COMMON GROUND CONSULTING LLC

The International Children's Peace Prize 2012

2012-01-24T14:28:53-05:00

We would like to invite you to nominate a child for the International Children’s Peace Prize 2012.

The International Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of KidsRights and is presented annually to a child for his or her devotion to children’s rights, anywhere in the world. The goal of the Prize is twofold: it is a sign of recognition for the winners, and it also offers the winner a platform to promote his or her ideals and causes. In this way, the messages that these young heroes convey can reach a broader public, thereby making a greater impact in the promotion of children’s rights.

The Children’s Peace Prize is accompanied by an award of €100,000 to be invested in projects closely connected to the winner’s area of devotion. Nominees for the Children’s Peace Prize can come from any person, in any country, with knowledge of an exceptional child dedicated to promoting children’s rights. An independent Expert Committee assesses the applications and selects the final nominees.

This year the International Children’s Peace Prize will be celebrated around the Day of the Rights of the Child: the 20th of November 2012. We would like to invite you to inform us about the children you meet and work with and whom you feel might be a good candidate for this Prize. Any boy or girl between 12 and 18 years old who has a clear history of standing up and fighting for the rights of him/herself and other children can be nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize. It is important that the child has an active approach in accomplishing his or her goal.

KidsRights calls out to everyone worldwide to nominate a child who would deserve the International Children’s Peace Prize. The deadline for sending in nomination forms is the 1^{st of}March 2012. The nominations can be sent to info@childrenspeaceprize.org

Information on the International Children's Peace Prize.pdf

Nomination Form Children's Peace Prize 2012.doc

What Would You Ask President Obama?

2012-01-24T08:15:17-05:00

Tonight, President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address at 9:00 p.m. EST.

During that speech, he’ll lay out his vision for an America where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, where everyone does their fair share, and where everyone is held accountable for what they do.

There are many ways to get involved with this year’s State of the Union address.

Immediately following the President’s speech, be sure to stay tuned to WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU for a live panel featuring senior White House advisors answering your questions about the speech. Then, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, a group of policy experts and advisors to the President will sit down for Office Hours on Twitter -- discussing the issues that matter to you and your community.

Finally, on Monday, January 30, President Obama will join the conversation in a special Google+ Hangout, a live multi-person video chat, from the White House.

Participating in the Hangout is easy -- just visit the White House YouTube channel to submit your questions and vote for your favorites between now and January 28. A few participants will be chosen to join the President in the Google+ Hangout to ask their questions of the President live!

Check out WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU to learn more about watching the enhanced State of the Union online and all the ways you can ask questions this week:

WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU

Here’s the full lineup -- all times are EST.

Tuesday

9:00 p.m.: Watch the enhanced version of the speech that features graphics, data and stats that highlight the issues the President is discussing on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU. Use the Twitter hashtag #SOTU to discuss the speech live.

10:00 p.m.: Immediately following the speech, pose your questions to a live panel at the White House. Senior advisors will answer your questions about the President’s address submitted via Twitter (use #WHChat and #SOTU), Facebook, Google+, and an in-person audience of Tweetup participants.

Wednesday Office Hours Schedule

All Day: Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, answers your questions on Twitter (@jearnest44)

1:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Mark Zuckerman, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council

3:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44), White House Communications Director

Thursday Office Hours Schedule

10:00 a.m. Veterans: Matt Flavin, White House Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy

11:00 a.m. LGBT: Miriam Vogel, White House Senior Policy Advisor and Gautam Raghavan, White House Associate Director for Public Engagement

12:00 p.m. Women: Racquel Russell, Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity and Avra Siegel, White House Deputy Executive Director for the Council on Women and Girls

1:00 p.m. Seniors: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary

2:00 p.m. Latinos: Felicia Escobar, White House Senior Policy Advisor, Julie Rodriguez, White House Associate Director of Public Engagement and Luis Miranda, White House Director of Hispanic Media

4:00 p.m. Small Business Owners: Christine Koronides, Senior Advisor for Economic Policy, National Economic Council

5:00 p.m. African Americans: Danielle Gray, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy

6:00 p.m. Asian American Pacific Islanders: Chris Lu, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary

TBD Youth: Administration official to be announced

Friday Office Hours Schedule

11:00 a.m. Foreign Policy: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting

12:00 p.m. Education: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy

1:00 p.m. Health: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary

2:00 p.m. Energy: Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change and Dan Utech, Deputy Director for Energy Policy

3:00 p.m. Consumer Protections: Brian Deese, Deputy Director National Economic Council

4:00 pm The Economy: Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director National Economic Council

5:00 p.m. Job Opportunities: Portia Wu, Senior Policy Advisor for Mobility and Opportunity Policy

6:00 p.m. Urban Issues: Racquel Russell, Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity

Monday, January 30^th

President Obama participates in a Google+ Hangout from the White House

The 25 Most Powerful & Influential Youth in the World?

2012-01-19T06:54:48-05:00

Prepare to meet the most powerful and influential young people in the world. They are solving the most pressing problems facing the world today – from poverty, famine, and illiteracy to obesity, global warming, and human trafficking.

They do not act alone. They inspire others to be leaders. They create entry points to make engagement easier. And they enable their peers to tell a collective story about the power of young people.

YSA is launching the inaugural YSA List in celebration of their 25th Anniversary. Since our founding, we have seen young people pass laws, engage thousands of volunteers, found organizations, and develop sustainable solutions – all in the name of changing the world for the better.

Now we want to help them tell the world about it. We want young people to know that service is power, and we need Youth ASAP.

Awareness – Youth are powerful when they create Awareness about critical issues.
Service – Youth are powerful when they Serve, using their passion, creativity, and idealism to solve problems.
Advocacy – Youth are powerful when they Advocate to change policies and laws.
Philanthropy – Youth are powerful when they are Philanthropists, generating financial support to improve conditions.

The YSA List will recognize 25 young people (ages 5 – 25) around the world that have made significant, large-scale change in five categories – Health, Education, Human Service, Human Rights, and the Environment. They will announce the YSA List on Global Youth Service Day 2012 (April 20-22), the largest service event in the world celebrated in more than 100 countries, and the only one dedicated to children and youth.

The 25 winners will receive:

$1,000 awards to support their ongoing efforts to change the world
Worldwide recognition through the Global Youth Service Day international media campaign, which garners millions of media impressions each year.
Platforms to share their successes with other young people and youth leaders through YSA’s annual Youth Service Institute, 25th Anniversary Webinars, Speakers Series and more.
Opportunities to collaborate with members of YSA’s Global Youth Service Network around issues of mutual interest.

The nomination deadline is January 31, 2012. To nominate a young person (or yourself), please click here.

Job Opening: International Development

2012-01-14T18:37:20-05:00

I'm fortunate to be able to work often with the amazing folks at the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC). As they're expanding their important work, they've just announced an opening in their Vermont headquarters. The Director of Business Development leads new opportunity development, with an emphasis on government resources, and ensures that revenue goals are met across ISC programs.

The position is responsible for intelligence-gathering, opportunity analysis, and proposal development of the highest quality. In coordination with ISC’s program team, the position supports the successful development of innovative and high-impact programs consistent with ISC’s strategic direction.

Responsibilities Include:

Preparing an annual business development plan that meets revenue and performance targets, and supports the realization of program strategies.
Directing and coordinating donor intelligence-gathering, opportunity analysis, and pre-proposal preparation to position ISC for winning proposals.
Leading the proposal development process from USG and other government donors; managing cross-institutional teams to support project design and ensuring highest quality proposal submissions.
Networking with key stakeholders (donor, partner organizations, etc.) to leverage funding opportunities consistent with program goals.
Cultivating and recruiting a global network of external experts and potential staff to support assessment, design, proposal writing, and project leadership.
Ensuring the smooth operation of business development activities: overseeing budget, systems, training, and staff needed to achieve business development strategy.

To Apply

Please submit cover letter, resume, and salary history with last name, first initial, and position title in the subject line to: jobs@iscvt.org. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

2012 Mentoring Matters Conference: Keynote & Workshop

2012-01-11T11:27:02-05:00

I am privileged this year to be participating in the 2012 “Mentoring Matters” Conference, organized by the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island. This important annual conference combines unique programming for coordinators, mentors and mentees.

Keynote: Craig Bowman, President, Common Ground Consulting LLC™

Creating Effective Youth & Adult Partnerships: How can program coordinators and mentors further involve and engage young people in creating powerful interpersonal connections throughmentoring? Consider strategies for authentic youth empowerment in the mentoring dynamic as well as in the decision making aspects of programming.Learn the tenets of the community youth development model and consider how it can support youth in strengthening social relationships.

Workshop: Craig Bowman

Rethinking Diversity: Analyzing Privilege &Socialization: If youth service programs are to succeed in improving social conditions, it is critical that the field is actively engaged in understanding and addressing issues of diversity. Explore strategies for dealing effectively with a myriad of diversity issues and learn tools for dealing with conflict.

Complete programming details are available in the Conference Booklet below (PDF).

2012 Mentoring Matters Conference.pdf

Mentoring Matters Conference

Date:: Thursday - March 15, 2012 - Friday - March 16, 2012
Where:: C.W. Post - Brookville

Mentoring Matters Conference

Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus
March 15, 2012-March 16, 2012

Don’t miss this annual two day conference.

I Am A Mentor Social Media Day

2012-01-11T08:37:34-05:00

Join with youth mentors and mentoring programs around the country January 11 and help inspire others to learn about mentoring and how they can make a difference in the life of a child. Now in its 11th year, National Mentoring Month focuses attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors to assure brighter futures for our young people.

Together, the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and the Corporation for National and Community Service are working to focus national attention on the need for mentors. This year’s National Mentoring Month theme is Invest in the future. Mentor a child.

How can you help?

1. Share this event page with other mentors, mentoring programs and supporters of mentoring.

2. In January, change your profile picture to the “I Believe in Mentoring” badge:

3. On January 11, post your experience about being a mentor. Here is some sample messaging you can use:

“Did you know I am a mentor with [program]? Being a mentor to [first name of child] is rewarding and has helped me to [have fun, make a difference, learn new things, be a better parent, gain a better understanding of other cultures, etc.]. You can make a difference in as little as an hour a week. Find a mentoring opportunity in your local community today at www.serve.gov/mentor.”

4. Be sure to tag your program in your posts so people can learn more about the program where you mentor.

5. Feel free to post comments and suggestions on this page so other mentors can learn how you are promoting mentoring during National Mentoring Month.

President Obama Proclaims January as National Mentoring Month

2012-01-07T08:52:03-05:00

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

December 28, 2011

Presidential Proclamation -- National Mentoring Month, 2012

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Every day, mentors help young Americans face the challenges of growing into adulthood. By setting a positive example and sharing their time, knowledge, and experience, mentors play an essential role in preparing our Nation's youth for a bright future. During National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the contributions of all those who cultivate a supportive environment for the next generation, and we recommit to expanding mentorship opportunities across our country.

At school and at home, in the library and on the field, mentors lift our youth toward their goals and ambitions. As a teacher, a relative, or a trusted friend, a mentor's steady and dependable support can inspire a child to strive for success and instill in them the confidence to achieve their full potential. Mentorship strengthens our American family, and by teaching enduring values like diligence and self-discipline, we make a powerful and lasting investment in our youth, our communities, and our Nation.

Across the Federal Government, we are working to ensure more young people have the opportunity to connect with a mentor. Last January, we partnered with businesses across America to launch the Corporate Mentoring Challenge, which calls on corporations to begin or expand mentoring programs that pair children with positive role models, foster leadership skills, and put them on the path to success in school and beyond. As part of our steadfast commitment to support our service members and their loved ones, we are funding new mentorship opportunities for children from military families. And we are continuing to engage faith and community groups to help recruit mentors who can guide our youth in education, employment, and engaged citizenship. For information and resources about mentoring opportunities, I encourage all Americans to visit: www.Serve.gov/Mentor.

By lending a hand and serving as a mentor, countless individuals have empowered young Americans with the confidence, inspiration, and tools to lead rich and fulfilling lives. This month, I encourage adults to make an investment in our Nation's future by helping a child discover the best in themselves.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2012 as National Mentoring Month. I call upon public officials, business and community leaders, educators, and Americans across the country to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

January 2012 marks the 11th anniversary of National Mentoring Month, an annual media campaign to recruit volunteer mentors for young people. Spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR and the Corporation for National and Community Service, this year’s campaign tagline is Invest in the Future. Mentor a Child.

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

2012-01-03T16:39:14-05:00

A FANTASTIC post from the good folks over at Marc and Angel Hack Life ...

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. Read The Road Less Traveled.
Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. Read Stumbling on Happiness.
Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.
Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done. Read Getting Things Done.
Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.
Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Marketing, Messaging, & Media: What's the Answer?

2011-12-22T18:24:14-05:00

Many of you have been asking us for a workshop that can help you do a more effective job of communicating with your stakeholders—particularly your donors. We'll be piloting this new session for a group of social profit organizations in Pennsylvania in January. Click here to check out some of the other workshop and plenary sessions that we offer.

Primary Goal

Expanding on our storytelling workshop, this session has been designed to provide practical tools for social profit organizations and educational institutions to think about how you are currently marketing your organization.

Abstract
In this session, we'll discuss creative strategies for telling your stories; how those stories impact community engagement; and how they can leverage that engagement to recruit volunteers, raise more money, and provide critical services to more stakeholders.

We will use a variety of interactive techniques to help you uncover and discover your passions, and explore how they connect to the choices you make and the actions you take. From there, we'll help you connect your passions to the work your organization does everyday, and determine the most effective ways to tell the stories that align with your values and move people to get involved as volunteers, as contributors, or board members.

Objectives

Be able to articulate why you do what you do--your values, motivations, and dreams.
Recognize the connections between this level of self-awareness and your work.
Use this new awareness to create the organizational stories that cause people to act.
Apply the skills by creating a two-minute pitch related to their organization's work.
Determine the best marketing approaches for building high-trust approaches to community engagement.
Engage stakeholders in marketing efforts, particularly social media strategies.
Learn how to use a organizational self-assessment tool for strengthening capacity-building efforts.

If you are in Pennsylvania ...

Unified Family Services Systems of Bedford County (UFSS), Southwestern PA CTC and Evidence-based Programs Regional Network, the Penn State EPISCenter, and Behavioral Health Services of Somerset and Bedford Counties, Inc. (BHSSBC) are pleased to offer this training. Seating is limited and participants will be registered on a first come, first served basis.

When: Friday, January 20, 2012 / 8:30 am to 4 pm

What: Marketing, Messaging, & Media: What’s the Answer?

Where: Best Western Bedford Inn, 4517 Business 220 North, Bedford, PA 15522Who:

Trainer: Craig Bowman,Common Ground Consulting, LLC

Target: Community Coalition Members, Educators,Audience: Administrators, Behavioral Health Practitioners, Family Services Workers, Youth Workers, Prevention Service Providers, etc.

Cost: Free (minimum fee of $10 for LSW/LCSW, LPC and LMFT CEUs)

If you have any questions please contact Lyn Skillington at director@ufssbedford.org or Tracy Shultz at TShultz@besmhmr.dst.pa.us or (814) 443-4891.

CEUs available: Act 48, PA Certification Board (PCB), LSW/LCSW, LPC and LMFT - $10

This program is offered for 5.5 hours of social work continuing education through co-sponsorship of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work, a Council on Social Work Education-accredited school and, therefore, a PA pre-approved provider of social continuing education. These credit hours satisfy requirements for LSW/LCSW, LPC and LMFT biennial license renewal. For information on social work continuing education call (412) 624-3711.

How to Tell Your "Business" Story in 60 Seconds or Less

2011-12-22T09:58:56-05:00

As you know, a lot of our work at Common Ground focuses on helping social-profit organizations become sustainable. This means we review program outcomes, help with efficiency issues, and develop new fundraising strategies. We're often asked to help organizations craft their messaging—particularly how they tell their stories. I came across this great article on the entrepreneur.com website which aligns almost perfectly with our methodology.

By CARMINE GALLO

I recently spoke at LeWeb, a large technology conference in Paris that's filled with entrepreneurs pitching to venture capital investors who are looking for the next big thing. In such situations where many people are vying for attention, the entrepreneurs who stand out are the ones who deliver their pitch in less than a minute, but still make their points quite persuasively.

Unfortunately, many small-business owners don't think enough about their company's story and how it comes across. I can say that with confidence because I've witnessed many ineffective pitches at conferences and chamber of commerce mixers. At the last chamber mixer I attended, I asked one person what he did. His response started with, "That's a good question…" Five minutes later, he was still trying to describe his new company, and I was trying to find a polite way out of the conversation.

As a communications coach, I've developed a four-step exercise that will work for any company or product. You must simply answer each of the following four questions in no more than two sentences:

1. What do you do?

2. What problem do you solve?

3. How is your product or service different?

4. Why should I care?

By keeping each answer brief, you will develop a succinct story that should take no more than 60 seconds.

Let's use the example of an entrepreneur who is starting a housekeeping franchise. Based on those four questions, the company's story might sound something like this:

"We own Five Star Cleaning, an eco-friendly housekeeping service that pampers you and your home [what your business does]. Typical cleaning services make you prep your home ahead of time, supervise to prevent theft and hang around for hours while the cleaners do their work. Because we require no prep, this saves time right off the top, and we are bonded so our service is worry-free, allowing you to go about your day [what problem does it solve]. And, we always send a minimum team of three to get the job done quickly [how it's different]. Imagine coming home from a long day and your laundry is all done, your bed has been turned down and there are fresh flowers awaiting you. That's the extra pampering we offer that sets us apart from all the rest [why you should care]."

Your first sentence should be a "Twitter-friendly headline." You should be able to describe your product or service in 140 characters or less, short enough for a tweet. In the example, Five Star Cleaning bills itself as an "eco-friendly housekeeping service that pampers you and your home." But many small-business owners don't create product descriptions that are short, catchy, distinctive and memorable. The Twitter exercise will help. If you can't describe your product in a sentence, go back to the drawing board.

If you can tell your story in well under 60 seconds and have some extra time, be ready to relate an example or story that makes your product or service more tangible. You'll notice that in the cleaning service pitch, we offered examples of pampering, such as turning down bed sheets.

Don't let your idea die because you've lost the attention of your audience. Grab your listeners in the first 60 seconds and they'll want to hear more.