Biesenblog
Insights on Communication, Storytelling and Presentation Skills
Insights
What to Wear for a Presentation: 10 Tips
There are endless sources of information on what to wear for a presentation, but it’s a question I’m often asked. And it’s getting more complicated all the time as the workplace becomes more and more casual. Like it or not, audiences are making all kinds of conscious and unconscious judgments about you before you even […]
Are the Communications Rules Different for Women?
It’s one of the most common questions I’m asked during my talks: are the rules different for women when it comes to communication? My answer is no. AND yes. It’s complicated, so I’ll explain. But first, a story. A Lesson from a Favorite Teacher Among the many classes I took at Second City’s training center was […]
Yes, Male Presenters, You Need That Microphone
It happened again yesterday. At an industry luncheon I was attending, a male presenter — and it’s almost always a man — declined to use the provided microphone. I see this a LOT, and it’s ridiculous. If you ever wonder whether you need to use a microphone, the answer is YES. That is why the […]
5 More Fatal Mistakes Storytellers Make
Last year I outlined 10 fatal storytelling mistakes — common ways we undermine the power of our stories — and now I’m back with five more. They all center around one big theme: simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. Storytelling does not have to be that difficult. But we tend to make it hard on ourselves. Here are some common […]
Emma Gonzalez and the Profound Power of Silence in a Speech
Wherever you stand on the issue of guns, it’s hard to deny the power of Emma Gonzalez’s short speech at the “March for Our Lives” rally last weekend. As many have remarked, it wasn’t just the things she said, but the long, dark empty space she left between the words. And with nothing but the greatest […]
Why Stories are the Key to Persuasion
What can an elephant teach us about the art of persuasion? Plenty. Emotion is the six-ton beast stomping all over our desire for logical, rational thought. And that’s why stories are such an effective tool for influencing and persuading others. What’s Emotion Got to Do With It? We are not creatures of reason. Deep down, we make […]
50+ Storytelling Tips to Fuel Your Success
Want to learn how to use stories to win hearts, change minds and get the results you want from your business, your career and your life? Here are more than 50 of the most important storytelling tips from my new book, Unleash the Power of Storytelling. These are compiled from a long series of tweets over five weeks surrounding the […]
Got 3 Hours? Become a Better Storyteller
The audiobook edition of Unleash the Power of Storytelling is now on sale! Learn how to use stories to advance your career, build your business and improve your life — all while driving or working out or shopping. Look for it at your favorite audiobook retailer: Amazon Audible iTunes Narrated by the Author (That’s Me) If you’ve […]
Now on Sale: Unleash the Power of Storytelling
Today’s the day! Your guide to using stories to advance your career, build your business and get more of what you want out of life is here! Unleash the Power of Storytelling is now available in ebook and paperback (and soon, on audiobook, narrated by me). I loved writing this book, and I hope you’ll […]
Is the Tide Turning on Death by PowerPoint?
I was meeting with a new client the other day who was about to show me his PowerPoint deck for a presentation we’ll be working on together. He prefaced it by saying he tried to follow the recommendations in my book to emphasize images over words. My expectations in these situations aren’t super-high, and I […]