Speak your work Gordon Mayer
Aug 03, 2015
Agenda1. Introductions, read “Blah Blah Blah” article
& warm up
2. Stories & Messages & “elevator pitch”
3. Audiences
4. Goals
5. Panel discussion & “speed pitching”
6. Q and A and time to finish your Comms Plan Helper
Why we’re here storiesImagine Your Audience
How We Began/Founders Who Influenced Us
Obstacles Faced & Problems Solved
On-going Benefits Given
Examples—specific people
Values in Action
Before we came on the scene… after we did
our thing
Accomplishments, Victories, Feeling good!
• Hi! My name is _____ and I work with…
• You know how… (problem)
• Well, what we do is…(feature)
• So that …(benefit)
• We’re kind of like the…(metaphor)
– Problem: Stated as an engaging question
– Feature: the physical traits or description of what you do
– Benefit: a feature translated into a member’s satisfaction. What do the members get because of what you do?
– Metaphor: a comparison that can be funny or startling; goal is to make your work familiar.
Who we are, in < 1 minute
TurnoutAttendance at an event
Why We Communicate
AwarenessUsually traces back to money
Advocacy Best to engage audience
PanelAlexis Miller, Hyde Park HeraldCalmetta Coleman, University News OfficeCurtis Black, The Chicago ReporterSam Cholke, DNA InfoToure Muhammad, Bean Soup Times
More resources• Spitfire Strategies’ Smart Chart
(smartchart.org)• Smartmeme (Re:Imagining Change)• ColorofChange.org• Presente.org• Groundswell (groundswell-movement.org)• Free Range Thinking• Nancy Schwartz’s GettingAttention.org• Bethkanter.org