powerful counsel | powerful messages | powerful conversations
Oh my goodness it's conference season again! Are you ready? You are giving a big talk at your user conference. Whether you’re on the main keynote stage or doing a breakout on the latest in MCP, you know you must invest seriously in … [Read more...] about Ready to take the mic?
In June, we talked about the power of soundbites. They stick in our ears. We can remember them for years. Want to reach into a human’s mind? Use a soundbite! But what if your message is getting intermediated by AI? If the human is not watching … [Read more...] about Who’s reading/listening/watching?
If I am reaching for my phone every three minutes to look up some acronym you just mentioned in a talk, you are making me work to listen to you. Don’t make me work to listen to you. The minute I grab my phone, you’ve lost me for the duration, because … [Read more...] about Have mercy on your audience
Clarity is a discipline. Sure, many of us have the skill to stand on a stage, riff on the slides we have behind us, and walk off the stage without breaking a sweat. But delivering a clear, useful talk requires making choices. It’s about cutting … [Read more...] about Clarity is awesome
What makes a great spokesperson? Skill for sure. Quality of content, absolutely. But there’s a third component that can be overlooked: attitude and intention. Soundbites and stories stick in peoples’ heads. You can deliver high-quality stories … [Read more...] about Skill + content + intention = magic!
“Perception is reality.” Lee Atwater coined this phrase in political campaigning because he understood that what people think is more powerful than what’s true. Objectivity does not exist. This can be super frustrating, but it’s … [Read more...] about Perception. It’s still reality.
I ask every client two questions: What do you uniquely see? What are you uniquely doing about it? I get some amazing answers! And yet, while a fundamental insight is essential, it is not sufficient. If you want your idea to have impact, you … [Read more...] about Got ideas? Get help!
Answering questions is a very particular skill. An expert spokesperson - whether they are on a podcast, an earnings call, an All Hands, or a tough media interview - does these three things well: Acknowledge that a fellow human said words. … [Read more...] about Politeness, discernment, and persistence
Every expert, talented PR person I know spends enormous energy creating messages for leaders and coaching them to be polished, prepared, on-message. But we can’t climb into the nervous systems of our spokespersons. Every leader needs to practice … [Read more...] about Courage is a communications skill
We spent February on the formula for delivering a great story. In March we’re talking about how to deliver it. “Oh look at that shiny thing over there! Everyone’s talking about it! I’d much rather talk about that than our boring old messaging!” … [Read more...] about Be consistent
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