Less stump speeching, more podcasting! Presidential candidates have figured this out and so have CEOs. When we listen to a podcast, that person’s voice is in our heads while we go for a run, chop vegetables for dinner, or submit our expense reports. We love hearing a leader be a human, telling personal stories.
So are soundbites and scripts dead? Are Q&As a thing of the past? Not entirely. I still think every professional communicator/leader needs to keep two things in mind, even if they are “just talking”:
GOALS: You have your audience’s attention for some number of minutes. There must be something you want them to hear. You can gracefully insert that soundbite/theme/insight/data/message throughout a conversation without seeming like a tool. In fact, that’s what the best spokespersons do.
GUARDRAILS: Don’t make your CFO, General Counsel, or Communications VP sad or mad by saying something dumb. No one likes to have to rush out a 10-Q form because you blurted out something about an impending acquisition on a TikTok. There are always things we can’t and don’t say, even if we are just talking.
“Lisa Poulson, you are a national PR treasure,” said a delighted colleague.
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Not sure how to crush your next presentation? Persuade that difficult customer or team member? Navigate tough questions from regulators, press, your boss? How about some pragmatic, actionable communications advice?
If you are a startup founder, an intrapreneur at a company, or a leader looking to grow, consider Office Hours with Lisa, a great way to get bite-sized, personalized communications coaching. Because your business must scale and you must scale with it. Because it’s the great communicators who create change!
