Jan 3, 2024 | Advanced Public Speaking Skills, Business Presentations, Connect with Every Audience, Executive Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Leadership Skills, Marketing, Presentation Skills, Professional Speaking, Public Speaking Tips, Sell with a Story, Speaking Tip, Stand OUT! Speaking Tip
Bluma Zeigarnik, circa 1921 It’s 2008. I’m a Certified Financial Planner, presenting a retirement planning workshop to 49 successful business women. Five minutes into my presentation, a woman named Leslie stands up, and asks a question that will eventually change the...
Aug 30, 2023 | Leadership Skills, Marketing, Professional Speaking, Public Speaking Tips, Sell with a Story, Stand OUT! Speaking Tip, Storytelling
In the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin utters a famous line, “ABC… Always Be Closing.” It’s memorable and a decades-old mantra in the sales profession, but there’s a problem: In the long run, it doesn’t work! Yes, salespeople sold a lot of products and...
Jan 9, 2023 | Advanced Public Speaking Skills, Leadership Skills, Marketing, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Tips, Sell with a Story, Speaking Tip, Speech Writing, Stand OUT! Speaking Tip, Tell a Story, Make Your Point
A question I often hear about storytelling is, “Does my story have to be true?” What is your knee-jerk reaction to this question? The first time I heard this question, my emotional response was, “Yes! Anything else would be a lie.” I had plenty of ‘proof’ to back this...
Mar 8, 2022 | Advanced Public Speaking Skills, Develop a Dynamic Delivery, Leadership Skills, Marketing, Overcome Fear of Speaking, Presentation Skills, Professional Speaking, Public Speaking Tips, Stand OUT! Speaking Tip, Toastmasters International
Picture this… You’ve written your speech. You’re satisfied with the flow of ideas. Now it’s time to internalize your talk. You begin practicing out loud. Five minutes into your rehearsal, your phone rings. Ahh! You forgot to turn off your ringer! But, you need to take...
Dec 29, 2021 | Marketing, Networking, Presentation Skills, Storytelling
The Pain of Traditional Networking 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 that helps...
Sep 27, 2020 | Advanced Public Speaking Skills, Business Presentations, Inspiration Speeches, Make Your Point, Marketing, Negotiation and Persuasion, Persuasion, Public Speaking Tips, Sell with a Story, Speaking Tip, Storytelling, Tell a Story, Make your Point
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...