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"Thomas Clifford has made something useful here. This report will give you some really catchy, useful ideas.

It made me reconsider how I do what I do, so you might give it a look-see, too!" 

Chris Brogan, President, Human Business Works 


"Tom Clifford is by trade a filmmaker. For most of his life, he rarely wrote anything longer than a brief comment in the margin of a script. 

Now, though, he's producing tens of thousands of words a year, first as a Fast Company "Expert Blogger," and then as a writer for the Content Marketing Institute. 

How did Tom go from a non-writer to a prolific and much-read one? His eBook, '5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways . . . , ' holds some of his secrets."

Mark Levy, Author of "Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content"


“Tom is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet—if you have the privilege to meet him. And he does sterling work as well. But don’t just take my word for it.

Read this free report and you’ll not just love its tone and content, but learn a lot as well.”

Sean D’Souza, Psychotactics.com


“Anyone who wants to improve their writing needs this e-book. A lot of ebooks are short because they just don’t have much substance to offer. They’re not worth your time (and so are many of the long ones, too, for that matter). Tom’s is short because he’s so good at giving you only what you need to know. 

‘5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways to Write Faster, Better, Easier’ lives up to its promise by example as well as in the words themselves. Tom used the very same techniques he teaches you to write this book. 

And what’s in here is not just a rehash of the same tired ideas you find coming from people who have suddenly fancied themselves as writing gurus. There are tricks in here I never heard of (like the Writing Funnel) and some I had forgotten about and was glad to be reminded of (like Sporadic Writing).” 

Michael Martine, Blog Alchemist, Remarkablogger.com 


« What Difference Can Four Minutes Make in a Corporate Video? | Main | SOB Con07 »
Wednesday
Feb212007

Can an "Elevator Pitch" Change the World?

Idea Sandbox.png

I wasn't sure, but it was something I had to find out.

Cut to: the 9th floor. Paul Williams over at Idea Sandbox. Paul posed this challenge: imagine your elevator pitch as your TV show opening narration. Will it captivate your audience to tune in week after week?

It was a brilliant idea. A twist on the usual. Rats. I didn't have a pitch. I was, in fact, "pitchless." Now I was on a mission; a journey. A journey for that "pitch" that would keep an audience tuning in. Hmmm... I closed my eyes and imagined my pitch.........

Cut to: the 10th floor. Liz Strauss over at Successful and Outstanding Bloggers. Liz invited me to send her a few sentences about what I do so she could include it in her blog. I sent "the pitch." I figured, "What the heck...if it doesn't work, I'll write something else."

changetheworld8.jpg Cut to: the 12th floor. One week later. The phone rings. It was Liz. "I love your pitch. Can I use it to help change the world?" (No small task, mind you, this "changing the world business," even on a good day!) "Sure. Let's have a go!" You can read it on Liz's site.

Cut to: the "heroes" in my films.

I always knew they were heroes, but only in my head.

I never publicly called them heroes until a few years ago. Why? Because of the stereotypes we carry of heroes; Gandhi, King, etc.

My heroes are a little different. But the same. The heroes in my world are the employees, the executives, and the "real people" who are featured in a film I produce for an organization. They are the "storytellers." They are the brave ones sharing their heroic journey with the rest of us. It is they who believe in their mission. It is they who inspire us to action. It is they who tell us things are possible when we may think otherwise.

Most importantly, my heroes believe their story can change the world.

Thank you, Paul, for lighting the "fire in my belly." Your encouragement, support and feedback on my pitch is deeply appreciated. You are a hero in my book.

Thank you, Liz, for changing the world by recognizing the power of my story and my film work and then sharing it with the world. A hero, you are, to me.

Thanks to all the heroes everywhere who help make this life so wonderful and magical.

Cut to: the 1st floor. The doors open. It's your turn.

---Tom

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Reader Comments (1)

Two heroes changing the world. I like the sound of that. Cut. It's a wrap!
February 21, 2007 | Unregistered Commenterliz strauss

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