For the past two years (2011 and 2012), I shared my top 50 business storytelling and communication mantras. As I plan for 2013, I always look to my list to light a small fire of inspiration.
As you look through this list, see what applies to your life or what you want to apply. Write your own list of mantras. Whatever you do, make a list (short or long) of your goals and aspirations. Light your own small fire. Every so often read, revise, and contemplate…
Here are the Communication Mantras 2013 at The Chief Storyteller®. Think about this list and how it can help prompt new and fresh approaches to improve your individual performance and organizational performance as they relate to your written, spoken, and social media communication (e.g., website, success stories, marketing and sales materials, outreach/development, training and development, customer service, all-hands meetings/town halls, public speaking, conference presentations, recruiting and on-boarding, and so much more).
Personal Storytelling Mantras
01. People are at the heart of every great story
02. Stories are how people remember you
03. Use humor if you want to (New Yorker Cartoons)
04. Write in your authentic voice
05. Write and speak conversationally
06. Write emails as if they will be read on a smart phone
07. Tell more personal stories with relevant business messages
Brand & Organizational Storytelling
08. Promise a better tomorrow. We call this your Better Tomorrow Message™
09. Know your elevator speech / elevator pitch / mission statement (core business story)
10. Ensure your core business story is unified throughout all communication materials
11. Your brand story is everything
12. Success stories are key to differentiation
13. Social communities are built on personal and business stories
14. Deliver on the expected experience
Relationships
15. It’s all about them
16. Relationships matter
17. Business stories are the engine of relationships and relationships are the engine of continued success
18. Credibility is more important than expertise in the beginning of relationships
19. Send hand-written thank you notes, especially job hunters
20. Active listening is key to building great relationships
21. Treat everyone like a CEOTM
22. Stop listening to your Mother. Talk to strangers at networking events
23. It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you
24. Treat every client like your best client
25. Be a deliberate networker
26. Be a people bridge and make referrals
27. Be a mentor
28. People crave connection
29. First Impressions Make Lasting Impressions: offer a warm smile, firm handshake, and good eye contact
Marketing & Communication
30. Write to the 10th-grade level
31. Content is king
32. (Good) blog and article content matters the most
33. Ensure your audiences ask only “Interest Questions”
34. Content first. Design second
35. Always have a second person read your content before publishing
36. Design your website for your target audiences (not your staff)
37. Inspire Action: facts do not persuade and inspire, people do
38. Audiences are hungry for original thought-provoking content
39. Get yourself known (e.g., LinkedIn questions and answers, post to SlideShare, and Tweet good information)
40. Speak in headlines
41. Maintain a detailed Ideal Target Profile/Persona for your key target audiences
Personal & Professional Development
42. But is the worst word in the English language (and many other languages)
43. Words really, really, really matter
44. Have positive self-talk conversations
45. Change is a choice
46. Create your own success momentum
47. Be a student every day
48. Be a whole body communicator
49. Avoid fillers (um, ah, like, you know)
50. Be a deliberate communicator
Mantras Over the Years
2011, 2012, 2013 (this post), 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Photography Source: Unsplash, Johannes Plenio
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