Telling that story and speaking with passion are skills that can be mastered. Sharing that message broadly can impact the world.
As a journalist and public relations consultant who is constantly on the lookout for people who have great stories to tell, I drew closer to find out what it was about this woman and her product or service that was so compelling. My curiosity level shot even higher when I felt a spark of familiarity.
And that’s when I saw them. On the counter next to her and in her hand were these beautifully polished metal objects. You could tell just by looking at them that they had heft. They were about an inch-and-a-half long and came to a point. “Jewelry!” I thought. “Beautiful, metallic jewelry. Earrings. Pendants. What a statement they made!”
I had no idea.
And this woman, she was a magnetic force in her own right. I was pulled in closer.
She was saying something like, “These don’t exit. They are designed to tumble and spin and continue to cause damage.”
“Wait. What does this jewelry do?” I was confused.
As I leaned in to hold one of these shiny, weighty things, something like the sound of a hammer on a gun being pulled back clicked for me. These were bullets. Bullets that made a statement. Then another click, as I studied her eyes, her jawline, her voice.
This was JoJo (not her real nickname), a shy girl I knew from grade school. Thrilled with the joy of seeing a childhood friend, I excitedly called out, “JoJo!” – the only name I knew her by.
What followed pierced my heart. Her eyes darted my way in what looked like panic and sheer terror. She froze. My instinct to rush in for an embrace also froze. Her crowd dissipated. It felt like we had entered the vacuum of some weird time warp. I was a threat, someone from her sad past, dredging up memories and pain that she had carefully buried and locked away decades ago.
JoJo had been mercilessly bullied. She was a year or so younger than me. I wasn’t aware of the deep hurt she suffered every day at the bus stop, in the classroom, on the playground. Everywhere. I knew this because she told me. She explained she didn’t go by “JoJo” anymore. And she told me why. The stabbing pain in my heart dropped to my stomach when I realized what seeing me had done to her, all over again.
We finally embraced. I told her I was proud of her and stepped away so she could recover. And she did. Moments later, a new crowd of women was drawn in, captivated by her knowledge, her confidence, her passion. Before my eyes, JoJo had time-traveled and transformed from a frightened little girl to a powerful, strong woman driven to help other women feel safe. The sleek bullet she held in her exquisitely manicured hand would not just wound or anger a threat; it would eliminate it.
JoJo was passionately speaking to women who never wanted to feel frightened, weak, vulnerable and helpless. And they listened. The message landed and stuck.
When you speak with passion to your target audience, your message is received on a level that hits deep. Like JoJo’s products, it doesn’t exit. It stays with you.
That’s what passionately speaking does. In business, passionately speaking has the power to captivate an audience and to resonate with potential clients and customers. We all have a story to tell. There’s a reason we do what we do. Telling that story and speaking with passion are skills that can be mastered. Sharing that message broadly can impact the world.
In February, I am hosting a unique immersive media relations retreat in Sedona for women. Participants will have the rare opportunity to spend time with globally powerful, successful mentors such as the first newswoman inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame, anchorwoman Mary Jo West, FOX 10 Weekend News Co-Anchor Linda Williams, Expression Expert Bobbie Casalino Lewis, journalist, author and storyteller Lisa Schnebly-Heidinger, Peak Potential business coach Colleen Biggs and clinical hypnotherapist Rosemary Powell. QCBN
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
Find out more about how to receive “Your First-Class Ticket to the News Media World” at MediaRelationsWorkshop.com or contact Bonnie Stevens at bonnie.stevens@gmail. com.
Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.
