Stretch or stagnate

Photo: Tommy Wong (CC)

I am not a graphic designer. But I designed a logo for a friend’s new site in 15 minutes this weekend. For fun.

I am not an actor. But I work on smiling and emoting in my presentations.

I am not a jock. But I learned to love working out three times a week.

I am not a salesman. But I got advice from a top sales coach, read his book and put his tips into practice.

I am not an extrovert. But I go to coffee meetings and networking events every week, even when I don’t feel like it.

I am not an Instagrammer. But I share and Like photos as part of my new daily routine.

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Long ago, I learned that getting better at communication meant stretching. I couldn’t do the same thing over and over and expect to reach more people over time.

I pushed reporters to look for new ideas and angles. I set out to find better ways to run projects that had worked fine for 10 years. I learned a new skill here and there.

I didn’t sit still.

Your message will stagnate over time. Your audience will shrink.

Both are avoidable.

Some things we do to stretch, to exercise our imaginations, to see what’s possible. We can and do fail, and we should do so as often as possible. Failure is unmatched as a teacher.

If you want to improve your marketing, your public relations, your customer service, your blogging, you must stretch. You must put your little toe outside of your comfort zone every damn day.

Your comfort zone grows slightly larger. And thus, you must stretch a little more the next day.

And soon, your communication will feel effortless.

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I’ve been helping companies successfully grow
their communication comfort zones for
more than 20 years.

Can I help you?