Friday, July 20, 2007

Going up ...

You press the button, and wait. The familiar bell dings. The doors open; you enter. You wait for the doors to close. Someone rushes in with an appreciative smile. "Thanks. New to the building and can't believe how slow this elevator is ... I see you're one floor above us, what do you all do?"

There it is. The set-up. Respond well, you may have a new client, a new boss, a new friend. Stutter, you botch your first impression and could lose more business than you even know about -- since the power of a network is powerful indeed.

Follow the basics. "Thanks for asking. I'm (name) with (company). We (purpose) for (target audience)." But don't keep it all about you; reciprocate with a question. Start a conversation. The best thing that could happen would be for it to get interrupted at the 12th floor so that you can reconnect later.

Go ahead, press the button.
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Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Don't let a white paper make your reader blue

The white paper. A potentially valuable tool for connecting with your audience. Yet, too often, in an effort to sound authoritative, the white paper author wanders, loses focus and drones on for too long. Don't let it happen to you. Make it relevant. Make it engaging. After all, any communication that doesn’t hit those two marks is a waste of time for the recipient. Craft it with consistent objectives and a sense of clarity in mind. Looking for tips? Consider Michael Stelzner’s upcoming seminar, Creating and Marketing Winning White Papers, or his book on the topic.
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Monday, July 16, 2007

Thought for the Day: Storytelling

"The important point that I'm trying to make is that storytelling has nothing, whatsoever, to do with logic. Logic is a limping stepchild of the true processes of the spirit. It's an illusion. It's a defective little parlor trick. Associations are the way that we perceive. Electrical connections caused by the juxtapositions of experience. That's the way we are really built, and storytelling takes into account that truth."

-- David Milch, co-creater of HBO's John from Cincinatti

Seeking to move forward in connecting people with your mission? Suspend logic, allow your mind to free associate, find a clear truth and, then, only then, connect it with your business objective.
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Friday, July 13, 2007

Simple constancy for stronger identity

Authenticity is the ability to remain true to oneself in the face of pressures to change. But we are never the same today as we were yesterday, or will be tomorrow. Since change is the only constant in life, how can an organization retain its authenticity and communicate it effectively? Stagis points to Marimekko pattern design for inspiration on staying true to your core purpose while leveraging your “brand’s learning potential” to fulfill your mission in new ways. We are most true to ourselves when embracing how we inevitably change.
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Thursday, July 12, 2007

Decisions are powerful forces for progress

Progress hinges on decision-making, not decision-building. Good decision-makers gather input efficiently and make a decision based on it quickly. Don't fall into the trap of collecting, opining, rethinking and rebuilding. Make a decision; move forward; and learn from the process.
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