Ann Handley

I like the innovative

approach of showing true personality in corporate IT.

“A key to getting people into a

relaxed, conversational state of mind is getting the right environ-

ment,”

♦ Align story and strategy. Tell a specific, simple story really

well, aligned with a bigger idea and broader strategy.

(Notice how I said personable, not personal? The CIOs aren’t talking

about their home lives or children or pets; the video isn’t personal. But they

do talk about business with plenty of personality. That’s personable—and

to my mind a sweet spot for business-to-business companies.)

As for the bigger strategy? That was to highlight how modern CIOs

Of course, the key to all of this—making words come alive, adding

a human element, and being personable and compelling—is to be

specific. To show, not merely tell.

analogy is a comparison that frames the unknown with the

known. Think of an analogy as a kind of gift to your readers that

helps explain a complex process or concept with familiar, relatable

specifics. In other words, it helps make the abstract more concrete.

course, your audience should be familiar with the elements of

your analogy. (Yet another reason to know your audience.)

At the same time, the best analogies have an element of surprise to

them, and they don’t rely on obvious clichés

Ground your data or your text in the familiar yet the surprising,