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The Presentation & Storytelling Encyclopedia by Dave Bricker

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Don’t Let the Truth Ruin a Good Story

Speakipedia Posted on January 10, 2024 by Dave BrickerMay 16, 2024
Don’t Let the Truth Ruin a Good Story

If we’re honest and authentic, we often feel compelled to fill in every detail of a story as it actually happened—but this isn’t always the best strategy. Be a journey-ist, not a journalist. The purpose of a story is to … More ☛

The Three Circles of Storytelling

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
The Three Circles of Storytelling

You may already have explored the golden rule of storytelling: Stories are always about people. The StorySailing® model breaks story structure into four elements. The CAST Call formula helps with creating stories that influence and persuade. The Three Circles of … More ☛

The One-Sided Phone Call

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerMay 16, 2024
The One-Sided Phone Call

Sometimes you can get a lot of mileage on stage when you leave half the conversation to the audience’s imagination. [ring] Hello … Oh, hi honey. I can’t really talk right now. I’m in the middle of giving a pres…” … More ☛

The Call to Action

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
The Call to Action

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 ☛

Tell Your Story About the Audience

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
Tell Your Story About the Audience

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 ☛

Storytelling Mistakes: Poor Me Stories

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
Storytelling Mistakes: Poor Me Stories

Never play the victim card, on stage or in life. Don’t use your audience as a therapist. Your triumph over cancer, escape from an abusive relationship, or successful battle with addiction is admirable but… When we’re in pain, we tend … More ☛

Storytelling Mistakes: Pit of Despair Stories

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
Storytelling Mistakes: Pit of Despair Stories

Here’s a simple rule: If you bring your audience into darkness, bring them back into the light. Not every story has a happy ending, but it should at least offer a worthwhile lesson. If everybody in your story loses and … More ☛

Storytelling Mistakes: The Data Dump

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
Storytelling Mistakes: The Data Dump

WordPress is a content-management platform used to drive over 455 million websites. Written with open-source technologies like PHP and MySQL, this free software is supported by a huge developer community that extends its functionality through thousands of free and commercial … More ☛

Stories to Never Tell: The Starfish Story

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
Stories to Never Tell: The Starfish Story

Like the Chauffeur story, here’s a tale that thousands of speakers love to tell but shouldn’t: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=speaker+telling+the+starfish+story A man walking along the beach noticed that thousands of starfish had been washed up on the sand by a storm tide. And … More ☛

Stories to Never Tell: The Chauffeur Story

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
Stories to Never Tell: The Chauffeur Story

Like the Starfish story, the Chauffeur story get recycled over and over. In the story, Max Planck, the famous physicist, is being driven around Germany on a lecture tour. One day, the driver makes a suggestion: “Mr. Planck, these scientists … More ☛

Stories Are Everywhere!

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
Stories Are Everywhere!

Many speakers tell stories of adventure, of tragedy, of fall, and redemption. But what if you’ve lived a fairly uneventful life? Maybe you’ve never been shot at. You’ve never spent a night in a hospital, folded up a business, or … More ☛

Store Your Beads in Your Jewelry Box

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
Store Your Beads in Your Jewelry Box

Like many speakers, I have many more hours of material ready than I could ever share in a single keynote—stories, exercises, lessons, conceptual models, and more. And I have hundreds of carefully-illustrated slides to go with this material. While aspiring … More ☛

Speechwriting: Rhyme

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
Speechwriting: Rhyme

Many of us can recite poems and lyrics we first heard when we were children. Rhythm and rhyme are beyond memorable. So why don’t we use them more often when we speak? I was bored with my elevator pitch and … More ☛

Speaking and the Hero’s Journey

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
Speaking and the Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” model offers a story structure that’s been used to create many successful narratives. Star Wars is a classic Hero’s Journey. Here’s how it works: Introduce the hero living in their Ordinary World. They hear a call … More ☛

Pump Up Your Presentation with Sound Effects

Speakipedia Posted on January 8, 2024 by Dave BrickerJuly 25, 2024
Pump Up Your Presenting with Sound Effects

Sound Effects The human voice is an amazingly versatile instrument. It can not only speak, it can sing, and imitate a variety of sounds. Here’s an excerpt from a story I’ve shared many times. As I made that quick turn … More ☛

Running Overtime is a Rookie Mistake

Speakipedia Posted on January 5, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 29, 2024
Running Overtime is a Rookie Mistake

No big deal if you run over, right? That’s just more value the audience will get for the same fee. Wrong. Think again. Running overtime is a big rookie mistake. Let’s say the conference you’re speaking at hired a $100,000 … More ☛

Respect Other People’s Intellectual Property

Speakipedia Posted on January 5, 2024 by Dave BrickerMarch 20, 2024
Respect Other People’s Intellectual Property

It’s so easy to grab a photo off the Internet It’s so easy to use your favorite song as background music while you run up on the stage. It’s so easy to share that inspiring story you heard. But it’s … More ☛

Public Speaking Dymamics: Vary Your Tempo

Speakipedia Posted on January 5, 2024 by Dave BrickerMarch 19, 2024
Public Speaking Dymamics: Vary Your Tempo

Tempo is speed, and it’s an important element of dynamic speaking. On a basic level, be aware of whether you’re speaking too fast, especially if you have non-native English speakers in your audience. We speed up our speaking when we … More ☛

Public Speaking Dymamics: Vary Your Emotional Intensity

Speakipedia Posted on January 5, 2024 by Dave BrickerMarch 19, 2024
Public Speaking Dymamics: Vary Your Emotional Intensity

Dynamics—change—is the hallmark of an engaging speech. One variable that’s often overlooked is emotional intensity. Changes in intensity offer a powerful way to cue your audience to whether you’re playing a role in a story or narrating. A lesser speaker … More ☛

Public Speaking: Dialogue or Die a Log

Speakipedia Posted on January 5, 2024 by Dave BrickerMarch 19, 2024
Public Speaking: Dialogue or Die a Log

So many speakers miss out on a huge opportunity to engage audiences when they narrate dialogue in past tense. He said. She said. It sounds kind of like this: A friend suggested I create a series of videos about public … More ☛

Open Your Speech With a Story

Speakipedia Posted on January 5, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
Open Your Speech With a Story

I said goodbye to my traveling companion, rowed back to my anchored sailboat, sat in the cockpit, and looked around the harbor. What am I doing here? I’m twenty-four years old, single, unemployed, and alone in a foreign country on … More ☛

In Public Speaking, Being Theatrical is Authentic!

Speakipedia Posted on January 4, 2024 by Dave BrickerMarch 19, 2024
In Public Speaking, Being Theatrical is Authentic!

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 ☛

I, We, and You

Speakipedia Posted on January 4, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
I, We, and You

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 ☛

How to Structure a Speech Part 3: Create the Opening

Speakipedia Posted on January 4, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 29, 2024
How to Structure a Speech Part 3: Create the Opening

In part 1 we defined the transformation. By knowing how we want our audience to think, feel, or act differently after they’ve seen our presentation, we can tailor our content to helping them achieve those goals. In part 2, we … More ☛

How to Evaluate a Speech

Speakipedia Posted on January 4, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
How to Evaluate a Speech

If you want to become a great musician listen to great music. If you want to become a great speaker listen to great speeches. So what makes up a great speech? Here are a few things to look for: One: … More ☛

How Stories Work in Your Mind

Speakipedia Posted on January 4, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
How Stories Work in Your Mind

Many speakers talk about cortisol and oxytocin and how your brain reacts to stories. That’s all rather sophisticated sounding except you can’t do anything with it except repeat it if you think it will make YOU sound sophisticated. Brain chemistry … More ☛

How Stories Work: The 4 Elements of Story

Speakipedia Posted on January 4, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 12, 2024
How Stories Work: The 4 Elements of Story

Start with the golden rule of storytelling: Stories are always about people. And in a story, that person or group of people are out in a sailboat on the rocky, stormy seas of conflict. They’re facing a challenge of some … More ☛

Beginnings and Endings

Speakipedia Posted on January 3, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
Beginnings and Endings

The two most important parts of a speech are the beginning and the ending. We need to engage the audience during the first few seconds with a killer opening—an amazing fact, provocative questions, or an engaging story. And at the … More ☛

Engage and Educate with Interactivity

Speakipedia Posted on January 3, 2024 by Dave BrickerMarch 20, 2024
Engage and Educate with Interactivity

Over the years I’ve spent speaking, I’ve developed special ways to explain a variety of concepts. I’ve written books, created beautiful slides, and shared a number of workshops. But as clearly as I’ve mapped out my messages, I’ve discovered only … More ☛

Break Up Your Speech with Dynamic Ramps

Speakipedia Posted on January 3, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 22, 2024
Break Up Your Speech with Dynamic Ramps

What is a “dynamic ramp?” In your speech, perhaps you share a story from many years ago and then you jump to a recent story, and then you add a conclusion at the end. That’s three distinct sections. How will … More ☛

Bombing on Stage is a Rite of Passage!

Speakipedia Posted on January 3, 2024 by Dave BrickerApril 9, 2024
Bombing on Stage is a Rite of Passage!

As a sailor, I ran aground more than once. I even spent a few uncomfortable nights with my keel stuck on a sandbar, waiting for the next high tide to float me off. Whenever a fellow mariner bragged that they’d … More ☛

Jazz and Musical Storytelling

Speakipedia Posted on October 16, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

What is musical storytelling? Many of our favorite storytellers rely on music to help them deliver their messages with impact. Depending on what’s happening in the story, they use specific techniques and strategies. For example, when there’s a dream sequence, … More ☛

Take the Twerking Out of Networking!

Speakipedia Posted on September 5, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

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 ☛

Why AI-Generated Marketing Copy Misses the Mark

Speakipedia Posted on August 8, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

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 ☛

Never Play the Victim Card

Speakipedia Posted on July 25, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Keep your poor me stories off the stage. My friend Tony showed me a video of a speaker who told the story of her escape from alcohol and depression and her long, hard road to personal and professional success. “It’s … More ☛

An Interview with Voice Artist Humphrey Bower

Speakipedia Posted on July 11, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Find Your Voice … And Someone Else’s! Do you enjoy a good audiobook as much as I do? Australian actor Humphrey Bower voices hundreds of characters—men and women with accents from around the world. I’ve listened to over 350 hours … More ☛

Jazz and the Dangerous Magic of Creative Flow

Speakipedia Posted on June 13, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Perhaps you’ve experienced flow writing. You sit down, watch your fingers tap away at the keyboard, and wonder, Where did that come from? Did I write that? That’s really good!  Sometimes the experience of flow can be as simple and … More ☛

How Good is AI at Writing Stories?

Speakipedia Posted on May 30, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

  AI Storytelling – Is it any good? I entered a simple prompt into ChatGPT. Yes, I could have been more specific about what I wanted—better prompts make for better output from the AI—but my intention was to analyze the … More ☛

What is “Dynamic Speaking?”

Speakipedia Posted on May 16, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

We often hear about “dynamic speaking,” but what does that mean? The dictionary defines “dynamics” as “the forces or properties which stimulate growth, development, or change within a system or process.” Essentially, “dynamics” means “change,” and if you want your … More ☛

Punch Up Your Pitch With Storytelling

Speakipedia Posted on April 18, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

You’ve been asked to pitch a big project. You and your teammates Shelly and Barbara sit at your conference table discussing next week’s big presentation. “It’s impossible to know how the competition is going to position themselves,” says Shelly. “We … More ☛

If You Think SALES is a Dirty Word…

Speakipedia Posted on March 21, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Do you think sales is a dirty word? Many of us think that way … and given all the tacky messages we have to sort through and delete every day, it’s no wonder. For some, the word “sales” conjures up … More ☛

Punch Up Your Elevator Pitch

Speakipedia Posted on March 4, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

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 ☛

Tell Your Story Concisely!

Speakipedia Posted on February 21, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Can you tell your story concisely? A popular anecdote about Ernest Hemingway says he made a bet with friends that he could tell a story in only six words. That story:   Baby shoes for sale. Never worn.   Whether … More ☛

Illustrate Your Story with AI?

Speakipedia Posted on February 2, 2023 by Dave BrickerAugust 28, 2024

You’ve probably read about OpenAI and how artificial intelligence has come of age. It’s easy enough to generate articles and blog posts using tools such as ChatGPT, and if they turn out a bit too academic or clinical, you can … More ☛

Change Your Pricing Story

Speakipedia Posted on January 10, 2023 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

  Should you charge $20 for your new book or $19.97?  Will dropping your price by three cents help you sell more books? What about smart consumers who are educated about sales and marketing? Will they think you’re being manipulative? … More ☛

Shared Stories and The Next Generation

Speakipedia Posted on December 6, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Hooray for Hollywood! Well … maybe; maybe not. Movies about rock stars’ journeys and superheroes (Is there really a difference?) may amount to no more than the latest money grab by motion picture studios and music labels (Is there really … More ☛

Real Estate and Storytelling

Speakipedia Posted on November 8, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Maria, a realtor attended one of my storytelling workshops at the suggestion of a mutual friend. “What does storytelling have to do with real estate?” she asked before the session started. Tell me about a property you’re excited about,” I … More ☛

Lost and Found Losers

Speakipedia Posted on October 25, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Lost and found items create logistical challenges, but stories are always about people. The story of how (or whether) a person is reunited with a lost item they need or value determines the success of important business relationships. Create a … More ☛

You Can Keep Your Business Cards

Speakipedia Posted on September 27, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

I was talking with a friend at a business networking event when a man came plowing through the crowd doling out business cards as if he were handing out candy on Halloween. After the most cursory of introductions, he put … More ☛

Rewrite the Bogus Story of Happiness

Speakipedia Posted on September 13, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

What’s the number one cause of unhappiness?   Love?   Money?   Hunger?   Insurance companies?   The number one cause of unhappiness is the pursuit of happiness!   You can never be happy.   Think about your last new … More ☛

Conflict: Sailing the Storms of Life and Business

Speakipedia Posted on June 28, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

In storms of life and business, it requires immense energy to sustain conflict. Dangerous and destructive forces require attention and—at the appropriate times—resistance, but often the best strategy is to park and wait for the tempest to subside. A retail … More ☛

Sell Outcomes, Not Products

Speakipedia Posted on June 14, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Sell outcomes. The products or services you exchange at the transaction stage of a business relationship might not be the most meaningful basis for describing what you offer. Before you print your next batch of business cards, think like a … More ☛

Your Unique Value Story

Speakipedia Posted on May 18, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Imagine an event where each attendee is given a puzzle piece and directed to connect one-at-a-time with others in the room to see whether their pieces fit together. Though such a laborious process sounds absurd, it describes exactly how most … More ☛

Confirmation Bias: Storytelling at Your front Door

Speakipedia Posted on May 3, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

We give more weight to evidence that supports what we like—a phenomenon called, “confirmation bias.” Belief is often based as much on what we want to be true as on what we determine to be true through direct observation. Data, … More ☛

Storytelling and Your Mission Statement

Speakipedia Posted on April 19, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Anyone who questions the relationship between business and storytelling need look no farther than the humble corporate mission statement.   The goal of this article is to teach the value of storytelling so you can develop engaging mission statements that … More ☛

Reading Aloud Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Speakipedia Posted on April 5, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Keep your lis­ten­ers’ at­ten­tion while read­ing aloud. The host an­nounces the next au­thor. She walks to the lectern, of­fers a syn­op­sis, and be­gins read­ing aloud. It’s not bad prose—and I can’t say that for every writer here—but after three pages … More ☛

Another Customer Service Horror Story

Speakipedia Posted on March 29, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Do you have a customer service horror story to share? What stories are you telling about yourself before you even show up to do business? A Customer Service Horror Story A friend of mine sailed his boat up on some … More ☛

Advertising, Business Strategy, and Storytelling

Speakipedia Posted on March 15, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

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 ☛

Shipwrecks, Reefs, and Stories About You

Speakipedia Posted on February 17, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Shipwrecks are the ultimate symbols of massive failure. Building and operating a ship is an enormous enterprise that requires people, money, teamwork, and skill. Whether a vessel was sunk in battle or lost to a navigational blunder, every wrecked ship had … More ☛

The Virtuoso, the Teacher, & the Centipede

Speakipedia Posted on January 18, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

One Sunday morning not long after I had been introduced to sailing, I was enjoying a cup of coffee in the cockpit of my friend Strider’s boat. The sounds of rustling canvas alerted me to watch a bronzed man on … More ☛

Storytelling Tips: The Rush of Discovery

Speakipedia Posted on January 4, 2022 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Storytelling tips: You’re walking along and you happen to look down. “Hey, that’s not a scrap of paper; that’s a $20 bill!” Isn’t it a rush when something we thought was useless turns out to be meaningful. Stories—whether they’re truth … More ☛

My Club Got a One-Star Review

Speakipedia Posted on December 7, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

How do you handle a one-star review? Capable leaders are adept at untangling the many stories that compete for attention when problems need solving and egos need soothing. I monitor a FaceBook page for a local chapter of a national … More ☛

River Stories

Speakipedia Posted on October 26, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

River stories: Numerous stories have been written about rivers. We all have rivers to cross. Metaphorical rivers represent both the obstacles we encounter in life and business and where the “current” carries us. Perhaps a tough conversation lies ahead or … More ☛

Sea Stories: Do You Trust Your Compass?

Speakipedia Posted on October 12, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Do you trust your compass? Finding your way in life, business, and traffic is a challenge. The easiest way to get somewhere without getting lost is to switch on the GPS. But too many people never know the joy of … More ☛

Phil Woods: Is Your Work Beneath You?

Speakipedia Posted on September 14, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

I was frustrated the other day, thinking about how I need a better computer. Some of my software is out of date and my machine just doesn’t have the speed and the memory to support some of the the new … More ☛

Sexual Harassment – Rewriting the Story

Speakipedia Posted on August 31, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Is sexual harassment a problem, or a symptom of a larger, deeper issue? The answer depends on the stories we use to define and discuss it. Challenge: Write a story about sexual harassment. Use fictional avatar characters. (If you call … More ☛

Be an Effective Storyteller. Try Story Listening

Speakipedia Posted on August 17, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Storytelling is a powerful tool, but no one ever talks about story listening. Have you ever been with a friend, family member, client, or colleague and assumed they were thinking and feeling something completely different from what they actually were? … More ☛

Superhero Stories

Speakipedia Posted on July 6, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

When I was young, I collected superhero stories and comic books. I was fascinated by the exploits of the same characters—Ironman, Spiderman, Superman, and others—who inspire movie-watchers today. The comic book was for me, the ultimate storytelling medium, a combination … More ☛

Selling the Story: Storytelling for Skeptics

Speakipedia Posted on June 22, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

“Storytelling…? I don’t know.” A troubled look flashed across Sally’s face. “You’ll have a hard time selling me on your topic. Last year’s speaker was a dud. I need to deliver some wow-factor this year or I might not be … More ☛

Story Themes: The Unlikely Teacher

Speakipedia Posted on June 8, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

The unlikely teacher is one of my favorite story themes,  partially because I’ve been fortunate to have had wonderful, unlikely teachers in my own life, but also because it suggests pathways and opportunities for us to transform our lives and … More ☛

Are Your Messages Missing the Mark?

Speakipedia Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Are your messages missing the mark? Are your stories clear and accurate or are your meanings lost in translation? The storyteller’s challenge is to convert abstract and intangible ideas, experiences, emotions, and memories into sounds or characters on a page … More ☛

Stuck in the Wrong Story? Need a Bigger Bucket?

Speakipedia Posted on May 11, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Getting stuck in the wrong story can feel productive, but it traps us in conflict and prevents us from reaching our meaningful goals.   I was sitting in the cockpit of my sailboat one evening when I spied a small … More ☛

Problem-Solving & Storytelling: Understand Their Story

Speakipedia Posted on April 27, 2021 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Use storytelling for problem-solving. Think about the various stories involved in a conflict and plot a course for resolution. Seen through the StorySailing™ spyglass, a story is analogous to the voyage of a sailboat across the rocky, stormy seas of … More ☛

Tempest in the Lizard Kingdom: A True Christmas Tale

Speakipedia Posted on December 21, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

In 1989, as a 25-year-old sailing solo on a 26-foot sailboat, I spent a surreal Christmas weathering a North Atlantic gale, at anchor in a not-so-sheltered place in the central Bahamas. This piece was originally published in my sailing memoir, … More ☛

I-We-You. Tips for Speakers and Writers

Speakipedia Posted on October 27, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

I-We-You. You’re addressing an audience. When should you switch from the inclusive “we” to the more personal “you?” When is it acceptable to use “I?” When talking about your own experiences, use “I.” Listeners will follow your story as long … More ☛

Home Economics and the “New Normal”

Speakipedia Posted on September 29, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Getting Forward to New Normal Retailers have been hit hard by COVID19. Foot traffic is down and online retailers are winning the game. But that story is only partially true. Online retailers started winning the game long before COVID19 shuttered … More ☛

Don’t Hire Experts and Tell Them What to Do!

Speakipedia Posted on September 14, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Too many professionals buy the story that expertise is a commodity: Hire an expert, tell them what to do, and get the job done. Experts are experts because they know more than you do about their professional discipline. Experts are … More ☛

Who Are You to Judge?

Speakipedia Posted on September 1, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Have you ever been disappointed with a judge’s call—in a courtroom, on a ball field, or in a contest? Who are you to judge? In August of 2020, I watched eight finalists compete in the World Championship of Public Speaking, … More ☛

Potent Verbs Spice Up Your Storytelling

Speakipedia Posted on August 18, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Verbs are the engines that move your writing, your speaking, your readers, and your audiences but many authors ands presenters don’t spend enough time choosing the right ones. If your writing was an electric guitar, your verbs would be the volume, … More ☛

If I Can Do It, You Can Do It Stories: Speaking Mistakes

Speakipedia Posted on July 21, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

If I can do it, you can do it! Well … maybe. Is your story about your extraordinary personal journey? Talking about yourself for your own sake will be perceived by listeners as narcissism or seeking validation. Stories of dramatic … More ☛

How Do Stories Work?

Speakipedia Posted on July 7, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

How do stories work? You knew that movie was going to stink as soon as you got through the opening scene … but you sat through the whole thing to find out how the story ended. Numerous studies have explored … More ☛

Cigarettes,
Leaf-Blowers, and COVID-19

Speakipedia Posted on June 9, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

I’m that annoying neighbor—the bad guy—the one who’s always complaining about my rights … . or at least that’s the story my neighbors tell. While enjoying the sanctuary of my backyard one cool February afternoon, my bliss was interrupted by … More ☛

Videoconferencing: 11 Tips You Haven’t Seen (But Should)

Speakipedia Posted on March 31, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

You’ve already read at least a dozen articles about ZOOM and videoconferencing that remind you to mute yourself when you’re not talking and look into the camera. Here are eleven important video tips you haven’t read before but should.   … More ☛

Public Speaking Tip: Body Language and Spoken Language

Speakipedia Posted on March 17, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Body language and spoken language: Combine them strategically to enhance audience engagement. In my 2019 Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest entry, I parodied the “speaker‘s journey” from being paralyzed by fear to joining Toastmasters to becoming a confident presenter. (Toastmasters International … More ☛

Public Speaking Tip: Speechcrafting Goes Beyond Speechwriting

Speakipedia Posted on January 21, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

Speechcrafting is a special discipline of which speechwriting is but a single element. The effective speechcrafting professional understands the art of narrative and also the power of stagecraft—timing, pauses, dynamics, gestures. Eloquent words delivered by a lackluster presenter will miss … More ☛

Stone Soup

Speakipedia Posted on January 6, 2020 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

A little storytelling fun: a poem by yours truly. The title is a reference to the traditional Stone Soup folktale. What role does the context provided by understanding the title play in the interpretation of the story?   In November, … More ☛

Storytelling and The Avant Garde

Speakipedia Posted on December 9, 2019 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

An accomplished jazz musician, educator, and friend pointed out that too many virtuosic young players blow a lot of noisy notes with fire and conviction, ignore the structure of the music, and brand themselves as “avant garde.” To his ears, … More ☛

The “Become a Millionaire Speaker” Story

Speakipedia Posted on October 15, 2019 by Dave BrickerJuly 1, 2024

A friend asked if he should take a day off work to attend a free “Become a Millionaire Speaker or Coach!” seminar. No. Don’t quit your day job—even for a day. I’m sure the session offers hours of true and … More ☛

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