We consult and train businesses in communications, in what they say and how they say it. We love what we do because our programs are transformational - we see more focus, confidence and effectiveness every day. We hope these posts will provide some insight on communications, increase your awareness and even boost your impact too. Learn more about us
A hands-on experience to boost the stickiness of your ideas... and your impact. Learn more Register
The experience of South by South West (SXSW) in Austin is like the Wild West – it's the frontier of Social Media converging with traditional conference,
dominated by Twitter. After experiencing it, I've modified my opinions since my last Twitter post here, and more will be coming on that (for a very good post on this subject today see Mark Ivey's blog.)
First, four important (read 'Rock Star') voices from SXSW on the question "Is Twitter distracting, additive or what?" I recorded our conversations spontaneously on my iPhone – here are highlights:
Important to be able to free flow and multi-task well
Many conversations can take place at the same time, all can express themselves
Note taking useful for in house audience
Real audience is the thousands outside the conference room
Twitter is like hamburger helper for the conversation – makes a little go a long way
We'll learn to speak in 'twitter bites' (as Chris Brogan does!)
There's a unanimity of opinion by those who are in the Twitter elite of course, and I share their enthusiasm for the possibilities. But there's another side to the story in the traditional and more bureaucratic business world – which is perhaps 80% (or more) of the business population. They still think Twitter is the answer to the now irrelevant question, "What are you doing?" (The other day I asked the CEO of a billion dollar investment banking firm how he used Twitter and he said "What's Twitter?")
More to come on this important communication experience, and Twitter tips for the mainstream business population…
Why should you do it? (And why am I advocating it here, since many of you are interested in this blog for speaking/personal communications.)
Beginning and Intermediate Twitter. (That's me.)
Advanced Twitter. (I'm not there, but will point you to who is, and ways to get there.)
So if you are already using Twitter, skip to points 2 and 3. But if not, here's why…
1. Why Twitter in the first place. Who cares about "What are you doing now…" chats anyway?
I've been testing Twitter (I think I'll call it "T" for brevity) for the last five weeks for the ROI on time. It is worth it. And forget about the "What are you doing?" question – the Twitter folks should can that phrase. It's for kids chatting – not relationships and business.
T is about giving value and getting value, and thus building valuable relationships.
Through T I've connected with several key influencers that are important to my business, and many new friends who aren't. I've seen $10,000 raised in 48 hours just on T, and have already raised over $1,000 myself for The Salvation Army (my favorite cause.)
I've learned a lot by the references to blogs and other people I wouldn't have known – useful business info and interesting general info.
T (and other social media) is a big part of today's communication
marketplace, and leads to the most powerful communication of all -
face-to-face.
Because of T I tried to work out spending an extra 4 hours for dinner to meet with a new T friend (it didn't work out though, but surprised at the interest generated by T for the face-to-face connection.)
Gained exposure on several radio/podcasts/blogs that wouldn't have happened.
Strengthened or renewed connections with friends and family.
I've been entertained. (And my wife has been very patient during the T learning curve.)
2. Beginning and Intermediate Twitter.
For the last 5 weeks I've been intensely Twittering. I have about 500 followers (friends or associates is a better word) and follow about 450. I'm not trying to build up thousands right away like many, but to find people of like minded interest and value. If you build it, they will come. Here's what I've found…
TweetDeck is an indispensable tool. It's a good interface generally, but it is essential to 'Group' your Friends. After a few hundred friends you can't effectively follow all their tweets, so don't try. Go into your Tweet Stream now and then, but group your best friends. I use A, B and C, with A being family and must see, B being interesting and valuable, and C being "Oh, that's a good Tweet, let's see if there are more where that came from."
T has no rules. Too many take advantage of this freedom and just blather too much. They create Tweet Clutter. So be valuable within the freedom of no rules.
Give information. Reference a blog post, or an interesting article, or an Alltop link. Be valuable. I try to have half my tweets as reference of value, and the rest a combination of comments (replies), ReTweets and maybe a quote or proverb. Now and then I'll throw in something interesting I'm doing, but maybe nobody is much interested so I don't do that too often. But within your value you do want to show personality.
I'm amazed at the number of T "Stars" who just blather – or spend too much time talking to their inner circle, or just keep telling us "What they are doing now." Who cares?
But you may not want to "unfollow" someone you know or respect just because they blather. All you have to do is to not put them in a group you regularly check. They can blather, but you don't have to listen.
Another great tool is FriendOrFollow - where you can find out quickly, and alphabetically, (this is very time consuming in the Twitter application), who is or is not following you.
Use Favorites to favorite a Tweet to save it and refer or retweet it later.
I do look at people who follow me, and follow most if they look interesting, have a website, and have pretty equal follows and followers. And I look for new interesting people to follow through links from the people on my A and B lists.
Other good tools that you can look at are Twitpic, Twitwall, SocialToo, TwitStats, and if you want to know how you are doing TwitterCounter. And there are many more you will find once you get started.
If you have an iPhone, (Correction 12/9 Twittelator Pro CAN ReTweet – I just needed to read the instructions (here). So Twittelator Pro goes to the top. I had said) "Tweetie is the best application ($2.99 at the App Store.) Twittelator Pro is good, but you can't automatically ReTweet. Tweetsville is great except it crashes to much for me, and Twitterfon is OK."
3. Advanced Twitter
Since I'm not there, let me point you to some folks who are, and whom you will want to follow, and you can also check out their key posts. Take the best and leave the rest:
Jim Connelly is from the UK so you can connect with him at night if you're in the US. He is not only good and friendly, he may have the best bang for the Tweet of them all. Be sure to read his How I Attracted 8,000 followers in 8 Weeks.
Jay Ehret I met through Twitter only, but we are going to meet in Austin when I visit son Sam (@deckermarketing) over Christmas. I find his blog posts onTwitter very valuable, and he is worth following.
Guy Kawasaki has a brilliant new product in Alltop. It's an aggregator – what he calls a 'magazine rack' of the best of the internet – and a lot more.
I noted it before for speaking, but after using it for awhile now, I find it to be the fastest for the best of whatever you're interested in. So…
Since this blog is about communicating and speaking, I'm going to feature here the best, or most interesting, or otherwise unusual post I can find from Alltop that relates to getting your message across, influencing, and making a difference.
Multitasking is a delusion – which at a minimum should revolutionize anyone's use of PowerPoints or Keynotes. Tests prove (and experience shows) that you cannot be talking and have someone supposedly listening while they are reading your slides. (BTW – use Black Slides!)
This year’s List of Top Communicators highlights the best (and worst) from business, politics, entertainment and sports. Take a look to see how communications skills helped make or break these notable individuals.
THE BEST
1. Gov. Mike Huckabee – What but for communicating would get a presidential candidate so far so fast?
A few months ago Huckabee was almost an unknown. Now he is a front runner for the Republican Presidential nomination, and probably the fastest rise ever from relative obscurity to the cover of the weekly newsmagazines. Governor Huckabee is open in style, authentic, natural and amazingly great at thinking (and speaking) on his feet. He tells stories, and connects with people. (See more detail here.) Powerful tools when you have to build trust and credibility visually, quickly and mostly through TV. And powerful tools for a leader. Although he has a conservative constituency, they alone could not get him this far this fast. It is his communicating.
2. Dr. Mehmet Oz – He became "America’s Doctor" in one short year, because of his communications (and Oprah of course.)
He is a unique personality, fast eyes, crisp words forcefully put – when he talks about alcohol he says hangover with a hard G. The communication experience he delivers is a man of the people – trusted by the people. He makes a good case for Dress & Appearance – always in surgical scrubs when on Oprah. He is able to synthesize complex health/medical discussions into something tangible – he talks at our level. Add to that straightforward and down to earth advice, funny and real – you have a real (and media) superstar.
3. Al Gore – even if he hadn’t won the Academy Award, Al Gore would get the communicator’s comeback of the year award.
In a few short years he transformed himself as a speaker by becoming open vs closed, vulnerable vs. distant, fluid vs. stiff. He worked at it, and even though he did not ‘invent the internet,’ he did invent ‘global warming.’ Or his film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ gave it the exposure to get in the popular vernacular. But it was Gore himself as narrator of the film who did the job (with a little help from our friends at Duarte Design (see Best Communicators #9 for the importance of visual support in communicating.) Some people think Al Gore deserves the Presidency. I don’t know about that, but he does deserve his many awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize and a top communicator of the year. Who would have thunk it?
4. Ben Zander - this great musical conductor is not only brilliant, he is one of the most sought after speakers on the ‘circuit.’
Contrary to popular belief, there really is no ‘speaking circuit,’ as groups and organizations hire speakers very independently. But if there was one, Ben Zander would be the darling. He speaks on leadership, teamwork and creativity in an original style, yet he is a world-renown musician and conductor. A master at creativity
- he expresses himself with reckless abandon – and makes the case as well as anyone that communication rides energy. As one audience member said, "Trying to describe what Ben Zander does in front of a large audience is like trying to capture the essence of electricity – it crackles, it sparks…"
5. Maria Bartiromo – recent controversy aside, Maria Bartiromo is one of the most articulate, attractive and animated TV commentators around.
She knows her subject well, and has ridden her stint as financial commentator to a news anchor and respected interviewer on CNBC and nationally. Her distinctive style, with a slight New York accent, powerful voice, and eye communications are even more causative of her rise to fame than her full lips. Even when confronted with recent controversy, her confident communicating enabled her to overcome adverse publicity. She will be around for a long time.
6. Tony Dungy – a quiet style, he speaks softly yet carries a big stick.
He was the first NFL Coach to defeat all other 32 NFL teams. He won a Super Bowl and his Indianapolis Colts are contending again this year. Author of the best selling "Quiet Strength," Tony Dungy is forceful as a person, coach and man. When his son James tragically died in 2005, he spoke up about it, and was vulnerable. When he wanted to put his beliefs up front, he did so with firm conviction. For when he speaks, he is low key but carries a big stick. Big enough to tame the mightiest of football players.
7. Glenn Beck – an unknown except in radio until the last couple of years, Beck is really made for TV.
‘First Brain Friendly’ is a term almost invented for Glenn as he always has a ready smile even amidst strong diatribes. The first communicator to get his own steady hour show on the instant and pop-corny CNN Headline News, he interviews extremely well, is fast on his thinking feet, and is personally vulnerable, which make for great communication attributes.
8. Dr. Jim Dobson -This conservative Christian commentator speaks out on unpopular issues with a force and power of content that belays his soft and humble style.
I heard Dr. Dobson in a speech this year and was amazed at his impact without seemingly raising his voice. He would just be a good ministry leader if he did not shy away from also being an active voice. He embodies our leadership concept of ‘forward lean.’ In this blog account, there are more reasons Dobson excels as a communicator in person, on radio and in print and books.
9. Steve Jobs, Guy Kawasaki, Garr Reynolds - power in supporting visuals.
Photos: Steve Jobs
– Guy Kawasaki
– Garr finishing his new book ‘Presentation Zen’
Here we have three top notch communicators at varying degrees of public impact, but ALL sharing brilliant use of visuals as PowerPoint (or Keynote) support. Steve Jobs was singled out as #1 of the Top Ten two years ago, and could justifiably be so again with his brilliant introduction of the iPhone. Guy Kawasaki was in the Top Ten last year, and deserves it again for consistency of speaking, knowing speaking, and knowing human impact. (And having the biggest blog in the communications arena.) Garr Reynolds is new to the list, but probably is the best at knowing all there is to know about design and PowerPoints, and is just out with his great new book ‘Presentation Zen.’ (See his blog of the same name so you too can use PowerPoint support the way it’s supposed to be used.)
And she probably deserves to be on each year’s Ten Best Communicators list since she is so good, so versatile, and rather than reinventing herself she builds on what she has already created. She isn’t afraid of risking, in communicating and in life. She spoke up sharply and with power when there was scandal in her Foundation, and no doubt will continue to be a role model for great communications because of her energy, vulnerability and consistency.
Continue on for the Ten Worst by clicking the link below…
A hands-on experience to boost the stickiness of your ideas... and your impact.
