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Do You Stand Out Enough?

the Word team — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:06:00 GMT

"I think it was Kermit who said “It’s not easy being green.” But green is how most people feel when they are faced with speaking before a group. That’s the first reason an executive hires a speechwriter -- you are an expert in your industry, but a speechwriter brings outsider perspective, will find “out of the box,” ways to engage your audience and can add a professional edge that makes for a “stand-out” presentation.

The other reason to hire a speechwriter is that no matter how competent your internal communications people are, and how much you assure them it is what you wish, they will not tell you the truth. The more senior you are, the more true this is. You cannot count on those who depend on you for their children’s well-being to stop you from being boring or off-message,

Should You Be in Business/Social Media?

the Word team — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:58:00 GMT

"Ignore social media at your peril" says B to B magazine. Quoted from their March 31st issue:

Research indicates nearly half of all U.S. adults use some sort of social media, and if your company isn't working to tap into the "treasure trove of information," you're going to be left behind, according to BtoB. "Social media monitoring gives direct marketers an opportunity to keep their fingers on the pulse of how consumers are responding -- to what extent current campaigns are successful, how they need to refine campaigns over time and, ultimately, the business outcomes," one researcher says.

I joined a Web 2.0 site called e-chain community where, unlike Linked-in, I’ve actually made business connections with people I met on-line then met with in person. Since we are all so used to handing out cards at meetings, this new format takes some getting used to, so don’t give up because you feel uncomfortable. Explore by going to a good list at Wikipedia.org Pick out 2 or 3 sites that seem to be targeted to the group you want to target, i.e. Facebook (college audiences); MySpace (general and high school audiences); Linked In ( business); Xanga (city folk bloggers); Ryze (business); BOOMj (+35 folks, boomers); Flikr (photo sharing); CrowdAbout (for podcasters).

Set up an account, and start experimenting. Set up the blog and contribute to it regularly -- the only way not to get left behind is to plow ahead!

Business Beauty

the Word team — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:00:00 GMT

A client asked me if I thought her photo was too sweet. It’s a beautiful headshot, her eyes sparkle, her smile is warm. Jane is a business consultant, and a sharp one. “I don't want to look like the ice queen,” she says, “ but if I'm talking about powerful leadership, then, I think the photo looks too sweet.”

It’s a great question… it’s the essence of the question a communicator like me tries to answer every day, really. What makes communication powerful? What’s the best way to use words, actions, even how we look, to influence what happens next?

My gut response is that authenticity -- the “real” you -- is the most powerful. But then after 16-20 years of being molded by your education, can you find the real you? Is that warm, authentic smile really you, or a technique you learned to manipulate others in order to succeed?

I’ve been watching the Democratic frontrunners for communication ideas, because they are both people who don’t fit the profile and who aspire to the most power in our country. I’m trying to see what it is that communicates to some people that they have what it takes to be President.

Senator Obama has been an exciting candidate from the start -- his lanky youth, his multicultural roots and appeal, his combination of warmth, wry humor, polished style and intelligence set him apart. Recently a few cracks have revealed he does have armor, and this may be more style than authenticity, but he is a junior senator who, long shot or not, kept going and building a well-orchestrated campaign and has taken the country by storm.

Mrs. Clinton can come across as harsh and mocking in a way that only men in our culture are usually allowed; but also caring and “traditionally feminine” at other times; she can reach too hard, deploying the “right” controlled phrase for the situation, or giving way too much detail, but is brilliantly clear at other times. I often wonder -- is this just what she’s doing to get to the White House, or is this the kind of hard-shell President she’ll be?

So here’s the question: Do you hold more power when you control, modify and show a limited picture of yourself to the public, your work team, even your family? Obama is often compared to Jack Kennedy, who we now know was not the knight from Camelot he appeared to be. With Hillary she is up in the polls, down in the polls, and right now has fewer delegates and less money than Senator Obama -- but she keeps going. In some ways she seems unstoppable. And isn’t that the elusive quality of power -- that you don’t hold yourself back and others can’t stop you either?

So Jane, I say look at your pictures and if you say “ this is the business person I love and I want to be” then stick with her, champion her -- if someone tries to use that sweetness against you, then show your dark side. Maybe the key to success has less to do with the image we communicate and more that we just keep going. Because even if things don’t look good for you, things change -- that is the most inspiring lesson I take from this campaign season so far.

Speaking of Speaking

the Word team — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Dick Cavett, someone who is certainly familiar with how to appeal to an audience, has some advice for the candidates that would do well for all of us who are presenting: “pretend you are speaking to one single person -- because that’s what everybody is. No one watching or sitting in the audience is an all of you or everyone here and certainly not ladies and gentleman. The most magical word you can use, short of a person’s name, is you...”

Then you must imagine the impact of what you are saying on every you in the audience.

Goodbye, Jack

the Word team — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:34:00 GMT

We lost a great communicator in February. When I first got into communications in Atlanta everyone had heard of Burton-Campbell, one of the first big ad shops in town. Jack Burton and his partner sold the agency, and went their separate ways. “Cot Campbell got into racehorsing, I heard” he said when I ran into him at Kroger. “Don’t know why I didn’t do that well.” And then he gave me his trademark half-deadpan, half-mischief smile. He was the rare person who seemed grateful and completely satisfied with the way his life worked out. Jack loved fishing and he loved people -- after he sold the agency he would find non-profit multi-image projects and hire creative (and cheap) young people like me to work with him on raising money for some great cause. Even the lowest budget projects were a creative adventure for Jack -- never mind that he’d won Addy’s. It had been many years since I’d seen him when we met in the checkout lane that Friday evening. He and his wife had moved to an assisted living highrise near me. “You are not going to believe this,” he said. Jack made you feel like he had saved something wonderful to tell just you: “next week I’m going to be ninety years old.” I told him how wonderful he looked and we joked about a few things and he was gone. But I was lighter and happier for having spent a few minutes with Jack. He reminded me what it’s like to be with someone who leaves people better than they found them. The next Wednesday he died, and I just hope there are others coming up who have his kind of grace and can take the world lightly and handle it gently, the way he did. That Jack Burton spark needs to live on.

Welcome

the Word team — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:23:00 GMT

Come here often for thoughts on the intricacies of communicating well and how we can use words to make our work and our lives go better. If something here sparks a thought for you... you are invited to communicate it!