Tips on being heard
Before you start to put it all together, take everything you’ve learned about communicating in a corporate environment…and toss it out the window. “Don’t be a victim of professionalitis, that’s using big words that really don’t mean anything, because people tune that out,” advises Tsufit.

Find the colour in what you do in order to distinguish it from a business world that deals mostly in black and white. Use metaphors, visuals and words that speak to a benefit people can connect with—as that’s what will bring anything you say to life.

Tsufit and O’Connor, though working independently, provided the same guidelines for creating an effective commercial:

• Speak in visuals; don’t use words that you can’t see
• Talk to people in payoff/impact terms, not task-oriented administrivia (give them the “so what?” of what it is that you do)
• Work backwards: talk through your commercial and then write it down, as most people do not write and speak the same way
• Leave the list for the groceries and remember your three elements

"Don’t rehearse it to death," advises O'Connor. "if it’s memorized instead of improvised, it will lose its spark."

On this point, Tsufit disagrees—perhaps because of her background as an actress/comedienne. "Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse," she says. "In the car. In the shower.... Rehearse. The better rehearsed you are, the more spontaneous you'll sound."

Whichever rehearsal method you choose, expect trial and error as you craft your words with care. But not using any commercial at all as you wait for perfection isn’t recommended. “You have to try them on to see if they fit, just like items you want to add to a wardrobe,” Tsufit laughs.

Leaving this tool sitting in your proverbial business toolkit means missed opportunities and little chance of generating buzz. O’Connor puts it this way: “When a commercial connects with people, they get it, remember it and pass it on. Without your 30-second speech, you do not have grassroots marketing, and you do not have word-of-mouth working for you.”

Your commercial wardrobe
Taking the same commercial from the boardroom to a luncheon and then a backyard barbecue is about as appropriate as wearing the same floor-length gown while you’re saying it. As Tsufit mentioned earlier, having a commercial wardrobe at your disposal helps you focus on different facets of your business—such as prospecting or promoting an upcoming event —while still conveying your core message. Think of your core message as your signature item, like a favourite necklace or scarf that accessorizes whichever outfit you’re wearing at the time.

It’s also about conveying a message that’s appropriate for your needs. “If you want to earn $50K, $75K…name your salary or price,” says O’Connor, “and your next connection depended upon your 30-second commercial, is it a fifty-thousand-dollar sound bite?”

Whether you dress them up or down, consider your words as the outfit you wear to present yourself in the best possible light—even if you have a penchant for fishnets. In closing, Tsufit adds this simple advice: “Forget long-term relationships; the right commercial will connect you with potential clients immediately.”

How’s that for inspiration? Now do yourself a favour and get that commercial to air as soon as possible.

For more information on Tsufit, visit www.stepintothespotlight.com and for Lynne O’Connor, visit www.advancedcareercoaching.com.

*not her real name

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