Mastering Your Message: Recent Episodes
J Cleveland Payne
Are you confused on how to effectively craft and deliver your message? Communications Specialist J Cleveland Payne produces the Mastering Your Message, a weekly companion podcast to his online message training course of the same name. Look for a new episode every Thursday in your podcast feed, or at the website masteringyourmessage.info.
Your current situation may seem like a story that showcases an ongoing horror in your life or ends in a tragedy. That sad story can still be a source of motivation and may score new followers and customers if appropriately told.
2023 begins with a new perspective, and we've got some new ideas on how to move forward with Mastering Your Message.
A message is born from ideas, so ideas are important in the world of a creator. But the tendency for a creator to fall in love with particular ideas before they have been rafted into proper messages is a danger one.
If you are looking to build a following by spreading messages as an extended part of your life...you are in sales. Here are four skills you need to be successful in sales (and messaging).
The internet has made content distribution cheap and content 'inspiration sources' easily accessible. But those factors do not easily equate to an easy way to target your prime audience or easy to not become more noise and disinformation.
Not sure when to give up a project? This episode may not produce the a real answer, but it does lay the groundwork for how you can come to terms with the need to make the decision.
Being a creator means creating for the purpose of other people to admire your work. But how do you find more people to admire your work?
Content creation take a good amount of time and effort. How do you know if what you have to put into it will ultimately be worth it?
Becoming a content creator is just as simple as creating content. And also, not quite as simple.
Every time you tell a story, whether fiction or non-fiction, you follow a three-step story arc. Here is a basic explanation.
It is hard just keep creating content when you are starting out with little to know audience. Keep creating anyway. Your message matter.
The focus of Mastering Your Message is changing with the times. The focus in now on helping content creators get better at their messaging and processing. This episode is an explanation of why and how.
Inspired 1986 hit single "Rumors" from Timex Social Club, we compare the spread of rumors meant to tear down with grass roots moments meant to build up, and how the tactics used in both should be in your storytelling toolbox.
You don't have doubts about your message, but about you being an effective message of that particular message. It (mostly) doesn’t matter who you are and how much knowledge and experience you have, as long as you are presenting from the right point of view.
Tales of great fishermen and sales pitches from diamond level account execs are both just stories being told to hopefully willing listeners. You can help all listeners get into your stories with the right hook to reel them in.
I played an inspirational message from a thought leader I follow on YouTube. Ten minutes later, I stubbled upon anther video and watched another person deliver a near identical message of inspiration. They said the same thing in words, but did I actually hear the same thing from both speakers?
As you begin your journey of spreading your message, you will probably not be so lucky to have a solid mechanism for promoting yourself. This episode offers some advice on how to make that work.
When you are starting out and do not have much of an audience, you may think it is a time to be down. But it is actually one of the best times of your career, as you have the ability to test just about everting about yourself, your style, and your message.
Due to the restrictions of travel and gathering at the time of this recording, doing events ‘virtually’ is the only way to get in front of people to deliver your message. But the process is different than showing up to a live venue and walking on a stage to talk.
If you are given the chance to speak on stage, but you’ve got to pay a fee for the spot, is that spot worth paying for. It just might be.
When Mastering Your Message was created, ‘live streaming’ was not a real thing. Now, it is dominating message delivery. You do not have to do it, but if you would like to here is a little info on what you should do to get started.
Having gravitas is just a fancy way of saying you can speak into important situations as if you belong in the spotlight. Do you have it? Do you need it? How do you get it if you do not?
You have to master your message creation process and delivery alongside mastering the mediums of transmission that you choose to use.
Even with all of the methods of audio and video that can be used for messaging in this modern age, being in print, whether on paper or in pixels, is a great way to establish clout and a tried and true way to deliver your messages.
2020 will go down in history for a lot of reasons, with just one of them being the weirdest Presidential election the United States has ever witnessed. But this is not a podcast about politics. It's about effective messaging. And there was plenty to learn on the build-up to November 3rd, 2020, and beyond.
The simple advice I give to everyone recovering from a failure is ‘try again.’ But if you are working to deliver a message and you have failed to see results through a specific medium, you still need to try again, but you may need to review your message as well.
Giving a message is just telling a story, and like all stories, the more complicated it is, the easier it is to lose listeners. Here is an explanation of the foundation of storytelling to help: the Three-Act Formula.
Just because you are delivering one to many messages does not mean you can not have a little fun in a back and forth dialogue within your delivery. It takes some practice, but when you master having a dialogue within your monologue is a great way to keep people engaged in your delivery.
You can easily get started as a speaker by being a ‘master’ in the topic you want to speak on. But if you think you are a master of many topics, you will find yourself not getting many bookings to take the stage in front of others.
You don't have to be a globetrotting daredevil to draw people in to hear your message. This is truly about hooking in the fish, regardless of bait used.
You have the right to change your mind, even if you are the spokesperson for a certain stance that doesn’t take to kindly to people of an opposing mindset. And there is a way to be true to your new belief and still remain a spokesperson.
Silence is a powerful tool that allows you to work engagement into your messaging by littering giving the audience time to think and reflex.
I'm back. After a hiatus created by life and circumstances, I'm ready to take back the role as 'messenger master.' If you have to step away from a position for a while, you may find stepping back into the role of spokesperson daunting. It can be, but I will give you my five step plan for how I am reassuring myself to that role for this podcast.
As this podcast is being released, the world is dealing with the spread of the novel coronavirus Covid-19. This is a crisis that we are all suffering through together, but when this issue passes, you may find yourself having to deal with a crisis of your own. As a communications specialist, these are 5 crisis communications messaging best practices that you should follow.
Every so often I have to remind myself that new people are tuning in to this podcast and that we must revisit some basic themes to ensure all listeners are on the same page.
Your message you have worked hard to craft is tied to you for its delivery. That makes it extremely important that you deliver your message as 'you' consistently.
‘Going blue’ is an expression used by comedians to describe the choice to curse in their acts. This choice can change the direction of their career, and a similar choice by you can do the same for your career as a messenger.
The world's greatest algebra teacher and the world's worst algebra teacher are both trying to teach algebra to students. There success or failure is less about the content they have to deliver, but the delivery of the content.
Messages are easier to take in if the messenger has 'the look' of a person who should deliver a certain message to a certain crowd.
Just as your message has a target audience that represents those who will easily accept it, there is some sort of logo, mascot, or a person of authority that comes to be an easy representation of the reason behind the message. What do you do when the time comes to change that logo, mascot, or person?
Many people find themselves called to be a messenger, given the assignment because of circumstances that derail their own plans for their lives. This makes a message a target for their opposition, whether they expect it or not.
The bio we read to ourselves about ourselves makes a big difference in how you present yourself to others, and their ability to see you as authentic in your delivery.
When you a just beginning to give your message to the public, you may find few people showing up to hear you speak. That means you can say just about anything you want just about any way you want.
Continuing to show up to attempt to deliver a message no one can hear is frustrating. Here are three steps you can follow to alleviate that frustration and get back to delivering your message to the right people.
There are a few factors you need to understand to truly know what the best mode to deliver your message is to ensure the people you want to hear it get the chance.
My short-form podcasts are a success, but the effort going into their production takes away from time I would like to produce long-form podcasts and classic writing.
You have to prepare yourself for feedback, but it helps when you prepare your audience on how to present quality feedback.
Even a seemly harmless 'dad joke' can turn a crowd against you if delivered to the wrong crowd.
If you know a little bit of something, and that little bit is substantially more than those you are trying to serve or teach, then to them you are an expert. So you can claim to be an expert. But don't get lost with just how much expertise you truly possess.
Creating your message took work. Perfecting the vessel of delivery of your message to work. And the promotion needed to get the word out about you and your message will take work as well. And the patience to wait until the work can produce a return.
Despite multiple attempts to write its eulogy, email and email marketing is far from dead. You need to utilize email in your messaging on your message, even if it not as your main delivery system to reach your target audience.
You may have a powerful message and be a decent delivery of it, but it's not connecting. What can you do when you come to terms with needing help just to deliver the message?
There will be situations where you are stressed out by the process of communicating and desperate for chances to deliver your message, or to get a response from delivery. Learn the handle the stress with professionalism, and you will keep people from seeing your efforts as desperation.
Social media is a powerful tool that can efficiently and effectively spread a message. And it is important when using this tool to ensure you are delivering the right message and the message is being received properly.
...and we're back. Back with new energy and a new-ish focus for the Mastering Your Message brand, now putting an extra focus on the craft of podcasting, but still working to make sure you know how to get the drafting, crafting, and mastering of the main message, regardless of how you will eventually deliver it
A sad reality of life is that books are all judged by their covers, and bad books are often given the benefit of the doubt based on a misleading but attractive cover. Don't present with the intention to deceive, but a little extra effort to put on a good impression can go a long way in getting your message noticed and implemented.
The practice of journaling is an awesome way to keep track of information and work raw ideas into usable pieces. That makes it a great tool for mastering your messages or at least cataloging potential future message to come.
Taking the questions asked as you gave your message to refine what to deliver in the next event.
Secrets and lies are great for the characters of a story, but not so great when revealed in the story of your life outside of your work as a messenger. Too many inconsistent stories or flat-out lies surrounding your 'non-stage' self will ruin your reputation faster than a bad performance on stage.
You put all your effort into crafting your message and set up you venue to deliver . . . only to perform to a near empty room. This episode will give you tips on how to overcome a disappointing turnout and how to use a bad show to promote a better next show.
The ‘Big Guy Speaker Voice’ sounds great to you and seems like a cool tool to use in delivering your message. But it may not be. This episode goes into when you might want the magic theatrics, and when you might want to take it down a notch.
Headlines are a lot like hypnotism. They will only draw you in if you have some interest in the details you think are in the story. So write your headlines or talk topics that are intriguing, but tell what content you intend to deliver.
The power of an extended pause in just the right place of your delivery can make a dull speech more lively, and help a powerful message stir up the emotion of the crowd in the right way.
Demeanor is defined as one's 'outward behavior or bearing.' This is extremely important when it comes to the proper delivery of your message and your target's willingness to receive it.
There is no avoiding live video as a channel of distribution for your message. And whether you want to or not, you should do some live video. But know what you are getting into before you press record.
Unsure of why people would want to listen to you or your message? Now is a perfect time to evaluate your authority as well as your ability to deliver your message.
The venue of your presentuation, whether physical or virtual, has a real impact in your ability to reach the right crowds and offer the engagement they desire with you and your message.
Crafting a message for a group of people who aren’t the right crowd for your message isn’t impossible, but is never as easy as delivering a message to raving fans ready to react.
It is impossible for two different people to give the exact same message. But two people can give a message on similar themes to the same crowd. This gets confusing quickly, easily if they are sharing conflicting messages.
We all know a basic story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always have to tell a story in that strict order.
Editing will help you solve your ‘ugly baby’ problem. Everyone has an ugly baby problem with their message, and everyone needs to learn to fall in love with the editing process.
Your delivery method for your message has to work. You have to be able to send the message, and the receiver must effectively receive it. Otherwise, the message you send and the calls to action necessary are irrelevant.
You may never get a second chance to make a first impression, but fixing a bad first impression is not an impossible feat.
Your story to help you sell your message must be true, but not 'so real' that it may turn off the people you are trying to attrach.
The rhythm of your speech has a major impact on how your words are interpret and your message is delivered.
A beginning, a middle, and an end. The Rule of Threes is a basic tenant for delivering a message for a good reason. For more information, visit http://masteringyourmessage.net
Repetition can quickly become boring in everyday life, but it is the key ingredient to effective story crafting and telling. For more information, visit http://masteringyourmessage.net
We believe everyone has a message they are meant to convey. But does that mean everyone has a ready-made story they can use to convey their message? For more information, visit http://masteringyourmessage.net
Your introduction to the Mastering Your Message podcast, brought to you by the Mastering Your Message course and community. For more information, visit http://masteringyourmessage.net