The wonders of social media periodically dust off commentary long relegated to the archives. So it was with David Ogilvy’s advice on writing that made the rounds on LinkedIn this week. Ogilvy penned these words on Sept. 7, 1982 in a memo to his employees. His point of view has relevance for all business communicators, …more
I came across Gavin McMahon last year, listening to his webinar on presentations. Shockingly, he offered fresh takes. Better yet, he stayed away from the typical “use visuals, not bullets” and “don’t read your slides” and “don’t jingle the coins in your pocket” drivel that dominates 99 percent of the advice on presentations. His roadmap …more
I often characterize this period of time as the PR industry’s version of the industrial revolution minus the child labor issue. Our profession is literally being reinvented right before our eyes. More than any one functional skill, the ability to keep learning is the key to excelling in a communications career regardless of title. In …more
Business communicators can learn from novelists and their storytelling techniques. I’ve always been partial to the Kurt Vonnegut advice: “Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them – in order that the reader may see what they are made of.” It’s never easy for a …more
