How to Write Emails that Inspire Action
Email is the preferred communication tool in the world of work. Emails provides a digital footprint – a threaded record – of ideas, requests, stories, and all the rest of it. Unfortunately, most of us really, really suck at writing…
How to Communicate: Stories, Focus and Listening
The Potentiality’s Cartoonist in Residence, Phil Skipper, has an interesting take on communication. Here is how Phil captured our personal and collective definitions of communication: “Communicating means speaking and writing with simplicity, clarity and influence. This is the most sought-after…
Communicate with Success on Camera
Here are three tips for new spokespeople looking to communicate their message through the media Whether you’re an Executive Director telling the story of your non-profit’s fundraising campaign, a neighbourhood association spokesperson who is promoting an upcoming event, or a…
Positivity and Resilience Overcome Political Attack Ads
Are Acknowledgement and Humour the Antidotes to Attack Ads?
bazinga! How Technology Creates a Sense of Community in Condos
Case Study – bazinga! Helps Condo Communities Reach Their Potential
What to Say When You Just Don’t Know
You’d be surprised by the number of people who show up to a meeting without reading the agenda, minutes or considering the possible topics of discussion.
Three Tips for Overcoming Mediocre Presenting
Everybody fails. Sometimes we do so spectacularly and sometimes we simply don’t reach our potential; I experienced the latter sort of failure on Saturday when I gave what can only be described as a mediocre presentation – the audience probably thought “it was fine”. For me, though, giving a presentation that is “fine” just isn’t good enough.
Pitching a News Story: The Phone is Your Best Friend
In this email saturated world, it’s difficult to penetrate the din and connect with a journalist about your story idea. Granted, you probably have a great idea that includes many news elements or is a perfect fit for the media you’re pitching, but if you aren’t able to communicate it effectively to your targeted audience, your idea will sit by itself on your blog and/or be discussed amongst your colleagues around the water cooler.
Developing Successful Storytellers
This is a story about stories and storytelling. Its purpose is to inspire you to, first, give a copy of your favourite children’s book to a kid and, second, support A Good Book Drive if you live in Vancouver. Why? Because stories are the most powerful communications tool that we, as humans, have at our disposal.
Communicating to Different Media
There are many stories out there. Some are so important that every media outlet in your area, region or country will want to cover them. Other stories are of more limited interest to particular media groups. Identifying which stories will be attractive to which media will save you a great deal of time when it comes to communicating your idea. It can also significantly aid you in the development of your story pitch and allow you to be much more convincing when you are on the phone speaking with a journalist or producer. Here are some simple things to consider when you are deciding what, and for whom, is newsworthy.