plain advice

“IT IS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO COMMUNICATE”

Chris BellPlain Advice

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS

Technician

Manager

C?O

3 months to a year

Up to 1 month

3 to 5 years

Conditions

Costs

Customers

is the company’s sweet spot, the sell-to point, where the money is…

TALK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

Technician

Manager

C?O

is the company’s sweet spot, the sell-to point, where the money is…

At last, somebody who understands exactly what we want. I’ll go tell someone else about this. It’s great!

COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS

VISUAL IDENTITY

is

• Immediate•Reassuring

BEAUTIFUL BUT STATIC

VERBAL IDENTITY

is

•Flexible•Evolving

OUR PLAN

WORKSHOP

What makes you Unique?

WRITING

Most of which ends up in the bin

The good bits are the bits we show you.

Then we agree which bits are in fact good.

OUR WRITING PRINCIPLES1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech

which you are used to seeing in print.2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon

word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright

barbarous.

Taken from Politics and the English Language by George Orwell

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

WILDPACKETS

The issue

The resolution

Engineering-led companyFixated on product performance and usability

Created stories around “Continuity, Convergence and Compliance”

AVAYA

The issue

The resolution

Used to selling IP telephony based on cost savingsNo understanding of new product sets

Created stories entitled “You’re too Slow” that were easy to follow and tell-on

BRIGHT IDEAS