Wherever you base your business – town or country – its reputation will rub off on you in some way. At the University of Brighton’s Great Debate, more than 200 businesses discussed whether the city’s brand of fun helps or hinders its economy. For better or worse, it’s down to the sea. I’m going to… Read more
Be a knock-out success with your audience. (When being weak is a strength.)
Does anyone have a question? It’s a question speakers routinely ask at the end of any session. In my experience, it kills the conversation. An irony, because it’s designed to do the opposite. And I understand that. When I go to conferences, I never want to speak up first. It takes me back to the… Read more
Which comes first, the dosh or the desire – and why does it matter?
Looking ahead to The Brighton Summit 2016. When I was a happy wage slave at the BBC, I used to think that everyone else on the outside – in the commercial world – was just in it for the money. Headlines about corporate fat cats didn’t help. But when I set up my own business,… Read more
Are beautiful body snatchers depriving you of leads?
Imagine cutting a photo of a model out of a magazine. He or she looks good in front of the camera, with a dazzling smile. The angle is right, the lighting is perfect, the figure is poised in a way that draws you in. You snip it out carefully and then you turn to your… Read more
It’s OK to get carried away. What I learned from my SiteVisibility interview.
Last week I was unnerved. I was a guest on the Internet Marketing Podcast. Produced by Site Visibility, it is one of the most popular internet marketing podcasts around. It’s been going since 2006, gets around 500-700 downloads every day and the total number of downloads has passed the 1 million mark. Turning the tables…. Read more
Why I deserted my (blog) posts for a while. Excuse? I’d defected to another place.
Yes, things went a bit tumble-weedy here in the second half of April. I upped, left and went guest blogging. Both posts are linked to two live events I chaired for the Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce. Here are the headlines and links: In ‘Hook that big buyer. Don’t hold back!’, you’ll get tips… Read more
Nail the bedtime story and you know you’re a great communicator.
(Put it another way. If you can grab and keep the attention of a distracted six year old, then everyone else is a breeze.) The excitement. I remember my mum driving me to school and, when an ambulance or fire engine siren went past, she would immediately divert from the school journey to follow it…. Read more
Brilliant Storytelling. Be Yourself
Whether they’re your clients or shareholders, colleagues or volunteers, audiences spot insincerity very quickly. If you worry that ‘being yourself’ means letting your guard down and forgetting the party line, don’t. Your audience will warm to you, and your organisation, when they see you speaking from the heart. Forget scripts. Be spontaneous. Tell a story… Read more
