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 … Read more
Have you ever been caught tongue-tied when someone says, “So tell me about yourself” in a job interview or asks, “What’s your story?” at a networking event? This Friday I’ll be conducting a free webinar that will help you tell your story in a way that makes a strong first impression and get the results … Read more
Few things test my patience like listening to a meandering story that wanders from tangent to tangent without ever getting to the point. Learning to focus your story on the essentials may be the hardest part of storytelling, which is why I compare storytelling to a tree. That means when you’re telling a story, you want … Read more
In my last post I talked about the importance of telling original stories. One of the best ways to be original is to tell personal stories derived from your own experience. Some of my clients are reluctant to do this. They’ll say that nobody wants to hear their stories. Which isn’t true. Especially if you’re … Read more
Everyone wants to stand out from the crowd, but you can’t do that by telling the same old stories people have heard a million times. That’s why it’s important to tell original stories. Our stories are what set us apart as individuals. They communicate who we are and the values we hold dear. They make … Read more
When I lead storytelling workshops, someone inevitably says their work or their business is too complex to capture in a story. That’s when I point them to Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink, Tipping Point and other bestsellers. I once watched Gladwell keep a ballroom full of people on the edge of their seats with an hour-long … Read more
Storytelling is about making hard choices, having the conviction to stand by those choices and respecting your audience’s intelligence. That’s a particularly tall order when you’re telling a story on behalf of a giant organization, where the approval process is fraught with perils, hurdles — and lawyers. So I was delighted to come across a stellar example … Read more
If you’re giving a presentation, storytelling can help you break down walls with your audience, earn their trust and, ultimately, influence them to do the thing you want them to do — accept your idea, approve your budget, invite you back, or hire you on the spot. But storytelling is a tool that should be … Read more
Have you ever told a story that bombed? Or that just didn’t get the response you were hoping for? Don’t feel bad — it happens to everyone. But if you want to keep it from happening again, you need to diagnose what went wrong. Chances are, you made one (or more) of these fatal storytelling mistakes. … Read more
There, I said it. It feels good to get that off my chest. When I do presentations, I get all kinds of feedback, from the eye-opening to the mind-bending. But until recently I’d never been accused of being a mindless tool of the capitalist agenda. Estela and the Candy Factory It was during a webinar when … Read more