I'm sorry to say that if you're looking for a communications agency with a website showcasing a host of video, flash animations or awesome scrolling picture galleries, you've come to the wrong place.
I'm also sad to say that if you think BBW stands for Big Beautiful Women, I think this site is likely to disappoint.
The truth is, since I went freelance in 2010 as BBW Communications (BBW stands for Bill Bows Words, I'm afraid oversized lady fans), I've been incredibly fortunate to get all my work through recommendations and word-of-mouth, so I guess I've never needed any razzmatazz to advertise what I do.
This site used to be my blog - but since fewer people found this page than went to see Mars needs Moms (the biggest box office flop of all-time, according to Wikipedia), I've decided to find a new platform for my musings on life, the universe and everything and use this site as a simple one-page summary of what I do on the rare moment of coincidence that a) you have stumbled upon this site, b) you need my help and c) I have the capacity to help you.
OK, let's get it over with...
Communication has been my game since 1996.
Whether it's a boardroom or a classroom, a room of ten or a hall of 1,000, I've learned what it takes to engage an audience.
I began my working life writing and editing for the likes of Time Out, Platts, the Press Association and Investors Chronicle, before expanding my horizons in the hope of expanding those of the next generation and retraining to teach French and German to young people aged 11 to 18.
After seven adrenaline-fuelled but ultimately unfulfilling years as a journalist and three uplifting but utterly exhausting years in the classroom, I decided to marry the intelligence gathering and sharp copywriting skills honed in my reporting days with the organisational and presentation skills developed and crafted as a teacher.
Since reinventing myself as a writer and a communications consultant, I've helped an eclectic mix of companies and organisations, from Lloyds Banking Group, Harrods and Toyota to The Learning Trust, Manchester University and Center Parcs to communicate their most important messages with clarity and simplicity.
From the initial capture of insights, to the subsequent scriptwriting, slide and supporting material design and creative direction, my style of content development isn’t about me telling you what to do, or even you telling me, it’s about us working together as equal members of a constructive collaboration.
To
ensure I can deliver the best possible results when developing communications
content, I adopt a simple five-step approach.
It’s
not rocket science, just a clear and logical process that I think makes sound business sense...
STEP ONE: Think! It all starts here. A series of clever
and memorable insights borne out of a detailed understanding of your organisation,
your brand, your people, your messages and of the world around us. I'll make
myself available to talk to all the right people. The answers will give us a
perfect tool to measure every creative idea against our values and objectives.
So before a single pen is lifted in crafting content, I spend time in
informal research interviews with your content owners (individually or in small
groups) to draw out the key messages you need your audience to walk away with.
STEP TWO: Get creative. This is not
creativity for its own sake. Engaging live communications requires purpose and
direction. Asking the right people the right questions will give us the
information we need to build an event, a film, a book or a communications programme with substance. But
information without definition is like trying to drink from a firehose, there’s
simply too much to take in one go. I will work with you to identify the most
important messages and mould and shape them into stories. Because I believe in
the power of stories. Whether it’s a West End show or a high-level business
meeting, one thing never changes – your audience wants to be engaged and entertained. People want the facts - the detail - but they need stories
to make those facts memorable, enjoyable and digestible.
STEP THREE: Organisation, organisation, organisation. Good organisation is the thing that
cuts out the waste and the tedious running around, helping us all save time and
keeping life as simple as possible. Good organisation means less time
organising and more time focusing on the quality of the concept and its
delivery – the fun part. That means
early scheduling of content meetings, regular opportunities to feed back on draft
scripts and presentations and comprehensive speaker support that begins long
before you take to the stage. I understand the time pressures of senior
leaders and I have the experience, the resource and the flexibility to provide
the right support in a way and at a time that suits everyone.
STEP FOUR: Stand and deliver.
This is the critical moment when all those weeks and months of planning and
preparation are transformed into action. This is about getting the performance
spot on and executing faultlessly. I can help provide the right level of
off- and on-site management, support and coaching to ensure maximum energy and focus is
poured into every presentation, workshop, discussion and debate and not a single word or image is wasted in your print and digital materials.
STEP FIVE: Measure, learn, IMPROVE. Even before the dust has settled, I can help you ask the right questions. At
the end of the day, was it all worth it? In brutally honest terms, did we
achieve what we wanted? Now is the time when you have real
opportunities to learn and to establish good practice. And remember, sometimes we learn a lot
more from being wrong than we do from being right.
So, let's recap...
1. This site is not and will never be the place to come to see pictures of large ladies.
2. My blog is moving elsewhere - I will link to it here once it's all set up and ready to go.
3. I am an experienced corporate writer and comms consultant that has used a simple and logical process to get great results for a whole number of companies.
4. (this bit is new) If you want to get in touch to discuss a potential business collaboration, email me at bill@bbwords.co.uk
Thanks for making it all the way to the end. I hope you weren't too disappointed.
THE END
