What’s Your Story?

'Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. 
They are the currency of human contact.' 

Robert McKee

Whether I’m working with a client on their marketing strategy, pitching for an event or supporting someone with their presentation, my first question is ‘what’s your story?’

It’s the inspiring background, the unique angle, the way in to uncover and reveal that person; the key to profiling their company, product or service.

It’s what got them where they are today. Often these achievements are great. Sometimes monumentally so.

But I’m coming to realise there’s a reason we ask it at the start.

Because that’s just what it is.

A start.

A launching pad.

A beginning.

What’s exciting, what matters, what has the most power and promise is ‘what happens next?

Thanks for reading,

Michael Neaylon
Michael@mcme.com.au

Author of the forth coming book, 'Marketing Makeovers:
How to Bring in Big Dollars for your Small Business.'

Marketing Wizards

'A small group of thoughtful people could change the world.

Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has'.

Margaret Mead

So I'm listening to this video by David Meerman Scott to get the lowdown on his book 'The New Rules of Marketing and PR...." and lo and behold, it's the same story I heard from a friend on the weekend.

It goes like this. Cindy Gordon, vice president of new media and marketing partnerships at

Universal Orlando Resort, launched their new theme park, 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'.

But Gordon took a risk. She didn't use the usual old-world methods of advertising: Super Bowl TV ads, blimps, direct mail, and magazine ads. Instead, she told just seven people about the new attraction.

They were bloggers. Hardcore Harry Potter bloggers. Like Mugglenet.

Those 7 bloggers told tens of thousands of people. Instantly. And now, via a friend and reinforced through research, back to me... and over to you.

There are a few lessons here (identifying key players, thinking, thinking, thinking, taking risks, good targeting vs. high-cost marketing) but one that might just be the biggest of all is this -

You don't have to shout to be heard.

Want to create change? Create a buzz? Bring in new business?

Why not find some smart people, get them in a room and create a new story.... and blog it.

Thanks for reading

Michael Neaylon

Author of the forthcoming book "Marketing Makeovers: How to Bring in Big Dollars for Your Small Business".

P.S. More on viral marketing from David Meerman Scott.

Brand Stand - Our Fortnightly Newsletter

Hi, welcome to the fortnightly newsletter dedicated to making your brand, your people and your event a success.

Your Brand

The on-line world is in a constant state of conversation. It’s exciting, it’s exhilarating, but it can also be daunting. How do you keep up? In the events industry material can often come in at the last minute, whether it’s for an event script, team build or trivia at the eleventh hour.

Fine by me. I like working fast. I also like being specific.

The same applies for coaching a team nervous about their last minute presentations, or a business who needs to keep their website content fresh and their social media relevant. In fact, our Marketing Manager Jason told me recently about a carpentry business that went under because the owner was still using the Yellow Pages (general) but had not invested in a website (specific).

The key to working fast without compromising quality in any arena is to use old fashioned common sense for new technology. There’s more on this in an upcoming article I wrote for Spice Magazine. It’s the same whether you’re in the events industry, have a small business or need to coach your people for an upcoming presentation.

1. Define your vision.
2. Know your purpose.
3. Create a strategy.

"Surely there’s more to it” you might ask. You’re right. There is. Yet the more you practice this method, the better you become at putting well defined plans into action. Quickly. Specifically. Effectively.

That’s why this month we have an offer to help you fine tune your vision, strategies and action s as we head into the new financial year. We’re offering our coaching and consulting services for Small Businesses, Event Managers, and HR Managers at a reduction of 30% for all clients who book by June 30.



Your People


This week’s about the 3 P’s.

• Partnership
• Positioning
• Profits

There are many ways you can use this powerful combination. However, I have another P word for you. Proposition. I propose that you partner with good people, (even those that on the surface might be your competitors). Then confidently and clearly define your unique selling proposition.

You might just find out that you’re actually on the same team, just playing different positions. If so, cross- promote each other so that not only you, but also your partner, and most of all , the clients, can profit from the partnership.

It takes trust, confidence, and clear ground rules. I’ll be talking more about it at ‘The Perfect Match’ seminar for the Reed Gift Fairs in August and September.

For something immediate on engaging your potential partners I highly recommend ‘the upcoming Speak Up and Influence People’ seminar by the smart and savvy Michelle Bowden.

Your Event

Our experienced MCs are versatile entertainers who bring many skills to your event. We specialise in packaging our MC services to suit your needs. Each fortnight we'll highlight one of our fantastic performers. Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet Brigid O’Sullivan.

Brigid brings unique talents to her role as MC. She is an actress comedienne, role player, trainer... and she has an Economics and Law graduate of Sydney University. Amongst others, Brigid has worked with Commonwealth Bank, RSPCA, and the NSW Chamber of Commerce.

Find out more about Brigid O'Sullivan here





To enrol in the newsletter and receive 3 free e-books please click here.

Brand Authenticity

'And this above all, to thine own self be true.'

Polonius in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

This week a friend in the marketing department of an international company told me a story that astounded me. I couldn't believe someone could be so rude, so off-brand and so inauthentic all at once.

This person was a speaker paid a considerable fee (not that there's anything wrong with that!) to speak on the topic of engagement for my friend's company.

The well paid, high profile speaker espoused the benefits of interaction and engagement, saying how crucial it is in today's techno-dominated world.

Great. All for it. I agree.

But then this same speaker went to dinner with senior management and the marketing team and spent the entire meal on his blackberry.

Completely. Disconnected. From. His. Clients.

I ask you, 'Is this brand authenticity?'

Thanks for reading,

Michael Neaylon

Thinking Big

“Everyone has to learn to think differently, bigger, to open to possibilities.”

Oprah Winfrey

What sort of company do you want to be? How big a profile do you want to have? What kind of presence do you want to create when you enter a room?

This week’s blog is about vision. It’s about purpose and goals and taking action to make them happen. Consistently and persistently. The same goes for any marketing, presentation or training you do.

I achieve much more when I have a crystal clear vision of what I want.

Try it now. Take a moment to clearly picture your goal. Your outcome. How does it look? What does it feel like? Who’s in the room with you? Make it tangible. Concrete. Make it matter.

Perhaps its ten years from now, perhaps it’s five. Perhaps it’s a presentation you’ve got next week or a marketing strategy you need to start today to ramp up sales. How does it align with you, what you’re about and what you do? How can you connect with it?

Write it down. This is your purpose.

Working backwards to propel yourself forward, what is the logical sequence of steps you can take to make this purpose happen?

Let’s take a marketing plan with the outcome of doubling your income within 90 days. This is how you might go about it in ten steps.

Identify the exact amount of income you want to generate, and the date you want to achieve it by. This is your sales target.

Find the area where people are already making a lot of money in this area.
Using your skills or service, research the market to see if you can fill a gap in it.

In other words, locate your point of difference.

Make sure this market is somewhere that you can leverage your expertise.
Realistically assess whether you can achieve your target in the time you’ve set for yourself.

Check for internal and external obstacles that might hamper you.

Find solutions to your obstacles.

Read those last two points again. That’s where most people come unstuck. They think there will be no obstacles. When the hiccups appear, as they inevitably do, people give up. Plan for them, and have strategies to overcome them.

Keep going. Remember: be consistent, be persistent.

When in doubt, ask for help from someone who’s been there before.

Whatever you want to create, map it out on paper first. Good design is thinking things through, working small to think big. It gives you the chance to strategise before you take action. Choose your goal and be flexible enough to change course on the way to your destination.

That’s the beauty of mapping it out. And that’s what I’m doing right now for my new book, ‘Marketing Makeovers to Bring in Big Dollars for Your Small Business’.

I hope this helps you bring in big dollars too. By design.

Thanks for reading

Michael Neaylon
www.mcme.com.au

Word of Mouth

'Word of mouth is the best medium of all'

William Bernbach, Legendary Advertising Executive

Last week I attended a monthly ideaslunch hosted by Geoff McDonald. The lunch is great value, and it's a smart and savvy think tank.

On Friday we discussed word of mouth marketing. You might think I'm using it now to spread the word on Geoff's lunch. You'd be right. But that's not the whole story.

Word of mouth works, because we're more likely to 'buy into' an idea from someone we trust. But I also recommend you make it easy for people to tell others about what you do. Offer them incentives. Give your buyers, tribe, clients (however you prefer to define your customers) a reason for recommending you and what you have to offer.

To illustrate how adaptable this concept is look at how Missy Confidential does it with their 'Tell a Friend for Your Chance to Win.'

If you're doing charity work, take a leaf from the book of Big Brother Big Sister. In your first interview they ask you 'what do you think you might get out of the program?' It got me on board.

If you're presenting, make your notes readily available, easy to read - and share - no matter what size audience you're working with.

This is of great interest to me right now, as I'm dedicating a significant portion to it in my new book, 'Marketing Makeovers to Make Big Dollars in Your Small Business'. I'll be writing more here to share insights from the research.

So... how do people get your word of mouth out? Do you make it easy for them to talk about you? Would you like a few ideas?

Tell me your thoughts.

Thanks for reading
Michael Neaylon

www.mcme.com.au

Are You The Architect of Your Own Actions?

‘The most important thing a person can do is understand how they’re coming across, because once you do you can present ideas. It opens the game very big.'

Frank Gehry, Architect


This is a quote from the Wisdom book series. And yes, they're wise words. Getting feedback from people whose opinion you trust is essential for understanding the way you present to the world. Why?

* Our intentions don’t always match our actions.
* Our actions sometimes don't meet our intentions.

The solutions?

You can take an inside out approach; look at your intentions and your message and check in to see that they align with your actions, or...

Take an outside in approach.

Outside in is a shortcut that's especially helpful for presenting, and one that I learnt as an actor. Just because it's a shortcut, doesn't mean it doesn't take work, but it does help you avoid navel gazing or churning yourself up.

It works on this premise; the body feels, the soul responds.

By changing the way you express yourself (mannerisms, habits, tone, inflection, posture, stance) you change not only the way you feel, but also the way you come across to your audience. With me so far? Good. This is where it gets exciting.

It also changes the way people respond to you.

You might find your audience more open, receptive and responsive. You see their faces soften, so you crack a small joke. It works. You back up the joke with solid content. They're leaning forward now. You relax, they relax. Now you're talking. What started as a presentation has just become a conversation. Result.

If on the other hand you're getting feedback such as 'you're coming across as brittle', 'Can you give it more, I dunno, presence?', or as I once heard in a boardroom, 'Mate. You've lost me, and you're sure as hell gonna lose them', rather than beating yourself up or getting defensive, (or being sent into a complete tailspin) try the second approach.

Outside in.

Start by asking people two questions.

What do you see?
What do you hear?

Don’t ask what they think.

Why? This isn't therapy, it's communication. You’re looking for the things you do that get in the way of your good intentions. You're nailing communication blind spots that misrepresent your content.

Start with changing your actions (tone of voice, inflection, volume, gesture, body language) that match your intentions (your message). Work on what they're seeing. It will change you. It will change them.

In our coaching and training we give an exercise where people present to the camera and play it back with the sound down. Why?

The camera doesn’t lie.

By narrowing it down to visuals, the person doesn't get distracted by their voice. (We do separate exercises for vocals and content).

What's important is that often mannerisms we’ve been pointing out to people are instantly illuminated; they see what their audience sees.

Coupled with expert guidance on correcting the things that work against you, these simple techniques can open your game big too.

I hope this helps you deliver your message. Please let me know if it does.

Thanks for reading

Michael Neaylon
www.mcme.com.au

Show Up

"80 percent of success is just showing up."

Woody Allen


At the beginning of the year I said I'd be blogging every week. I didn't.
Now I do.

I commit to it, because I've invested too much time and energy into a business I'm passionate about not to.

More than that, a lot of other people invest time and energy into the business too. I owe it to clients to give them the best presentations and the best resources we can give. They've invested in our services. We give them a return on their investment. It's really quite simple.

But sometimes something as seemingly simple as working on a presentation or getting a blog out every week or making a phone call to a friend can be marred by a lack of confidence, a lack of discipline or perhaps a lack of priorities.

I agree with Woody. Showing up is a big part of being successful, but how are you showing up? What are you doing to prepare and who are you being when you get there?

Could that 20% left over from Woody's equation actually be your new 80/20 rule? Could you leverage your 80% showing up with 20% great attitude?

Yes, showing up is good, but showing up with preparation, presence and willingness is better. Much better.

Not just for you, but for everyone you come into contact with; your prospects, your colleagues, your boss, your spouse, your children, the guy at the corner store, the friend waiting for your call, the client waiting for that proposal. Whoever.

Show up. Be accountable. It's not that scary. It doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to happen... with a decent attitude.

Thanks for reading

Michael Neaylon
michael@mcme.com.au

Listen Up

When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen'

Ernest Hemingway, 20th Century writer


If you want to speak publicly - if you want to influence, persuade and engage people - listening is one of the best skills you can practice. In fact, I think it’s an art. One that can be hugely rewarding, both personally and financially.

Why? You give yourself the opportunity to see the other person’s point of view, and widen the aperture of your won. Plus, they’ll feel valued. Plus, they’ll appreciate that you listened. Plus, they’ll want to do business with you.

How? Empty your head of preconceived notions and you might just see opportunities you never imagined. This is not as fluffy as it might sound. One of the wealthiest men I know of – Felix Dennis of Dennis Publishing – recommends you empty your head before any negotiation.

Who? Everyone ‘worth’ listening to. Yes, practice discerning listening. At every given opportunity choose people you admire and respect to listen to. And listen to them. Try Ted

When? As often as you can. Listen for nuances and turns of phrase that powerful speakers use in their speeches. Listen for the clues clients give you in your meetings. Listen to the voice in your head, and check to see it's not cheating you by taking you away from the present.

What? Listen with intent. Know what you’re listening for. Have an outcome in mind. This goes doubly so for speaking. As for the integrity of that intent, I'll leave that to you.

Put simply, effective speaking starts with smart listening. Make your next presentation a conversation.

Thanks for reading.

Michael Neaylon
michael@mcme.com.au

Hello and welcome to the blog formerly known as PresentAbility.

My name, as you probably guessed by now, is Michael Neaylon.

Our company, MCME, creates interactive performance, marketing and training to make your brand, your event and your people a success.

This first blog is about presentations, and where else to start but...

In The Beginning.

What makes a good beginning? Short answer: anything you like - as long as it engages your audience. It could be a movie clip, an anecdote, an intriguing sound effect, or a quick quiz asking for a show of hands. Hands in the air can infact be a great way to do a quick survey so you can gauge your audience's response to an issue or simply a way of getting their attention. You could also start with a startling statistic or a witty one liner, perhaps even a magic trick – provided you can actually pull the rabbit out of the hat!

In movie or TV terms it’s the ‘hook’, or the 'bait'. Keep it brief, keep it tantalizing. Most of all, make it relevant to your audience. How do you know if you're doing that?

Research.

Ask yourself or your clients these questions before any Presentation, Pitch, Speech, or Creative Concept:

Why?

This is the singular most important question. It will also be the most important one for your audience. Why are they giving their time to listen to you?

In other words, put yourself in their shoes and ask ‘what’s in this for me?’

When?

Are you giving your speech at the end of a string of other speeches? Best keep it short, sweet and perhaps even funny. At least energetic.

How?

Don't get too attached to your 'how'. This one's for the creatives who get stuck on their big idea. (Yes, I've been guilty of this too). Perhaps it’s best to ditch the interactive Twister game you had lined up and go back to your original plan to simply stand and deliver. You'll find something in the idea you can use to keep it entertaining. Perhaps you use the Twister as an analogy or a slide. Either way it gives the audience an image to take away with them, and that’s the one thing you both want – a take away. You to be remembered, and your audience to feel they’ve gained from the experience.

By answering these questions quickly, imaginatively and honestly, you not only hook your audience, but yourself. The result? You're engaged. They're engaged.

Thanks for reading

Michael Neaylon
michael@mcme.com.au