Blog
Create Deeper Interest With This Key Story Element
Why Most Stories Don’t Connect An important aspect of stories is the goal of the main character. What does this individual want to achieve? Too often, speakers present this ‘finish line’ in vague terms: - A financial advisor tells the story of a couple who want to...

How to Increase Your Story’s Impact
Story is Everywhere Every day, it feels like people are doling out advice on why you should tell stories and how to do it. As a result, many people are now telling their stories in professional presentations and networking events. And they’re not getting the results...

Stop Telling Just ANY Story
3 Keys to Crafting Stories People WANT To Hear Maybe it’s because of the work I do — presentation skills and storytelling coaching — but it feels like everywhere I look, someone is promoting storytelling. Organizations like TED and TEDx are built upon the power of...

Public Speaking Tip – How to Discover the Heart of Your Story
THE Key to a Memorable and Impactful Message One of the most vital skills in public speaking is to deliver a crystal clear main point. Without clarity, you lose your audience and your influence. If you want to get to the heart of your story and connect with your...

Is It OK To Cry When You Speak?
It All Depends One question people often ask is, "Michael, is it OK to cry when I speak?" My initial response is, "It depends." It depends on whether your tears are under control, or your tears are controlling you. Talking About Painful Experiences is...
Your Most Important Connection When You Speak
So Obvious I Missed It For years, I have challenged clients to strive for connection with their audience. If you connect with the people sitting in front of you, they’re more likely to hear your message and act on it. Makes sense, right? There’s one problem with...

Why All This Talk About Storytelling?
STORYTELLING IS EVERYWHERE It seems like every time you turn around, someone new is extolling the virtues of storytelling. And this inspires the question, “Is storytelling really that important?” It is, and there’s plenty of research to back this fact. For example,...

How to Deliver a Presentation – Don’t Be a Polished Speaker
How is Furniture Polish Relevant to Being a Speaker? What is this picture? You're right, it's a can of furniture Polish. What does this have to do with speaking? Many years ago when I first started speaking to audiences, I was convinced that effective speaking...

Networking Tip – How To Make a Positive Impact in 13 Seconds
The Pain of Traditional Networking Picture the scene. You're at a networking event. It’s time for each attendee to stand up and introduce himself. The first person stands up and says, “Hi. I’m John with Acme Financial. We offer life insurance, IRAs and tax planning...

Presentation Tip – Are You Making This Common Rehearsal Mistake?
A Common Presentation Rehearsal Mistake Imagine you’re practicing a presentation. Five minutes into your rehearsal, you get interrupted. After dealing with the interruption, you go back to your talk. Where do you restart your practice? If you’re like most people,...