Happy
Valentines Day!
Welcome
to another issue of Communication Matters! In every issue, we will review
topics that will help you grow your business faster with cutting-edge
communication skills.
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In this
issue:
The Power
of Headlines
Tips
for Communicating on Television, Videotape and Videoconferencing
Creativity
Corner: Guided Fantasies
The
Power of Headlines
A headline
is an attention getting statement used in every type of business
communications- from Sales, Marketing, Public Relations to Human Relations.
Without a personal connection to the subject, your audience will not
read or listen to the communication.
 |
Studies
show you have 7 seconds (at the most) to gain your audience's
interest! That is why headlines are so important.
The
best writers spend hours on a single headline. To make a headline
work, you have to make it specific enough to be intriguing but
vague enough to provoke curiousity. |
Here are
nine frequently used types of headlines:
- 'How
to'
- The
Big Benefit
- News
Style
- The
Anxiety Headline
- Personal
Revelation
- The
Question
- The
Testimonial
- The
Story
- The
Guarantee
To create
the best headline for your speech, article, newsletter or advertising
piece, write a half dozen of each of these nine types. Then sort through
them until you find the best one.
Please
contact us at info@mason-works.com
for more information on writing powerful headlines- we have a large
list of tools we can recommend for you.
Tips
for Communicating on Television, Videotape and Videoconferencing
Communication
is crucial for the performance of an organization, both internally (employees)
as well as externally (shareholders). Better
communications results in a higher ROI concludes consulting agency Watson
Wyatt, in their recent 2003/2004 Communication/ROI study of 267 leading
US organizations. Organizations that communicate effectively, especially
internally, dramatically outpace organizations that don’t. And
a key to good communications is visual communications.
This study
found that communicating organizations have a 26% higher shareholder
return and higher employee retention. Also, a significant improvement
in communication effectiveness is associated with a 29.5 percent increase
in market value.
Here is
a list of things that you should keep in mind when you use visual communication
mediums:
- Make
your gestures smaller.
- Make
sure that your clothing is "broken in" and comfortable when
you are sitting and standing.
- Prior
to your performance, have shots taken of you to give yourself a chance
to make changes in your clothing if necessary.
- Find
out the background color of the set if possible. You will want to
make sure that your clothing contrasts and you don't become "invisible".
- Do not
wear any clothing with tight patterns or pin stripes. This causes
an optical illusion called a moire pattern which makes you look bad.
- Avoid
clothing with large patterns or geometric shapes. The audience will
watch your clothes instead of you.
- Wear
your eyeglasses if you want, but avoid shiny frames. Shiny frames
and any flashy accessories will reflect light and can be very distracting.
- For
Men and Women- Wear makeup. TV lights can penetrate several layers
of skin. Apply cover-up below eyes and on wrinkles. Apply makeup to
all exposed body parts- like back of hands, arms, neck, etc. ( I know
that men don't want to do this but it will make you look healthier!)
- Don't
second guess the camera. Act as if you are always on screen. Relax
and have fun!
- For
quality Videoconferencing:
- If
possible prior to the video conference, send remote location participants
handouts, copies of the agenda, and copies of visuals.
- Try
to get someone else to operate the camera and other equipment.
Have them shoot close up if possible. With more than one presenter,
if you have more than one presenter and the camera is set on a
wide angle, the viewers will have trouble picking out who is talking.
- Periodically
ask for feedback from the remote sites. Your chances for misunderstanding
multiply when communication electronically.
- Remember-
assume you are always on camera. Use the mute button for your
microphone if you must converse off the main program.
If you
would like a more complete report on best practices for video communications,
image consultant Lillian Brown explains how to make a good impression
when speaking in public in her book, Your Public Best: The
Complete Guide to Making Successful Public Appearances.
Brown has over 40 years experience as a makeup expert and voice consultant
for broadcasters, politicians, and businesspeople.
Creativity
Corner: Guided Fantasies
Welcome
to another month of Creativity Corner. This creativity tool session
will be on Guided Fantasies. In our Communication
Matters past issues, we have covered Brainstorming, Mindmapping,
Forced Relationships and Synectics as tools to develop creative solutions
for communication. Here we will describe another method for developing
new solutions.
First you start with an image |
Through
Guided Fantasies, one takes the problem to be solved or issue at
hand and turns it into some graphic story or scenario. The story
can be comprised of totally metaphorical representations, can be
based on the actual meaning of objects, or can be a combination
of both metaphorical and actual. Utilizing guided fantasies allows
the brain to "daydream" so to speak and be as completely
free as it would like. The key to using guided fantasies is to realize
there are no rules, boundaries or constraints. Everything and anything
is open territory and free game. Evaluation of the story is accomplished
at a later time after the mind has cleared. However, for this to
be an effective tool, the story should be written down, verbally
recorded, or visually acted out and recorded on videotape so it
can be evaluated later for any possible solutions or insights. |
One can
imagine being in a certain scene and then observe how you react in that
situation. Such fantasies reflect expectations and needs inside of you,
some conscious and some unconscious. Unquestionably cave people told
stories and asked, "What would you do in this situation?"
The insights gained may create a a different perspective to the business
problem, and with it a new potential solution.
We hope
that this tool helps your team create better solutions. Here's to creative
and more successful outcomes!
* * * * * * * * *
We hope
that you have enjoyed our February 2005 newsletter and will gain many
useful ideas from our experience to accelerate your business! Please
contact us if you do not want to receive future mailings. For more information,
email kathy@mason-works.com
or go to our website, www.mason-works.com.
The Mason Works Acceleration team looks forward to helping you grow
your business faster and more cost effectively in the coming months.
Best wishes!
Kathy
Kathy Mason,
President
Mason Works,
LLC.
303-527-2978
PS. Look
for our new ebook offerings at the end of the month!
