First the secret: Treat the interview -- and preparation for it -- as if it were a presentation and not an interview. Know which main messages you want to offer your audience (the interviewer) about the topic (you) and clearly state them, just as you would in a presentation. Here's how to...
In my last blog post -- the first in a two-part series on banishing corporate buzzwords from memos, emails, presentations and meetings -- I acknowledged that recognizing the jargon is sometimes hard.
Why? Because we've heard the say-nothing shortcuts...
After repeated use, corporate buzzwords and jargon have a way of starting to sound like normal words -- the kind of words that regular folks use in every day conversation. Except, they're not. These semantic shortcuts explain nothing, but they sound like they might. Corporate-speak is easier, but far less effective,...
Say you're on deadline with a proposal, report or other written piece and you're truly stuck.
What to say next? How to say it? And where can you turn to get words and ideas flowing again?
Try taking a break from...
This is the perfect time of year to reflect back and figure out what the previous 12 months yielded in the way of insights and perspective. I decided to break out this analysis into several different categories for 2012, including the most relevant social media concepts I either adopted or believed...
So, what is story-showing? Why is that better than, or different from, story-telling? And, how?
When brands tell their story, they give customers more than the mere attributes of their product or service. They...
A new Twitter follower Tweeted me to comment on the page on my website where I talk about my work and experience. He had liked the page, and complimented it. Part of it describes my former, and long, career as a journalist for major publications. Some of that time, I...
Have you ever encountered folks who tell you:
That happens somewhat regularly, in my experience -- especially with corporate leaders who might use Facebook personally but aren't convinced... Infographics are so powerful. They can take on just about any tone. Done well, they can present amazingly complicated data clearly -- or pretty simple ideas invitingly. And they can be used to make routine presentations fascinating and even fun.
I'm sure that the brands that beg customers -- or anyone else who sees their pleas -- to like them, follow them or friend them, etc., mean no harm or offense.
A friend of mine who has had a long career in communications emailed me the other day to inquire about a certification in social media. An associate of his wondered about the best program for this.
So, he asked, which did I recommend?...