Business Communication Archives

Say Good-Bye and Stay Human

You’ve heard about the wave of layoffs sweeping over the tech industry and swamping careers in the process. It’s about the same story at media companies, both “legacy” networks and newspapers, and the online-only entities like VOX are shedding workers in big numbers. One hallmark of the current cutbacks is the utter lack of humanity displayed. And I mean that literally. There’s no human connection in the career-killing. Employees are finding themselves locked out of websites, losing access to Slack, getting mass emails informing thousands of workers at a time that they don’t work here anymore. It's hard to stay human.

Catherine Johns | Feb 1, 2023

Business Communication, Speaking

3 Questions You Must Answer

3 questions you must answer. It’s an intriguing way to think about organizing our thoughts for a talk, a blog, or even a LinkedIn post.
I often hear from clients who find my suggestion of a three-part agenda for their presentations challenging. They have so much to say! It’s all important! And they can’t possibly narrow it down to three things. A three-part agenda doesn’t mean you only get to say three things though. It does mean all the things you say are organized into three broad categories.Why? Well, you already know about the power of three, right? People are more likely to listen, understand, and stay with us if we tap into that triplet rhythm. And listening, understanding, and staying have to happen before we can expect them to act on what we tell them. The challenge for speakers is to choose and organize their content.

Catherine Johns | Jan 25, 2023

photo of 3 question marks on a row of small wooden blocks or cubes over grey backlit with shadows in a conceptual image

Business Communication, Marketing

It’s Better to Stand Out Than Fit In

It’s better to stand out than fit in. Remember those word puzzles we used to do when we were kids? They’d give you a list of items like “Apple … Orange … Chair … Banana.” And then ask, “Which one of these is not like the others?” It’s pretty obvious the chair is the one that doesn’t fit into the fruit bowl, isn’t it? Here’s the thing. I always identified with that chair. I didn’t fit into the fruit bowl either. The sad part is that I believed that was a bad thing. If only I could be cherries, instead of a chair … then I could belong with the apple, orange, and banana.
Not just as a child, but well into adulthood, I often felt like a misfit. And just as often, I felt sad about being not quite like the others. Maybe you can relate? There’s a lot to be said for fitting in, and those of us who don’t, exactly, can wind up wondering what’s wrong with us.

Catherine Johns | Jan 18, 2023

Business Communication, Speaking

The Keys to Connect with Your Audience

Whether you’re making a sales presentation, speaking at your professional association, or accepting your party’s nomination, creating a genuine connection with the people in the room goes a long way toward assuring success. And a lot of speakers find that challenging. If you’ve been following the news, you’ve seen some of them blathering on Capitol Hill and on your TV screen. Here are some pointers from my 39 Keys to Command the Room and Connect with Your Audience ...

Catherine Johns | Jan 11, 2023

engaging speaker presentation 135763002 m

Business Communication, Marketing

Zero in On Your Difference

We’re looking back at 2022, pondering what worked and what didn’t work in our professional life. And maybe in our personal life too. Why not zero in on your differences in order to build on your successes and to avoid repeating those experiences that feel like failures. Try thinking back over the work you did and the life you lived this year and jotting down whatever comes up for you. It’s a worthy exercise, looking at the events and achievements that got us to where we are today. And, it’s possible to put this pondering to good use moving forward. You might want to join me and start with these steps ...

Catherine Johns | Dec 28, 2022