Speechwriting and Professional Speaking (2)

Book Preview: The Age of the Image, by Stephen Apkon

The Age of the Image Cover Christopher Caldwell writes in the Weekend FT about a new book, The Age of the Image: Redefining Literacy in a World of Screens, by Stephen Apkon (available tomorrow on Amazon).

Apkon argues that there is a new kind of global literacy, based not on words, but images. This looks like a significant book for anyone involved in executive communications, speechwriting or professional speaking. The Amazon review states:

We live in a world that is awash in visual storytelling. The recent technological revolutions in video recording, editing, and distribution are more akin to the development of movable type than any other such revolution in the last five hundred years. And yet we are not popularly cognizant of or conversant with visual storytelling’s grammar, the coded messages of its style, and the practical components of its production. We are largely, in a word, illiterate.

But this is not a gloomy diagnosis of the collapse of civilization; rather, it is a celebration of the progress we’ve made and an exhortation and a plan to seize the potential we’re poised to enjoy. The rules that define effective visual storytelling—much like the rules that define written language—do in fact exist, and Stephen Apkon has long experience in deploying them, teaching them, and witnessing their power in the classroom and beyond. In The Age of the Image, drawing on the history of literacy—from scroll to codex, scribes to printing presses, SMS to social media—on the science of how various forms of storytelling work on the human brain, and on the practical value of literacy in real-world situations, Apkon convincingly argues that now is the time to transform the way we teach, create, and communicate so that we can all step forward together into a rich and stimulating future.

Caldwell quotes Elizabeth Daley, Dean of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, who believes writing today is like Latin on the eve of the Renaissance–the language of scholars. YouTube clips are now the street language and the medium of creative thinking–the equivalent of vernacular Italian.

Apkon’s book includes chapters on why the brain sees pictures first and the rules of grammar in the age of images.

This sounds like a fascinating and provocative book and I’ve just pre-ordered my copy. I’ll overlook the fact that this is 260-page printed book and not a 120-minute movie. I’ve always considered myself more of a scholar like Cicero than some street-smart guy haggling on the Via Salaria.

Meeting Report: Silicon Valley IABC

Collaboration Done Right – The secrets of a successful project between corporate staff and outside consultants, by Ian Griffin and Kate Peters

Thumbs At the March 21, 2013 meeting of the IABC Silicon Valley Chapter vocal impact coach and author Kate Peters and freelance speechwriter Ian Griffin reviewed lessons from a two-year collaborative project at Cisco.

In early 2010, Ian worked as an Executive Communications Manager supporting George O’Meara, the SVP for Services Sales at Cisco in San Jose. He knew George needed presentation skills coaching and found Kate’s book Can You Hear Me Now? on Amazon. He sent her a note asking if she could provide coaching services. That began a highly successful working relationship which lasted until George left Cisco two years later.

Kate Peters is a vocal impact coach, singing performing artist, and author. She focuses on finding each person’s strengths and helps individuals express themselves in ways supportive of their professional and personal lives, whether speaking or singing. She helps public speakers clarify the articulation and organization of their ideas. She aligns their personal brand with the message they want to deliver and enhances presentation content with stories to increase the potential for connection with the audience.

As an Executive Communications Manager at Cisco, Ian’s role was to research and gather content for presentations and aligned the material to the overall corporate message.

Collaboration not competition

Ian hired Kate to work with George on improving his presentation skills, specifically to make it easier for the audience to understand his Chicago accent.

The original engagement grew into a two-year engagement where Kate was closely involved with many presentations.

Ian and Kate were aware that working together brought a potential for competition. Turf battles can happen. This is an obstacle many outside consultants face when they work with staff in large corporations.

Indeed, there were times when Kate suggested enhancement to content, an area that Ian was responsible for. Likewise, Ian, as a long-time member of the National Speaker’s Association, had his own presentation skills suggestions.

The solution, they found, was to work together as a team, not against each other. The benefits of this were apparent in a number of ways. Kate, with a background in music, performance and video, helped Ian make George look better on camera in the many short video messages that were a common way Cisco executives communicated with their teams. Ian became skilled in filming video and became known for his expertise by other Cisco communications managers.

Ian reciprocated by introducing Kate to other communications managers at Cisco which helped to expand her presence across the company.

Lessons learned

Kate lists a number of things to keep in mind as an outside consultant working with staff in a large corporation.

We are better together. Our combined skills are better than either one working alone.
Be an advocate. Bring attention to the work of the employee at times when executives might take it for granted.
Keep in touch. Regular meetings help the employee and consultant work more effectively.
Show appreciation. Say thank you often and in different ways.
Know when to keep quiet and let the employee do their work.

Ian found there were a number of secrets to success working with a consultant.

Choose wisely. Be ready to interview multiple candidates to find a consultant who is the right fit.
Secure initial buy-in. Ian sold the executive on the idea of hiring a consultant as a “swing coach” for his presentation “game”.
Know the “cut-over point” – where and when the consultant will augment your role, and don’t be reluctant to explore new areas where they can support the outcome.
Manage the budget. Keep the executive and managers in the loop on costs and make sure invoices are paid in a timely manner.
Respect the consultant’s time.

Advantages of collaboration

The three advantages Kate found when working with Ian were:

As an employee, he knew people she didn’t and was happy to put her in front of others who could use her services. The initial $5,000 contract evolved into a multi-year engagement.
Ian knew the organization and kept her abreast of important organizational changes and processes about which she would otherwise not have known.
Ian did things she didn’t want to do and vice versa.

The three advantages Ian found when working with Kate were:

He valued the support she gave the executive. It augmented his role. Some of the least stressful and most effective meetings were between George and Kate with Ian as an observer, seeing results he could never have achieved alone.
Ian benefited from using Kate as a consultant who was able to mentor him on his own presentation skills.
He found new ways to amplify the unique skills the consultant brought to the organization among his peers.

Relationships that last

Now that Ian has left Cisco, the relationship he established with Kate continues. Corporate employees never know when they might want to or need to go out on their own. Relationships that are formed through organizations like IABC and one-on-one contacts with industry leaders like Kate are useful bridges to life after corporate employment.

Both Kate and Ian acknowledge the value of having a strong professional network both inside and outside an organization. In fact, they are charter members of the newly formed Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable which is a forum for professionals interested in presentation excellence.

101 Top Tweets from the 2013 Ragan Speechwriters Conference

The annual Ragan Speechwriters Conference was held March 20 – 22, 2013 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC.

I was not able to attend this year, but, like anyone who has access to Twitter, I enjoyed following the conference virtually via the hashtag #raganspeech.

If you’d like to read more speechwriter tweets, check out these 138 tweets from the 2012 Ragan Speechwriters Conference.

All of these tweets are a great source of information to anyone who wants to know about the things speechwriters are interested in. We owe a special debt of gratitude to anyone who tweeted, and especially to the three most active people:

Here’s a fun picture that shows at a glance the topics and presenters that attracted the most comments.

Click to enlarge – Image by Wordle.

The list, like Twitter, is in reverse chronological order, with the most recent tweets at the top.

@MarklewA Doing the same corporate crap in more channels is still corporate crap – @Crescenzo
@SamHosenkamp Take the ‘corporate’ out of ‘corporate communications’ and replace it with ‘creative.’ – @Crescenzo
@sveng We’ve gotta stop doing corporate communications. It doesn’t work. Nobody reads it – @Crescenzo
@jayrobb Corporate communications is dying. No one paying attention to suits & boilerplate – @Crescenzo
@jayrobb Doing corporate speak on social media will get you killed – @Crescenzo
@MarklewA Be creative, compelling, concise and conversational – advice for corporate communicators from @Crescenzo. So many C’s.
@SamHosenkamp Our job as communicators is to make the important interesting – @Crescenzo
@jayrobb Leaders should communicate what & why down into the org with the how coming up from employees – @Crescenzo
@jayrobb Corporate is out & conversational is in for leadership communications – @Crescenzo
@jayrobb 4 keys to leadership blogs: start personal, swing back to business, stories about others & ask for comments – @Crescenzo
@sveng We have to be the ones who say, lighten up man. The corporate style doesn’t work anymore – @Crescenzo
@JodiReef Great writing is talking edited – @Crescenzo
@MarklewA So far at #raganspeech we’ve had talk of zombie apocalypses, freelancers being hunted and killed, and audiences being punched in the throat.
@jayrobb 1st question audience will ask – why should we listen to you? Answer with a story of self – Rune Kier
@jayrobb All great speeches need to tell 3 stories: story of me, us and now – Rune Kier cites Marshall Ganz
@jayrobb Tell a story that underscores why your audience needs to think or act differently with urgency now – Rune Kier
@jayrobb The hero of your speech is the audience and never you. You’re the helper for their goals – Rune Kier
@jayrobb 3 social media tools to make the podium longer for your speeches: Twitter, Pinterest & Storify – @TrineNebel
@jayrobb Use Twitter to crowd source ideas for your speech: also build buy in and buzz – @TrineNebel
@jayrobb If your executive insists on being the hero of her speech (and not the audience) she’ll become the villain – Rune Kier
@jayrobb 4 most powerful words an executive communicator can say “I have an idea” – Jill Giacomoni
@JodiReef Ask: Am I the only one in the room who is not going to understand this? – Jill Giacomoni
@TrineNebel Link to ALL material used in our #raganspeech-session about Storytelling, Speeches and Social Media – @TrineNebel
@moorghen What I learned at #raganspeech: speeches are like songs, with structure and meaning, to be delivered with focus & aplomb.
@MarkRaganCEO If you want to show power when answering a question, follow with “yes” or “no” then follow with an explanation – @TMucci
@MarklewA All speechwriters secretly want to be Rob Lowe in the West Wing – Jeff Shesol
@jayrobb The power of the bully pulpit: educator in chief & articulating values – Jeff Shesol
@jayrobb What’s the speech about? What’s the one point & take away? Persuade don’t overwhelm – Jeff Shesol
@jayrobb President Clinton used 3/4 of speechwriters’ words and 3/4 of his own in a typical speech – jokes Jeff Shesol
@MarklewA Shesol observes that Blair’s words carried more weight than Clinton’s because he had a legislative majority behind him.
@jayrobb The right words said in the right way at the right time can make a difference – Jeff Shesol
@MatthewJBondy Ceremonial speeches hold up the mirror to audience’s innermost feelings – Lucinda Holdforth
@jayrobb Catharsis is the ultimate ambition of a ceremonial speech – Lucinda Holdforth
@SamHosenkamp Speeches still have mystic power, they are about the things that bind us as a community – Lucinda Holdforth
@jayrobb Too many audiences feel battered by a monologue rather than engaged & enhanced by a dialogue – Lucinda Holdforth
@SamHosenkamp Embrace the elephant:The more you incorporate doubts,ques of audience into speech, the more powerful it will be – Holdforth
@JodiReef Generating Buy-In, great book for structuring storyline into a speech – @taylorclark
@jayrobb Hope and overcoming should be the leader’s message in a commemorative speech – Lucinda Holdforth
@aaron2hoover Great speeches are an axe for the frozen sea between us – Lucinda Holdforth riffs on Kaftka
@jayrobb In a ceremonial speech, the audience wants to know where we go from here & put our emotional energy – Lucinda Holdforth
@SamHosenkamp Fabulous tips for speechwriters and speakers from Lucinda Holdforth
@SamHosenkamp Listen to music. If you look at lyrics as language you’re going to learn a lot – Michael Long
@jayrobb Telling stories help reveal a speaker’s humanity to the audience – Rob Friedman
@cbjorlin Speaker at #raganspeech Used what think is my new fav phrase “they’ll look at you like a dog shown a card trick, they just won’t get it.”
@jayrobb One common theme to inspirational stories: got knocked down and got back up – Rob Friedman
@jayrobb The best source for stories are letters to your organization from customers, patients, staff – Rob Friedman
@jayrobb To get a good story out of your speaker ask what they’re most proud of or disappointed by – Rob Friedman
@sveng Hangin tough at the #raganspeech conference. Heard @taylorclark compare speechwriting to a zombie apocalypse.
@MarklewA Content must drive comedy – write the speech, then funny it up. Don’t try to write a “funny speech” – David Glickman
@jayrobb In speechwriting, content drives the comedy / humor and not the other way around – David Glickman
@jayrobb Write the speech 1st and then add the humor – David Glickman
@jayrobb The more specific the humor, the more terrific the humor. And customized humor doesn’t have to be as funny – David Glickman
@MarklewA 2nd session at #raganspeech where someone has referenced 50 Shades of Grey. What does this say about the profession, I wonder…
@MarklewA Won’t be tweeting any of David Glickman’s jokes, they’re far too good and I plan to steal them shamelessly.
@rebeccajshaffer Not every laugh has to be huge, small laughs in context add up nicely in a speech – David Glickman
@jayrobb Think of your speech as an EKG. Laugh lines are the upward blips – David Glickman
@rebeccajshaffer Use planned mispronunciations (and other mistakes). Normal, normal, surprise. People will laugh! – David Glickman
@MarklewA If nobody laughs at your joke, keep ploughing on and pretend it wasn’t meant to be funny – David Glickman
@SamHosenkamp Find out what’s going on in news and see if there’s a way to make it humorous – David Glickman
@SamHosenkamp Thinking of using humor in your speech? When in doubt, leave it out – David Glickman
@MarklewA Interesting how much overlap there is between the different elements of writing – funny or serious, it’s all about research.
@MarklewA Know your audience, know your venue, know your subject.
@jayrobb Humor can put an explanation mark on key points in your speech – Lucinda Holdforth
@MarklewA If you value your sanity, being able to eat and having a home, don’t be a freelancer. Wise words.
@jayrobb Don’t deliver a speech that’s like a love letter addressed to whom it may concern – Fletcher Dean
@SamHosenkamp Every audience has the same question ‘what is this person going to say that’s going to make my life better? – Fletcher Dean
@jayrobb All audiences want the same thing: how to be healthier, wealthier or happier.
@sveng Important to know your audience and understand their problems – Fletcher Dean
@SamHosenkamp Begin your speech at the end. Otherwise it’s like packing without knowing your destination. – Fletcher Dean
@jayrobb Eliciting action from your audience is the Holy Grail of speechwriting – Fletcher Dean
@SamHosenkamp Amplification through simplification: Keep your message short and clear – Fletcher Dean
@sveng Think like a reporter when you’re crafting your key messages – Fletcher Dean
@SamHosenkamp How to craft your key message: Write it as a headline you’d want to see in the paper – Fletcher Dean
@rebeccajshaffer A quick look at what Monroe’s Motivated Sequence – Recommended by Fletcher Dean
@rebeccajshaffer Anecdote trumps facts every day. Emotion matters!
@SamHosenkamp Logic, character and emotion – 3 key elements of a compelling speech.
@SamHosenkamp The best stories shouldn’t be written, they should be told – Fletcher Dean
@SamHosenkamp You have to be a speechthinker before you become a speechwriter – Fletcher Dean
@jayrobb Fletcher Dean ends his talk with a call to action – think deliberately before you begin writing your next speech.
@jayrobb Find stories by finding out who are your speaker’s heroes – Fletcher Dean
@MarklewA Mike Long threatens to “hunt down and kill” any freelance who bids low for a job. I don’t doubt that he means it.
@jayrobb In first 5 min. establish your credibility & show that you care & you’re paying attention to the audience – Fletcher Dean
@jayrobb Yes. Fletcher Dean’s talk was worth the price of admission to 2013 #raganspeech and his book should be a must read for speechwriters
@MarklewA If lecterns were good for speaking from behind, we’d wear them to work – @TMucci
@SamHosenkamp Elements of crowd pleasing when speaking. Eye contact, reaching out, interaction, agreement and smiling – @TMucci
@MarklewA The speechwriters’ convention does not have a million people in it because a million people can’t write speeches. Go us!
@SamHosenkamp You’re special creatures, speechwriters! “You were born a visual creature. Ability to craft speeches is special talent.” – @TMucci
@MarklewA Wow. Seems the Greeks didn’t just invent how to write speeches, they also twigged how to stand while delivering them.
@jayrobb Advice for turning a speaker into an orator: shift your weight, show your palms & smile – @TMucci
@EjazWrites How to know you’ve got a key message…Can you get your speech down to one tweet? – Fletcher Dean
@jayrobb Find 5 friendly faces in the audience to be your anchors. 2 on each side and 1 in centre of room – @TMucci
@jayrobb If you’re not having a good time speaking, your audience won’t have a good time listening – @TMucci
@jayrobb All the tone in your conversation is from the tilt of your head – @TMucci
@JodiReef Leaders need to give direction. Never leave an audience rudderless – Fletcher Dean
@SamHosenkamp 93 percent of speaking is nonverbal – @TMucci
@SamHosenkamp Slides should be viewable but not readable. Limit your text in presentations – @TMucci
@MatthewJBondy It’s all got to boil down to a single message.
@MatthewJBondy Student learners absorb speeches very differently than professional learners. How vs Why.
@SamHosenkamp Telling speaker to “just be better” is like telling patient “I just need you to be healthier” w/o sharing steps to take – @TMucci
@JodiReef Details engender authority and belief – Michael Long
@MarklewA About half the people in this session appear to be speechwriters for universities. Much more common in N America than UK.

Interview: Emiko Hori, Musician and Speaker

“Speech is my Music. Music is my Speech” – Emiko Hori

A native of Japan, Emiko Hori grew up in California. An accomplished musician, she has been actively speaking and giving presentations to corporate clients and young adults about the connection between musical performance and public speaking and presentation skills.

A graduate of the renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Emiko has give piano recitals throughout the US, Europe, and Canada including masterclasses in Bergamo, Italy, the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, and at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany.

Lets Play Speech Cover Her new book Let’s Play Speech!: How to Give a Better Speech Using the Principles of Musical Performance is now available. The book is an entertaining and instructive exploration of the ways public speakers can improve their “performances”, learning from the ways musicians use pause, rhythm and tonality and the way they have to learn to listen to the audience:

Did you know there are many similarities between piano performance and public speaking? They both have a clear message to deliver in front of the audience. They both impact the audience’s life and way of thinking. Interestingly, the musician’s mindset seems to coincide with many aspects of public speaking.

It is packed with practical tips that will improve anyone’s speech preparation and delivery.

Speaker’s Academy Archive

I caught up with Emiko at a National Speakers Association Northern California Chapter meeting immediately prior to the start of the Speaker’s Academy program. She surprise me by sharing why what she calls the “Strippers Walk” is a crucial skill both professional musicians AND speakers (not to mention strippers!) need to learn. By this, she means the first five seconds when the person steps onto the stage and the audience judges exactly what you look like, your expressions, how tall or short you are, and most importantly, what kind of personality you have, just by watching how you walk. To hear Emiko explain more about the connection between stripping, speaking and musical performance, click on the podcast icon below.

Interview: Emiko Hori [ 7:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How to book more business and own your niche

NSA/NC Meeting Report: Saturday March 2, 2013

The Saturday meeting of the Northern California Chapter of the National Speakers Association featured two savvy businesswomen who shared ways professional speakers and information entrepreneurs can book more business and own their niche markets. Stephanie Chandler is a Silicon Valley refugee who left a stressful job on the Peninsula for the life of a successful information entrepreneur. Lois Creamer knows the speaking business. She has worked with the superstars of speaking as both a cheerleader and strategist. She is endorsed by none other than Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE.

Stephanie Chandler: Living the good life after corporate America

Stephanie Chandler Stephanie was inspired by the film Sleepless in Seattle to move to Sacramento, open a bookstore and write novels. Neither worked out for her. She quickly moved on to Plan B, launching herself as a speaker and non-fiction author on the urging of superstar literary agent Mike Larsen.

She launched BusinessInfoGuide.com, her first website, in 2004. Now, six books and a series of websites later, she is in demand as an author, speaker, Forbes blogger, and expert on content marketing, internet marketing, small business growth strategies, and publishing.

8 keys to owning your niche

The importance of speakers owning a niche has been a core lesson taught in NSA/NC Speakers Academy classes for many years. Stephanie walks the walk when it comes to knowing how to do this in the digital age. Heck, she’s even written a book on the topic.

She shared eight simple strategies to increase website traffic and own a niche:

Define your target audience. Decide who you want to reach and what challenges you can solve for them.
Tap into the power of community. Figure out where your audience spends their time and engaged them there.
Optimize your website. Incorporate keywords and phrases that your audience would use to find you. Update your site frequently, generate incoming links, and continually add new content.
Implement a blog. This will help build your audience, increase website traffic, generate new clients, create consulting opportunities, and attract media interviews and speaking engagements. It’s also the heart of your social media strategy. Stephanie recommends updating it at least twice a week.
Develop a content marketing strategy. Create ebooks, white papers, and special reports that you give away. Distribute articles to websites to reach your target audience or write articles for print publications.
Expand with video and podcasts. Even speakers who hate writing can record their presentations to communicate their message.
Embrace social media. There are great reasons why executives are signing on with social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest each have their own unique advantages. You can automate much of the distribution of the content between these different sites.
Commit a little time each day. just as you need to spend time weeding and planting seeds to enjoy a luxuriant garden, so you need to set aside time each day to develop content, engage in social media, and cultivate community. Stephanie advises that a little effort goes a long way in expanding your brand.

More details are available in her slides:

Lois Creamer: Business Strategies for Professional Speakers

Lois Creamer Lois’s advice starts with the way we say hello. As professional communicators, the worst way to introduce ourselves is by NAME and TOPIC. We need to learn to introduce ourselves in a compelling and interesting way. Much better is an introduction by CONCEPT and OUTCOME. This captures your unique differentiation. She calls this a positioning statement and uses these words whenever she meets someone:

“I work with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes.”

This is far more effective than using an elevator speech, which is typically too long and boring. An effective positioning statement should go on your website, one-sheet, email signature, and be part of any voice mail message you leave when calling prospects.

Effective voice mail messages

If Lois can’t reach a decision maker she’ll leave four voice mail messages over a period of a couple of weeks. Each will use the positioning statement and end with a qualifying question to encourage them to take action:

“Mr. Prospect, I’m sorry I missed you. This is Lois Creamer, I’m a consultant, I work with speakers just like you who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes. I’m calling to see if I might be a fit to be helpful to you in your business in any way. And I’d love to send you something about what I do. I want to make sure it would be welcome. Could you call me and let me do that.”

If four messages bring no results, she’ll leave a 5th indicating she’s been trying to reach them, but this will be the last call she’ll make and she’d love to hear from them. This is often the message that gets a return call from a busy executive.

Negotiating fees

Many speakers have a hard time negotiating fees.

Lois advises to speak for full fee where possible, or be willing to waive your fee, but never give a “free speech”. If you are willing to waive your fee or speak for a reduced fee, ask the event organizer what else, if you are willing to do that, they are willing to provide you of value. Her blog lists suggestions on items of value speakers can negotiate.

If you need to raise your fees, do so with a few months advance notice and give clients the chance to book you at the existing fees before then. look on raising fees as promoting your success in the marketplace.

Interview: Lois Creamer on the future of the speaking business

To hear Lois’s thoughts on changes in the speaking business and what she sees coming over the next 5-10 years, click on the podcast icon below …

Interview: Lois Creamer [ 4:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How to hire a freelance Annual Report writer

Keyboard There are a number of things to look for when hiring a freelance writer for any project. For a once-a-year event like an Annual Report the stakes are even higher. A well-written and attractive Annual Report, especially one that wins awards, is a competitive differentiator, helping brand a company by listing past accomplishments and strategic direction.

Whether you hire me or someone else, you’ll know you’ve found a world-class freelance writer when they can show they’ve mastered these seven key skills:

1. Simplifies large amounts of complex data

By definition, an Annual Report covers a company’s entire achievements for the year. The writer needs to review sources of data that include Press Releases, the company website, competitor’s websites and their Annual Reports, financial data, research reports, white papers and more. Their task is to produce copy that summarizes and simplifies the raw material in a way that meets the requirements for the report. In my experience, this requires an ability to sort, organize, prioritize and retain massive amounts of incoming data.

Key Skill: You need a writer with the experience to review vast amounts of data from every division in the company. Then turn around and write simple 50-, 100- or 500-word summaries.

2. Communicates as well in person as on the page

In addition to the raw data, content from the report comes from people throughout your organization. While conducting research, I might meet with engineers and product specialists one day, review numbers with the finance team the next, and interview the CEO to better understand their point of view. My writing skills are table stakes. But the ability to communicate with people is just as important. A big part of being an effective writer is talking with other people and gaining their trust.

Key Skill: In addition to world-class writing skills, the person you hire needs to be able to communicate with people at all levels in the organization.

3. Is a team player who respects your goals

No one person will create the Annual Report. It’s a team effort and a time-consuming task. Engaging a freelance writer takes the burden off full-time staff, and brings a valuable outside perspective to the content. A freelance writer must be willing to collaborate on drafts until everyone has reviewed and signed off on the content. This is often easier for a freelancer, who does not have a stake in the politics of the organization. The writer needs an ability to handle constant change and the humility to make the full-time staff look good. They need to check their ego at the door and respect the ideas and values of the client.

Key Skill: Like a speechwriter, a freelance writer must be comfortable working anonymously. No writer should expect a byline on an Annual Report.

4. Has what it takes to survive in the corporate world

Many successful writers prefer to work alone. Novelists and poets are often uncomfortable away from their desk. While you need an accomplished writer, a recluse won’t survive in the corporate world. Look for a freelance writer who assumes full responsibility for their commitments.

Key Skill: Hire someone who has what it takes to work in a corporate environment, shows up for meetings on time, meets deadlines and respects the chain of command.

5. Is a diplomatic and impartial observer

Each division of a company would like to be the star of the Annual Report. A freelance writer can be a fair judge of content that comes from different divisions. In addition to resolving competing claims for column inches, someone from outside can manage style variations and write with a consistent voice and style. The last thing you want is a report that seems as if it’s written by divisions with different agendas. Someone has to be the guardian of the core message.

Key Skill: Asses the writers’ diplomatic skills. They must be comfortable with conflict and have absolute discretion when resolving competing claims for attention from divisional heads.

6. Excels at storytelling

Stories humanize content. They provide the narrative and context which heightens interest and helps the reader remember the information. Effective storytelling requires command of the language plus the flair to find ways to differentiate achievements.

I’m impressed by the team at NPR Planet Money who bring dry economic data alive through compelling stories. This should be required listening for all budding Annual Report writers.

Key Skill: Beyond the ability to synthesize the facts, a good writer should be able to weave a story from the content so the report is as rich and interesting as possible.

7. Understands the world of business

While a freelancer might lack the deep subject expertise of your employees, they should have a solid understanding of the changing world of business and the major issues of the day. This knowledge base helps calibrate the value of the content and puts the issues faced by your company in perspective. It comes from the writer’s commitment to being a student of business.

Key Skill: Look for a writer who is well read. Subscribers to the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal or Economist have the edge.

Next Steps

If you are considering hiring a freelancer writer to help produce your next Annual Report, start interviewing candidates early. Ask for writing samples. Expect to work with a freelancer writer for two to three months to produce a report. They should be flexible about billing, either charging by the hour or a flat-rate fee. If you find a writer who does good work, make sure to lock them in for next year’s report as soon as you have finished the current project.

If you check all these boxes your next Annual report should be an award winner.

The Financial Times is 125 years old today

Financial Times 1888 I was delighted to open my favorite newspaper this morning and learn that the FT celebrates 125 years in print today. The special insert included a facsimile of the front page of February 13, 1888, when the news included updates on railway bond issues and the profitability of a machine that manufactures glass bottles:

“…these machines will, it is stated, turn out about 80 gross bottles a day, as compared with eight gross as the produce of two men and three boys by the hand process”

There was also an evaluation of European politics that warned of “the perpetual scheming of kings and emperors … resulting in that to-day we stand face to face with a huge and impending European conflagration, from which no human foresight can forsee or forestall who shall escape” — this 26 years before the First World War began.

Reprints of past front pages marked JFK’s funeral, Nixon’s resignation, the fall of the Berlin wall, 9/11 and more. Apart from my subscription copy, delivered before 7am on pink paper to my doorstep in Castro Valley, I see Barack Obama states “I read the Financial Times…” and that Clinton-era Treasury secretary Robert Rubin claims the FT “was invariably more useful than his daily CIA digest.” There’s also a Chinese ambassador who says that “We always read the FT in the embassy because capitalists never lie.”

But it’s the Weekend Edition that has been my Saturday morning treat for many years. Likewise for Nichols Serota, the director of the Tate Gallery (“The Weekend FT was a brilliant invention”) and fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg (“I look forward every week to reading the weekend edition.”)

If you are not yet hooked on the FT then do yourself a favor. For today only you can subscribe for a year for only $125.

Writing an Award-Winning Annual Report

Last year I worked as a freelance writer for Wolters Kluwer, a global information services and publishing company based in the Netherlands. I helped produce their 2011 Annual Report. Wolters Kluwer enable legal, tax, finance, and healthcare professionals to be more effective and efficient by providing information, software, and services that deliver vital insights, intelligent tools, and the guidance of subject-matter experts.

Award-winning Communications

I’m proud that the Wolters Kluwer 2011 Annual Report has been recognized by four organizations for quality of communications, including the written content which I helped edit:

A series of awards from the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP):

Two Gold awards for best Annual Report narrative within its class. I was especially proud to see that LACP gave the Report a score oof 10 out of 10 in terms of narrative, information accessibility, message clarity, and creativity.
Among the Top 10 Annual reports (out of 800 companies).
Ranked #5 in top Annual Reports for the EMEA region.
Platinum award for best overall Annual Report within its class.

Second place in the Digital Communications Awards given by Quadriga University, Berlin.
Shortlisted for the FD Henri Sijthoff Prize which assess the quality of the financial communications of all Dutch companies listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
Awards from the UK-based IR Society for “Most effective use of innovative online technology to support investor relations communications” and internationally for “Most effective overall Annual Report printed and online”.

I look forward to seeing the 2012 Report that we are currently editing gather awards once it is published in March.

Guest Posting: Public Speaking for Introverts: 6 Essential Tips, by Susan Cain

Susan Cain is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, which is being translated into 30 languages. Her record-smashing TED talk has been viewed more than 3 million times and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favorite TED talks and by the New Yorker magazine as one of five key talks.

Susan is developing an online course on Public Speaking for Introverts (you can go here for more info).

Here are six of her favorite tips.

1. Be yourself; good speakers are not necessarily “naturals”

Have you ever watched a fiery orator or a speaker who has the audience in stitches, and thought, “I can’t do that”? You might be right – and that’s OK. The best speakers are not necessarily dynamic or hilarious – they are simply interesting. They communicate valuable information. “People think that being a good speaker means being funny or glib,” says David Lavin of the Lavin Agency (who happens to be my lecture agent). “But that’s wrong. The best speakers are compelling. People underestimate the power of content and of storytelling.”

2. What do Malcolm Gladwell and Lady Gaga Have in Common?

At the same time, public speaking is a performance, and that’s a good thing, even if you’re not a natural actor. Have you ever wondered why people enjoy costume parties? It’s because they feel liberated when interacting from behind a mask. Dressing up as Cinderella or Don Draper removes inhibitions as effectively as a glass of wine. Think of your onstage persona the same way. Surprisingly, both Gladwell and Lady Gaga have this in common. Gladwell, a world-class speaker, says he isn’t chatty at dinner parties, but he becomes a storyteller on stage. As for Gaga? “When I wake up in the morning, I feel just like any other insecure 24-year old girl. Then I say, ‘Bitch, you’re Lady Gaga, you get up and walk the walk today.’”

3. Serve the audience

Introverts are phenomenal listeners, which attunes them to the needs of others. And that’s why speaking (instead of listening) can feel uncomfortable – unnatural, even. But remember that public speaking is not about you. It’s about the audience. Your job is to take care of the audience, not to be judged by it or even to entertain it. Remind yourself that you are not seeking approval or love. You are a teacher, a giver, an enlightener.

4. Accept your nerves

Not all introverts are afraid of public speaking – a subset of them loves it – but introverts are disproportionately likely to fear the spotlight. That’s OK. As the public speaking trainer Charles di Cagno says, “There are only a few people in the world who have completely overcome their fears, and they all live in Tibet.” If you have stage fright, accept it and learn how to work with it.

5. Calm your body

According to Gina Barnett, who coaches many TED speakers, if you have trouble calming your mind before a speech, try calming your body first. When you relax your body, your head will follow suit. Here are a few tips:

Shake out every limb in your body. This gets your blood flowing and makes you tingle all over.
Stand up straight. Shift back and forth, putting your weight first on your heels, then on the balls of your feet. Find the place that’s evenly distributed between both, then gently press your toes on the floor. This will give you the sensation of forward momentum.
Yawn.
Talk with your tongue out. You’ll sound ridiculous, but it will loosen you up vocally.

6. Smile

After all of your preparation, relaxation exercises and affirmations, there’s one thing left to do, and it’s the simplest thing – smile. Smile at your audience as they enter the room, and smile at them when you begin speaking. This will make you feel relaxed, confident, and connected.

Good luck. You have something valuable to say, and the world needs to hear it!

(Some of these tips have appeared in modified form on Susan’s blog.)

How Executives Can Keep Their Organization Informed via an Online Platform

INXPO Logo In two weeks time I’ll be hosting an free webinar on How Executives Can Keep Their Organization Informed via an Online Platform on the INXPO Social Business TV network. I’ll be sharing tips on how executives can effectively inform and engage with their extended teams.

Based on my experience with Silicon Valley technology companies, I’ll suggest ways executives and executive communications managers can use video for everything from virtual Town Hall meetings to recorded customer testimonials. I’ll also review how to use the important Backchannel to engage with employees before, during and after an event.

The webinar happens on Tuesday February 12 from 9:00am – 10:00am (Pacific). Registration for the event is free. Click here to sign up.

Meanwhile, if you have any issues you’d like me to raise or questions you’d like answered during the event please leave a comment below.

Hope to see you online on the 12th!

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"…the most prolific blogger in the speechwriting business." – David Murray, Vital Speeches of the Day.