If you’re wondering how you can prevent burnout as an entrepreneur or professional, you’re in good company.

There are more than 3.4 million entrepreneurs are facing burnout in the UK alone.

Continue reading “9 ways to use active recovery to help prevent burnout” →

As communicators, we have spent our careers persuading, cajoling, nagging, and – occasionally – begging our clients and employers to use plain English in their marketing content. To shrug off a more formal and stuffy voice. To speak to people on the page in the same way they would if they were having a face-to-face conversation. Continue reading “13 content marketing terms you should know” →

It’s a busy, noisy world out there. Recent research by LinkedIn suggests that 4.6 billion pieces of content are produced every single day – and that’s just online. Continue reading “5 REASONS WHY PEOPLE AREN’T BUYING FROM YOU…AND HOW COMMUNICATION CAN FIX THEM” →

Have you ever read something – perhaps a Facebook post, a landing page, or just a newspaper article – that was perfectly clear and a subject that interests you, but that somehow just didn’t really speak to YOU?

Do you ever worry that the same thing is happening to the content you put out there? Or that it happens because you’ve done something wrong? Continue reading “Does your audience see, hear or feel your message? (And how to reach them all)” →

Do you want better results – growing your business, building your career, creating a life that you love?

You have many tools at your fingertips, but the one you probably use the most is your language. The words you think, write and say – they have the power to hinder you, and the power to help you get more of what you want. Continue reading “PROOF POSITIVE: 3 SIMPLE WAYS TO TRANSFORM YOUR CONTENT” →

Does your copy snap, crackle and pop? Or are your hard-crafted messages more flop than fizz?

Would you be interested to know there is a simple technique you could apply to your content right now, to give it lots more life, energy and impact? Continue reading “Active v Passive: One easy switch to make your content sparkle” →

Last week we promised to kick off a series of practical ways you can refine your messages and content, by activating some simple language tips and techniques. Here we are in Week 1, with a look at the KISS technique – Keep It Short and Simple!

Why start here? Let me give you an example.  

Imagine a hardware store offering you an absolute bargain – for one day only you can have a whopping 80 per cent off hexiform rotatable surface compression units! 

Yes, you heard that right – 80 per cent off!  I guess you’ll want to order some with a deal like that, won’t you?

Brilliant quality and a brilliant price. What’s stopping you from placing an order immediately? Could it be that you just don’t know what they are? 

Hexiform rotatable surface compression units = nuts for holding bolts in place.

NOT SUCH A BIG EXAGGERATION

This might sound like an over-exaggeration, but in 30 years of helping clients get their audience really engaged with their message, I’ll tell you with my hand on my heart that most people veer into a bit of a word salad very easily, as soon as their brain realises they’re writing something that will be published.

In that moment, their normal voice seems to pack up and leave town, replaced by someone sounding strangely formal and official. Suddenly they say things like “in the event of’ instead of “if”. “At this moment in time” instead of “now”. “Endeavour” instead of “try”.

Don’t get me wrong – I love a good and wide vocabulary. I live in professional terror that one day we’ll all get so hung up on ‘plain English’ that the dictionary will halve in size. I grew up being encouraged to broaden my vocabulary, and I hope I never stop doing so.

But when it comes to being seen and heard, it pays to be clear. It pays to sound authentic.

BE CLEAR, BE UNDERSTOOD, BE TRUSTED

There is a time and a place for the formal and the official. But it’s unlikely to be in your marketing brochure, your social media post, your landing page.

As we saw at the start, it’s hard to decide to buy a product when you don’t really recognise what it is. Make it easy for your potential followers, fans and customers to say yes to you and your offer.

And waffly words can sound like they’re hiding something. I bet you’ve seen things like this and snorted with derision – the ‘pre-loved vehicles’ that you know are really second-hand bangers, or the estate agent’s description of ‘bijou’ for a home where you know you’ll bang your elbows every time you put your jacket on.

We live in a world where (according to research) we are bombarded with more than 150 newspapers worth of data every single day. In that tsunami of mental noise, it’s just too easy to scroll on by unless your message is loud and clear.

YOUR BRAND SOUNDS JUST LIKE YOU

People need to know, like and trust you before they will even think about buying from you – and your tone of voice will help or hinder that relationship.

What’s more, research suggests that they need an average of 17 touch-points with you to feel that trust – so it’s vital that your tone of voice sounds consistent and true every time.

How do you make sure your tone of voice is engaging and consistent? Just write as authentically as you would speak. If you’re the sort of person who would say that you ‘know’ something, make sure you say that and don’t get all ‘cognisant’ instead when you’re writing your marketing materials!

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE

There is so much focus on platforms and media – should you be on Pinterest? What’s the best time of day to post on Instagram? These things count, of course – but these are your channels, they are not your message. They can help you get out there, but your presence alone will not shine a light on your business or your brand.

Language, however, is a silver bullet for getting yourself seen and heard, making yourself understood, and getting better results. Get your language right, and you turn a key in your business or your career.

As well as choosing words that deliver your message with clear and crisp accuracy, there are a number of other language skills and techniques that will help you get better results. Check out our blog next week, when we’ll show you a language trap that is probably sapping the life out of your content and draining the confidence from your speech…and how to fix it to make your words sparkle!

Don’t miss it! (Why not follow this blog to have the blogs and teach-ins sent directly to your inbox, so you never miss a thing?)

Until then, have a brilliant week (and we’ll see you inbetween on social media).

Lucy & Emma | The Communication Coaches

We’re not very sure how it has happened, but we are now in the sixth month of the year. In just the next four weeks, we will pass summer solstice, summer will officially arrive, and we’ll move into the second half of the calendar year.

That means the next few weeks are the prime time to reflect, catch your breath, and plan ahead to maximise your success in the next six months.

It might not come with the fireworks of New Year’s Eve or the back-to-school new start of September, but mid-year is a fantastic time to reset and recharge.

HALF-TIME ORANGES

Our sports metaphors are few and far between, but bear with us on this one…

Grass-roots football teams take a pause at half-time. Historically they replenish their energy with healthy and refreshing orange halves and evaluate how they performed in the first half – and plan the strategies and the tactics that will help them improve in the second half.

Now, as we enter 2019’s half-time, is a great time to do the same thing. Whatever your mid-year review looks at – family, business, lifestyle, habits – invest some time to reflect on the year so far and clarify what you want to achieve in the second half. 

Not only is this one of the most crucial conversations you’ll have with yourself this year, it will also help you then get laser-focused on where you need to focus your communication and branding efforts to get the results you want.

And, although this was just a metaphor, you can eat oranges while you’re doing this if you like. (Or juice them, and chuck them in a cocktail.)

5 STEPS TO GUIDE YOUR MID-YEAR REVIEW

There are no hard and fast rules to doing this. You might work best on a quiet Sunday morning while the rest of the house slumbers, or a Monday morning when you are fired up for the week ahead. (Or take that cocktail and get out onto a sun-lounger by a pool somewhere.)

What matters is that you understand truly where you are and what you have achieved and learned in the first six months of the year. This will put you in the best possible place to achieve everything you want for yourself this side of Christmas.

Having a little bit of structure can really help this process, so here’s our five-step approach to getting a full, 360-degree look at the year – celebrate, restate, evaluate, calibrate, accelerate.

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, LET’S CELEBRATE

What are the things you are most proud of achieving so far this year?

These achievements might relate to the goals you set yourself at the start of the year. They might be the way you reacted and adapted to completely unforeseen circumstances. They might be big wins or they might be the tiny steps you took to get results.

Don’t discount anything for being minor. Don’t use these achievements to compare yourself to anyone else or their journey. And don’t be surprised when you realise how far you have come!

Write this list down. Keep it. Look back at it over the coming months. Be proud of yourself.

NOW PUT DOWN YOUR CHAMPAGNE, BECAUSE IT’S TIME TO RESTATE YOUR GOALS

What were your goals at the start of the year?

Revisit and consider them. Chances are that you’ve been so mad-busy since you set them that you’ve lost sight of them a little bit. It’s so easy to focus on the urgent rather than the important – reacting to the loudest demands rather than the steady actions that will move you forward. 

Restating your goals makes it easier to refocus on what matters most. Write them down – to make them real, and to check it’s a realistic list! If your list of goals is a mile long, ask yourself – if you could only achieve two of those goals (say), which would you choose right now? Grab a highlighter and mark your priorities. Use this list to make some promises to yourself for the six months ahead.

LET’S GET HONEST AND EVALUATE

Are you where you hoped you would be?

Or are you working like crazy but somehow struggling to get seen or heard? (If sometimes you’re so frustrated that you wonder if perhaps you’re wearing an accidental invisibility cloak, check out this blog here…)

This is a tough question, but it will help you with the next step…

MAXIMISE YOUR SUCCESS AND CALIBRATE YOUR NEXT STEPS

What has helped you so far this year? What new habits, behaviours or support have you acquired that have helped you achieve those wins? Will these help you in the second half?

On the other hand, what has slowed you down? Is it you, or someone / something else? Is it something you can take action to control, or is it something for which you need different strategies to work around?

And are those goals you set six months ago still the right ones? It’s okay to say if something no longer sits comfortably with you or no longer serves your priorities.

It’s half-time – calibrate what you are doing and how you are doing it.

NOW TAKE ALL THAT CLARITY AND PREPARE TO ACCELERATE

You know the best time to start accelerating your dreams? Right now.

What three things can you do or introduce, right now, to start revving up your progress? Make this simple and manageable. For example, what can you delegate? What can you reprioritise down your to-do list each day? What can you stop doing, to free up more time for what really matters?

And what help will you seek in the next six months to help you over the hurdles that face you…you know the ones! The challenges you fear and put off, the blockers that cause you to procrastinate, and steal your time and your sense of calm. 

It might be a difficult conversation, a skills gap, or a mindset shift, for example. These are big-ticket items and you shouldn’t try to fix them overnight. However, fixing them starts with small and resolute actions.

Remember, every small step is a giant leap when it helps you crash through your own barriers.

We’d love to hear how you get on with this exercise. What wins can you celebrate with us? What tiny commitments can you make to power up the rest of 2019? Drop us a comment below, or come and see us on our social media pages.

Have a fantastic week…and tune in again for next week’s blog where we’ll be kicking off a series of teach-ins on language, and how the words and tone you use in every aspect of your business are your secret weapons for getting seen and heard.

Make sure you don’t miss a thing – subscribe to get the blogs and free teach-ins sent directly to your inbox!

See you soon,

Lucy & Emma | The Communication Coaches

PS: our free monthly content guide for June is now out! Click here for blog and social media themes and prompts for the whole 30 days. 

Here’s a moral dilemma for you.

What do you do when you make a perfectly sensible business decision only to find it is met with howls of outrage? Do you back down for a quiet life – after all, perception is everything and your brand is invaluable – or do you stick with what you believe is right?

I’ve been mulling this over for the last few days, prompted by a news story I read this week and reminded of a situation just like this that I found myself in some years ago.

Here in the UK, one of our largest pharmacy businesses has found itself in the headlines after it dispensed a medicines in plastic bags instead of paper for a number of people. At a time when single-use plastic is a very hot topic, this incensed some customers enough to go to the national newspapers, which duly reported that they are “livid” and “baffled” by this environmentally damaging and “irresponsible” action.

We’ve all been moved by pictures and footage of wildlife harmed or killed by plastic detritus. Images of vast stretches of oceans full of plastic waste has brought home to us the longevity of these products and the sheer scale of our consumption. Many of us are making day-to-day changes to at least reduce the number of plastic bottles, wrappers, cartons and bags we use just fleetingly and then discard.

Many big businesses are also stepping up. More than a hundred companies have signed up to the UK Plastics Pact, to help eliminate single-use plastic – including the pharmacy in question, which usually dispenses its drugs in paper bags held closed with address labels. So why did they go back on their intention like this?

THERE’S ALWAYS MORE THAN ONE CONSIDERATION

Further investigation reveals that plastic bags were used for a couple of very good reasons.

The medication dispensed in the new plastic bags had been assembled and packed in a central hub and sent out to the shops for local collection. The packaging had to be durable enough to withstand transit, completely sealed so that no drugs were lost, and private enough that patient confidentiality was protected.

Patients’ health – and in some cases, their survival – depends on getting the right drugs, in the right amounts. This company prioritised that above their commitment to environmentally friendly packaging, just for the medicines sent out from central assembly.

And the very act of centralising some of the repeat dispensing (which, by its nature, can be predicted and standardised to some degree) is also based on a value-driven decision. 

The UK is trying to raise awareness and education about using pharmacists for frontline help and advice, not just to dispense medication. This could make a big difference to the increasing pressure facing our networks of GP surgeries and A&E hospital departments. By centralising some of the predictable dispensing, the company in the news is trying to free up more time for in-store pharmacists to provide medical help and support.

So, there’s the business thinking behind the story. But what will people remember? Patient values, or the many headlines?

And what damage does media coverage with words like “under fire”, “berated”, “angry”, and “criticism” do to a brand? 

FROM ‘GREAT DECISION’ TO ‘CRISIS COMMUNICATION’

Reading these news stories, I remember a similar dilemma of my own.

Back in the very early ‘90s, I edited an employee magazine for one of the biggest companies in the UK. In those days, environmental concerns about forest sustainability were growing, and we decided to switch to recycled paper stocks to print the magazine.

Not only was this better for the environment, it was cheaper – so I saved a fair chunk of my annual publication budget. And, in a joyful hat-trick of benefits, the recycled paper had a sheen on it and made the magazine look glossy. Environmentally friendly, and it looked fancier for less money. All good business decisions!

We published the new edition amid something of a fanfare, explaining what was changing and how we were doing our bit for the environment by using recycled paper, and for budget pressures by using cheaper paper stock.

But among my magazine’s readership of thousands, a few were highly vocal about the change – and not in a good way. All they saw was a new glossy cover, and were convinced we were wasting money and resources at a time when everyone was being asked to make savings. We had to go a little way into ‘crisis communication’ mode to win them over.

DO YOU USE YOUR HEART OR HEAD TO PROTECT YOUR BRAND?

I’m going to be completely honest here. I know we managed to contain those complaints relatively easily, because we didn’t have an intranet or Twitter or any social media in those days. We could much better control our brand image. And I have to ask myself the question – if that debate were raging now, in a growing snowball of angry misunderstanding fuelled by immediate and viral platforms…would we stand firm with the principles that mattered most? Or would we have to choose between our values and the brand damage being wreaked by others?

I don’t know. I know what I’d like to think I’d do – but I’m pragmatic enough to know that often anger has a much louder voice than logic has. I don’t underestimate the sheer force of negativity in today’s connected world, nor the devastation this can wreak on a reputation and business performance.

And with that in mind, will the current crop of news stories damage the brand of the pharmacy using plastic bags for some of its dispensing? I would guess not – it’s a huge and long-established company, a family-friendly brand. And while those things are not guarantees any more, they are bulwarks against occasional storm tides.

And in the end, I think this is what should matter most to you – that you build a brand (a reputation, an experience, a relationship) strong enough that when a media storm comes along, you are in the best possible shape to manage it.

Remember, the biggest component of that brand is you.

Also remember we are regularly adding free resources to this site to help you build your brand. Take a look around, and let us know what else you would find useful. And if you’d like us to send our blogs and teach-ins directly to your inbox, all you have to do is follow this blog.

Until next time – have a great week!

Lucy & Emma | The Communication Coaches

Recently we talked about what it means to be invisible. Not the ninja superpower kind…we were talking about the kind of invisibility where you don’t get picked for the big client pitch, or you get passed over for the promotion you deserve, or you put yourself into a corner where no one can see or hear you.

In case you missed it: WHY WEARING YOUR INVISIBILITY CLOAK IS REALLY BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH, WEALTH AND SUCCESS

With real life examples, we felt the pain of knowing you are good enough but struggling to get others to see that too. Actually, let’s call that out for what it is – it’s an injustice, isn’t it, when you don’t get the great results you deserve?

It certainly can feel like that but unless someone can see your value, how can you expect them to reward it? (If they see it but choose not to recognise it – well, that might be of those toxic situations we also talked about last week. Put your sanity and health first, and get away from those just as quickly as you can.)

Whether you are solo or leading a team, an employee or a business, your visibility is beyond important. It’s everything. Your brand, your product, your service, your value, your talent, your contribution, your potential, the experience of working with you…these need to be seen to get the results you want and deserve.

Everything we do at Lucy & Emma is about helping talented people be more visible. We help them build the confidence and the skills they need, and to think strategically about the big opportunities (and all the tiny moments inbetween) to get seen and heard more, for all the right reasons.

In our last post, we promised to share a quick teach-in on how to elevate some of your business content so that it really helps you increase your visibility and get the results you want. 

To help make sense of this, we want to share a conversation we’ve had just recently with a client who wants to enter her business into her industry’s annual awards. She told us she knows her business and her team are shining examples in her sector – but she also knows it’s not enough just to inform others about it. She also has to influence them…

Get recognised for your role in your industry

Entering yourself or your business for an award gives you the opportunity to demonstrate to your peers and your potential customers that you are a thought leader and a role model. That you add value. That you are worth their investment.

Awards help you to build your reputation and add to your brand story. They give you visibility in new places, and attract more fans. They build customer confidence, and can even make it easier to get business investment and attract new talent as you grow your team. And, if you have a team already, winning prestigious awards helps you develop a culture of professional pride and recognition.

All in all, an award can create great marketing opportunities – but it takes some hard work to do it well.

Not just a report

Award entries are not simply reports of an achievement. They are selling documents, and they have to compete in a crowded and probably well-regarded field. Your entries must answer the right questions, and trigger favourable responses in the hearts and the minds of the judging panel. They must be crisp and compelling, and show you off in the very best possible light.

Here are a few practical tips for boosting the spotlight on your award entry…and remember these apply just as much to a job application or a business pitch:

• Double check the exam question, and then check it again. What are the criteria for this award? What are the requirements for the pitch? Think of these as your brief, and make sure you really see the clear parameters being set out for you.
• All your content needs to answer this exam question. Obviously, no less – or you won’t be seen as meeting that criteria. But beware answering too much more as well – it creates too much detail that no one has time to read in the first sift, and they may think the easiest thing is to put your document on the ‘no’ pile without further ado! It might even ‘over-qualify’ you – and we all know that’s a real thing.
• Before you even start to create content, step back and think of people as having their own search engine filters (which they really do!). What can you do to appeal to those filters – just as you would think about search engine optimisation (SEO) in your online content? What words will subliminally tick boxes in the mind of the reviewer? (Bear in mind that the first sift on things like job applications and award entries are often done by someone relatively junior or unrelated to the award programme – simply because there are a lot of them, it takes a lot of time and their time costs less. They might not have the same insider knowledge that others have, and will be given an evidence framework to help them decide – slush pile or next stage? Make it easy for them to say yes to you – make sure your content ticks off the evidence as explicitly as possible.
• While you’re writing your content, think carefully about the language you use, and the impact of every word. For example:
  • Are you talking about features or benefits (to use a very classic marketing term)?
  • Are there particular words that stand out in your industry – such as safety, schedule, shareholder? Speak to those special interests.
  • Are you including words that will appeal to different processing patterns – for example, visual/audio/kinesthetic words, or words that will appeal to all the personality types?
  • And finally, are you storytelling or are you reporting data – and think about how compelling a narrative story is!
• Now you’ve written your material, cross-check it with the criteria – are you definitely answering that exam question? Is anything missing, and if so what can you include to maximise your chances? Or is there content that doesn’t really stand up to the ‘so what?’ filter?
• It’s time now to sleep on it, so that when you come back to it you can let go of the forensic stuff we’ve just talked about, and just read it through for sense and flow. If you can, ask someone else to read it. There is so much value in that fresh pair of eyes – you know what you are trying to say, but is it clear to anyone else?
• Now for the small print (sorry, it has to be done!). Proofread the hell out of this thing! Make sure your wordcount has laser precision (these things can even throw you out of the running). Check your grammar and your spelling, make sure you don’t have too much passive voice in there, don’t trip over any homophones (words like hear and here, bear and bare). You can even do some advanced stuff like making sure your word and sentence patterns make it more fluent and easier to read….but we’ll save that for another day!

Sound like hard work?

Well, yes it is! Effective communication is a professional discipline, not a pink-and-fluffy thing you might think about if you have the time. It requires skill and competence, and it demands your time and attention.

Is it even worth it?

Of course it is! Do you want to be the one chosen for the job? Do you want to win the award (and not just runner-up)? Do you want all the value that will come your way as a result of being SEEN as the best in the pack?

Of course you do. Of course it’s worth it. You’re worth it!

All these things add up and help rocket your visibility into the stratosphere. And if you’re ready to come out of the shadows, show up and step up to a place where you are seen and heard just like you deserve – well, the good news is there are many tools and strategies and opportunities to help you do that. 

Think of them as your rocket boosters. And who doesn’t want some of those?

Check back with us next week, or give us a wave on social media (links below), for more rocket fuel to help you get seen and heard.

Until then – have a fabulous week!

Lucy & Emma | The Communication Coaches

What does it mean to be invisible?

I don’t mean “what would it be like if you had an invisibility cloak or a superpower and you could buzz around without anyone being able to see you”. Not that kind of being invisible. (Sadly. That kind of invisible could be quite cool.)

I mean – what if you felt like you couldn’t be seen or heard, even though you’re waving and shouting and trying to be noticed. How would that manifest itself? What would it mean for your business, for example, if no one was listening to you? What would it mean for you at work if no one could see your talents and your potential?

Do any of these following situations sound familiar to you? They are all real, and real people have brought them to our door…

“My business was absolutely perfect for that project, but we didn’t even get shortlisted to pitch.”

Business life is a rollercoaster, isn’t it?  So is every pitch application – the excitement of putting together your team and your credentials, perhaps even making mental plans for the new hires you’ll need and the extra funding it will bring in. The breath-taking suspense as you await the selection. And the crushing disappointment as you come back down to earth – and only your competitors are getting in front of the selection panel.

There are lots of reasons for missing out on a pitch. Some are unavoidable. But many are not – and one of the most common reasons we see our clients fail to get that pitch date in the diary is completely fixable.

It’s the same reason some CVs and resumés don’t get past the first sift, despite that person’s technical brilliance. It’s the same reason some case studies get chosen for glittering awards and some don’t see the light of day, even though the project was outstanding. 

And that reason? They don’t influence the reader, the reviewer, the judge. They don’t convince the decision-maker that this person, project or provider is exactly what they need, what they have been looking for. They don’t inspire a resounding YES! to the question.

Everything you write – marketing materials, social media content, business tenders, resumés, business plans, award entries, conference speeches, podcasts, and a raft of other things – are effectively your shop window. They will persuade a potential follower, fan, customer or investor to come into your shop for a closer look – or they’ll just let them walk right on by. Which do you want?

Convince those people to come in and take a look, and let you start building that relationship. In fact, next week we’ll use the blog for a teach-in on how to elevate materials like these so that they really help you get the results you want. Don’t miss it!

“Three times now I have been passed over for promotion that I really think I deserve. No one is taking me seriously.”

Employment and entrepreneurship share many common qualities – not least the personal drive and ambition of someone who wants to get on, do more, be the best they can be.

The entrepreneur’s business win might be the employee’s promotion – and in both cases it’s all about the recognition, the reward, and the next steps these things open up.

So feeling overlooked for promotion can feel as devastating as losing a new client. (And have the same impact on income and family life.)

Hard truth alert: being great at your job is only part of the story. Being perfect for that promotion is only one ingredient in the recipe for success. 

I’ll be we’ve all known people who seem to progress effortlessly – and I’ll bet that most of them do that because they’ve nailed the art of selling themselves.

This doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Sure, there are those who seem to smarm their way along – selling upwards but with, as my lovely old grandmother would have said, all fur coat and no knickers. Style over substance, if you like.

But too many people hide their light under a bushel, and then add another bushel on top just to be on the safe side. Do you do this? Is it because you are afraid of being that schmoozer? Is it just more comfortable that way (which is fine, by the way – unless you want more)? Is it because you just don’t find the time or spot the opportunities to really show yourself and your achievements? Or is it because you simply haven’t learned that skill yet?

“That’s three times my boss has fudged my request for training – why won’t they help me develop?”

Picture this. A confident and ambitious 19-year-old, three years into a fast-track PR/publishing career, asks her boss for a particular training course. She knows she’s ready, and she knows she could be contributing more. Two guys in her office have been sent on it and then duly promoted. She has asked for it four times and been fobbed off with various excuses she knows are flimsy – but can’t understand why.

One day, she catches her boss in an unguarded moment, and asks again. He snaps and says, word for word: “I don’t want to send you on the training because then I’d have to promote you, and I don’t want to promote you because I don’t like ambitious women. I find them disruptive.”

I was that 19-year-old girl, and that three-minute meeting remains one of the most shocking of my career. 

Even 30 years ago, and as young as I was, I knew there was never going to be a future for me in that company – but I also knew that was on them, it was not on me. I knew I could do no more there, but I also knew that I could shine if my light wasn’t dimmed (for no reason other than sexist fear). I left that company there and then, and I have never looked back.

I share this story because contained in the shock was a valuable lesson for which I am grateful: be prepared to give it all you’ve got to stand out in the crowd, but don’t be afraid to walk away if it’s toxic. Your profile and your visibility really, really matter, but nothing is worth trading your sanity for.

“I love listening to entrepreneurs on podcasts, but I couldn’t do something like that.”

So who’s putting you in the corner now, other than yourself? How will you ever shine in your business and get the results you want if you don’t show up and (metaphorically, at least) stand up?

You’ll often hear us say that your most important audience is you. The person you talk to most is yourself, and the person you hear more than anyone else is you. Your most powerful starting point for great communication, and the stellar results you’ll get from being more visible is how you communicate with yourself.

So, when we talk about being visible it’s not just about the way you help yourself be seen and heard. They’re just the tools and strategies. What we are really talking about is how you get the results you want. The results that will give you the life, the career, the business you dream of.

Isn’t it time you came out of the shadows?

See you back here next week – and we’ll look at those ideas for making things like pitches and applications more stand-out visible. Click here if you want to to get it straight to your inbox, so you never miss a thing. Until then, from your cheerleaders: have a great week.

Lucy & Emma | The Communication Coaches 

If you liked this… read this…

Isn’t it a little ironic…we live in an age where we can broadcast to millions, as easy as pie, and yet it seems to be the scariest thing of all in our marketing and communication portfolio. More visibility tools at our fingertips than ever before, and yet it feels harder than ever to be seen and heard.

We have clients who tell us they are so worried they feel physically sick about making a video or going live on a social media platform. 

Others tell us they can do it without feeling the terrors, but lack confidence and feel they turn in a wooden performance. Trust me, I get this; I’m just grateful that my first appearance on camera (on the BBC evening news of all things) was broadcast before YouTube was a thing. It was awful.

Worst of all, clients tell us they don’t even see the point of doing anything on video – after all, how do you stand out in such a crowded market? 

But here’s the truth. To grow your business, you need to be visible. Whether you are online or bricks-and-mortar, whether you provide a service or make products, you need people to know, like and trust you. Putting yourself out there on video is such a powerful way to help strangers become followers, for followers to become fans, and for inspiring fans to become the long-term customers that build your business success.

Video is a huge area – from technology to algorithms, from kit to ad strategies. But before you even get to those, are you doing all you can to make sure your performance is as good as it can be?

Here are 5 Ps to help you transform your performance in front of a camera:

PREPARATION

I know we live in an online world where sassy influencers tell us they are “just hopping on” to share a random thought…but honestly, if these are to work well, even the most impromptu videos come from a place of proper preparation.

Apart from anything else, those ‘random thoughts’ need to fit within your brand story and message – or how will people know what you stand for? How will you show up as congruent and consistent, which is crucial to building your credibility? Preparation helps you find the right opportunities to build your video presence, and to sound on-message when you use them.

You know, I’m always a little uncomfortable about the impromptu and the unscripted, simply because many of our lovely clients have told us over the years that they feel overwhelmed and put-off by how easy other people make that look. Let’s make this a bit easier – the impromptu vlogger has done a whole load of preparation somewhere. You may not see it, but you can see the effect of it.

PRACTICE

You know we’re not into fake quick wins here. There are ways to get smarter, but there are never any get-rich-quick short-cuts to get out of doing the work (tempting though they sound).

Even if you’re doing a quick and unscripted ‘live’, your performance will benefit hugely from ongoing practice. Practice develops your skills, grows your confidence, and means that your most unprepared broadcasts are actually rooted in something really solid and grounded.

You’ll get more comfortable with the structures that work for you, the specific words that resonate, even your natural rhythm, of breathing. 

Most of all, practice will help you build your confidence as well as your technical skill. And the more confident you feel, the more assured, credible and authoritative you will look and sound.

POSTURE

In some ways, it’s easier to get your posture right when you’re speaking on a conference stage; there are logical parameters for where to stand and where to look, and a fixed space to use.  And it might feel more natural to talk to an audience you can see.

When you’re making a video or broadcasting a live, there’s every chance you’re looking at a solid wall with some form of recording device in front of it. It can be harder to act naturally in that setting, so try some visualisations to see what works for you – an image of an audience stuck beside the lens, a mental picture of the people watching you, or even the idea of your audience in miniature inside your camera or phone.

Practically, though, there are also things you can do to enhance the way you appear on film. First of all, think about how you position yourself physically. This may be driven by what you’re doing – for example, if you’re doing a cookery demonstration to camera, it’s logical that you’re standing behind your work counter. 

But what if you’re just talking to camera? Should you sit down or stand up, for example? The key is simply to try different things on film and play it back – and see what looks right for you. Are you bouncing around from foot to foot and looking agitated when standing? Or does sitting make you slouch (in turn affecting your breathing and making you look less interested or animated)?

If nerves really are getting the better of you, you could try a different format altogether – and talk to someone off-camera. This is how most TV interviews are done, and talking directly to the camera is known as ‘breaking the fourth wall’ of the studio.

Using an off-camera posture can take some pressure off you, but be aware that talking directly to your audience builds much more engagement and a relationship. Mixing up formats can add interest, though, and help you progress to a direct format as you grow in confidence.

Of course, there are lots of other posture and body-language issues to consider (one of my favourite client questions ever was: “yes, but what the hell do I do with my ARMS?”), but keep it simple for now – just find the physical position that suits you best.

PITCH

Have you ever noticed how much vocal range a professional newsreader uses? How they use their tone to convey a hard news story or a light-hearted piece, tragedy or good news?

There is research that suggests newsreaders use their professional vocal training to use voice tones in a range of perhaps six or seven octaves. That’s an even wider range than children use quite naturally – they typically use around four octaves, and they’re normally pretty effective at expressing how they’re feeling, aren’t they?

Here’s the thing, though: most adults use just two or three octaves. We moderate so much that even our extremes of vocal emotion are not very wide. Now take into account the physical effect of feeling nervous…and suddenly you’re broadcasting something pretty monotone.

Does this matter? It’s not a theatrical performance, right? 

Of course it matters. You want to hold your viewers’ attention. You want to sound credible and authoritative, confident and trustworthy. You want to look and sound like someone a potential customer would trust enough to work with or buy from.

Putting in the hard yards to develop your vocal skills will pay you huge dividends. For now though, just don’t go too mad and come out the other end as a falsetto. Use your breath, work with your exhalation, and match your pitch to your words…you have so much untapped potential in this section of your communication toolkit.

PACE

In the same way that the pitch of your voice conveys a great deal about you, so too does pace.

First and foremost – can people actually make out what you’re saying? If you’re charging through your words at a gallop, your audience has little time to hear you – let alone to actually process what you’re saying. However slowly you think you’re speaking, you’re probably going too fast – especially if you’re nervous.

That said, sl-ow-ing it ri-ght do-wn can sound patronising. Possibly even a tiny bit mad. 

Again, develop your speaking skills and practice like hell – but more than anything, remember you own this. This is your subject, your broadcast. You control the pace.

So there you have five practical ways to start sky-rocketing your visibility on camera straight away. We’d love to know how you get on with them – please let us know.

Meanwhile, we’re about to send out our FREE monthly content planner for May – so if you’d like your very own content strategist sitting metaphorically alongside you for the next 31 days, helping you identify and write great blogs and social media posts every single day, click here now to get your copy.

And we’ll be back next week with another FREE teach-in. Sign up or follow this blog if you’d like these sent directly to your inbox each week, so you never miss a thing…

Have a great week,

Lucy & Emma