Communications

“When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two-thirds of the time thinking about what they want to hear and one-third thinking about what I want to say.”

♦Abraham Lincoln

Listening is the cornerstone to effective communications. Listening to the stakeholders who can impact your corporate destiny and acting on what you hear is essential.

Talking Points is an experienced listener. We can help fashion the best response to build credibility and influence.

Talking Points Accomplishments 
Fortune 100 Company
Charge: Help new senior management establish credibility with employees and the communities in which it does business in the wake of a takeover attempt and company recapitalization.
Approach: Created a face-to-face management function, placing senior managers in plants with an open-door policy.
Result: Senior managers earned credibility. Employees gave input and support. The leadership transition was smooth and turmoil was minimized.

American Red Cross
Charge: Produce – in three weeks – the one-year anniversary report post Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita, highlighting the organization’s Hurricane Recovery Program, and promoting not just a 125-year immediate disaster response role, but positioning the American Red Cross as a leader with a coherent and tailored recovery program built on community partnerships and capacity building.
Approach: Engage and coordinate a team comprising organization and contract communicators to design, write, edit and produce an annual report style publication, serving multiple stakeholders and reaching multiple audiences.
Result:  An 18 page print and web publication formatted around:
     •People:  The reason why the American Red Cross exists
     •Ideas:  The fuel for effective relief
     •Resources:  Daily sustenance that we manage
     •Experience:  A history of learning and caring invested for the future
Each section included context (pre-hurricane planning), status (current, one-year later), horizons (looking ahead) and point of view (perspectives on the evolution of the Red Cross’ people, ideas, resources and experiences).  Audiences included the more than 1.4 million served, 240,000 responders – 95% of whom were volunteers, current partners, potential partners, local, state and federal lawmakers, media and employees.

About Scott Carlberg

• More than 300 columns published (bylined, ghost written, edited)
• Authored Corporate Video Survival, a book about corporate TV studio management
• Ghostwriter for various book chapters
• Creator/writer/editor for three series appearing in The Charlotte Observer, 2005-2008:
  •“Check It Out/Check It Off” – A 9-column checklist series ranging from personal finance to technology to housing
  •“In Closing ….” – Business/sales professionals writing columns about selling
  •“Career Coach” – Business/personal coaches writing columns with career management advice
• Authored corporate outreach pieces for the Charlotte Chamber about the regional power cluster, research, high-tech, bioscience and Charlotte’s international community