Our Expertise

Defining Personal and/or Brand Narratives

When it comes to telling the story of who one is and what one does, be it to prospects, clients, networking event attendees and audiences in general, clarity, conviction and above all consistency in how one communicates is essential.

Saying different things about oneself or one’s business to different people can create confusion as one audience will have heard ‘this’, another will have heard ‘that’ about the individual and their business or product, threatening credibility.

Having a suite of clear and curiosity-piquing soundbites to deliver each and every time inspires confidence and once learned by heart, enables individuals to become more present and focused on the audience/s in question, leading to better conversations and outcomes.

Through a half or full day narrative workshop, Conway Gordon explores, defines and creates a clear and robust narrative, supported by a suite of key messages and supporting proof points that become a ‘script’ for client interactions with the audiences that matter.

Reputation Protection and Enhancement

Before we explore how Conway Gordon could help a client or their business, let’s first be clear about what reputation protection and enhancement actually means to us.

The dictionary definition of reputation is as follows:

the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.
a widespread belief that someone or something has a particular characteristic.

Someone wise once wrote that reputation takes a lifetime to build, and seconds to destroy. Conway Gordon is in the business of ensuring that the work our clients have done to build their reputation is maintained and protected, even in the most challenging and potentially destructive of circumstance.

This ‘protection’ could be as simple as owning one’s own narrative and ensuring one’s side of the story is heard amongst the audiences that matter. Or it could be more complicated and involve legal counsel and expertise. Threats to reputation can be self-inflicted, through perhaps a lack of seeking the appropriate expert counsel when making a business decision, or threats can come from third parties with nefarious intent. Threats can emerge from anywhere at any time, and if mishandled can cause even further damage to reputation.

With the prevalence of digital communication and immediate publicity, desirable or otherwise, speed of response is another key factor in reputation protection. Sleeping on an issue or reputational threat is perilous. Bad news always spreads fast, and it’s essential to get ahead of it where possible and ensure both sides of any story can be told properly, where applicable.

To ensure a Conway Gordon client is as prepared as possible to be ready to respond and manage reputational risk is at the heart of what we provide. Knowing that there is a bespoke playbook of what to do, what to say or not to say and who to say it to provides a sense of security and frankly, enables our clients to sleep well at night knowing everything is in place and ready, should the unthinkable happen.

Precision Communications Consultancy and Activation

In some circumstances, there can be a requirement or desire to reach and influence a very small, highly targeted audience.

Not every client we work with wants the ‘whole world’ to know what they may or not be up to and some precision communications is called for. The form this may take depends entirely on the desired outcome and before recommending any specific approach, Conway Gordon consults closely with clients to understand fully the reason behind any need or desire to communicate with any given audience, no matter how small or large.

Following a consultation, Conway Gordon advises on the recommended approach or activity, which could be as simple as drafting a well-written letter, OpEd, blog or social media post, as specific as engaging a singular journalist, blogger or influencer, or as complicated as working with our associates to prepare to enter formal legal proceedings.

We pride ourselves on always selecting the right tool for the job and much prefer a scalpel over a sledgehammer.

Media and Presentation Content Preparation and Training

Having the right written materials ready to go is one thing, being able to deliver the messages therein in a professional, polished and convincing manner is another.

In order to ensure Conway Gordon clients can give the best account of themselves, we run them through rigorous training that will ultimately provide the necessary confidence and self-belief to say what needs to be said in the most authentic and credible way, in a manner that aligns with their personality. Our training programmes complement our preparatory reputation materials and enable our clients to bring their narrative to life.

Media Training

Conway Gordon’s media training courses are available in half-day, and full-day formats, depending on the level of training required or requested by our clients. Our courses combine theory and scene setting about the media landscape, alongside rounds of practical mock-interviews that are filmed to provide in-depth feedback and discussion.

Presentation Training

Public speaking is one of humankind’s greatest fears. While the mere thought of speaking in front of well, anybody can cause fear and panic, charismatic presenters can make the most anodyne of subjects demand edge of seat attention. No matter how well-written, informative, convincing, witty or charming a speech, presentation or talk may be, if the delivery is flat, monotone and dull, then that’s what the audience will feel.

The secret to a convincing speaking performance is found in the preparation.

Conway Gordon consults on the content of any speaking engagement well in advance and then offers training to help clients not only become familiar with the content but to help them deliver with confidence, charisma and clarity.