Biesenblog
Insights on Communication, Storytelling and Presentation Skills
Happy First Birthday to Unleash!
Hard to believe it was a year ago today that Unleash the Power of Storytelling was unleashed on the world. My latest book has not only exceeded my expectations, but it’s also exceeded the sales of my first two books combined. (Which says something either about the high level of interest in storytelling or the quality of […]
Sergio Marchionne and the Power of Emotional Storytelling
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne died unexpectedly last week. It was a great loss — for the company that he helped rescue from the brink, and for his family and friends, of course. In my latest book I wrote about an electric moment in Chrysler’s history where Marchionne took the stage and demonstrated the power […]
How to Create a Story: a 5-step Process
Study after study confirms that stories have unparalleled power to captivate audiences and persuade them to act in our favor. But how do you go about crafting a story? Here’s a step-by-step guide that will show you how to create a story that will help you win hearts, change minds and get the results you […]
How to Use Stories in a Presentation: 6 Tips
The worst presenter I ever saw did everything wrong, from not understanding his audience to lecturing instead of engaging us to turning the session into one long sales pitch. Worst of all, his talk was nothing but data — endless columns of it, packed onto dense, ugly slides. There was no narrative holding his points […]
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 […]
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 […]
5 Things I Hate About Facebook “Stories”
Through their constant tinkering, Facebook has foisted a lot of unpopular features on us over the years (Ticker, anyone?). But to me, the worst is the new Story function. Excuse me, “story.” Those should read as air quotes. The biggest, most sarcastic air quotes you’ve ever seen. Dr. Evil-style air quotes. Why has this feature earned […]