What PR and Comms professionals need to learn from accountants
Powerful Communication Podcast
Comsteria is here to help every organisation communicate with power. And we want public relations, marketing and communications professionals to achieve their full potential. Subscribe our podcast for straight talking advice and insight to super charge your career. And for training and consultancy incouding media relations, presentation skills, crisis comms, video and podcast production and AI training for comms teams.
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In praise of Zoe Lister (Jet 2 VoiceOver star)
Powerful Communication Podcast
We can't let the summer pass without celebrating this Powerful Communication hero of ours. You might not know Zoe Lister (although she's working very hard to change that!) but you'll certainly know her voice. And we think there's loads to learn from the way she has proactively seized opportunities presented by big changes in her industry instead of sitting around whining. Have a listen to find out more and if you'd like to supercharge your own profile.
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Why PR and Comms professionals need to calm down
Powerful Communication Podcast
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Media Training And The Truth
Powerful Communication Podcast
Colin Kelly with reaction following the former Principal of Dundee University's appearance at the Scottish Parliament's Education Commitee.
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Dealing with nerves while presenting
Powerful Communication Podcast
It's perfectly natural to feel excited or a bit scared when you're about to speak in public. Whether it's a big audience at a conference, a small group at work or that strange sensation that comes with Teams and Zoom, being in the spotlight can feel strange. Sometimes, this manifests in physical ways. You might perspire. Feel shaky. Or suddenly acquite a washing machine on the spin cycle in your stomach. In this short episode of Comsteria's Powerful Communication podcast, Colin Kelly shares some advice on getting the nerves and adrenaline under control. We help people every day get their...
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Be Visible - It's No Longer A Choice For Leaders
Powerful Communication Podcast
The days of 'leaders' or any senior figure in an organisation 'flying under the radar' are over. You need to let people in, give them the chance to get to know you, and above all, spend time listening to them. This cultivates goodwill and gives you the benefit of the doubt when the heat's on. I think some senior figures in organisations shy away from media engagement and speaking in public because deep down inside they believe themselves to be arrogrant, elitist and out of touch. If that's you - you're probably right. And the bad news is the clock's ticking. But the good news is, it's...
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A story with a powerful hook
Powerful Communication Podcast
When you give an interview to the media, you can get powerful results by using a key statistic as a 'hook'. Journalists are trained to look for these as they can make stories more engaging and give them a sense of urgency. There's a great example today in the story from Police Scotland about how easy it is for online paedophiles to make contact with childen 'within 30 seconds' of trying. The use of that tangible number stops the audience in its tracks, gives the whole story a new dimension that we haven't heard before and is being used in headlines across the board. Here's Comsteria's founder...
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Kill The Jargon - How To Make Every Word Count
Powerful Communication Podcast
Here's a clip from a recent writing workshop delivered by Comsteria's Colin Kelly. We love to tackle corporate jargon whenever we encounter it. The trick is always to focus on your audience and challenge any words or phrases that they wouldn't use in every day speech. There are lots of redudndant, empty phrases uses on websites, social media and in interviews where the writer or speaker - for whatever reason - uses a jargon phrase instead of what they really want to say. Here's some advice on what you might do instead. Looking to improve your writing? Our is availale to watch right now....
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How to brief a spokesperson before a media interview
Powerful Communication Podcast
I've seen a lot of business leaders end up overwhelmed because the comms colleague briefing them before their media interview gives them far too much information. This is often done with good intentions (better to include too much than risk missing out something important) but it can have negative consequences because the interviewee can't possibly remember everything. In this episode of Comsteria's Powerful Communication podcast, our media trainer Colin Kelly shares some advice on how comms profesisonals should take briefs from journalists and use that information to prepare their colleagues...
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The QCARDS system for evaluating AI tools
Powerful Communication Podcast
Comsteria's Colin Kelly outlines his QCARDS system for evaluating AI tools. If you are thinking of using a particular AI software within your marketing, comms or PR role, consider evaluating each tool against the following criteria: Q - Quality. Can the tool do the job to a higher standard than I can? C - Cost. How much does it cost? Explore the limits and potential savings by, perhaps paying annually or accessing the tool via the API. A - Access. Does this tool enable people who might lack particular technical skills to do the job? Does the technology widen access to our profession or team? R...
info_outlineRule Number 1 - assume everything you say is being recorded.
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