Category: communication
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10 questions to ask before setting up a small business
A friend recently asked me for some advice on setting up a small business from scratch. Let’s call her April. She had a few ideas; and simply needed someone to help her frame her thoughts. In a bid to make her life – and yours – a little easier I cobbled together 10 questions to […]
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Helping people say what they want to say: listening to articulate
Someone’s trying to tell you something and it’s as fuzzy as a bear. Here’s four simple steps to help people find their own clarity. One: Focus on them. Ask some good, well-pitched questions that get to the heart of their issues, needs and wants. One that’s always worked well for me with potential clients is: […]
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People’s stories: passion lives here
One of the key tasks of a public affairs professional is to create content which is then communicated to engage people with what organisations do and what they believe in. We do this by: Commissioning new research Identifying an interesting statistic Developing some key messages Enlisting a “celebrity” or an “expert” and Composing case studies/human […]
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In pursuit of virtue: value-based campaigning
“Once upon a time there was a small girl who gazed at the last tree in the world . . . “ It’s a short-story exercise an inspirational primary school teacher set me back in the early 1970s. I remember seeing that beautiful tree in my mind’s eye, how we all needed it, how good it felt […]
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When maybe means no
“What do they mean?” How many times have you been asked this question by a friend who needs to get a handle on what someone’s trying to say to them? Part of what I do is helping people read in between the lines. People who have crossed continents or have a disability that impacts on their […]
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Effective e-mails: 6 useful tips
Contacting influential people – whether they’re newspaper editors or MPs – can be a little like walking a tightrope. You know they’re busy people so you don’t want to hassle them unnecessarily; but you really want to engage them with your latest news, ideas, campaign . . . Here’s some strategies that have worked for […]
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Blue heaven: 8 effective communication tips
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw This quote speaks to me at the moment. Over the last month people who need communication help have been coming forward to get a bit of advice and support. Here’s 8 business4good tweets from last week all aimed at promoting […]
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