My muscles are flexed and on fire when suddenly (and quite cruelly), a guy named Gilad on one of my workout DVDs cheerfully announces, “let’s take inventory!” The weight stays in the air, muscles remain flexed and on fire and Gilad goes through a checklist of all the things I should be aware of that are happening with my body. “Are our arms still at 90 degrees?” “Are our abdominals still pulled in?” “Are you ready to slap me through your TV set yet?”
When is the last time you took inventory of the words you use to communicate your message to your audience? Is your message consistent, clear, creative, continuous and impactful across all your means of written and verbal communication?
Let’s find out:
1. First, gather together the “scripts” from all the ways you communicate your message verbally – the words your audience hears. For example, your elevator pitch, TV and radio ads, and videos. If you don’t already have these items typed up, take a moment to do so now.
2. Now gather together your written communications – the words your audience sees. For example your website content, social media posts, brochures, and postcards.
3. Clear a large flat space and spread out all your words, both written and verbal, so you can seem them all at the same time. Feel free to use your computer or tablet to view your “virtual” words like the ones on your website or social media posts. The objective is to SEE all your words, as if placed together in a collage.
4. Take a few minutes to look at your words, ideas and messages and what they are communicating to you, without judging or editing. If your words did indeed make up a collage, what would the title be?
5. There’s an old children’s program song that goes, “Which of these things is not like the other?” Make a note of any words, ideas or messages that stand out as completely different than the rest of the collage (again – without judging or editing).
6. Grab a highlighter and highlight what you like. Use a marker to cross out anything that isn’t speaking to you.
7. Document the results of this exercise and any “ah-ha” moments you experienced.
Our goal here on the “Christine’s Ink” blog for 2012, is to add clarity, consistency, continuity, creativity and impact to your words inventory. If it sounds like a daunting task, take a deep breath and realize that this exercise was just step one. We have 12 whole months to accomplish the whole goal!
Some blogs will look like this one, with actionable, step-by-step exercises designed to work toward our big 2012 goal (“adding clarity to your website,” for example). Others blogs are intended to serve as creative inspiration and reminders that sharing your words is meant to be a joyful experience. After all, we have Gilad for the other stuff. Happy Impact 2012, thanks for subscribing by clicking "RSS Feed" on the right, and see you again soon!
Let’s find out:
1. First, gather together the “scripts” from all the ways you communicate your message verbally – the words your audience hears. For example, your elevator pitch, TV and radio ads, and videos. If you don’t already have these items typed up, take a moment to do so now.
2. Now gather together your written communications – the words your audience sees. For example your website content, social media posts, brochures, and postcards.
3. Clear a large flat space and spread out all your words, both written and verbal, so you can seem them all at the same time. Feel free to use your computer or tablet to view your “virtual” words like the ones on your website or social media posts. The objective is to SEE all your words, as if placed together in a collage.
4. Take a few minutes to look at your words, ideas and messages and what they are communicating to you, without judging or editing. If your words did indeed make up a collage, what would the title be?
5. There’s an old children’s program song that goes, “Which of these things is not like the other?” Make a note of any words, ideas or messages that stand out as completely different than the rest of the collage (again – without judging or editing).
6. Grab a highlighter and highlight what you like. Use a marker to cross out anything that isn’t speaking to you.
7. Document the results of this exercise and any “ah-ha” moments you experienced.
Our goal here on the “Christine’s Ink” blog for 2012, is to add clarity, consistency, continuity, creativity and impact to your words inventory. If it sounds like a daunting task, take a deep breath and realize that this exercise was just step one. We have 12 whole months to accomplish the whole goal!
Some blogs will look like this one, with actionable, step-by-step exercises designed to work toward our big 2012 goal (“adding clarity to your website,” for example). Others blogs are intended to serve as creative inspiration and reminders that sharing your words is meant to be a joyful experience. After all, we have Gilad for the other stuff. Happy Impact 2012, thanks for subscribing by clicking "RSS Feed" on the right, and see you again soon!
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