Have you snored through one presentation too many? Or worse, given a snooze-worthy talk?
In this interview, Eric Bergman describes his cure for death by PowerPoint (or other slideware used badly). Author of the recently published book Five Steps to Conquer ‘Death by PowerPoint,” Eric gives us tools that offer a fresh new way of looking at presentations. Specifically, he shares these five steps:
Put your audience first
Structure the conversation
Minimize visual aids
Convey your message and personality
Answer questions throughout
You can listen to the conversation with Eric with the player below, you can download the MP3 file to listen later, or you can subscribe to this podcast in iTunes.
Where to send comments: Email donna AT Trafcom DOT Com or go to the Trafcom News Podcast blog. Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from Music Alley
In edition 108 of the Trafcom News Podcast, you’ll hear an interview with Sue Johnston of Waterloo-based It’s Understood, who explains how she categorizes communication styles into four personas: artisan, guardian, idealist and rational. Both in the workplace and in your personal life, it pays to know your type!
03:00 Sue Johnston’s explanations of the four communication style personas: artisan, guardian, idealist, rational; see her website for more information and tools
09:55 After you’ve discovered your own style, how can you determine someone else’s style?
People in the business-to-business (B2B) world finally have a book about social media marketing just for them. In this 26-minute podcast, I interview Eric Schwartzman, co-author (with Paul Gillin) of Social Marketing to the Business Customer. My favourite sound bite from this chat? “B2B buyers want steak; B2C buyers will settle for sizzle."
Listen to Eric explain how to grow that steak. You can download the MP3 audio file for this podcast if you wish. Or you can subscribe to the Trafcom News Podcast in iTunes. Or you can listen with the player below.
00:01 Intro and welcome; about Eric Schwartzman 01:30 Eric cites B2B social media statistics, and says that B2B social marketing is where the action is; greater opportunities abound for B2B vs. B2C in marketing today 04:00 Book includes many social media tools, not just Facebook and Twitter; it is the first book devoted to B2B social media 05:00 Rational approach to social marketing; need management buy-in; steps to success include socializing the organization, building strategies based on where the action already is taking place; the social media monitoring dashboard 06:46 Blog is the Swiss army knife of social media; allows you to include text, photo, audio, video. Fact that many marketers have switched to Twitter is a good thing for bloggers! 08:12 86% of business interactions begin with Google; importance of search 08:30 How Eric and Paul picked examples for the book; difference between B2B and B2C case studies 09:20 B2B buyers want steak; B2C buyers will settle for sizzle 10:20 B2B decisions are often made by committees 11:13 In B2B market, it’s not about making a splash; you have to swim a marathon because of the longer buying cycles 11:43 Relationships more important in B2B buying decisions 12:40 Podcasting can generate remarkable success in B2B; Eric explains why and how 14:15 News-oriented podcasts vs. feature-oriented; features have a longer shelf life 15:40 His favourite case study from the book: SAP Communities Network; they built a white-label social network with 2 million members, mostly system integrators; helping people in full public view 17:50 Counter-intuitive star ratings demonstrate confidence 20:00 Case studies in the book are NOT all technology oriented 21:22 How to be successful today in B2B social marketing – humanize your business, experiment openly, be tolerant to risk END of interview 25:22 Listen to this interview with Donna by Jennifer Tribe on “How authors and other experts can use audio products” (links to blog post, which links to MP3 and PDF transcript) 26:01 Where to send comments: Email donna AT trafcom DOT com or comment on the Trafcom News Podcast blog Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network (Music Alley)
Here's something special for the 100th edition of this podcast: an interview with Ann Handley and CC Chapman, authors of the newly released book, Content Rules.
You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen with this player below:
02:55 The content rules are actually guidelines; you need content to differentiate yourself online; WHY and HOW to develop compelling content – that’s what the book is about
04:00 The 11 rules are a great starting point for understanding content
04:44 Book also features a how-to section and case studies (or ideas to steal)
04:55 What about people in organizations who say that have no interesting or sharable content?
06:10 Content curation; find content you think your customers will like; you become the filter; add your own insights; ask questions of your customers
06:42 Ask customer service; talk to your customer-facing people to get content within your organization
07:00 You have to get out of your office; show, don’t tell
07:50 Your customer’s story is your story
08:01Content Rules devotes a separate chapter to B2B; everyone always asks about B2B
10:00 Case studies in book are pulled from all walks of life; you can make content on any budget
10:40 More about curation within the organization
13:25 About the book tour; check the Content Rules site for details
14:42 Let the authors know if you want them to come to your city
16:42 In their book, CC and Ann point readers to other resources, such as Steve Garfield’s Get Seen, etc.
18:00 Donna asks you a favour: What topics would you like to hear on the next few editions of the Trafcom News Podcast?
18:27 Comments are always welcome! Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network
Do you struggle with writing? Do you find it hard to get your thoughts on paper? Or are your readers struggling with your writing? In either case, you’ll want to hear this conversation with Barb Sawyers of Sticky Communication, author of Write Like you Talk , Only Better.
You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen with the player right here:
Here are the show notes:
00:01 Intro and welcome; what would you like to hear in Trafcom News Podcast 100?
01:58 Why do we complicate our writing with dense jargon? It starts in public school.
03:00 What is the solution? Write like you talk.
04:58 Barb reminds people to think through what they’re going to say; be sure to appeal to your audience; make your writing interesting, short. Look for your common errors.
06:08 The value of simple, clear writing.
06:48 If you write like you talk, your job will be easier and more fun.
07:08 Bonding with your reader.
08:00 Some people insist on indulging in corporate-speak.
08:45 Is it possible to go too far and be too casual? Yes. It depends on the audience.
10:00 Barb’s book is an invaluable tool for bloggers, who really need to show their personality in their writing.
Have you ever thought of writing a non-fiction book? You’ve come to the right place. In this 24-minute podcast, you’ll meet The Author-izer, Sallie Goetsch, who helps turn experts into authors.
Listen to Sallie’s wise advice about the value of having a book under your belt, and how the process of working with a ghostwriter works.
You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen with the player right here:
Here are the show notes:
00:01 Intro and welcome; about Sallie Goetsch 02:00 More and more people are looking to write books; the value of having written a book; most business people write a book not so much to make money from its sales, but to reach potential customers and establish their credibility. 03:39 Positioning yourself as an expert with your book; but your book has to be GOOD! 04:44 If your book is really good, most people don’t care who your publisher is. 05:25 You can shoot yourself in the foot by publishing a book that’s not ready for prime time. 05:50 You’ll find typos even in books published by mainstream publishers. 06:45 It may cost a publishing house more than $50,000 to produce your book. If it costs you $10,00 in editors and designers and production costs, you may be getting a pretty good deal. 07:18 How can a ghostwriter help someone who has a book idea? Sallie describes the process of working from the potential author’s ideas, notes, etc. The ghost may record and transcribe interviews, and create an overall structure for the book. 08:40 A good ghostwriter will capture the author’s voice. 09:00 You may decide to take your idea to a publisher as a proposal, or publish it yourself. 09:30 The size of your platform is important; who is going to buy your book? 11:42 The deeper you’re in a discipline, the harder it is to write at an introductory level. 13:00 How to get organized before even speaking to the ghostwriter; fallacy that you can move from first draft into proofreading; flow and structural issues usually have to be corrected first. 15:30 Some of Sallie’s clients aren’t all that interested in writing, OR they are competent writers but don’t want to take the time away from their business. 16:29 Sallie’s advice to would-be writers: If you really have something that you want to share with people, and you can’t get to all those people one-on-one or through speaking engagements, then you probably need an ebook, a book, or a CD or some way to deliver your message. And you probably need help to do it. 17:01 Working with a ghostwriter is still work. You need to make time for him or her. 19:00 Sallie answers a question from holistic health coach MJ McConnell about whether a first-time author should publish an ebook; you can read Sallie's blog post here. 22:20 Comment on Trafcom News Podcast 97 from Will Norman, who has started a podcast called DaVinci’s Waking Dream 22:33 Most of us DO have a voice for podcasting! 23:11 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.
You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of this page.
Here are the show notes:
00:01 Intro and welcome 00:45 About the new Jump Start series of workshops on digital and social media; visit TrafcomDigital for details and to register. 02:11 About Susan Getgood; Marketing Roadmaps blog 03:15 Blogging seems to be surging in popularity; Susan’s advice for starting a blog 03:58 What blogs are best at; why they have to fit your marketing strategy 04:45 Bloggers need a niche 05:45 Pick the communication tool that fits your personality or company culture; it might not be blogging 06:30 Which tool is best for your goal and your audience? 07:00 Advice from Susan on blogging frequency; mix long and short form; keep your commitment to your readers 08:20 Value of an editorial calendar 08:55 Why not stockpile posts? 09:20 How have Twitter and Facebook affected blogging? 11:12 There are 500 million people on Facebook: Fish where the fish are 11:37 Susan’s book shows you how to use the various social media tools 12:44 Always keep in mind WHO you’re writing for 13:40 Achieving your blogging dreams 14:36 Comment on Trafcom News Podcast 96 on LinkedIn from Will Norman. 14:57 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.
In this 23-minute podcast, you’ll hear Mitch Joel, president of Twist Image, talk about Six Pixels of Separation, the first book to integrate digital marketing, social media, personal branding and entrepreneurship, all in a very accessible way. You will find Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation blog here and podcast here.
Here are the show notes: Comment line: 212-624-0209
00:01 Intro and welcome 02:30 Funny that a new media guy is getting a lot of attention with a printed book. 02:55 This is a WHY book, not a HOW book, about new media, social media and personal branding, from a business person’s perspective. 03:20 Mitch Joel wrote this book to focus on WHY; strategy tied to business goals. As the author, he was a business guy, not a marketing guy. 06:00 In praise of slow: a ripple, not a splash. 09:45 What would Mitch say to someone who is looking for a short cut? The answer: When did it not become a business owner’s responsibility to engage with customers? 13:00Six Pixels of Separation ends with practical advice. 13:45 Start with small steps like setting up alerts in Google Reader. 16:44 Mitch’s next book may be about the great un-tethering; what does freedom from wires really mean? 19:00Six Pixels of Separation is also a roadmap of how Mitch built his business. 20:00 Mitch thanks Donna for introducing him to podcasting. BONUS: Here is that first interview. 21:27 Comment from Grizzly Smith on Trafcom News Podcast 89. 22:00 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.
I chatted with Shel at a geek dinner in Toronto in late June. Plus, you’ll hear a few tidbits about Podcasters Across Borders 2007, recently held in Kingston, Ontario.
If you’re interested in podcasting, particularly in podcasting for business, you’ll want to hear this interview with my podcasting hero, 
