the power of writing that sells
Now that so much marketing is digital, the professional speaker's one-sheet is looking more and more like an anachronism. It was a time-honoured tool for generations, consisting of a headshot photo, a brief bio and an overview of your area of specialty. It was a speaker's key marketing tool. It got the job done. The traditional one-sheet was designed based on three assumptions: it would be Click to continue
1. Your Powerpoint or other slideware material shouldn't compete with your presentation. Sounds obvious, right? But anyone who has had to squint to read all the copy on crammed onto dozens of slides in a presentation knows this mistake is still a common one. 2. When sharing data-based information with your audience, don't just report on numbers. Explain the meaning behind numbers. Infographics Click to continue
Aaron Wherry's new post in Maclean's is a must-read for anyone interested in the best that political speech-making skills offered in this fine town in 2010. I agree wholeheartedly with his praise for Robert Fowler's impassioned speech, but also draw your attention to Wherry's observation: We have may long ago lost our patience for hours-long addresses, but there remains a certain craving for Click to continue
At the consumer level, it doesn’t take very long for the iPad to win people over. It’s easy to see its appeal for personal use (and I’m pretty sure I don’t need to rehash all the reasons why here). But what about for business? That’s an area that’s still being explored in terms of finding ROI. So let me share what I know about that. I've been using my iPad professionally since its US launch b Click to continue
History and statistics. Be honest, when you read those two words together, do you think to yourself "hey now those topics together could make for a really engaging presentation!" Probably not. But in the hands of the right speaker---someone who is both passionate and knowledgeable about their subject---anything becomes possible. Just as important, when that passionate presenter invests in Click to continue
Writing that sells means adhering strictly to this rule: people are busy, so don’t waste their time. Distractions are everywhere today. As Dr. Pamela Rutledge of the Media Psychology Research Center observes, today “We live in a socially-networked, transmedia world.” In other words, it’s a space with a lot of people in it who have a lot of interesting things to say.
The story behind Rush’s 2112 album offers valuable lessons about creativity, about building an audience, the power of word of mouth, and about why it’s important to stay true to your vision no matter what kind of work you do.
Part of the habit of ideas is to feed your appetite for more of them. I’ve talked before about places for creative inspiration.
Today, I share 10 more. The list is varied, but what they all have in common is an unyielding devotion to showing up regularly with great writing and solid ideas.
Web developer Jonathan Snook’s recently published ebook is an example of the immense power of self-published ebooks. Discover what it means when there is no delay getting your ideas to market anymore.
Although I find I am still pinching myself in disbelief, 2011 marks ten years since I first founded thinkit creative and took a bold step into this business as a writer, speaker and marketer. It’s been the best decade of my life so far and I’m really looking forward to what’s in store for the next ten years working with clients, friends and colleagues.
To mark this occasion, I’m sharing with you this list of things I’ve learned along the way…
The work of John Coltrane illustrates an important point about the power of audience building: one that is especially relevant if you are a small business seeking to elevate your marketing platform.
Coltrane teaches the importance of discipline, intuition, taste and platform.
I’m in the middle of doing some in-depth research for an important project, and I find myself thinking a lot these days about the nearly lost legacy of Charles Herrold.
It’s okay if you have no idea who he was. I hadn’t a clue either until I started reading up on the early history of radio.
Charles Herrold was a radio pioneer. In his story is a lesson about content, mass audience and failure.
The professional speaker’s one-sheet was a time-honoured tool for generations, consisting of a headshot photo, a brief bio and an overview of your area of specialty. It was a speaker’s key marketing tool. It got the job done. But times have changed. So has your audience. It’s time to rethink the professional speaker’s one-sheet.