Want to Be an Expert Communicator? Here’s a Showcase of Real Life Examples from the Pros

Excellent communication starts with being clear, concise and compelling.  And memorable, meaningful messages need to have what I call the “OOOh! Factor” – they need to be Organized, have some Originality to them, and make your audience say “Oh! I get it! I can do that!”
I’ve been collecting clips and examples of dietitians in communications to share with my audiences when I do media trainings and presentations like the one I recently did with Christine Palumbo for the DBC Communications Camp in Napa.  
Here are some examples and a brief explanation about why they made the cut.  I’m always looking for ways to showcase and promote dietitians, so please send me your clips and examples!  I would love to continue adding to this post and sharing great ideas with my audiences and clients.  Send your clips to me at Melissa@SoundBitesRD.com and tell me why it’s a good example.

And if you’re looking for one-on-one media or communications coaching – I would love to work with you, so please contact me for a free quote!

Traditional Media:

In this video, Bonnie Taub-Dix has a strong opening statement that is compelling and memorable:

Sarah-Jane Bedwell had to whittle her tips down to one sentence per snack since the producer wanted to her to cover 8 snacks in only 3 minutes:


Dawn Jackson Blatner has a few great one-liners in this interview but the “RIP” is my all-time fave:

Holley Grainger is a master at on-camera cooking demos:

This was the best media pitch I ever did – and it was all my daughter’s idea.  It was timely (the latest Harry Potter movie was just coming out), referenced pop-culture and incorporated a new twist on an old favorite.  And isn’t my daughter adorable in her HP glasses and tie?

Neva Cochran has a great one-liner about moderation and uses a triplet to frame her messages.  She also enhances her credibility by saying she’s a dietitian and uses a great comparison of calories to pats of butter:

Click here to view this video:
Neva Cochran Halloween TV segment

In this diabetes segment I use a car/driving analogy throughout:

Sarah Krieger uses a compelling and clever comparison in this segment (this video is currently unavailable):

In this segment I use several facts and figures, plus a triplet to flag my messages:

Social Media:
Dave Grotto does a phenomenal job of using humor to convey his messages, especially in his You Tube videos:

He’s also getting more interest on Pinterest – did you know you could “pin” videos to Pinterest?

Keri Gans tweets are always oozing with personality and her own unique “voice” – is it any wonder she had more than 8,000 followers??

Elisa Zied is a master at engaging others in conversation on twitter and facebook:

Michelle Dudash is a fantastic photographer and puts her skills on display via Instagram:

Print (interviews, articles, books, blogs):
Christine Palumbo does a nice job of creating an opening hook for her Chicago Parent column:

This is an analogy I use often to show the value of a dietitian:

I love this headline from a Food & Nutrition magazine article by Mindy Hermann that uses a triplet AND alliteration.  Mindy reminded me to share that often times headlines are written and/or tweaked by editors and that when dietitians and editors work together it can generate a better product!

I also like this strong call-to-action by Mindy Hermann (note the audience is educators, not the general public):

Sharon Palmer effectively uses a triplet (and some alliteration, too) on her book cover:

This flyer for a National Nutrition Month event is so adorable.  Suzy Podleyon, a student at UIC in Chicago, spearheaded the event on behalf of the Chicago Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  She brainstormed with a colleague to come up with this flyer (btw that’s her nephew Joey):

Don’t dietitians ROCK?!  I had so much fun writing this post – I hope to get more awesome examples from YOU soon!