Not so long ago, content was currency. Your ideas, experiences, opinions, eloquence, education, and advice established you as a thought leader. Now, with the help of AI, any fifth grader can publish an articulate and accurate blog on particle physics. … More ☛
To continue with the theme of “Get Rid of Your I-Infection,” how many message do you receive that begin with phrases like: I want to invite you to a special event I just had to tell you about my new … More ☛
How can speakers, indie writers, and self-publishers use a blog to build a platform? This article explains how to publish online content to build community around your books. Build a Platform: Set up Your Blog A blog (short for web … More ☛
Ethos, pathos, and logos combine to form a mode of persuasion that has ancient roots. Ethos appeals to the credibility or authority of the speaker. Trust your tough questions to Speakipedia, the world’s largest and most comprehensive resource for presenters … More ☛
How do we get our audiences to return their focus to the presenter when we’ve sent them off to engage in a game or exercise? Interactivity is a hallmark of effective training. We can explain our strategies and success principles, … More ☛
We all get so disappointed when our favorite movie gets embroiled in some tasteless scandal. We love them so much on stage and then, in real life, they turn out to be so horrible! How will your audiences feel about … More ☛
We’ve all been to meetings where everyone in the room gets a turn to introduce themself. And we know how agonizing this can be! Most people take the commonsense approach. They state their name and they tell everyone what they … More ☛
One of my colleagues has written a blog post every week for the past 17 years. If you’re that disciplined and you enjoy the challenge, go for it. But why add the extra pressure? At the time I’m writing this, … More ☛
Servant Leadership is a term we’ve been hearing a lot lately. What does it mean? Servant leadership is particularly relevant to speakers. We have two jobs to do: When we’re in front of an audience, we have to establish ourselves … More ☛
If you want money, ask for advice. If you want advice, ask for money! This is a longstanding fundraising mantra and it works. If you’re looking for money, ask for it. You’ll receive an avalanche of ideas, recommendations, and advice … More ☛
Selling makes many of us uncomfortable. We receive thousands of BMS (Buy My Stuff) emails, and the last thing we want is to be part of a captive audience, forced to listen as a speaker closes their program with a … More ☛
How do you negotiate with a speaker? What if you find just the right speaker for your conference and then discover there’s a gap between your budget and their fee? Here are a few ways to close the price—value gap. … More ☛
In many businesses, the competition is cutthroat. That’s much less so in the speaking business. Whatever your speaking topic may be, chances are good that you won’t be the only person in your lane. I speak about business storytelling and … More ☛
It’s pitch day and five big construction contractors show up, each of them hoping to convince the university that they should be the ones to build the new STEM building. One by one, each contractor drags the selection committee through … More ☛
What if you forget your lines on stage? What if there’s a power failure in the middle of your speech? Or a fire drill? What if? What if? What if? We waste so much energy inventing and avoiding the most … More ☛
The Golden Rule of Storytelling tells us that stories are always about people—and not about prices, processes, ingredients, or data. And the StorySailing™ model tells us that stories move from conflict to transformation. When we want to persuade, we also … More ☛
Agendas are boring. “Today we’re going to talk about A, B, and C” is not an engaging way to begin a speech. Here’s another presentation killer: “Before we begin, I need to tell you about x.” There is no before. … More ☛
So many speakers offer wonderful advice … And then they forget to Kick ASK! What is it we’re supposed to do next? How can we take what they’ve given us and harness its power? Calls to action—CTAs—can be simple: Stories … More ☛
Do you have a powerful story? Great! That’s an advantage. Now tell your story about the audience! What does that mean? Make your story a metaphor for the audience’s story. In my storytelling speech, I share a time when I … More ☛
Hopefully, you’ll never face a hostile or unruly audience but it’s worth thinking about how you’d handle one. If members of the audience are obstructive and rude to the point where you can’t continue speaking, don’t give them the pleasure … More ☛
So many speakers—even professional ones—are afraid to be “theatrical.” They worry that will be inauthentic or phony. A speaker I worked with told a story about a great injustice: A military leader was wrongly court-martialed and forced to retire in … More ☛
We talked about the I-infection—about people who talk incessantly about themselves. I did this and I did that. That gets old fast. Audiences want to know what’s in it for them. So how do we use “I,” “we,” and “you” … More ☛
Back in my college days, I scraped together the money to hear the legendary jazz pianist Hank Jones play at an expensive local restaurant. Jones had played with jazz greats like Lester Young, Milt Jackson, Cannonball Adderley, and Wes Montgomery. … More ☛
Blame-free problem-solving is a good practice for speakers. One of my clients was ready to speak but the AV person never set up the equipment. His slides weren’t going to be part of his presentation, and this was going to … More ☛
For the most part, your audience has forgotten how to SHOUT unless they’ve lost their temper. They’re afraid to SING the way they did when they were kids. They rarely slow down or speed up or raise their pitch. Many … More ☛
In persuasive speaking, the CAST Call system directs us to state the problem and then agitate. What will happen to your business if you don’t address this issue? What advantage are your competitors gaining while you wait? Have you … More ☛
Another agonizing networking event! You walk around the room, introduce yourself to the next stranger, ask them what they do, and pray they’ll offer anything remotely relevant to you. Great! Another realtor! Wow! Another financial manager! Nice to meet you … More ☛
Is AI-Generated Marketing Copy the powerful shortcut we’ve been told it is? The explosive growth of online content has done little for the evolution of graphic design or copywriting. Publishing has never been so easy, and the demands of producing … More ☛
The “elevator pitch” is an essential professional tool—a tool that should be kept razor sharp and as ready to deploy as a handshake and a smile—and yet, most professionals are woefully bad at introducing themselves. Have you ever attended a … More ☛
If you’re skeptical about the connection between business strategy and storytelling, consider the challenges faced by advertising agencies and marketers. Ad agencies’ storytelling challenges are complex because they must consider how the stories of their individual team members dovetail with … More ☛
Nideknil Marketplace was all hustle and bustle. Colorful signs above the merchant stalls proclaimed the advantages of endless products and services. Businesspeople crowded the aisles, picking up samples and literature and talking to the vendors. The pitch-trolls were out in … More ☛
