THE 5 W'S OF SPEAKING WELL

For Public Relations professionals who are the spokesperson for their company/brand, they know they have to be on call 24/7. Today's communications industry consists of a social media beast that like Toronto and New York, never sleeps.

There is one industry though, that like public relations, never sleeps.. and that is agriculture.

Food never sleeps and neither do the stories (both good and bad!) that are associated within the industry. It is the reality of the industry and the beast that is producing food for a world of 7 billion people.

Because of my experience as a dairy farmer's daughter and my time in the communications field, I understand first-hand the PR wins and losses that can take place in the AG industry each and every day. When I think of how "on call" agriculture has to be at all times, it brings forward the importance of having your "voice" properly honed in and trained and ready to go at any time.

The AG industry is trying to move from a more REACTIVE to PROACTIVE way of communicating so farmers and industry professionals aren't always spending their efforts on putting out fires and  while losing vision and momentum on sharing the positives of the industry. When I am speaking to producer groups in agriculture, I always share the idea, "Why let others tell your farming stories when who better to tell them... then you?!"

If there is an important lesson that other industries, businesses or people can learn from agriculture, it is that you must always be on guard to have your "speaking notes" ready or in this case, your speaking voice ready. "Don't be caught with your pants down" as the saying goes. Here are the 5 W's to ensure your pants are always on in case you get called upon to SPEAK UP and SPEAK WELL about what you do, regardless of what industry/profession you are in.

• WHAT will you say: Elevator Pitch/Speaking Notes. Always have 3 points memorized about who you are; what you do; and the industry/group/business/passion you are involved in. People memorize information in 3's (Three blind mice, three piglets, three stooges, you get the point.. more to come on this idea!) 
• WHO will be listening: Know your audience before you speak and ASK who they will be. Are they consumers? Are they from the industry? How much do they know about what you do? Ask who your audience will be so you can tailor the message.
• WHEN should you be ready: At ALL TIMES! If you are the type of person and/or business that wants to be seen as a leader in what they do and wants to be called upon for information/speaking, you ALWAYS have to be prepared and be ON to speak or give information at any time. You just never know when you will get the call!
•  WHERE should you be ready to share your ideas: Through Every Medium. Be proactive in wanting to speak up. NEVER turn down an interview, phone call, or request for information. Have confidence that you KNOW what you are talking about. Don't let the story pass on by to someone else. Try and be a proactive speaker in all mediums (in person; on the phone;  through email; and on social media).
• WHY should you speak up? The question really is, WHY NOT?! In working with clients, I am often surprised at how many people don't want to take the lead in speaking up. This is something I come across often in the AG industry. Sometimes it is because of humility; other times its because of confidence on the mic; or being to shy to say something, what they believe is controversial, on social media platforms. Whatever the reason, know that we NEED more people speaking up. We also need more people speaking up properly in public venues and online through social media platforms. That is what the Passionate Voice is all about-- helping you to harness your passionate voice and leverage it where you need too, whether it is in person, on the phone for an interview, or on social media.

10 Career Lessons from an Aggie

In my world during my academic years, I was one of many "Aggies" at the University of Guelph. "Aggie" refers to students who are studying Agriculture at University. Being an "Aggie" and being a part of a larger family at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) was something I was extremely proud of and I still remain actively involved as an alumnus.

Last year I was honoured to be the Guest Speaker at the 2013 OAC Goodtimes Banquet which takes place annually every January. I remember feeling humbled and proud to return to an event that I attended just a few short years ago, but this time in a different capacity. As the person who could help share insight and thoughts to those students who soon will be graduating.

It is one year ago today that I shared my thoughts with the large audience and I thought today it would be fitting to share my speech in hopes to inspire any other twenty-somethings out there who are on their road to discovering what their true passion is with 10 helpful career lessons that I have learned since graduating.

10 Career Lessons from an Aggie (for Aggies)

10. Be a Sponge. Like a sponge, soak up everything around you. Take it all in: learn and grow!

9. Work for free. Some of the best real-life experiences (and maybe been potential job opportunities!) will come from times when you offered your services for free. You do get noticed!  

8. Leverage your resources-- get mentors. Seek out people who you aspire to be professionally and personally and don't be afraid to reach out and ask them how they go to where they are. They'll be happy to share.

7. There is no excuse to NOT network. There are simply no excuses to not network now that everyone is so well connected through online mediums and social media.

6. Roll with the punches. The best learning experiences you will have will be when $hit goes wrong and was unexpected/unplanned. People (including yourself!) get to truly know who you are as a person when you're under pressure.

5. Know who you are to give your best self. It makes everything easier when you know what your core values and beliefs are. These are the foundation to everything you do. Be strong in what you believe in and select a job that aligns with these.

4. Don't be a cookie cutter. The world would be a boring place if we all did/said the same thing. Stand out and don't be afraid to stand out to be different.

3. You can do anything, but you can't do everything. A tough life lesson to learn but true. At some point in time, you must choose what your "niche" or "passion"  is and once you do, run with it!

2. Live your passion. Love your passion. Be a passion. Share your passion. Relating to #2, once you find what you are best at and what you love to do, make a career out of it and become the expert in that field.

1. Always be an agricultural advocate everywhere you go. No matter where you go or what job you pursue and whether it is in agriculture or not, always take your ag roots with you and wear them with pride. We owe it to give back to the industry that gives us so much as Aggies!

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The Power of Words... No one could have said it better

Superbowl is a marketers dream. Millions of eager eyes are sitting in front of the TV watching the football game with the opportunity to be influenced between commercial break by companies spending millions of dollars on air time. Every year, it seems companies up the anti with the originality, creativity, and humour they use to advertise their products.

For the agricultural community, the following commercial that was played during this year's Superbowl fourth quarter was a powerful reminder of how words and simple images can really impact an audience. When I saw this commercial, it literally stopped me and millions of people in their tracks while watching Superbowl XLVII this past February.

Now I know I'm biased because I am a farmer's daughter and for that reason alone, the commercial for me was simply one of the best commercials that I feel has portrayed the agricultural industry in a long time. But, the fact that it also resonated with millions of non-ag people who said it resonated with them too now that means it was effective marketing-- way to go Dodge.

It goes to show that with the right words and the right delivery, it can simply change the power of the message. For me, it wasn't about watching the images that appeared during the video. It was about what Paul Harvey, the legendary broadcaster, said that was so dramatic.

There was no music in the background.

No dramatic images.

Just powerful words with an incredibly strong message and tremendous execution. THAT is what the passionate voice is all about. Saying what you have to say because you're passionate about it and without even realizing it, changing the way people see you because of how you delivered what you had to say.