Speakyour work

Gordon Mayer

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

‘Facts Are

Meaningless’

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

Who AreOur Audiences?

TurnoutAttendance at an event

Why We Communicate

AwarenessUsually traces back to money

Advocacy Best to engage audience

Time and timing

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

Thanks!

Gordon Mayer312-307-0133gordonmmayer@ gmail.com

Ameca Valley, Jalisco, MexicoStoryteller Figure, A.D. 100/800

Art Institute of Chicago