Better Storytelling with 3 Reveals, from Ann Handley

I'm still on the road to become a good storyteller, and Ann Handley recently offered a great tip. (A-ha: better way to connect with the reader.)

Total Annarchy newsletter: Yes, You Did See Me on MasterChef, 2023-Jun-4 by Ann Handley

Every story should reveal three truths. I call this the 3 Reveals (because I'm not great at titles).

THE 3 REVEALS

1. Reveal the writer to the reader: Help the reader understand the writer.
2. Reveal the reader to the reader: Help the reader see themselves.
3. Reveal an idea: Help deliver an a-ha moment.

Any story is a kind of partnership between the writer and the reader.

When one of the truths isn't present—a story falls flat. Feels inauthentic. Is boring.

 

A balance between all 3 Reveals is key. Over-indexing on one can easily throw the whole experience out of whack, like a wobbly wheel on a shopping cart that keeps listing too much to the right. You fight it—and the whole thing becomes annoying.

Empathy can be a Weapon as well as a Comfort

Empathy can be as simple as a speaking glance that says "I heard you." Or it can begin by asking someone Why do you feel that way?, then listening without making them feel judged. We usually use empathy to acquire allies, but it's equally important to understand the feelings of our competitors and enemies. If someone is trying to stop you, slow down and consider what they're feeling. Better yet, ask them.

Digital Tonto: How Empathy Can Be Your Secret Weapon, 2023-Apr-2 by Greg Satell

One thing I learned over many years living in foreign cultures is that it’s important to understand how people around you think, especially if you don’t agree with them and, as is sometimes the case, find their point of view morally reprehensible. In fact, learning more about how others think can make you a more effective leader, negotiator and manager.

Empathy is not absolution. You can internalize the ideas of others and still vehemently disagree. There is a reason that Special Forces are trained to understand the cultures in which they will operate and it isn’t because it makes them nicer people. It’s because it makes them more lethal operators.

It is only through empathy that we can understand motivations—for good or ill—and design effective strategies to build shared purpose or, if need be, design a dilemma for an opponent. To operate in an often difficult world, you need to understand your environment. That’s why building empathy skills can be like a secret weapon.

Don't let fear of ridicule squelch your ideas... even the "dumb" ones

The Maven Game: A Head Full of Ideas, 2023-Mar-4 by David Moldawer

Creatively competent people welcome "dumb" ideas. They love them! Contributions that are weird, cringy, tangential, bizarre, klutzy, catachrestic, or otherwise unexpected are the most useful when you're trying to get somewhere new, interesting, and valuable. Great ideas grow best from the fertile soil of stupidity. If you want to be smart, get stupid.

Now, you may not be surrounded by any creatively competent people. They may all sneer at your dumb ideas. Doesn't matter. If your collaborators, team, and/or company are creatively hopeless, all your efforts are doomed anyway. What do you have to lose? Build that blurt muscle. Bring a head full of ideas and fearlessly share those pearls with the swine. That way, you'll be ready when you finally get the chance to shine.

Blogging to Inspire

The Ahrefs blog recently inspired me with an article about 'reasons to use content marketing.' They made the insightful comment that content marketing cannot directly drive action. In addition to educating and entertaining, they recommended inspiring the reader. I've never thought about, and now I think maybe that's what I always should have been doing!

Ahrefs: Content Marketing Goals: How Many & Which Ones, 2023-Feb-27 by Mateusz Makosiewicz

Inspiration 

This is content that gives people “the spark” to act and achieve their goals. 

Inspiration is different from education in a way that it doesn’t serve complete solutions. It acts on imagination and emotion to show the possible or states an important question. Plus, it’s typically more influential than educational content. 

Inspiration works for businesses because it: 

• Allows you to reach people before they experience a problem your product solves and when they’re not looking to solve a problem. This allows you to beat the competition to the punch.
• Makes an emotional connection with your audience through excitement and enthusiasm. Emotions make brands unforgettable. 
• Lets inspirational brands really stand out. 
• Has the power to influence. 
• May make people want to come back spontaneously. And that’s important because then the content makes its way to the reader without any competition. 

Let her speak.

What to do when they won't let you get a word in edgewise...

The Last Word on Nothing: What I Learned About Interruption from Talk Radio, 2017-Jun-12, by Rose Eveleth:

I have been called rude, brash, prickly, harsh, abrasive and the whole rest of the words that are synonyms for “assertive woman.” But I do get to speak. And I hope you do too.

How to be a good listener on Zoom

I just realized that I've been making the dumb mistake of looking at someone's image when they're talking on Zoom. I should be looking at the camera often. 

Fast Company: How to do a better job of listening when you’re remote, 20-Aug-12 by Judith Humphrey

Listen with Your Body

Use your physical presence to listen. This goes far beyond using your ears to absorb what people are saying. Our entire body needs to convey attentiveness.

For starters, turn to the person who’s talking on the screen and physically align yourself with them while they’re speaking. This makes a huge difference. I recently attended a Zoom meeting and the host was talking to a small group, and one person was turned away at a 45-degree angle. She probably didn’t realize that the message she was sending was, “I’m not interested in what you’re saying.”

Use your eyes, too, to show that you’re listening. Don’t stare, but keep your eyes centered on the person who’s speaking by looking into the camera. Maintain an open and interested expression in your eyes. Avoid the temptation to look down at your phone, or around the virtual room. Focus your eyes on the chat line from time to time, but don’t let it distract you from the audience you’re addressing.

Use gestures, too, to show you are listening: nod when you agree with the speaker; move your body forward to listen to something you find particularly interesting, and gesture with open arms to acknowledge agreement.

When you’re speaking, bring physical energy to your delivery. The individuals you’re talking to are probably suffering from Zoom fatigue, and they need your energy to stay engaged and alert. 

Creative Houston is a 'modern brand'

Creative Houston is a venture to support Houston’s creative economy by providing evidence and experiences that help creative professionals in their work and their lives. We publicize information about resources in Houston. We also foster a better understanding of how Houston offers a superior environment for making a living through one’s ideas.

Since I started reading the writings of Ana Andjelic, a marketing consultant and sociologist, I've come to see Creative Houston as a "modern brand." Our goal is to leverage culture, build relationships, and spread awareness of a unique experience. Our customer is someone who has the time and resources to think about improving the quality of life for their community. 

The Sociology of Business: The modern brand OS, 2020-Jun-22 by Ana Andjelic

A “modern brand” is simultaneously a concept, a sector, and a business model.

As a concept, modern brands exploit things like culture, taste, creative identity, or one’s social standing. Modern brands gained prominence when the economy shifted from manufacturing to experiences, travel, luxury, and art and design. Modern brands remove nuisances of modern life for a privileged group of people. They invent products, like Thinx or Casper; services, like Uber or DoorDash; or experience like Airbnb or WeWork. They also feature cheeky OOH and social media ads. Modern brands’ hidden function is to create a social and economic distance between the culturally and tech savvy and the rest.

As a sector, modern brands capitalize on the shift from consumers’ accumulation of products to consumers’ desire to demonstrate appreciation for these products.... 

5 criteria for "modern brands," according to Ana Andjelic

• Awareness over accessibility
  
  • Instead of aggressively pursuing purchasers, modern brands focus on attracting fans who appreciate the brand's cultural contribution and will spread the word. 
• Identity over positioning
  • Instead of comparing themselves to their competitors, modern brands strive for a unique identity that speaks to sophisticated tastes. 
• Creative over commercial operation
  • Modern brands do not claim to manufacture a high-quality product, but rather to represent an exceptional product that raises the bar and establishes new experiences. 
• Brand is part of the balance sheet
  • Modern brands are managed as long-term investments, and all employees are expected to build trust with audience, helping realize a future for the brand. 
• Value creation over cost reduction
  • Instead of just scaling production to drive down costs, modern brands are constantly adding value, expanding the product line, improving service, and increasing the interaction between employees, customers, and fans.