Okay, first, this has to be said: the Business Communicators Summit sponsored by the Kansas City IABC was INCREDIBLE!
While I leave many conferences feeling like, "Oh crap, I'm so far behind and won't ever figure out the cool things other people are doing," nothing could be further from the truth after yesterday's conference.
Leaving Kansas City's Uptown Theatre at day's end after hearing Steve Crescenzo, Chris Brogan, and other great presenters, my brain was zooming with pages of ideas including some breakthrough ones which only seem to emerge during a highly-creative day removed from the regular routine.
Rather than writing presentation summaries, here's a sampling of innovation instigators from throughout the day.
- If you're in B2B, continually watch the consumer world for ideas to co-opt. People make every B2B buying decision. Appeal to what motivates people as individuals, not as businesses. And people care about people, so put actual people with genuine stories in communications.
- Great refresh of the tired old "Ask for forgiveness, not permission" quote from Steve Crescenzo: "Proceed until apprehended."
- If you've got customers who are spending time on social networks, then there's got to be a customer service dimension to whatever your company's considering in social media.
- A pivotal mashup idea from the mouths of Steve Crescenzo and Chris Brogan: Communicators need to be talent scouts. That implies looking for people inside the company who are passionate and ooze the brand. These are your communicators in social media channels, regardless of what department they live and work in. Time-saving tip: when you start your talent hunt, begin in customer service.
- Deliver people an artifact as quickly as you can, even if it's a rough version of a concept. People unfamiliar with new concepts will say "no" until they're presented with something tangible. That means you start big ideas before you get permission, and share tangible stuff before you get perfection.
- Customers don't give a crap about the mechanics of what you do. They're interested in recommendations, and most importantly, the results. Go there first and fast!
- Just like "-ista," adding "-ati" to the end of a word makes it sound like a bigger, cool deal.
- Great presentations are example and story-based. Are you (and by "Are you, I mean "Am I") taking dramatic steps to make sure your presentations reflect that? Now I'm completely rethinking a blogging presentation scheduled for next Thursday.
This is simply a smattering of ideas triggered by the innovative content on social media and broader communication strategy.
If you attended the BCS (and there were a few Brainzooming readers I talked with), please share what big revelations you had in the comments section.
If you weren't in Kansas City or were and didn't make it to the Business Communications Summit (go ahead and kick yourself - no need to wait for permission from me), check out the live tweet stream, while it's still available. Or as another cheat, here's a link to notes from Chris Brogan's presentation the day before.
Thank you KC IABC. What a day! So glad I attended. - Mike Brown