Conversations Without A Net

Messaging is critical to personal branding and career success. Yet, in the early stages of developing and using clear and consistent messages, it’s all too easy to rely on scripted talking points the way a trapeze artist relies on a net. However, as life coach Gail Blanke points out in the August 2008 issue of Real Simple magazine, “we live in an unscripted world.” Drawing from the many rules of improv, in her article, “How to Think on Your Feet,” Gail cites three core principles with examples of how to apply them. They are:

The “yes…and” technique. Here partners in a dialogue take what they are given and add new information to advance the scene into new territory.  It can be a great way to move a conversation in an insightful direction. So, when a person you are speaking with mentions a problem or challenge that falls within your area of expertise, you can acknowledge (“yes…”) before adding (“…and…”) new, relevant, and useful information. 

Go with your gut. Just as improv actors trust their first intuitive thought, so should you. When engaging others authentically, you can’t go too far wrong in trusting your instincts as you interact. Besides, what you say is not immediately set in stone, so you can always ask for clarification to refine your response. The greater your brand clarity, the more likely your responses will be on target.

Make everyone else in your group look good. The fundamental idea here is that you’re nothing, and there is no conversation, without somebody else. So, it’s good practice to always acknowledge others in your group – which can be as small as you and the one other person you’re interacting with. Of course, putting principles of improv aside, a great way to acknowledge others is to strive to be interested (by listening and asking questions), not interesting (by dominating conversation).

Like great improv, great brands are stories that develop in conversations. Since the best stories happen beyond the edges of the script, consider ways  you can use improv to advance your brand conversations in creative ways in a variety of media – and without a net!

Cross-posted at The Personal Branding Blog

Comments

[Anita Bruzzese]

Walter,
Great post! I sometimes fear that we're losing the art of great conversation merely because we don't have enough of them face-to-face. Can we practice these ideas via technology only? You have to wonder...

[Walter Akana]

Hi Anita!
Thanks for your comment. I share the same fear, at times – and for a variety of reasons. Yet, the central task to change that, in my opinion, is for people to engage in conversation for relationship building and not marketing! I do think there needs to be room for person-to-person, real time conversations. Yet, interest in and acknowledgement of others can happen across media!

[Miriam Salpeter]

Walter -
Excellent points!
The art of conversation. Sometimes we forget that it has so much to do with listening. I think one key to strong communication is to know yourself well. Confident, unrehearsed (two-way) communication is much easier when not second-guessing one's own message!

Miriam Salpeter

[Walter Akana]

Hi Miriam!
Thanks for your comment! You’re so right about listening; it’s the basis for the kind of great conversations that are the foundation of great relationships. Also, I do think, that despite the attention we need to pay to messaging as we being to express our brand (or prepare a 30 second elevator pitch!), we do need to work toward more confident, unrehearsed, two-way communication. As well, I’m beginning to see we can have those conversation face-to-face and across social media and build strong relationships. Ah, but that’s probably another blog post!