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Experiential Communications

Strategic storytelling and engaging education

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Cornerstone Messaging Workshop

Clarity comes from key messaging, the cornerstone of an effective communications strategy 

  • Individually, are your stakeholders unclear about the value you bring to the organization?
  • Are you communicating projects, research and/or initiatives in a clear, concise and jargon free way to your targeted audiences? As a result, are these audiences taking specific desired actions related to your big-picture overarching goals? Or is it too difficult to explain and you are not sure about your objectives?
  • As a team, is everyone on the same page? If asked, would all team members share the same key messages? 
  • Are your stakeholders – whether internal or external – not responding to your communications across different mediums?

If you - a researcher, subject matter expert, L&D professional, or leader of a team / organization - grapple with any of these questions, then you should consider devising (or re-creating) your key messages. Messaging serves as the cornerstone of a communications strategy. For example, organizational “About Us” website sections and individual LinkedIn summaries should be based on key messages. Everyone internally on a team should have access to key messaging materials and then use them in their every day work so there is alignment. There should be a common thread between key messages, external visibility and your overall goals.

Our key messaging workshops provide you with clarity. This impacts all aspects of your work.

Internally, everyone is singing from the same song sheet. 

Visibility among 
key audiences


Message impact

Sales or funding

Growth

Employee
Engagement


APPROACH

At the conclusion of our Key Message Development program, individuals and teams create their own key messaging maps that are then cascaded on to communications assets and reflected in external dissemination.
It starts by thinking through the big picture. Formulating messaging forces one to think about overarching goals: what are we trying to achieve; what does success look like; who are the key audiences I am trying to influence; etc. 

Our workshops are designed to personify experiential learning (there is a reason we are called “Experiential Communications”). We focus on the 70-20-10 model for organizational learning: 70% of learning takes place from actual assignments; 20% from peer learning; and 10% from instruction. We apply this principle by:

– giving ample time to begin working individually on key messaging during the workshops and then providing follow-up assignments to ensure action is taken afterwards.
– facilitating peer-to-peer learning through group work and post-workshop activities.
– providing follow-up support post workshop so that attendees are progressing in an optimal way.

For all workshops, we put together customized training booklets including key messaging frameworks, tools and examples. They also consist of questions and exercises that attendees use to apply the learning to their particular context.

About Workshop Instructor - Kevin Anselmo

Kevin Anselmo is the Founder and Principal of Experiential Communications. He is the author of Maximize Your Impact: How Academics Can Communicate Knowledge Through Traditional and Digital Media.

Current and past clients include College Advising Corps; Duke Corporate Education; Duke University Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness; Geneva Centre for Security Policy; IEDC Bled School of Management; IMD; Montreux School of Business; Nestle; North Carolina State University’s Emerging Issues Initiative; North American Society for the Sociology of Sport; Seattle University; University of Tor Vergata in Rome; and VIF International Education. 

Previously, Kevin was Director of Public Relations for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and prior to that managed media relations for IMD in Switzerland. He lived and worked in Switzerland for eight years and in Germany for two years. Currently, he resides in Sarasota, Florida with his wife and two young boys.


Testimonials
:

"Kevin Anselmo engaged a sizeable - and initially skeptical - group of senior faculty leaders in a lively, hands-on workshop on enhancing strategic communication about research and creative work. Our group left energized, more confident in their ability to gain visibility for complex findings and programs, and grateful. Bravo!”

   - Rogan Kersh (Provost at Wake Forest University)

"The training sessions provided by Experiential Communications were interactive, effective and highly enjoyable. Kevin has a polished but informal and approachable training style that worked really well for our team. We are already implementing many of the ready-to-use ideas we discussed and have set in motion several longer-term initiatives identified during the sessions.”

   - David Young (CEO of VIF International)

”Kevin is an absolute professional. We invited him to speak at a training for a group of young social entrepreneurs. He provided helpful tips on how to effectively tailor a message to a variety of audiences, including the media, funders and the general public. He was very flexible and tailored his presentation to our specific group. I absolutely recommend working with Kevin and Experiential Communications!"

   - Maggie Woods (Fellow at Institute of Emerging Issues)

“Kevin Anselmo provided our faculty members with an all-day training workshop on the use of social media to advance their research efforts. Throughout the workshop he continually provided new insights on how these platforms can be used to expand one’s impact and visibility. Some of our faculty are quite media savvy, but even the most knowledgeable were learning many new things from Kevin. He is very good at reading his audience and moving things along at the right pace to keep everyone engaged.”

   - Joseph Phillips (Dean of the Albers School of Business at Seattle University)

"Whether you are considering Kevin’s services for help with messaging strategy or for media training, I give him my highest possible recommendation. Kevin’s work is consistently outstanding.”

   - Bill Boulding (Dean at the Duke University, Fuqua School of Business)

“Kevin Anselmo provided communications training for schools at the North American Society for Sociology of Sport annual conference. The training was well received and well attended. Kevin did a great job giving real examples that helped our membership make connections to their own engagement with media outlets. He was professional, well prepared, engaging, and most importantly very knowledgeable."

   - Theresa Walton-Fisette (Professor at Kent State University and PresidentNorth American Society for the Sociology of Sport )

Ready to take action? 

Thank you for taking the time to review this page. Let's set up a time to discuss how we can customize a workshop for your organization. I look forward to the possibility of working with you!

Contact us to discuss
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CONTACT: Kevin Anselmo
Email: kevin@experientialcommunications.com
Tel: +1 919-260-0035
8517 Cache Dr. Sarasota, FL 34240
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