Kay Koplovitz - DiResta Communications Inc.

Kay Koplovitz
LE ADIN G TH E WAY
FO R WO M EN IN B US IN ES S
that mean? We ask women to pitch themselves and then we offer
topic: you will be hearing more about this, including a blog I have
a professional critique. The pitch is recorded and it is amazing how
written on the subject.
much progress can be made in one day in changing how a woman
presents herself. We also have a twelve week program that provides
women the skills they need to represent their companies. At the end
of the program, we find that these women really believe in themselves;
self-confidence is not something you can teach, and it is not an
innate skill; however, it is a skill that can be learned.
We also offer an experience called the Dolphin Tank, instead of
the shark tank. Dolphins are mammals that swim together and they
protect their own community. We criticize, sometimes brutually,
Additionally, it’s not all about the women. It is also about the men:
the men who are CEOs, the men who are chairs of governance
committees, the men on the boards. When they look at performance
reviews in terms of what is best for their companies, the wisdom of
more diverse board selections will be evident. There are plenty
of qualified women and minorities to choose from. There is no lack of
resources, only a lack of willingness to place women on boards.
LG: Do you think government should play a role in corporate
gender equity?
by Leslie Grossman
but with kindness that provides inspiration. We work on change and
s a visionary who founded the USA Network under the
of “Link Out:How to Turn Your Network into a Chain of Lasting
improved results. And when necessary, we also provide exit strategies.
banner of Madison Square Garden Sports, Kay Koplovitz
Connections,” chatted with Kay in her Manhattan office about her
In my experience, women often don’t want to take credit, or don’t
what others are getting paid and what they are receiving for their
was the first women to head a television network. She
unique point of view on the past, and future, for women entrepreneurs
know how to take credit, for their successes. We have to divorce
work until well into their careers. We need to fight to prevent this. So
led USA Network to first place in cable prime time ratings and it
and executives.
ourselves from that concept. I teach this lesson all the time.
remained there for 14 years. In 1992, she launched the Sci-Fi
LG: Tell me about the process and success of Springboard Enter-
LG: What other core values or skills do you believe are necessary
Channel which became a top ten rated network and in 1994, she
prises, the breakthrough program you started in 1999 to train women
to move into the highest levels of influence in government, business
launched USA Network international, including the Sci-Fi Channel,
business founders to pitch to VCs and attract more venture funding.
or nonprofit worlds?
KK: In 2013, 28 companies in technologies and media participated
KK: The leaders of today, and the future,need to be good decision-
for and what the guy next to them, who is doing the same job, is
in the program. The process takes six months from application to
makers. They also need a strong sense of curiosity about the world
getting. In most cases, women don’t know. We don’t ask, and we
presentation, bootcamp, forum, and training. There are two trainings
and the people who work with them. Showing an interest in the
don’t push for the information. If we knew, I think women are perfectly
during the year and a third training was added last year, which
lives of people on the job and off, shows people you care about
capable of standing up with their own voices to achieve economic
included Australia, as well as international companies from Africa,
them. People want to work for people who are interested in them as
parity. So I will argue that transparency from the government
Israel, and China which come to America to find funding. Four to six
individuals. Other qualities that are equally important are openness,
is critical.
companies are integrated into the program at a time and an additional
transparency and having a thick skin. If people don’t like your ideas,
program will be added in February of 2014. Since we began in 1999,
you can’t take that personally. If you do, it will impact your success,
more than 500 companies with women founders have gone through
possibly even deter you from offering more ideas – ideas that may
KK: I don’t think there is an ideal career path. The individual has to
the program. Our companies have an 83% fundraising success rate
be embraced.
decide what is important to them as they move into different stages
and have raised $5.6 billion.
LL: Norway has a quota requiring 40% of public board members
LG: Some research has shown that one of the major roadblocks to
be women. The European Union is also discussing this possibility.
I believe women should consider changing their careers during their
lifetime. For the women that we see at Springboard, the sweet spot
A
into 60 countries worldwide. A game changing entrepreneur, Kay
created the business model for cable networks by introducing the
concept of two revenue streams — licensing and advertising; she also
launched major professional and collegiate sports on cable TV and
innovative drama and mini-series on the Sci-Fi Channel worldwide.
A Vision for Women
In 1998, President Clinton appointed Kay to chair the bipartisan
National Women’s Business Council. She used this platform to launch
Springboard Enterprises, designed to help female entrepreneurs
“think big”. Springboard Enterprises selects, trains and presents
women-led companies to raise venture growth capital. In creating
this network of human capital, Ms. Koplovitz is leading the way for
women’s success is a lack of self-confidence. Do you agree?
As a woman who has, and is, serving on many public boards, do
economic parity, secure more board positions, and become viable
KK: Today’s woman has broken the mold: they are microbiologists.
you support quotas?
Chatting with Leslie Grossman
They are astronauts and government leaders. They code and they
KK: This is a subject of keen interest to women and to corporations
seeking to build the best boards. I’ve been engaged during the last
15 to 18 years), in a variety of fields. Yet, they do not take the proper
several years in encouraging more women on boards. While I don’t
Leslie Grossman, Chair of a CEO Peer Advisory Board powered by
credit for their accomplishments. At Springboard, the first thing we
really support quotas, I do think target goals are important. We know
Vistage, co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Exchange, and author
teach women is to hear the “sounds of their own voice”. What does
that Norway requires that 40% of public board members be women;
the UK has a goal of 35% women by 2020. I recently participated
DID YOU KNOW
make financial remuneration and benefits more transparent to their
people, and other organizations can do that as well. That is what
LG: Do you think there is ‘right’ career path for women today?
of their life.
is at 30-55 years old. The younger you are, the more you think about
write magnificent programs. They are highly experienced (on average
In the last ten years, in the United States, 2 million more women hold college degrees than men.
to the degree that governments can do anything, it is to continue to
push corporations on the transparency issue. Corporations could
I think will help women. Women will then know what they are fighting
women in business and providing the skills necessary to achieve
contributors to the global economy.
KK: Transparency is needed. Many women lack the knowledge of
in the SAIS Global Women’s Summit which is about women on
career change. Greater responsibility comes in the long trajectory.
Women need to know how to market their skills, how much time they
want to devote to family and how much risk they are willing to take.
They need to decide how to divide their time between family and
career. Every day women must make decisions about where they
want to be. The earlier they understand this and begin thinking about
themselves and what is most important to them, the sooner they can
begin to make smooth transitions and build their personal brand to
And, 70% of current high school valedictorians are women. Yet, the further up the management
boards, on a global level. There is agreement that diversity on boards
ladder women progress, they continue to be increasingly underrepresented, holding only 10% of S&P executive positions and, according to
leads to better corporate performance, better capital, and higher
Stroope & Hagemann 2011, only 3% of Fortune 500 companies are run by women. Though the quantity and quality of capable women in
revenue on a global basis, not just the United States. A national task
To learn more about Kay Koplovitz, visit www.kaykoplovitz.com
the workforce has increased, too few are making it into top jobs — a sign that organizations might be overlooking some of their best talent.
force on this topic needs to be established to shed light on this
To learn more about Springboard Enterprises, visit http://sb.com
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fit the career path they desire.
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professional woman l kay koplovitz: leading the way for women in business
GL OW P RO FESSIO NAL W OMA N
6
WAYS TO INVEST
IN NEW YORK CITY REAL ESTATE
A G REAT ASS ET FO R YO UR FUTUR E
by Arlene Weidberg, Halstead Property “2011 Top Luxury Broker”
grow as you trade up your properties. There is no limit to the
your broker can help to research), one that has too many
number of times you can do so. Please note that this is NOT
rentals already in the building, etc. It’s good to buy in an
for personal use properties, only investment properties. When
up-and-coming area, commonly known as regentrification, as
you use the 1031 Exchange, although you may have a profit
the investment will increase in price over the long run. Your
on each swap, you avoid tax at the time of exchange. This
broker will best be able to guide you through these concerns
allows your investment to continue to grow tax deferred until
with their experience and knowledge of the properties you
you decide you no longer want to trade properties and prefer
are considering. Would you climb Mt. Everest without a Sherpa
to sell and cash out.
or guide? So why would you go into the world of real estate
4. Part of an Investment Group This type of situa-
investment without a trusted broker as your guide?
tion is good for individual investors who do not want to be
Brokers cannot predict the future; nor do we have a crystal
landlords. The group forms a company that buys or builds
ball. However, to give a historical perspective of how
a block of apartments or condos, and allows investors to
the Manhattan real estate market has performed in the
buy through the company and join the group. The company
past decade, statistics show from a 10-year report that the
nvesting in real estate can help you prepare for your
Additional real estate investments to also consider are:
manages the units for the investor, but of course you will pay
average price for all apartments was $690,841 in 2003
future, especially in New York City where the market (post
3. A Basic Investment Property This is a property
a fee for their doing so.
and $1,451,621 in the third quarter of 2013. That is an
“housing bubble”) has continued to exhibit tremendous
purchased with the intent of renting it out. When doing so,
5. Real Estate Flipping This type of investing is known
strength and growth. Here are some ways that you can
you become a landlord, and of course, are then responsible
as sort of the wild side of investing. In this instance, the buyer
invest in real estate today:
for paying the monthly mortgage, taxes, common charges,
holds onto the property for a very short time or may do some
1. Primary Home We all know the benefits of purchasing
maintenance and repairs to the property if needed.
renovations before quickly selling it. This was very popular
a primary home, whether it be a private residence, condo,
For many reasons, we recommend that when making this
several years ago when U.S. investors and a large number of
I
co-op, condop or townhouse. We buy these properties as
type of investment that you purchase a condo or sometimes
foreign investors purchased new condo properties not even
a place to live, and in doing so, we look to increase our
a condop as opposed to a co-op. Ownership here is preferable,
built yet, got them at the initial offering price, then flipped
investment via the appreciation in price as we live there; and
as most condos allow for rentals from day one and the boards
them before they closed or shortly thereafter to another buyer
of course, when we go to sell. There is also the benefit from
will most likely not change their rule on that.
for some very large profits.
the income tax deduction of real estate taxes and mortgage
interest if applicable.
2. Pied-a-Terre or Second Home
6. REITs
know what the comparable rental prices are in order to
publicly trades an investment. It is created when a corporation
A REIT is when a real estate investment trust
Many buyers
determine if you can cover your monthly costs or make a profit.
or trust uses an investor’s money to purchase and operate
who already have a primary residence in the city, suburbs or
You may also consider that if you are not covering your monthly
income properties. REITs are bought and sold on the major
abroad enjoy having a second home in Manhattan. The reason
expenses, you can realize your profit when you decide to sell
exchanges
at a price higher than your initial investment. Your rental income
the benefits of a second home while anticipating a return on
coupled with the depreciation from the property should be
price was up 70% from 2004, when it was $856,219. It looks
like we are doing well and that this recovery has solid legs.
The strength of the current market is evidenced by the large
number of sales going for the asking price, even considerably
higher, which is resulting in bidding wars. This high market
is also fueled by historically low inventory.
Market reports indicate that now is a good time to buy. As interest rates rise, the amount of money you wish to borrow will
Also, when buying this type of investment property, you should
is very similar to why we acquire a primary home – to enjoy
approximately 110% gain. The third quarter of 2013 average
cost you quite a bit more. So if you’re borrowing $500,000,
let’s say, at 4 percent, your monthly payment is $2,379; but at
5 percent, the payment will become $2,672 — that’s almost
$300 more per month.
Despite the ups and downs of the real estate market, New
York City real estate has historically been a sound investment
Here’s How You Go About Buying Real Estate:
whether for your own home or as a component of a balanced
When it comes to purchasing property either for your personal
investment portfolio.
As with primary and second home properties, with this type of
use or as an investor, it is best to use a licensed real estate
Arlene Weidberg is a veteran Manhattan Real Estate Broker
maintain their money in these properties until they profit from
investment property, once you have built up your equity — that
broker to find the property and facilitate the transaction.
who has earned coveted awards in her decades of client
the sale, then move on to the next property as a means toward
is, the market price has increased since your purchase — you
Brokers understand every step of the purchasing process.
service, including placement in the Top 1% of all agents
their end goal — a dream property they could never afford in
investment upon its sale.
more than your outflow after the tax benefits.
Some buyers “trade up” their primary or second home. They
can refinance and leverage this money to buy another invest-
They are your “Ringmaster” to all those involved in the trans-
worldwide at a top firm. She has sold in some of Manhattan’s
the beginning. Others buy undervalued properties in need
ment property or, of course, sell and buy a larger or more de-
action, i.e. the listing brokers, attorneys, mortgage brokers, ap-
most prestigious buildings, and worked with prominent
of renovation, which they complete and then sell when prices
sirable property.
praisers, title companies, management companies, contractors,
clients to deliver service excellence and results. Prior to
architects etc. The broker also helps organize and complete
joining Halstead, Arlene worked for
have appreciated.
Investors also have another great tool available to them. As
Let’s assume you do not want to increase the number of
properties you own. There is another option available to help
the required Board/Sales Application Packages.
other leading real estate companies
and also owned and managed her
the equity in a property increases, they are able to leverage
you maximize your profits when owning a single investment
Also, in most instances, it is best not to buy a property that
the property by refinancing, affording the opportunity to buy
property. It’s referred to as the “1031 Exchange.” In this in-
has a “fatal flaw.” Some examples of this would be a property
own real estate firm. She honed her
that second home or another real estate investment property
vestment, you swap one investment property for a “like kind”
that is in a bad location, has a terrible view or a view that
financial savvy on Wall Street.
with the extra cash made through the refinance.
of property. The 1031 allows your investment to continue to
could be ruined with new developments cropping up (which
http://arleneweidberg
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Halsteadproperty.com
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professional woman l arlene weidberg: investing in new york city real estate
GL OW P RO FESSIO NAL W OMA N
Speak with
Confidence
AND R ULE TH E WO RL D!
by Diane DiResta, CEO/Founder, DiResta Communications, Inc.
best speakers live and online. Borrow their techniques
fast areperceived as nervous. Confident speakers pause.
and make them your own.
Most people are not speed talkers; they simply forget
to come to a stop. Some people drive through a stop
4. Create Compelling Content
sign while others give a quick tap on the break before
You don’t have to be the best speaker or even an excellent
they barrel through the sign. Just like in good driving,
speaker if you have outstanding content. I’ve heard
pausing entails coming to a complete STOP at the end
TED.com speakers who used a lot of — ums/and/you
of a sentence. Why is pausing so powerful? It allows
knows — and got a standing ovation because they told
you to breathe and recall your information. It gives
a compelling story. When you hear an elevator pitch do
the brain time to process what you just said. If you
you gravitate to the person who says she’s a dentist? Or
speak without stopping the information goes by the
do you remember the dentist who says, “I create smiles”?
brain like a tickertape. Most importantly, pausing allows
The secret to creating compelling content is to tell your
the message to land in the hearts of the listeners. To
ublic speaking is the new competitive advantage
Get over yourself! Change your focus and consider
story. Storytelling immediately engages an audience and
make an emotional impact, you must pause. An audience
in business. Effective public speaking skills can
the audience. Ask yourself, “How can I make them feel
because stories have a natural se-
is moved to action by emotion more
level the playing field and set you apart whether
comfortable? The audience is on your side. You have
quence, they are easy to remember.
than data. So, count 2 or 3 beats of
you’re interviewing for a job, selling a service or product, or
information they want to hear or they wouldn’t be there.
That builds confidence.
silence before you move on to the next
networking for business. Speaking is especially powerful for
Don’t give away your power. You have a right to be there.
P
women because through speaking events, women can raise
their profile and increase their visibility.
Public speaking is one of the most cost effective yet under
utilized marketing strategies. It can be used to build your brand.
The advantage of speaking over social media is the know, like,
trust factor. When an audience hears you speak in public, you
establish yourself as an expert. Speaking is a more direct way
of building trust. The listeners can experience first hand the
value you offer and what it would be like to work with you
With all these benefits, why don’t more people choose to
speak in public?
After years of speaking to groups and coaching clients,
I’ve learned that there are two reasons: Fear and ignorance.
2. Prepare Mentally and Physically
The secret to public speaking is confidence. When you’re
confident you feel you can rule the world. Here are six tips
you need to know to master confident public speaking.
1. It’s Not About You; It’s About the Audience
Nervousness is self-centeredness. Your focus is on yourself. Nervous speakers live in the future imagining all the
things that could go wrong. “What if I trip or go blank? “
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a longer pause. Confident speakers are
comfortable with silence.
When it comes to speaking it’s 90% preparation and
Grab attention with your opening line
10% delivery. Convert your script to bullet points so that
and you’ll have an engaged audience.
you can sound conversational and then practice out loud
Attention spans are short and your
and time yourself.
opening line can determine whether
Get into a “power posture” before the presentation.
Stand up straight and place both hands on your hips.
Hold this (Wonder Woman) posture for two minutes.
Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist at Harvard University,
These six tips will help you to look
and feel confident. Anybody can be an
effective public speaker. It’s a decision.
You may not feel confident immediately;
the audience listens to you. Avoid the
yet, more you speak, the more confi-
standard, “I’m going to talk to you
today about…” Instead, begin with
Her new ebook, Give Fear the Finger
will be released in 2014
dent you’ll feel. And then you can rule
your world.
a startling statistic, a humorous quote,
states that these positions can increase testosterone
a surprising action, or a short story. Get right into your
Diane DiResta is the Founder and CEO of DiResta
and cortisol levels in the brain which are present in
story with an opening line such as “It was the year 2003…”
Communications, Inc., a New York City consultancy
dominant, confident leaders.
One of the most memorable openings I heard was from
serving business leaders who want to communicate with
a woman from the American Cancer Association. She
greater impact — whether one-to-one, in front of a crowd or
paused, looked at the audience and said, “Turn and look
from an electronic platform. DiResta is the author of
at the person on your right. Turn and look at the person
Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with
on your left. One of you will have cancer in your lifetime.”
Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, an Amazon.com category
People are afraid of looking foolish and/or they don’t know
the skills of effective speaking.
point. For more dramatic effect, use
5. Open with
a Memorable Hook
3. Take Baby Steps
Gifted speakers are born. Effective speakers are made.
And even the great speakers didn’t start out keynoting
to a thousand people. Start at the beginning with a teleconference. Move on to speaking for five minutes on
a panel. Participate in an interview. Bring a partner and
That was 10 years ago. I don’t remember the woman but
I remember her opening.
communication courses. www.diresta.com
6. Embrace Silence
A complimentary phone consultation is available
deliver a two person demonstration. Continue to challenge
yourself with longer and higher stakes presentations.
The way to go from good to great and from nervous to
Hone your skills with classes and coaching. Observe the
confident is to master the pause. Presenters who speak
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best-seller and widely-used text in college business
to Glow Readers. P) 212.481.8484, Ext. 312
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professional woman l diane diresta: speak with confidence,rule the world
GL OW P RO FESSIO NAL W OMA N
generate true buzz for your brand by — for instance — having
Strengthen Your
Company’s Image
antiquated in the current environment, but its usefulness should
Where to Begin?
T HROU GH B RAND ED CO NTE NT
not be underestimated as part of your content marketing
A good place to start, before you dive into elaborate new
campaigns, is with a content-marketing goal. Are you trying to
engage a particular portion of your audience? Connect with
new leads? Generate buzz for a new product or service? Then,
once you know what you’re trying to do and whom you’re
trying to reach, you can take an inventory of your existing
assets. You may already have materials on hand that could be
repurposed or tweaked to serve your goals — case studies,
articles, videos, and other information-driven pieces that can
be dusted off and distributed. If not, you may need to draw on
in-house or 3rd-party resources to get your content formatted,
designed, and ready to shine.
or quoted. And the good news is that you don’t have to come
from a journalism background to be a good content marketer.
Relevant, valuable information — when packaged and distributed
thoughtfully — speaks for itself.
Email isn’t dead In some ways email can almost feel
efforts. Email communication remains a powerful direct line to
customers and prospects and offers an avenue for customized
content. Getting your most relevant articles, white papers,
Amy Zucchi-Justice, Co-Founder, The Karlyn Group
N
webcast invites, etc. directly into someone’s inbox is a proverbial
“foot in the door” that can lead to conversion. In fact, email-
ot everyone has a marketing background per se,
but everyone should be responsible for how their
company (or brand) is positioned in the marketplace.
If you are company owner or a higher-level executive, how your
company is perceived should be VERY important to you. But
with so many marketing outlets available nowadays, how can
your company truly stand out from its competitors? Sure, a
corporate Facebook page with a million likes is fantastic — and
segmented lists with precise marketing messages will boost your
results. But you can elevate your visibility, quite literally, through
content marketing (in fact, this article is an example of such…)
initiatives, compared with just 16% last year. Looking ahead
to 2014, 57% of marketers will be “very” or “fully” engaged in
this type of marketing, according to the study.
What’s the best way to get content
in front of target clients and prospects?
There are many platforms that can help you reach your target
audience — including social media, email and web-based
channels, and conferences. You may wish to center a particular
content-marketing campaign around one or two main channels,
but an integrated effort that incorporates several tactics can
increase the footprint of your message.
So what is content marketing, exactly?
Social media First let’s talk a bit about social media.
With your brand’s reputation in mind, I’d like to introduce you to
LinkedIn and Twitter are great tools for reaching the businessto-business market and include useful features to help you
speak to your intended audience. Facebook and YouTube have
traditionally been best for outreach to the consumer market,
but they are increasingly being used for business-to-business
efforts. It is important to post, interact, and contribute
often — but not so much that you annoy your audience. And
you needn’t always post about your business expertise,
directly. Sometimes you might want to post information or
content that doesn’t relate to your core business, per se, but
that generates a conversation and engages your audience.
branded content, or, “content marketing.” This is a technique of
creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract,
acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience — with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
In other words, the goal is to create interesting, relevant content
that speaks to clients and prospects without trying to sell
them anything. Packaging and disseminating useful content
in a thoughtful way also positions your company as a thought
leader. Why? — Because relevant, compelling content can
subtly influence marketing conversations, improving perceptions of companies, brands and products.
Companies that have successfully used content marketing
include P&G, John Deere, Xerox, Microsoft, and Cisco as well
as many smaller companies looking to gain exposure.
Based on a recent survey from BtoB Magazine, 97% of
marketers use some degree of content marketing. Further,
26% of respondents said their content marketing initiatives
are “very” or “fully” integrated into their sales and marketing
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live events out of all the available distribution channels. Getting
a white paper, research report, or survey results into someone’s
hands is still a great way to have a direct, uncluttered interaction. The important thing to remember is that any hard-copy
content you distribute should be easily available and shareable
online — so readers can bookmark it, post it to their social
media channels, or email it to colleagues.
your content picked up by other companies, retweeted, reposted,
Before you write off social-media as child’s play, it is worth noting
that the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is the 45-to-54
year-old age bracket. A similar thing is happening on Twitter, with
55-to-64 year-olds taking the title of fastest growing age group.
Your social media strategy should fold into your overall
marketing strategy with content playing a major role throughout.
Your larger content efforts can include articles, blogging, white
papers, webcasts, and more — woven into social channels but
also distributed at events, meetings, etc. If done well, you can
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marketing conversion rates remain high — and, because of its
direct nature, email is more likely to prompt customer followthough than social media.
The key is relevance. Sending generic, daily emails to your
list is unlikely to yield the results you seek. Especially if you
are always bombarding them with sales offers or messaging
that they may view as junk. But when you have a new article
or case study on a topic of known interest to a sub-set of your
audience, this is something worth telling them about. In this
way you can build trust and an ongoing relationship — providing
content that is both useful and paints your brand in a favorable
light. Establishing your expertise in an area that is critical to
a prospect’s business can get you on the short list when the
time comes for them to make a purchase.
Web-based channels: video, etc. When you are
putting together a content-marketing plan, video and webcasting
are worth consideration. Whether you do or don’t have existing
audio or video assets, you may wish to include such in your
strategy. The good news is that the cost to record and distribute
content is minimal — and the end product is easily shareable.
For complicated or in-depth topics, video may lend itself as an
effective means of breaking down and deploying information It
work equally well for simple content that you want to bring to
life — and you can play around with formats including interviews,
panel discussions, and slide presentations. Depending on
your site’s capabilities, you may wish to house videos and host
webcasts there — but YouTube and other media sites offer useful
hubs for storing and sharing your library of video content.
Live events Even in this digital era, there is value in showing
up and interacting with clients and prospects in an in-person
setting. The same is true for your content. In fact, in the BtoB
study, marketers stated that they remained most satisfied with
If you’re worried about having enough content, you’re not alone.
In the BtoB study, marketers cited “being able to produce
engaging content” and “producing enough content” as their
top concerns. You may need to shift internal resources or
consider hiring an outside firm to ensure that your content
plan is robust and sustainable. And, again, make sure the
content — through whatever platforms you choose — is
shareable and links back to your company’s website or other
online presence. You want to make it easy for potential
new customers to find out more information — and get
in touch — if they’ve come across your great content.
Whatever format, method, and channels you decide to use, be
sure to track how your content is performing — and be prepared
to shift plans on the fly. You might find that there is a particular
topic your audience wants more of — or, if an article or video
isn’t getting traction, you may need to change gears. Content
marketing is here to stay — and it just might be a new best
friend for your sales team — so I encourage you to jump in
and make the most of it. As the saying goes, content is king!
Amy Zucchi-Justice is Co-Founder and Head of Marketing
& Strategy for the Karlyn Group; a full service marketing &
events company that focuses on companies that don’t have
internal bandwidth to help them grow.
How Can We Help You Grow? For a complimentary
growth assessment for your company, call us today.
P) 646-580-6415 www.karlyngroup.com
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professional woman l amy zucchi-justice: strengthen your company’s image
GL OW P RO FESSIO NAL W OMA N
Conversational
HOW GREAT LEADERS
Intelligence BUILD TRUST AND
“In her new book, Judith Glaser builds a strong case for how the science
and power of conversations can markedly improve business success for both
individual and entire companies…through trust building and level-setting the
right conversations, leaders can activate higher engagement, deeper commitment,
and transformational result with employees, vendors, and customers.”
— Ed Gilligan, President of American Express
GET EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS
Building the TRUST Model:
effective conversations is not just an inherent talent —
◆ BE TRANSPARENT Quell the amygdala by talking
CONVERSATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Glaser translates
One of the most powerful frameworks in the book
about the threats and fears that are standing in the
complex scientific material into adaptable practices that
to success in life and in business is to become
introduces readers to three levels of conversation:
way of building trust.
anyone to master.
a master of “conversational intelligence”. It’s not
Transactional Conversation, Positional Conversation,
by Judith E. Glaser
C
onversations have purpose in our lives. The key
about how smart you are, but how open you are to learn
and Transformational Conversation.
new and powerful conversational rituals that prime the
brain for trust, partnership, and mutual success.
Transactional Conversation, which is ‘telling employees
people you may see as foes.
these changes are driven by ‘conversations.’ Conversations
positional power to advocate their own point of view, with
are more than sharing information. They trigger the release
the hope of moving the listener into alignment. However,
of neurotransmitters — such as oxytocin and testosterone
— which have the power to foster trust, bonding and collaboration OR to promote unhealthy competition and distrust.
excessively or inappropriately, leading to compliance,
what kinds of conversations trigger the lower, more primitive
brain (amygdala) prone to distrust and paranoia, and what
Judith E. Glaser is CEO of
Benchmark Communications,
Inc., and the Chairman of
The Creating WE Institute.
◆ LISTEN MORE DEEPLY to understand
Glaser earned a B.A. from
others’ perspectives. Be inclusive. Invite
Temple University in Interdis-
people into the inner circle and talk openly
ciplinary Studies, and an
these two levels of conversation, while they have use
about each person’s perspectives, needs
M.S. in Human Behavior &
in some scenarios, often fall on deaf ears when used
and aspirations.
Development from Drexel
University. She earned cred-
◆ FOCUS ON SHARED SUCCESS, rather
its from Harvard University’s
than self-interest. Structure conversations that
Bales School of Social
After 30 years of research and work experience, Glaser
redefine success as mutual success. Build a
Relations, with a focus on
offers the tools, examples, and conversational rituals that
vision that creates a bigger framework for mutual
Organizational Studies and a Master’s Certificate in
she has developed to elevate conversations to the highest
interests and celebration of shared successes.
Corporate and Political Communications from Fairfield
not transformation.
failure and success in the workplace.
In her new book, thought leader Judith E. Glaser explains
respect, and rapport before focusing on the
task. Extend the olive branch; even with
what to do” or Positional Conversation, which is using
This delicate balance can mean the difference between
◆ FOCUS ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS,
Glaser believes that many leaders inadvertently focus on
Over millions of years, the human brain has evolved — and
it’s a skill backed by science that anyone can learn. In
level of transformation.
activates higher level intelligences (prefrontal cortex) such
University. Glaser has served as an Adjunct Professor at
◆ TELL THE TRUTH and test assumptions as they occur
Wharton and a visiting guest speaker at Harvard, Kellogg,
as trust, integrity, empathy, strategic thinking and good
Tranformational conversation activates higher levels of
with regular, open, and non-judgmental discussion
Loyola, University of Chicago, NYU, and various other
judgment. Glaser translates the new insights coming out of
trust, candor, curiosity, and innovation, which in turn
as part of collaborative problem solving. Identify and
institutions. Glaser has appeared on NBC’s Today, ABC
neuroscience into a practical, user friendly framework for
strengthens organizational culture to achieve greater
discuss “reality gaps” in an effort to close the gaps for
World News, Fox News, CBS Morning News, The Martha
business results.
mutual success. And be willing to start over again
Stewart Show and the Family Network. She is frequently
if distrust emerges.
quoted in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,
having better conversations in the workplace.
“If you’re not getting the results you want, maybe it’s time to give
your conversational intelligence a boost”
— Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and To Sell Is Human
38
GLOW SPRING/SUMMER ‘14 T h e M a g a z i n e A b o u t B e a u t y , H e a l t h A n d W e l l n e s s
“A seemingly simple act such as talking with a colleague
—a short exchange of words in a hallway — has the ability
Crain’s, Harvard Management Review, and AMA World, and
is a contributing editor for Executive Excellence Magazine.
www.creatingwe.com
to alter someone’s life permanently.” Knowing how to have
GLOW SPRING/SUMMER ‘14 T h e M a g a z i n e A b o u t B e a u t y , H e a l t h A n d W e l l n e s s
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professional woman l judith e. glaser: conversational intelligence
GL OW P RO FESSIO NAL W OMA N