One of the simplest tools in your Power Networking Tool Kit is the name tag you wear at networking events. Everyone uses them, but few people do so strategically to add to a positive first impression and enhance your networking process. Really … I’m not making this up.
Articles
Content Still Rules
‘Content Rules – how to create killer blogs, podcasts, videos, ebooks, webinars and more that engage customers and ignite your business’, Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman, Gilden Media Corp, 2011. An excellent and detailed survey of content marketing concepts, strategies and tactics, read by both authors.
Phil’s PhonePower Faves
If you had attended on of my PhonePower workshops dealing with enhancing customer communication over the phone, you would have heard these ‘Phil’s Faves’ strategies often:
To Write … Or Not To Write? That is the Question
Last month, we discussed the all-important Pre-Write phase of workplace writing: Plan What You Write. The piece encouraged you to ask four groups of questions about each document: What are your objectives? Who are your readers? What tone and style would be appropriate? What message format and structure would be best?
Dog & Pony Show Best Practices
My rant last month generated some lively and interesting comments. Always a good thing. Some readers asked for immediate help, which I provided privately. Others were content to wait until this month for part II – ‘Dog & Pony Show Best practices’ … or ‘How to Avoid a Team-Delivered Presentation (TDP) from Hell!’
Pre-Write: Plan What You Write
‘Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail!’ This logic is never truer than when we communicate important workplace information in writing. So, to plan NOT to fail, invest the time in the Pre-Write Phase and answer these four groups of questions. Thorough and thoughtful planning will make your writing process faster and easier and increase your chances of accomplishing your objectives.
Harness PhonePower
We all spend a lot of time on the phone, talking with customers, colleagues and vendors. Here are some simple strategies to help you harness the Power of your Phone. And we’re not talking about the high tech features of the device – just how you use it as a communication tool.
Beware – Dog & Pony Shows from Hell!
Team-Delivered Presentations (TDPs) are common in the workplace today, especially with higher-end sales pitches or senior executive project updates. But, unfortunately, so are those that become ‘Dog & Pony Shows from Hell‘. What pushes them over the edge is poor planning and preparation, just as with other facets of workplace presentations.
Network with a Focused Script
The goal of your first brief networking interaction with a stranger is to begin to answer the question “Is this someone I want to get to know better; someone who can help me … or who I can help?” To do that, you need information.
ReWrite to Make it Better
There are three main phases in my workplace writing workshops and seminars:
- PreWrite – Plan what you write.
- WriteRight – Write what you planned.
- ReWrite – Rewrite what you planned to make it better.
Today, let’s discuss the third – and often overlooked phase – ReWrite. To do that, we’ll assume you thoroughly planned your email or document and wrote it effectively. Since your readers will never see your first draft, you only need to be concerned with your final draft. And if your first draft is your final draft, you miss out on the opportunity to make it better and increase the probability your will accomplish your communication objectives.