Who doesn’t want to tell better stories? I know I do. I’m always looking for new secrets. In my years of studying the masters I have gained amazing insights. As far as story telling is concerned no lesson has been more helpful than this one. Whether you are telling a simple story to a friend [...]
Ever watch a cartoon and get caught up in the story? How did the animators do that? How did they get you to connect to a two dimensional image on a screen? It is not easy. Hollywood has an advantage of decades of experience that they build upon. You and I can use techniques they [...]
If you were sitting next to me in church this weekend, you would have seen a curious smirk come across my face as I started to kneel on the cushioned rest in front of us. My mind is trained to constantly look for metaphors, stories and examples to help me teach. Often, I can’t stop [...]
Do you like the feeling you get when someone fondly remembers something you did for them years ago? Maybe it was a generous act of kindness, a compliment or perhaps it was a story you told in a presentation. Ever wonder what it was that made it so memorable in the person’s mind? It could [...]
Have you ever heard someone tell a story or a joke that they thought was fun and exciting… and after you didn’t react, they said, “I guess you had to be there.” Ever told one of those? If you have, you’re not alone. We’ve all done it on occasion. Have you ever stopped to think, [...]
Do you realize that every presentation is different, even though you are the same person? Even if your words are exactly the same and you have the same intention, it’s still slightly different each time. Do you know why? Do you see them? I mean, like Avatar, “See them?” During my 14 hour flight to [...]
Have you ever seen a master presenter tell amazing stories and you ask yourself, “Why don’t things like that happen to me, so I could use them in a speech?” What if they do, but you just don’t notice it? What if they happen and you just haven’t learned how to share them well enough [...]
Do you love the movies? I do. Have you ever gone on a tour of a Hollywood movie studio? Most tours give you great “behind the scenes” trivia. Recently, I went on a tour of Warner Bros. and sure enough, I loved it! Have you ever noticed that in movies, you never see a light [...]
Have you ever had a funny little “thing” happen, and your first thought was, “That could be a good little story!” So, you add it to your story file… and then you never end up doing anything with it! In last week’s issue of Stage Time, I talked about stories. Stories are the “life blood” [...]
Stories. Hmmm. Why are they so powerful? Why are they such a perfect tool for speakers, trainers, and presenters? We learn about the importance of the use of stories in presentations from great speaking coaches like Bill Gove, Craig Valentine, and Patricia Fripp. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why?” As children, we loved to hear [...]
