Free stuff

We are several weeks into the world as we know it being dismantled. At this point no one knows what our culture and economy will look like on the other side of COVID-19. We are seeing the casualties - airlines, restaurants, service businesses. But that’s not all. Longtime a mainstay in the tech world, O’Reilly Media has permanently shuttered its events business. Microsoft is reportedly canceling all events until June 2021. The two-hour keynote extravaganza at the expensive tech user conference may indeed be a dinosaur.

But even if your user conference is canceled, your business is not. So what do you do? How do you reach your customers and prospects? How do you show the world what you have to share?

You learn to convene conversations, to learn to interact with your audiences in new ways, you learn to provide direction, hope and inspiration as a member of the community you serve, not as a disembodied figure standing in front of a massive plasma screen on a dark stage. In these unsettling times your customers need connection, not spectacle. Think Mr. Rogers, not David Lee Roth.

Giving a big keynote is scary, but showing up to being an authentic community member with a camera zoomed in on your face may be even scarier! Now more than ever, we all need the skills to help us become great communicators.

So, to help you become the great communicator you are meant to be, here is some free stuff. These Six Things Every Great Communicator Does instructional videos are each about 20 - 25 minutes long. There’s even a workbook to go along with the classes! This survey course pulls together my own wisdom from decades in communications as well as resources from tons of experts - I read the books so you don’t have to.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this series:

One: You have a truly provocative, useful idea

What makes a provocative idea?
How to handle complex content when you have a complicated story to tell
The power of less - ONE GOOD IDEA is way better than TEN

Two: You tell powerful stories

The power of storytelling – what ‘story’ is, using the formula to create a great one
What innovation really is – and why stories are an essential tool in innovation
Evangelism – what is it and why do you have to be great at it

Three: Your speech is a gift, not a performance

Audience empathy - because it’s always about them, it’s not about you
Personal mastery - how you feel impacts how you communicate
Embracing your leadership role - you are the office as much as the person

Four: You understand your audience’s world

The power of perception – each one of us lives in an entirely different world
What’s in it for me? Or why less is more
How to think about your personal brand
What your teams really want
How to handle difficult, stressful conversations

Five: Your body is giving the presentation

Remember to take care of your body!
What a crescendo is in a talk – how to create one, why they help
Dealing with stage fright and nerves

Six: You invest in preparation to reap rewards

More preparation and focus = much better results
Worst case scenario planning

I hope that during this massive shift you’ll find some time and energy to build the skills you’ll need on the other side. I hope that this class - which you can access right here - helps!

Who do you know who needs to be a better communicator? Please share this newsletter with them too! Meanwhile, stay well, stay sane. Looking forward to seeing what we all create on the other side.