authenticity of various culinary dishes by trial and error, it is a fun and relatively inexpensive process.  However, when you are managing hundreds or thousands of community corrections offenders and spending considerable funds for expert assistance and solutions, a wrong choice can be enormously expensive - financially, politically, and personally.

Finding Authenticity: Some Rules to Consider

1. The Consistency Rule:  Ever been to a restaurant that provided attentive, but not overwhelming, service and had a chocolate torte that knocked your socks off, only to return another day to be extremely disappointed?  While there are people who like to experiment and embrace surprise, human nature, in general, likes consistency.  The human brain craves predictability. 

So…before buying a community corrections product or service, talk to the company’s current customers.  The number of customers is relatively unimportant, but the unity of their experience is vital.  If some customers rave about the vendor and others rant, your experience will be unpredictable.

2. The Deep Knowledge Rule:  Ever searched for a product or service on Google only to discover that an hour later, an ad for that exact product or service pops up on your laptop screen?  Marketing is more sophisticated now than ever and is largely based on keywords.  Language matters and marketers understand that well.  A community corrections vendor should be able to demonstrate true knowledge about Evidence Based Principles (EBP), not just repeat keywords.

So…be cautious of the overuse of keywords and catch phrases.  True knowledge and expertise goes beyond lingo.  If it appears a person is repeating canned statements or reciting from a script, be wary.  These behaviors are likely reflective of sales training rather than community corrections expertise.

3The Service Rule:  Ever made a large purchase only to find out that the dating experience was much different than the marriage?  If the person making the promises is not the person who will be responsible for standing behind the promises, focus your energy and time on the promise keeper. Cutting a deal is easier than cutting through red tape to fix your problem.

So…deemphasize the expertise of the salesperson and emphasize a relationship with the service and support team.  If you are going to invest time with someone, make sure it is someone who will still be around after the sale.  Get to know the people you are going to call with questions and concerns.

The Verdict

CorrectTech finds authentic in Gumbo and Community Corrections

Over the course of five days, I did find the best gumbo.  The entire experience was consistent with my previous visits to the same place.  Their knowledge of gumbo went well beyond keywords and catch phrases.  The people were real, down to earth, and were interested in a long term relationship, not just compliments.  The product, the service, and the experience was authentic!

The best gumbo experience in New Orleans is actually in southern Mississippi. It is humbly prepared and served by a husband and wife team of 40 years. The chefs enjoy the gumbo, French bread, and bread pudding with you while telling stories of family oddities and survival after Hurricane Katrina. Childhood pictures of my friend and colleague, Dino Martinez, adorn the walls because the best gumbo in Cajun country is prepared by his parents in their home.

CorrectTech can help with your search for effective Community Corrections technology and EBP implementation – even if you decide our software is not the right fit for your organization.  Unfortunately, I’ll just have to wish you good luck in your search for the second best gumbo in Cajun country.

 Download Evidence Based Principles (EBP) Simplified

To request more information or schedule an online demonstration of our Community Corrections Software, click here. We offer integrated software and support services for Probation/Parole, Residential and Reentry programs. Our Program Foundation Platform and twelve robust modules were designed by community corrections professionals to guide organizations toward a powerful EBP implementation, relieve them of strenuous paperwork and manual processes, and enable them to focus on what matters - people!

Topics: Community Corrections

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