Speaking 101: Storytelling Elements for Public Speaking

Whether you are speaking to a small room of five people or an auditorium of 5,000, storytelling will make your presentation memorable. Studies show people are more likely to retain information when it is told through story. Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

1. Keep it simple.

Make sure the details you’re sharing are necessary to the story. Too much information can be overwhelming for the audience and make your story hard to remember. It’s easy to add fluff, but it’s hard to refine your thoughts to align with what matters.

• Tip: Edit, edit, edit. Read through your story multiple times and take out unnecessary fluff.

2. Use emotion.

Make people care about what you’re saying. Yes, statistics and data can be helpful, but using a genuine, real world example that utilizes emotion has been proven to be more effective. It makes the information stick with your audience and has a lasting impact.

• Tip: Use names! Giving a face to a story makes it more personable and memorable.

3. End strong.

Every good story has clear conflict resolution. This is where your message should be clearly defined without open ends. It should be obvious and leave the audience feeling inspired! Use wording that will resonate with your audience and remember to keep it short and sweet.

• Tip: Try limiting your message to one sentence or just a few words. Setting a word limit can help center and focus your thoughts.

Digital Transformation at World of Connections 2018

On November 14, Nokia Growth Partners hosted its fourth annual World of Connections event at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco. This year, 300 entrepreneurs, innovators, and technology leaders gathered to hear industry executives discuss this year’s theme of Digital Transformation. With a packed schedule consisting of three simultaneous tracks running throughout the day, attendees could listen in on sessions covering Intelligent Enterprise, Smart Mobility, and Digital Health.

The day kicked off with an inspirational talk from Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri about the power of communication and value in addressing world problems. The schedule then split into the three key themes, each featuring varying formats of keynote speakers, panels, and fireside chats.

Smart Mobility, one of the most popular tracks of the day, drew speakers from Ford, Uber Freight, Lime, and BMW i Ventures to touch on topics ranging from autonomous driving technology to the implications of smarter commutes creating smarter cities.

Boasting another large crowd, Google Product Management Director Sampath Srivinas kicked off the cybersecurity session debating the increasingly prevalent topic of authentication. He was followed by a series of ‘innovator views’–emerging companies disrupting the space–who are tackling securing your workforce and addressing security threats.

As the three successful tracks wrapped up for the day, attendees gathered one last time to hear from Oracle Executive Vice President Amit Zavery on the industries most likely to be transformed by software and the factors driving rapid adaptation. As the final keynote came to a close, everyone headed outside to conclude the day with a cocktail reception and networking.

Check out some highlights from the conference below!

Introducing credSac!

Sacramento: the farm-to-fork capital, home of Lady Bird and, now, the location of cred’s second office! We opened the doors to our first location outside the Bay Area in late October at CoWo Campus, a coworking space for entrepreneurs and creatives alike. With a lots of natural light, a spacious private office, and flexible community space, credSac’s ready to get some more inspiring speakers onstage!

Senior associate (and Sacramento native!) Anastasia, led our expansion by touring various coworking spaces on the grid and helping hire two more PR pros to join the family—Arianne Ortegaray and Claire Nobles. She also teamed up with CEO Caitlin and Managing Director Stephanie to furnish and decorate the new space. . .and most importantly, to test all of Ikea’s desk chairs to find the comfiest ones.

In case you’re not familiar with Sactown, we asked our credSac team to share their favorite parts of working and living in the state capital:

Claire, Coordinator
The people here make this city feel like a small town—everyone’s super friendly, and there are tons of startups that call Sacramento home. Also, love the craft beer here. There are over 60 breweries in the area and seems like new ones pop up every day.

Arianne, Associate
I’m new to Sacramento, so everyday I feel like I get to discover something new about the city! There’s a lot of cute little neighborhoods with new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops popping up all the time. It’s also close to different national parks, which makes it easy to spend weekends exploring the outdoors.

Anastasia, Senior Associate
Sacramento is my hometown so I may be a little biased - but I’ve lived all over the US and the world (Germany, Australia, New York, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, etc.) and it’s really one of my favorite places. #1 thing I’d call out is our system of river trails—for those who love to get outside for walks, runs or bike rides - this town is for you.

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The credSac office closed. Check out our brand new office in SF.

Exploring the Future of Payments at Swell by Ripple

Earlier this week, hundreds of seasoned professionals from the blockchain and global payments community gathered in San Francisco for Swell— the second annual conference by our client Ripple. Hosted at the Terra Gallery, the venue was buzzing with innovation as the brightest minds in policy, payments, and fintech discussed the next era of payment technology across the two-day event.

Installations demonstrating facts about cross-border payments and Ripple software decorated the walls. The second floor was home to the main stage where the conference’s sessions took place. Across both days of the conference, a central theme was highlighting blockchain as a global opportunity, as well as exhibiting use cases.

Day one kicked off with a keynote by 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton, who drew parallels between the new wave of blockchain enthusiasm to that of the internet during his presidency. Clinton’s fireside chat with Gene Sperling, National Economic Council Director and National Economic Advisor under Presidents Clinton and Obama, covered concerns around regulation and emerging technology.

Thoughts from the stage:

“To effectively advance in blockchain, we must move on from horse and buggy technology in other areas.” - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton

On top of opening remarks from Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and sessions with speakers from Banco Santander, the IMF, and RiceHadleyGates, the day continued the excitement with the official announcement that xRapid, the Ripple product powering transactions, is commercially available and will go into production with three financial institutions.

Closing out the first day of the event, attendees were treated Monday night with a performance from the Counting Crows.

On day two, the morning began with Ripple Chief Market Strategist Cory Johnson and Celent Senior Analyst Alenka Grealish discussing proprietary research on payments trends. The rest of the day included panels and flash talks on cross-continental crypto regulation and digital asset adoption, and thoughts from futurist leaders in the blockchain space.

Professionals in the audience left the conference with key insights on the future of global payments and blockchain technology. Garlinghouse drove the conference home with a final thought: “Change takes a grassroots movement, and Ripple is driving it.”

Thank you to the Ripple team for having us at #SwellByRipple!

Meet cred’s Fall Intern

The cred intern program is not your average internship! We don’t ask you to fetch the coffee, run errands, or take our snack orders. Instead, we ask you to help plan events for some of the biggest brands and thought leaders in the industry, pitch clients for some of tech’s biggest events, and so much more.

What does it take to be an intern at cred? You need to be a rising student in your senior year of university, love a fast-paced environment, be enthusiastic about all things PR and events, and have a proactive attitude.

So, who has met all of these requirements? Meet Helen Matt, our cred intern this fall. Here are some quick facts about Helen:

cred: Where are you going to school and what are you studying? Why did you choose to study that subject?

Helen Matt: I’m going to Miami University studying Interactive Media Studies! It is a mixture between business, communications, and design in media so it encompases everything that I wanted to study all in one!

cred: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

HM: I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio. My dogs are big mops with dreadlocks. I’m a little obsessed with true crime Netflix documentaries, and I am my happiest when I’m laughing with my closest friends.

cred: What do you want to achieve while interning at cred?

HM: I want to get more experience in the PR and communications industry! Being event specific, cred is so unique and niche that it gives you more insight on events than other firms.

cred: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

HM: Quesadillas with chips and guac all day every day.

cred: Can you give us one interesting fact about yourself?

HM: I met Nick Jonas in high school.

cred: What is one thing you want to accomplish in the next five years?

HM: I want to make San Francisco my permanent residence!

Disrupting Trends and Traditions at Disrupt SF 2018

When arriving to Disrupt SF at the Moscone West Convention Center, there is absolutely no mistaking where you are. This year, there was a buzz around the venue as a record-breaking 9,000 registrants arrived to learn, network, and promote their latest gadgets and startup ideas. Inside, the whole venue was decorated with the familiar TechCrunch green, from the banners hoisted on the ceiling, to the TC logo for photo ops—even the escalators had a green glow, although it’s debatable whether this was intentional or not.

The first floor was dedicated to their Startup Alley, featuring almost 1,000 startups and exhibitors from all across the world. The second floor had workshops, receptions, and meeting rooms where All Raise hosted an AMA and roundtable for female funders, founders, and executives. The female-focused events had an amazing turnout, with many who came prepared with questions to ask the All Raise investors. Table topics ranged from raising capital and recruiting tactics, to investor/board management.

The third floor was dedicated to the main stage, where our client Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, spoke on Day 1. He was joined by Arrington XRP Capital and TechCrunch Founder, Michael Arrington, to discuss blockchain, banking, and what sets XRP apart from other cryptocurrencies. Brad stated that in order to accelerate the natures of transaction, Ripple needed to take a different approach to appeal to banks and institutions, recognizing that not everyone was willing to give up existing infrastructures to switch over to a new and unknown one.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi spoke on Day 2 about taking on the company following former CEO Travis Kalanick’s departure. Dara addressed revamping Uber’s image to become “a positive force for change,” eliminating minority biases in the workplace, Uber’s expanding services, and becoming the company for mobility. In addition, he shared his long-term mission to build Uber’s autonomous fleet so “10 years from now, no one in the audience will own a car.”

More insights shared by Dara from the stage:

• Monetization will come later, first “you have to be solving for the customers”.

• “People like choices”. It creates more engagement and breadth of use.

• “People and computers work together better than as standalones.”

On the last day of the event, entrepreneurs from around the world took the stage for the final round of Startup Battlefield. Over the course of three days, 21 startups gathered at the competition to pitch their company to investors and the audience for the grand prize of $100,000. Concluding with final demos presented in front of a panel of judges, the five finalists included CB Therapeutics, Mira, Forethought AI, Origami Labs, and Unbound. After much deliberation, Forethought AI was named the Startup Battlefield winner of Disrupt SF 2018.

Attendees are loyalists for a reason, some mentioned this was their fourth time at Disrupt. With all the excitement that was going on, there was never a dull moment.

Thank you to the entire planning team at TechCrunch, the volunteers, and everyone who helped put on Disrupt SF. We had a blast and look forward to next year!

Speaking 101: Connecting Beyond the Digital World

The live experience is not dead.

While we can listen to free music on Spotify, we jump at the chance to see our favorite bands in concert. While we can FaceTime family from across the country, we endure the pains of traveling to spend the holidays together. While we can go on YouTube to watch keynotes and presentations, we travel to different cities to  hear thought leaders share their ideas live.

Why? Technology allows for valuable connection, but in-person interactions create irreplaceable and authentic experiences outside of the digital world. An Eventbrite study found 78% of millennials  are fueling the “experience economy”—spending more money on experiences rather than materials.

Here are four reasons why it’s valuable and important to attend events in today’s digital era.:

1. Learning IRL Instead of URL

Listening to a speaker in person offers a rich opportunity to actively watch, listen, and receive information. According to a recent Forbes article, “like artists, the best speakers are original and relevant in the moment. You can’t get that online. The best reinforce a mission, catalyze an audience, even inspire action.” Face-to-face interactions help motivate and mobilize people, rather than just being another message on the other side of a screen.

2. Networking

Nothing beats gathering people in one place in real life. According to The Muse, “conferences are one of the single best ways to network.” Instead of having to come up with an icebreaker, a conference provides a common topic to chat about: the conference itself!

You may not only make new connections, but also could potentially make new friends. Thirty percent of millennials say they met someone at a live event that became a good friend. Who knows, the conversations you have at an event may be even more valuable than the content.

3. Ask Questions, Get Answers

When a session includes a quick Q&A, make sure to bring your questions! While you may already follow a speaker on Twitter or have their email address, make the effort to introduce yourself personally and ask a question directly. The answer they provide face-to-face may be more extensive than over a tweet or email. Conferences allow for direct access to experts and thought leaders seen on stage.

Events allow you not only to gain insight from speakers, but also from other industry professionals. Gather intel from fellow attendees on topics and ideas that are of interest to you. Translate those insights into actionable takeaways that you can implement at your company.

4. A Change of Scenery

How often do you actually set aside time to learn something new relating to your field or industry? Conferences and events offer the opportunity to embrace a posture of learning. Take advantage of listening, asking questions, and participating in discussions at events. Embrace the change of scenery and extract all that you can from the experience.

People appreciate live experiences, even with an abundance of online content available. Watching videos from behind a screen is not the same as watching a speaker live from the audience. People truly value the event experience: learning from speakers in live settings, networking with other attendees, and implementing relevant takeaways.  

Interested in attending more events? See where we’re speaking next and subscribe to our monthly newsletter today!

Speaking 101: How to Leverage Social Media for Your Business

With nearly two-thirds of the population checking social media daily, there has never been a better time to utilize online platforms as a business tool. In fact, last June Instagram, reached a whopping one billion monthly active users, making customer engagement just one click away for most businesses.

For some people, social media may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. When executed correctly, social media is an incredibly effective marketing tool. It serves to boost brand exposure, encourages two-way communication, and humanizes your brand. No matter your experience with the various social media platforms available today, we’ve compiled eight  cred-approved strategies below to help you drastically improve your online presence.

• Establish a clear goal
  No matter what your goal is, make it SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Once you have established your one clear goal, you and your team can collaborate on how to achieve it. Remember, it needs to be realistic. You won’t get 1,000 followers overnight.
  

• Commit to your brand
  In order for your company to be distinguishable from competitors, it’s important to establish one style for your brand. Every post, retweet, and Instagram story should be in line with your brand. This includes keeping everything consistent, from voice to aesthetics.

  • Pro tip: People are drawn to authentic brands so don’t be afraid to show personality, but always keep it professional. For more tips on developing your personal brand, check out this post.
    

• Stay on top of trends
  Channel your inner Austin Kleon and steal like an artist. When you notice new trends on social media, leverage it to your advantage by improving or expanding upon it. Things are popular for a reason. If you see a creative Instagram story or an engaging tweet, save it and then improve it later to make it your own.

  • Pro tip: Tag your location using Instagram Stories to broaden your reach and then organize your stories into highlights.
    

• Use the right hashtags
  Make it a daily habit to search trending hashtags on Twitter and Instagram to see what people are talking about. By consistently #hashtagging related content on your posts, your account will gain more traction and followers.
  

• Make customer engagement a priority
  Social media has opened the floodgates to instant gratification. In a matter of minutes, you can comment on a post and receive a response, and this makes customers feel important. By interacting with users daily, your company will be on its way to boosting followers and building credibility.
  

• Track your analytics
  Create a business account to learn more about your audience’s behavior and demographics. With Instagram Business Tools you can track your impressions, outreach, profile views, website clicks, and more. With Twitter Analytics, you can measure and boost your impact on Twitter by viewing your impressions. These insights will help you gauge what days and times are best for you to post your content, this way you can provide more timely and relevant content for your followers.
  

• Create a content calendar
  Using business accounts, find out the best times to post on your feed, then plan out your content for the month. By using a calendar, you can keep yourself organized and have your content scheduled ahead of time. This way, you’re never missing a day or struggling to find content to post.

  • Pro tip: Create content ahead of time and save them in your drafts. When the day comes around, all you have to do is press send.
    

• Make a commitment
  Last, but certainly not least: staying on top of mind should be your number one priority. In order to make an impression, you first need to make a commitment. Set reminders to post daily on social media so you never miss a beat.

By making time to post consistent, relevant, and relatable content on social media, you will be able to expand your reach, boost your brand exposure, and engage more frequently with your audience. By using these tips, you will be well on your way to improving your online presence and increasing your brand’s credibility.

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