Claxon University Archives - Claxon Communication

New (lower) price for Claxon U!

June 30, 2017 by Erica Barnhart

The Punch Line

The price for Claxon University’s on-line training–Words on a Mission–is now $425 if you pay up-front, or $40/month for 12 months.

The Rationale

We created Words on a Mission because we wanted as many non-profits, do-gooders, and mission-motivated trailblazers as possible to be able to learn how to create remarkable messaging.

We did it so communications conundrums could become a thing of the past.

We did it because we know that effective communications leads to engagement.

To more funds, and awareness, and good in the world.

That’s why we did it.

Claxon U “students” have knocked it out of the park when it comes to getting results. Totally awe-inspiring what they’ve accomplished.

We want those results for absolutely everyone. We want them for you.

But recently we had one of those moments. A moment when you realize if you’re going to achieve your vision, you need to course correct to get there.

At $949, Words on a Mission seemed fairly reasonably priced. It’s about $25,000 worth of consulting all wrapped up in a self-paced on-line training that anyone can do. Nifty.

But recently we did a webinar with Vu Le and the topic of professional development came up. We asked participants how much budget they had for professional development. We knew it wasn’t going to be much and–wowee– it is not a lot.

$949 isn’t doable, even for mid-size organizations. So we decided to do something about that.

We sat ourselves down and said, “If the goal is to get this into the hands of as many people as possible, how low can we go and not lose money?”

$425. That’s how low we can go.

So that’s the new price. $425 up front, or $40 per month for 12 months.

We had to trim down a few things to make this price doable. For instance, we’re no longer going to do on-line office hours. But you’ll still be able to ask questions via the private Facebook group, so you won’t ever be stuck and not have the support you need. We got your back.

If you’ve been on the fence about doing this training, hop off the fence and into the land of communications awesomeness! You know you’ve got it in you. We believe in you.

Let’s do this thing!

Philanthropy & Toothpaste: a Free Webinar

March 17, 2017 by Erica Barnhart

Did you know that 71% of non-profit client needs go unmet? 71%. Ugh.

Meanwhile, individual giving has been stuck at ~2% of GDP since we put a man on the moon. And it looks like government funding might be withering.

To review: we’ve got huge unmet demand and not enough funding. #NotGood

What gives? There you are, doing your amazingly awesome work and yet people aren’t flocking to support it. You can’t meet demand because of lack of supply. Seems weird, doesn’t it?

Actually, it’s not that weird. Unlike toothpaste which when you run out of it, you quick-like buy some more because, ewwwwww, if you don’t.

No, philanthropy isn’t like toothpaste at all. People may notice that we have some Massive Social Problems That Seriously Need Addressing. But they don’t have to do anything about them. We’re a nice-to-think-about/do-something-about, not a must-buy-right-now-or-I’ll-creep-out-my-coworkers. That means we have to work even harder to get someone’s attention. It’s a very high bar indeed.

How can you–amazing, awesome person doing amazing, awesome work–hit that high attention-grabbing, engagement-inspiring bar?

This is exactly the question we’re going to tackle in this month’s free webinar. Because let’s get real: non-profits are being asked to do more and more with less and less. It’s not sustainable and we have to do something about it.

Will clear, concise, compelling communications solve all of the world’s problems? No. Not by a long shot. But bloated, convoluted communications aren’t helping our cause and we CAN fix that. So let’s do. Let’s get your words on a mission. Stat.

Words on a Mission: Mini-Course
March 30, 1Pm Pacific

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Resource Roundup: 7 Tools to Boost Your Writing Skills in 2017

December 13, 2016 by Erica Barnhart

Last week, I asked for new skills in the new year. This week, I figured I’d share what I already know with you, because #sharingiscaring. I’ve rounded up the best word-a-rific resources I’ve discovered — or rediscovered — in 2016. Enjoy!

Your Essential Proofreading Checklist – Proofreading means so much more than catching typos. Especially when you go from writing in your own voice to the voice of your non-profit. You have to start thinking about things such as brand consistency, tone, and flow. So that we don’t feel too overwhelmed to even start, Hubspot put together this handy checklist.
Readability Calculator – Sounding erudite is overrated. People want content that they can digest quickly, usually by skimming. Don’t believe me? Check out these stats. But that doesn’t mean hope is gone for your carefully-crafted content to be read and enjoyed. Use a readability scoring tool to make sure you can be understood on the quick — and by everyone.
The Thesaurus – Yes, this may seem obvious. But trust me, it’s not. Too many times, I’ve heard the adage, if you need to use a thesaurus, then your word is too complicated — or something like that. And I couldn’t disagree more. Just because a word isn’t on the tip of our tongues doesn’t mean it’s a bad choice. We already know that unique words get more attention. Which brings me to the next resource….
The Wordifier – It’s like a thesaurus, but better. Find out how frequently any word is used across nonprofit websites. Why? To figure out if you need to choose something a bit more dazzling. Also, you can easily find alternatives if your word does happen to be overused.
128 Words to Use Instead of Very – I came across this infographic earlier this year, and I kind of fell in love. Very is the writing equivalent of taking the easy way out. With so many simple yet descriptive words in our gorgeous language, never settle for very again.
Kivi’s Weekly E-Newsletter – If you’re like me, you get too much email. And most of it feels like junk. So, when something engaging and useful comes through the noise, I feel grateful. Enter Kivi’s weekly e-newsletter. While each week is full of great tips and reflections on non-profit communications, my favorite part is the once-a-month, timely writing prompts that can cure even the most stubborn writer’s block.
Claxon University – Claxon U is the place to go to get trained up on doing more good with your words. It’s an online course designed specifically for nonprofit professionals who want to up their communications game. Plus, there’s a special deal going on now through December 31, 2016, so I’d hurry on over if I were you.

What writing resources have you found helpful this year? Share the knowledge in the comments below, or tweet to us @ClaxonMarketing!

FREE WEBINAR: Put your Words on a Mission

August 18, 2016 by Erica Barnhart

Claxon University is hosting our first-ever FREE webinar on August 24 at 1pm PST. Will you join me? I’d love that.

If you’ll be on vacation that day, don’t sweat it. Enjoy it! Sign up today, and you can listen to the recording when you’re back…refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to get your communications in tip-top shape.

Now, what will you learn in this webinar that you might not already know?

The biggest messaging mistakes I see nonprofits make again and again. And then I’m going to tell you how to avoid and/or fix them.
How to make simple tweaks to your writing that’ll make people go, “Woah, wait. What are you doing? I want in on that!”
How to get into the minds, and hearts, of your most important audiences. Think donors and staff and board members and volunteers. (And then think about donors again because, well, they’re important.)
Etc, etc, etc.

This won’t be an “oh let me just turn this on and listen in the background” webinar. This is going to be a “oh let me have both hands free so I can take copious notes” type of thing. There will be time for Q&A, so you will also be able to get your burning questions answered on the spot.

Whether you join me live on August 24 at 1pm PST, or via recording post-vacay, I really encourage you to sign up for this webinar. It’s free. So pretty much a no-risk proposition. And you’ll learn a ton. The Claxon Team has continued to do research, and find out new things, and by August 24, we’ll be ready to share all our newfound knowledge with YOU.

Announcing…Fall Quarter at Claxon University!

June 21, 2016 by Erica Barnhart

All sorts of excited to announce that registration is now open for Fall Quarter at Claxon University!

Wait. What?

You haven’t heard of Claxon University?! Well, let’s get that sorted out right here and now.

Claxon University is where all the cool kids are going to learn how to create compelling communications. (Cool kids like these Claxon U graduates from Yakima Valley. Um, how cool are they? Super cool.)

Claxon University is all on-line. All at your pace. So you decide when and where you’d like to learn (thank you very much).

Why would you, a busy professional with plenty on their plate, take the time to do this class? Because you’re worth it. L’Oreal ad reference aside, you really are worth it.

You work hard, hard, hard every single day. You want to do the very best job you can. Every once in a while, that means honing some mad skillz you already have. And learning some new ones.

So here’s what I want you to do: take a out piece of paper and a pencil (or pen or whatever, but something).

Then write this down: September 12.

Because that’s “Time to Invest in Me” Day, aka the launch of Fall Quarter. That day, you’re going to get together (on-line) with other badasses who are ready to become communications ninjas. Fundraisers who are ready to rock their year-end appeals. People who are ready to unleash their inner awesome.

All the details are right here. The features of the program. The benefits. The dates. The times. All right here.

If you know Claxon, you know how deeply and passionately we care about teaching people how to use words to make the world a better place. Claxon University is no different. It’s all our best thinking, teaching, learning, and doing. All on-line. For one very low price. Check it out.

Because, seriously. You’re worth it.

[Wondering what’s up with all the bolding and italicizing? It’s my way of reinforcing what Claxon U is all about–you, you, fabulous you!]

Lesson 12: How will you socialize your message?

November 17, 2015 by Erica Barnhart

This is the final installment in our series introducing you to Claxon University, where smart nonprofits go to learn how to use better words to create a better world.

Claxon University’s first course is Words on a Mission. Each of the twelve lessons in the course asks a fundamental question a nonprofit needs to answer in order to develop high-impact messaging. In each post in this series, I’ve shared what the question was, along with a snippet from the video lecture.

If your interest has been piqued by these videos…check out Claxon University’s Vimeo channel where video snippets abound! And also learn more about the Claxon University community. It’s a pretty awesome community for dedicated, hard-working nonprofit professionals who want to do everything in their power to make the world a better place.

Lesson 12: How will you socialize your message?

Lesson 12: Overcoming Common Fears from Claxon University on Vimeo.

Posted in MessagingTagged Claxon University, implementation, introducing new language, role playing, socializing your message, storytellingLeave a Comment on Lesson 12: How will you socialize your message?

Lesson 11: How will you tell your story?

Posted on:November 12, 2015 by Erica Barnhart

This is part of a series introducing you to Claxon University, where smart nonprofits go to learn how to use better words to create a better world.

Claxon University’s first course is Words on a Mission. Each of the twelve lessons in the course asks a fundamental question a nonprofit needs to answer in order to develop high-impact messaging. In each post in this series, I’ll share what the question is, along with a snippet from the video lecture.

Lesson 11: How will you tell your story?

Lesson 11: Story of self, us & now from Claxon University on Vimeo.

Posted in MessagingTagged Andy Goodman, Claxon University, Michael Ganz, storytellingLeave a Comment on Lesson 11: How will you tell your story?

Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?

Posted on:November 10, 2015 by Erica Barnhart

This is part of a series introducing you to Claxon University, where smart nonprofits go to learn how to use better words to create a better world.

Claxon University’s first course is Words on a Mission. Each of the twelve lessons in the course asks a fundamental question a nonprofit needs to answer in order to develop high-impact messaging. In each post in this series, I’ll share what the question is, along with a snippet from the video lecture.

Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?

Lesson 10: Asking for engagement from Claxon University on Vimeo.

Posted in MessagingTagged Calls to Action, Claxon University, Engagement CycleLeave a Comment on Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?

Lesson 9: How will get people to understand what you do?

Posted on:November 6, 2015 by Erica Barnhart

This is part of a series introducing you to Claxon University, where smart nonprofits go to learn how to use better words to create a better world.

Claxon University’s first course is Words on a Mission. Each of the twelve lessons in the course asks a fundamental question a nonprofit needs to answer in order to develop high-impact messaging. In each post in this series, I’ll share what the question is, along with a snippet from the video lecture.

Lesson 9: How will get people to understand what you do?

Lesson 9: What kind of questions are you getting? from Claxon University on Vimeo.

Posted in MessagingTagged Claxon University, Engagement Cycle, questions, Understand StatementsLeave a Comment on Lesson 9: How will get people to understand what you do?

Lesson 8: How will you let people know what you want to be known for?

Posted on:October 13, 2015 by Erica Barnhart

This is part of a series introducing you to Claxon University, where nonprofits can learn everything I know for $949.

Claxon University’s first course is Words on a Mission. Each of the twelve lessons in the course asks a fundamental question a nonprofit needs to answer in order to develop high-impact messaging. In each post in this series, I’ll share what the question is, along with a snippet from the video lecture.

Lesson 8: How will you let people know what you want to be known for?

Lesson 8: Does your Mission Statement align with your Know Statement? from Claxon University on Vimeo.

Posted in MessagingTagged #Wordifier, Claxon University, elevator pitch, Know Statement, Mission StatementLeave a Comment on Lesson 8: How will you let people know what you want to be known for?

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