Many companies list their values on their websites. That’s great. It gives me a benchmark to measure them by. But when I read these lists I want to know the stories behind the vision and values. Why do things like ‘quality’ and ‘integrity’ and ‘creativity’ matter to you? If you tell me why, I’m more… Read more
Change your mind about micro-businesses. They must get more credit.
I like working with people who turn my thinking on its head. And when I heard about this for the first time, I felt like kicking myself. It was so obvious. The idea comes from Darren Fell, Entrepreneur-from-Birth and award-winning CEO of Crunch Accounting. (Centre.) It’s simple. Micro-businesses are small and they make an enormous… Read more
When you stop speaking, how much will your audience remember?
Even in the age of cyber marketing, doing the occasional event – a presentation, speech, workshop – in front of an audience of real human beings, is a good way to promote you and your work. But it has to be worth all the effort – the thinking time, the rehearsal and the nerves. You… 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
Get your company noticed. Bring a new perspective.
When you take an audience by surprise, you grab their attention. Challenging assumptions is a good way of getting your business noticed. A couple of caveats: be sincere in your opinions and, if they are particularly controversial, make sure you can back them up. Here’s an example of how a conversation gave me a new… Read more
Bookkeeping. It’s better than surfing.
(How I made my peace with numbers, thanks to a two minute story.) The stories told by my interviewees often change my own attitudes. And they do it in a matter of seconds. Sometimes it’s because of what they say; an arresting image or intriguing fact. Sometimes it’s how they say it; the feelings behind… Read more
Stories That Make You See Yourself In A New Light.
(What’s your ‘DOH!’ moment?) For the first quarter of a century of my working life, I saw myself as someone who didn’t take risks. I joined the BBC, intending to be a ‘lifer’. If you’d told me three years ago I’d be running my own business, I’d have laughed. Yes, I was a bit smug…. Read more
