Blog - Miranda Birch Media

Is your firm an osteopath in disguise? (Perhaps it should be.)

I saw an osteopath for the first time in the mid-1990s. Even though it was more than 20 years ago, I still remember feeling amazed that he was bothering to spend so much time finding out about my general well-being. Not just about my specific back pain, but about my lifestyle. What I found rewarding at work…. Read more

You’d never want to make your customers feel stupid, would you? But many well-meaning companies do…

The good news is, there’s a simple way to avoid this trap and improve company culture and bottom line while you’re at it. How often does a product or service sabotage itself because of the way it’s delivered to you? Quite a lot, when you stop to think about it. I stopped to think about… Read more

Win that business. Write as you speak.

There is something infectiously uplifting when you talk to someone about why they love their work. That’s why I always look forward to interviewing clients. When they describe what they really care about, their energy is contagious – and I know I’ll leave the conversation feeling buoyed up. If I talked to you about why… Read more

Have you told your ‘before’ and ‘after’ stories yet?

Do you ever ask clients what life was like before you came along? Not only in relation to your specific service or product, but their business life generally: What is driving them to do what they do? Where do they want to take their company longer term? What is getting in the way of their… Read more

Honestly speaking, this is how to tell your business story.

I first met Nikki Gatenby (above) when I was chairing a discussion about high growth companies. She was a great panelist, energetically fluent about how she had grown her SEO and search marketing agency Propellernet. She’s done it by focusing steadfastly on the wellbeing of her team and their sense of purpose – “to make… Read more

Sabio MI: wisdom grown from hands-on experience and hundreds of conversations.

My conversation with Martin Irisarri made me think about the different kinds of knowledge you absorb during your career. His story might make you see your own expertise with fresh eyes and how you come across when you talk about it to customers. Martin Irisarri (pictured above with his wife and fellow director, Sarah) is… Read more

Stories that do your business a big favour.

Let me tell you a story. When Mark (pictured above, juggling pineapples) was 21 he went on a big adventure. He travelled the world for two years, getting lost in the rich colours, sounds and smells of Asia, Australasia and the Caribbean. He returned with vivid memories of remote villages, expansive beaches and magical moments… Read more

Delegate your story to people who tell it better

One of the best ways to explain why your business is valuable is to get someone else to do it for you. Someone who can do it better than you. They’re not necessarily a better communicator than you, but they will have the edge over you because of who they are. That someone is your… Read more

Be understood the first time. Use DIY.

This is not about losing yourself amongst the aisles of B&Q and Homebase. (Oh, the horror.) This is about using drawings to make your message clearly understood and memorable, the first time round. That’s what I said. The first time round. Imagine never having to repeat yourself because your colleagues or your clients get… Read more

Starting up, scaling up and the art of sacking yourself

Cocoa Loco started when Sarah Payne took a career break from her computer programming job to look after her children. She discovered that she was very good at making brownies. They were always in great demand when she went round to her friends’ houses. So one day she said to her husband Rory, “I’m going… Read more