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Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2020 issue of the Association for Women in Communications monthly newsletter, Communique. It is used here with permission. Interested in learning about AWC? Visit womcom.org We’ve all heard the term “Elevator Pitch,” that 30-second commercial that we provide when we meet new people at business events. That…

For 21 years I’ve led a team of what in our pandemic world has been dubbed “remote workers.” I am not a huge fan of that word, since I don’t believe it accurately describes the kind of collaborative work we do. But I do value it as a creative way to deliver great service to…

In business, many of us have heard of the 80/20 rule (aka Pareto Principle) that says 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Or as sales and productivity guru Brian Tracy says: 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. When it comes to social media marketing, the 80/20…

What was your favorite subject of study in school? English, perhaps or science? Maybe it was math. No matter the subject, we all shared in the excitement of school in one way or another and often found ourselves, especially with college courses, reading the catalog description to try and glean exactly what the course we…

Leaders come in many shapes and forms with various personalities, strengths and weaknesses. While the same can certainly be said of fathers, there is another underlying aspect to dads everywhere that in some ways is far more powerful than the picture of your average leader. Without trying to sound too awestruck, there is a deep…

Business owners have a lot on their mind these days. Among other things, they may be: Trying to figure out how to manage a remote team. Encouraging potentially nervous employees to come back to the physical workspace once shelter-in-place orders have been lifted. Reinventing how they safely deliver their product or service to customers. Realizing…

With more people working from home and sheltering in place, people are spending more time on social media – one report says global social media usage is up 21%. I know I am checking Facebook and LinkedIn more than I did before. But what I am seeing from some businesses is a bit concerning. Most…

Whether your company is open or closed, it’s still important to communicate with your customers, employees and vendors. But before you do that, you should be asking yourself: What does your audience really need to know about your organization right now? There is too much information coming out every day; it’s overwhelming and people are…

Let’s focus on everything that happens behind the scenes before you ever even receive a crisis communication. In other words, the communication itself didn’t just appear (like some viruses); it is transmitted only after careful thought and assistance from professional communicators. Understand that for companies large and small who are trying to manage a crisis,…

We all know the power of messages, the drama that beautifully crafted words can bring to telling a story. This idea of storytelling through a consistent brand message is so powerful that sometimes we forget the other key component to messaging – the visual. So, what makes up a great visual message? Well, what we’re…