Let me help you express yourself. On paper. Online. To an audience. To your boss. To your future boss. Let a fresh pair of eyes review your project portfolio for efficiencies to be gained, or gaps to be closed. Does your team need a productivity booster shot? Are you getting the best ROI from your tech suppliers? Bring in a fresh face to run critical planning sessions! Three things to think about... Let's start at the very beginning... All about Liz that is fit to print. Here are a few... People and Places.

Communications

There comes a point in every manager's life in which they have to write a proposal, or present their ideas. Most managers have progressed through their careers learning the specific competencies of their industry or functional area. Many have not focused on learning how to write or present well.

Let's face it ... getting your ideas down, or out to an audience, can make even the lion-hearted amongst us squirm. Procrastination ensues. Deadlines loom. Sleep is lost.

There is an alternative. You could hire a competent, experienced and creative communicator to lend a hand. If you choose me, here are three specific areas where I can be of assistance:

Putting Fingers to Keyboard: Producing Written Work

In the past 20 years, I have written countless business documents for third parties. These have included:

  • Request for Proposals (RFPs)
  • Project Proposals / Proposal Templates
  • Internal Reports
  • Speeches and Presentations
  • Policy Documents
  • Press Releases
  • Brochure Text
  • Web Content
  • ... almost every other professional-grade writing assignment you can imagine!

Increase your productivity by decreasing your anxiety about getting it "just right".

Making You Look Good: Presentation Coaching

I have been helping professionals make better presentations for over 20 years. I have coached deputy ministers and other government officials, senior corporate executives, academics, business owners and even one of Canada's premiere ballerinas!

Although coaching is unique to each individual, some of the basics remain the same:

  • Develop confidence and poise
  • Structure the message
  • Hone the style

Presentation skills are exactly that - skills. Anyone can acquire them with a little practice, determination and coaching. If you are ready to change your attitude from "fearful" to "enthusiastic", please let me know and I'd be happy to help.

Crafting The Message: Planning

Then again, there is that "pre-writing, pre-presenting" phase - planning. Occasionally, I have worked with clients who have forgotten to invest enough time and energy on planning, and have, sadly, wasted a good deal of money developing and honing the wrong ideas, in the wrong way. Good business writing should lead the reader through a logical, connected flow of ideas. Good presenting should do the same in a richer, more vibrant, manner.

Avoid the waste that results from investing in incomplete or unstructured communications. Spend some time up-front on:

  • Brainstorming / Positioning
  • Idea Generation
  • Message Structuring / Charting

It is invaluable to have a skilled, experienced, independent third party facilitate these sessions. An external perspective can yield fresh insights that can save you time and increase the overall impact of your work.

Currently, I teach Business Communications and industry projects (Marketing Capstone) at Centennial College and am committed to continuously refining my own skills through the process of helping others acquire theirs.
Pam Sloan Designs