The amount of influence workers have isn’t always reflected in their job titles. You can determine your own informal value to others by reviewing the extent to which people – your top internal stakeholders – help you succeed in your job, and in turn, by what you offer them. Start by listing the top 10 employees at any level who help you get things done. Give each a score from one to 10 ...
Read moreWhen you are presenting a business proposal, do you base your case on its potential or on your past record with similar activities? The answer has been revealed by recent research. This article explains which alternative you can use for better results. The article is available to you in a special Kindle collection of 12 top articles on communication campaigns for only $11.99 including tax. Click here to buy.
Read moreAs a young PR consultant, I helped my colleagues develop promotional material in support of a client who was planning to set up a joint venture to build a glassmaking factory in China for the manufacture of ‘architectural glass’ such as windows for offices and apartments. Our client ACI was a well-established Australian company, and its joint venture partner, UK-based Pilkington Group, was top of its field internationally. The prospects of success seemed ...
Read moreHas a colleague ever said to you: “I started a writing career because I’m hopeless with numbers.”? Many communicators find it difficult to understand, use and write about numbers. Some even admit to entering a writing career so they will avoid dealing with figures. Yet figures are increasingly central to good practice. In addition to the ongoing need to write about numbers for general readers, we need to become familiar with metrics used ...
Read moreA wildly misused word is “disaster.” (“Crisis” is another similarly misused word, but that’s the subject of other discussions.) “Disaster” is used in the public arena to describe almost any negative situation. News media and social media use it to exaggerate, especially where images are available to dramatize. Common use of the word today is in phrases like “social media disaster,” “PR disaster,” and so on. It is also used to exaggerated effect in ...
Read moreFake news! Many press releases over-excitedly announce information that has no real news value - it is in effect fake news. No wonder journalists delete most releases. PR staff are often under pressure to energize ordinary announcements and other information by hyping up the text to gain executive or client approval. However, those staffers usually haven't dug further to find any real news behind their breathless announcement, or have just gone through the motions ...
Read moreHow can you speak up in meetings without being intimidated by loud talkers who dominate the discussion? Even in this age of technology, face-to-face meetings are still a vital and inevitable part of work life, so you need to make a good contribution in these settings - especially if your manager is present. Loud talkers tend to dominate meetings even when they are not the smartest in the room. They may be the ...
Read moreMuch of the focus in the business world is about technological advances. Imagine the shock in the Google high-tech environment when internal research made senior management realize 'soft' skills are more important qualities in the firm's top employees than tech skills. An article in the Washington Post quoted a post by eminent Professor Cathy Davidson discussing the Google findings. Davidson noted that in its first 15 years after being founded in 1998, Google sought ...
Read moreWorking with your boss requires a balancing act. On one hand you need to know how best to work with your boss and maintain a good relationship. (Read my article How to boost your PR career by successfully managing your boss.) On the other hand, you need to know how to emerge from the background and assert your own standing within the organization. The contradiction in having a good boss is that while ...
Read moreA metaphor is the way we consider one mental domain in terms of another – to make concepts more vivid. Effective leaders, especially politicians, are good at leading debate by encapsulating concepts in memorable metaphors that people relate to. Such metaphors are highly desirable to use in professional communication. We are all familiar with the multitude of metaphors used in business communication. For example: “We need to steer a straight course from here” or ...
Read moreBias may seem a vague concept for business, but people's biases cause massive errors in business decisions, including communication decisions.
Testimonials are a classic way to create perceptions of authentic value to customers and clients. Sample testimonial: Other thoughts for
Presenting to senior executives is a daunting proposition. They are extremely busy and have to make many decisions under