Paralanguage: The power of non-verbal communication

How you say something is as important as what you say. Paralanguage is the non-verbal communications we send out as we use verbal communication. Is it affecting what you’re saying?

Paralanguage: The power of non-verbal communication from Claxon Marketing on Vimeo.

Back to School with the 1,2,3 Marketing Tree

It’s the first day of school in our neck of the woods. Time to get back to the basics. Claxon’s 1,2,3, Marketing Tree gives you the basic steps for your organization to inspire action and engagement (i.e. market itself) in a way that’s simple, effective and fun. Yep, yep! Find out how in this quick video.

 

1, 2, 3 Marketing Tree from Claxon Marketing on Vimeo.

Elevator pitch – Door opener or Deal closer?

Earlier this week, I made the case for having a good Elevator Pitch. But let’s be honest: creating an elevator pitches can be stress-inducing. It doesn’t need to be! Watch this short video for tips on how your nonprofit can open more doors with a simple elevator pitch.

Elevator pitch – Door opener or Deal closer? from Claxon Marketing on Vimeo.

3 Simple Steps. 1 Great Plan.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/34927265[/vimeo]

Why plan?

Why create a marketing plan? It takes time, energy and usually isn’t all that fun. Plus, you have your plan in your head so you should be all set, right?

Wrong.

According to Kivi’s 2012 Trends Report, only 24% of organizations have a written plan that has been approved by leadership. And yet, writing down your goals has been proven to up your odds of achieving them.

With no written plan, you are at risk of falling prey to shiny object syndrome. You will hear about a new social media tool that sounds fab and decide everyone else is using it and you must use it, too. Or a board member will suggest you do a big PR push and off you’ll go, in full pursuit of the latest shiny object.

This is the tail wagging the dog. Maybe these are great ideas, maybe they’re not. It depends on your goals. Twitter, Facebook, PR, websites, blogs, newsletters, annual reports—these are all simply a means to an end. Planning makes sure you achieve your goals in the most effective and efficient way possible.

How to plan?

Now that you’re convinced you should have a written marketing plan, the question is how do you develop one given limited time, money and, let’s be honest, enthusiasm for the task at hand?

Enter the 1, 2, 3 Marketing Tree, a tool I developed to  make it simple for you—the mission-motivate of the world—to get laser-focused on your marketing goals and how you’ll achieve them.

The 1, 2, 3 Marketing Tree demystifies marketing and reveals the three questions you really have to ask and answer in order to reach your goals.

  1. WHAT does marketing success look like for your organization?
  2. WHO do you need to reach in order to be successful?
  3. HOW will you reach them?

Ready to get started? Download a free version of the Tree or buy the poster-size version (featured in the video above so you can see it ‘live’) and get planning!

DIY Nonprofit Messaging Bootcamp: Step-by-Step

Over 300 organizations survived the inaugural Nonprofit Messaging Bootcamp. Congrats to each and every one of them!

If you still want to get your organization’s messaging booty in shape, download the Nonprofit Messaging Roadmap and a Messaging Framework and then work your way through the blog posts and videos below.

We know you’re busy so everything is short and sweet–you’ll be in fab shape in no time!

Point A: Your Belief Proposition | Blog Post | Video
Point B: Mental File Folders | Blog PostVideo
Point C: Identifying Your Competition| Blog Post | Video
Point D: Unique Differentiators | Blog Post | Video
Point E: Engagement Proposition | Blog Post | Video
Point F: Pifalls to Avoid | Blog Post | Video
Point G: Top-Level Message | Blog Post | Video
Point H: Supporting Messaging by Audience | Blog Post | Video
Point I: Share & Use | Blog Post | Video

Do you communicate as effectively as you think?

X

Do you communicate as effectively as you think?

X