“After all, tomorrow is another day.” In the end of the blockbuster, Gone with the Wind, this is what southern belle Scarlett O’Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) says after Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable) walks out on her with the parting shot: ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!” Her entire response is ‘I’ll go home. And I’ll think of some …
Business storytelling mindset for success
Christopher McDougall was a desperate man. He was about to embark on a gruelling challenge of a lifetime in a 50-mile race through some of the world’s toughest terrain. He had heard about the Tarahumara tribe, or ‘running people,’ a reclusive tribe who lived in the canyons of northern Mexico. The Tarahumara tribe are renowned for this activity, often running …
How to use business storytelling like a pro
Recently, I completed a stand-up comedy course at the School of hard knock knocks (I know!) No plans for a career change, just professional development that feeds into my speaking. The first thing our instructor said was, ‘All comedy starts with writing.’ You could have heard a pin drop in the room. None of us ever thought that comedy starts …
Why ‘A Dalmatian ate my burrito’ holds the secret to brilliant business storytelling?
“A dog ate my lunch,” my client Jen recently tweeted. She then replaced it with, “A Dalmatian ate my burrito,” and Twitter immediately exploded! People loved it. Why? What separated those two tweets and transformed “ho hum” into “ha ha?” The magic happened when she was specific―a Dalmatian (not just any dog) and a burrito (not just a generic lunch). …
Business storytelling success secrets for presentations
Leaders often ask me, “How do we use business storytelling effectively in our presentations?” Smart, successful professionals know that stories can make your presentations memorable. Here are my top business storytelling techniques for presentations. It is important that every story you relate links to a message. Otherwise, you are wasting your audience’s time by being self-indulgent. Your stories are there …
What are some business storytelling techniques?
Leaders new to business storytelling often struggle with mastering techniques essential for success. Here are my top 5 business storytelling techniques that will turn a business storytelling apprentice into a master. Clarity on purpose The most important business storytelling technique is to be clear on the purpose/message of your story. When you are in the pub or sharing stories with …
What is business storytelling?
Business storytelling is storytelling with a purpose and for results. Let’s look at an example. Two salesmen were sent to Africa in the 1900s to see if there was any opportunity for selling shoes. They wrote telegrams back to Manchester, one of them writing, “Situation hopeless. Stop. They don’t wear shoes.” And the other one wrote, “Glorious opportunity. They don’t …
Business storytelling–I already do this
Recently, I was presenting on the power of business storytelling at a professional services firm. I had been brought in with the brief that the team members needed to humanise their content. Clients had been complaining about drowning in data and not feeling a connection to the solutions. The professional services team members were even accused of being ‘robotic’ in …
Business storytelling―how to segue into a story
Imagine if you walked into a business meeting where no one knew you and immediately launched into your content without shaking hands or introducing yourself. This abrupt start won’t set you up for success. In the business world, handshakes and introductions are rapport-building ways we connect before we get down to business. Similarly, when using business storytelling, leaders I work …
Business storytelling – I’m afraid it won’t work
One of the biggest challenges leaders face when using business storytelling is the fear that it won’t work. When we tell a personal story, we feel vulnerable, and the stakes are high, thereby creating pressure points around success. We seldom apply this same pressure test to data that we might use! (That’s just a sideways rant 🙂 ) Fear of …
- Page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2