Tools

These are strange times, and it feels even stranger to be doing “normal” things like sending out this newsletter. But for me, sometimes doing normal things helps me feel normal. The best kind of normal things? Those that bring strength. I love how author and speaker Marcus Buckingham talks about this. He says: “A strength is an activity that strengthens you. […]

“The narrower your focus, the broader your reach.” That’s my take on what author Bill Schley (affiliate) calls the “Universal Paradox” of communication. It’s a paradox because it seems impossible to be true: if you focus on narrowing your message, how can you possibly reach more people? The simple answer: clarity. When you focus your message, you’re more clear […]

There are two quick questions that can help make your messages even stronger: Am I giving the people what they want? Am I doing that in a way they don’t expect? It’s a good test, especially when your message or copy is short, like on a website or tagline. In fact, that’s the test I […]

You’ve probably heard about all the benefits of stories and storytelling. You’ve heard that stories make your message both more interesting and more concrete. But what if you don’t think you’re a very good storyteller? Is all hope lost? Nope. It’s a funny thing, but not even five years ago, that was me. I watched and […]

Sometimes you have all the right concepts for your idea, but what’s missing is the right order. You have all the information that makes an idea make sense to you but the order isn’t the one that makes sense for your audience. See, more often than not, when you’re talking and writing about your ideas, it’s common to use an order that […]

You’ve got a big project you’ve been working on. To keep working on it, you need someone else’s approval. The big question: How can you raise the probability you’ll get the action or agreement you’re looking for? How do you present to persuade? Here’s a starting outline I’ve been using with my corporate and organizational […]

How can you make your messaging stronger on your website? Make it “scan-friendly” — make sure the key points of your message are what people see when they scroll quickly through it. In this week’s episode of What’s Missing From This Message?, I walk you through what I see on Stability Health’s VERY scan-friendly site. Don’t forget to subscribe so you […]

I have a question to ask you about your idea. Actually, we all do. Here it is: What question does your idea answer? An idea is an answer — and it isn’t enough See, an idea doesn’t exist on its own, even if it sometimes feels that way. Ideas come from questions. Always. It’s how your brain built your idea. It’s […]

My brain is crap for details like lyrics to songs (remind me to tell you about the time I didn’t realize a song I sang around the house was about morphine… even though the word “morphine” was literally coming out of my mouth when I sang it), what Alexa JUST told me the temperature was (seriously, […]

Imagine you’re in this situation: You have a big idea. It’s not one people have heard before, but its impact could be huge. You have an opportunity to talk about it (say, to present it to your boss, or in a session at a conference), but your time slot is short. On top of that, your […]