, ,

5 Places you can use Story to Grow your Business (besides public speaking)

Your story mattersRight now, under the banner of a business called Pivotal Public Speaking, I am teaching small business owners about story - story for speakers? ... not altogether ...

If you are speaking to grow your business, then story is vital. It gives you credibility. It creates a deep engagement with your audience of potential clients. Most powerfully, though, it allows you to take a potential client into your business with you so that they feel, and hear, just what it is like to work with you, just what exactly it is that you do for them.

That is "if you are speaking ..."

The stories that you choose and tell, about your business, though, can then be used and re-used elsewhere with exactly the same power.

1. You can use them on the "About" page of your website/blog/web presence. They give that same level of engagement, credibility and awareness, that will have your web visitors clicking through to find out more.

2. You can use them on your sales pages. Let your prospective buyers know that you understand their pain and problems. Let them see your product in action. This is word of mouth marketing - online!

3. You can use them in conversations. You connect at a networking event. What more natural and yet powerful way of deepening that connection is there, than story? People arrive at your product display. Conversation, and story, will give them the human face of your business, your product, your service. And people do tend to buy people first. We know that, though often instictively.

4. You can use your story/stories in your social media marketing. On the surface this means sharing stories about your business - regularly. Facebook loves stories. Distill them down for twitter into tiny conversational pieces. Give them "corporate" style, if you need to, for LinkedIn. Under the surface, though, your brand story drives all that you do in social media. Confine all that you do, say and share to that defined specific story and you establish a strong brand presence.

5. Finally, you can use your stories when you are teaching. Many speaking engagements revolve around teaching about something in your business. Many businesses revolve around teaching something. Here the power of story is perfect for you because it creates engagement, it helps overcome objections to new ideas and it is a vital tool in the integration of brain function so necessary to successful learning.

So in "teaching" story, I am excited to be giving people far more than just a speaking tool, though it is certainly that.

If you are interested in learning more about story, either simply as a speaking tool, or as a tool to grow your business, why don't you join me?

You will learn

How to use stories for different outcomes.

How to draw an audience into your world or your business using story.

4 of the basic types of business story and where to find the ones in your business/life that will be more effective when you speak.

Story structure - the elements and processes of story and how to apply them and which ones work best in different situations.

How to integrate story into your speaking - how it fits into the structure of your presentation, how to use your voice, stage and stage presence to greatest effect and how to remember it.

Integrated into the program is a thread of how you use story to propel your personal growth, the growth of your business and your vision for the future

This is small group workshop format. In all of my workshops I find people learn much from each other, as they are learning from me, and I intend to maintain that.

The next workshop intake will be available later in the year. If you would like to be notified, please send me a message from my contact page and I will keep you in the loop.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

11 Deadly Presentation Sins: A Path to Redemption for Public Speakers, PowerPoint Users and Anyone Who Has to Get Up and Talk in Front of an Audience

11_deadly_presentation

"We've all committed the 11 deadly presentation sins on the way up in our careers. This insightful book will help make sure that your way up doesn't become the way down!"
- Dr. Nick Morgan, author of Give Your Speech, Change the World

11 Deadly Presentation Sins is the perfect book for public speakers, business presenters, PowerPoint users and anyone who has to get up and talk in front of an audience. 

Few skills are more important in business or in life than the ability to present your ideas in clear and compelling terms. A solid presentation can help you:

* Close a sale with a customer
* Earn a raise
* Get a job
* Boost your reputation in the marketplace
* And much more ... 

Escape From PowerPoint Hell ...

More Than 100 Practical Tips ...

Did We Mention Fun? 

My review

Want to avoid killing your audiences with boredom? Are you killing your career, your business, your chances of winning that pitch with murderous presentations? Sin no more. Resurrect your speaking success with Rob Biesenbach's new book.

Rob brings skills as an actor, a speaker and a PR pro to this book; and not just skills but the entertaining, engaging communication style that made him a success there.

If you want to build your own success as a speaker, use this book. I don't like books that tell you what NOT to do, and I feared that "deadly presentation sins" might do just that. I was mistaken, and happily so. The book is incredibly positive and encouraging. Rob provides the theory and the fundamentals of presentation success from energy to engagement, from storytelling to structure, from focus to visuals and much, much more.

I enjoyed his conversational style, his humour and his turn of phrase. Especially I enjoyed his humility. These all add up to an encouraging, easy read. He uses examples from other experts. He also uses copious examples from his own experience, so I felt that this was guidance from an expert. More importantly, though, these examples give Rob's readers a multitude of practical ways to implement the strategies he has listed. This is what takes the book beyond being just another basic read about presentation skills.

Implement the guidance here and yes you will stand out - confident, comfortable and more engaging.
This is indeed the path to redemption!

You can get all the details (and where to buy the book) here on my website ... http://bit.ly/1c6rP0Y

, , ,

How to Tell a Story with Numbers

Lizzie O'Leary, Bloomberg TV's Washington correspondent, gives her tips on how to effectively tell a story using data.

, ,

Storytelling is the Game

Storytelling is the most underrated thing when it comes to business, it is everything when trying to convey emotion and attachment to your brand and in today's world a Press Release is JUST not gonna CUT IT!

http://bit.ly/tr3yZ0

,

Storytelling Secrets from the Masters

Enthralling speakers interweave captivating stories into their key points.

What are the nuances that distinguish an entrancing story from a boring one?

How can you craft your stories to make your points — and you — more memorable?

Three master storytellers tell their secrets to ensuring stories are memorable and engaging. Each has a different slant on the topic so hear their ideas and adapt them to your style.

These questions and many more will be answered in this trio of teleseminar recordings.
• “Digging for the Treasures in Your Stories” with Emory Austin, CSP, CPAE
• “Add Oomph to Your Stories by Bringing the Characters Alive” with Jon Schwartz, a.k.a. Vinny Verelli
• “Creating Emotional Triggers to Make Your Stories Memorable” with Doug Stevenson
Special price! Get all three programs, in MP3 format, for only $34. Order now.

,

Sixteen Sensational Storytelling Ideas

This article is aimed at people working with children, but would be just as effective for a group of adults. Storytelling is such an important skill for the public speaker, that any of these ideas could stimulate an improvement

Oral storytelling is one of mankind's oldest traditions. It's probably the origin of teaching too. Storytelling skills are excellent ones for children to learn, and attending storytelling sessions given by an adult will pay dividends. Kids learn to improvise, gain an understanding of basic story structure, sequence a story correctly, speak with confidence and engage an audience.

=> http://bit.ly/jozN2w

,

Use Stories to Persuade

When it comes to persuading others, rhetoric has its limits — it can sound didactic and boring. Stories are a much more effective way to convince others of your point of view. Here are three tips for shaping and telling a story that influences: http://bit.ly/mgKbX8

Storytelling workshop day

STORYTELLING WORKSHOP DAY

10.00—12.30 STORY CIRCLE

This will be a special story circle with University of Western Sydney Students in Early Childhood Studies sharing some of their creative work with storytelling along with other gifted tellers offering stories for adult and family audiences. Also there is an ‘open-mike’ opportunity for anyone who’d like to tell as well.

12.30 -1.30 Bring own lunch. Tea and coffee provided

1.30 - 4pm WORKSHOP STORYTELLING FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD

with Patsy Allan, a dynamic storyteller from Canberra who specializes in Creative Storytelling for children aged 0—7 – babies, toddlers and preschoolers to early primary children.

Enjoy an afternoon of interactive folktales, stories, songs and rhymes with props, puppets and participation.
Have a look at Patsy's bio at http://www.patsytales.com/

Date: Saturday 21 May

Venue: The Writers Centre, Callan Park Balmain Road Rozelle. Main Entrance opposite Cecily Street in Balmain Road and follow the signs to the Centre.

Cost: $35 or $25 members, pensioners/ students. (come for the whole day or just for the workshop)

Bookings essential: Contact Lee - leescastledine@yahoo.com.au or Ph: 0402 927 943

,

How to Tell a Great Story

by Martin Jugmans

Everybody has a great story. To tell a story well it must be lovingly crafted and tailor-made.
We want to capture the audience's attention and convey a memorable message.

Preparation:
We need to know who the audience is and what is the purpose of our story. Will it be a group of workers on an oil rig or school children? By making references within our story that directly relates to the audience's interests will keep them engaged. Asking and remembering people's names and asking questions we can get a good idea of who will be present.

By writing down the purpose of the story in one short sentence, we establish a clear direction that our story will take.

As an example, we are going to speak to a group of teenagers about "The Power of Writing Down Your Goals".

What would interest a group of teenagers to write down their goals? What are their dreams and desires, to be a great football player, to have the latest gadget, money or a new car, travel or clothes? What are their fears? Exams, failing, lack of self-esteem. Doing this research pays dividends.

Before creating the actual content we need to determine how we want the audience to feel at the end of our story. Write this down:

We want the audience to feel empowered and inspired.

Content:
Now we can start looking for a story in our own personal experience that shows the benefits and illustrates "The Power of Writing Down Your Goals". We want our story to show the audience that they can attain their goals and dreams and it starts by forming a clear picture in their minds.

If you don't have a story of your own, (which I'm sure you do) perhaps you have a friend who in spite of hardship and difficulty went on to be great. Adapt the story.

The opening is vital. Pause for a breath or two and begin. Ask a question or invoke the audience's anticipation and curiosity.

To make our story work we inject liberal amounts of sincere emotion and feelings. Excitement, difficulties and obstacles, disappointment, courage and joy. Above all, humour. Used appropriately, showing sincere emotion in tone of voice and body movements will colour our story and paint pictures in the minds of the audience. Find ways to include fun twists and turns and use an element of surprise. Make descriptions vivid and use poetic licence. Pauses and voice variations can be used to enhance effect. Consider yourself doing a masterful performance.
Masters practice and refine.

Eliminate all that does not help to convey the message (in this example) of empowerment and inspiration. Mould the story until it really begins to shine.

Spend time formulating a conclusion that is grabbing. We want to give our audience something to remember. A conclusion that wraps it all up, is decisive and leaves the audience feeling empowered and inspired.