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customer engagement and vulnerability: show a little leg first Empathy is not a soft skill in my mind. When we approach business from a place of empathy and vulnerability something magic happens. Vulnerability is a powerful thing in storytelling because it creates a human connection unlike anything else. As a business and stage storyteller, even I can fall into a rut. So I challenged myself this year to [...]
Last week on my Blogtalkradio podcast, I talked about a topic that I believe is critical to great business storytelling: vulnerability. Too many business stories fail to connect because they 1) are not told through the lens of a human being (hey, you can't hug a company!); and 2) they do not share any human vulnerability. Being vulnerable allows human connection. Business storytelling vulnerability doesn't mean exposing your [...]
As a storyteller and marketer, I’m constantly talking about the power of sharing your story. I meet lots of entrepreneurs who are changing the world with their vision – sometimes in a disruptive way with technology, and sometimes in more subtle ways with a human touch. As with any company regardless of size, your purpose story is an important part of your differentiation in the world. It is important to [...]
A Little Background Vincenzo Landino and I chatted a few weeks back for his Brand Boost podcast. We talked about improv and marketing, Happy Days, how “human” – yes, still an important word – has also ironically jumped the marketing shark. We also talked about why all marketers should think like improvisers whose central tenet is “yes and.” That is how improvisers build scenes together. This means you accept a [...]
We're All Improvisers in Business: Traits of Improvisational Business Masters The following is an excerpt from my new book, ""Stop Boring Me! How to Create Kick-Ass Marketing Content, Products and Ideas Through the Power of Improv." All Hail "The Improviser-in-Chief" Bill Clinton is an example of a master adapter and he demonstrates the best traits of improvisational business leaders. In 2012, NPR called Bill Clinton "The Improviser-in-Chief" for his ability [...]
How to Deal with It... On Thursday, December 17th, I had a blast on a blab where storytellers, marketers and others discussed a really big topic in business today: Dealing with conflict business storytelling. Art of Storytelling in Business: How-to Vulnerability Too many businesses shy away from dealing with conflict because they perceive talking about challenges as risky, signs of weakness, vulnerability and they worry about potential liability. [...]
This post was originally posted on Convince and Convert. I am optimistic about the next phase of storytelling bringing the industry to a better place—although I do have a bone to pick with how some organizations knowingly (or unwittingly) get in their own way. Here are five things companies do that can impede storytelling success. Don’t make me turn this storytelling van around, kids! 1. The Complexity Conundrum I see [...]
Just One Tip from 11 Great Storytellers I am on overload. You’re on overload. We’re all feeling it. So instead of the usual list of 100+ tips (who has time?!), I asked some of my smart, fun, storytelling friends in b2b, b2c, podcasting, television, video, etc. to give their one best, practical storytelling tip. Here are 11 tips (one each) from 11 people who tell a lot of stories. If [...]
On May 28th, I had such a great time chatting with one of my favorite authors, Annette Simmons, about business storytelling for better results. She is a storyteller extraordinaire, a heck of a lot of fun to chat with (she has a great Southern accent and sense of humor!) and she is the author of The Story Factor and Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins (now in its second edition), [...]
Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is a classic story archetype. And while the Hero’s Journey is still an important trope in storytelling, it needs a modern update to help entrepreneurs champion their movements successfully. Below are some key points every entrepreneur should know about entrepreneurship and the Hero's Journey. Click here to hear the podcast I did with Michael Margolis of GetStoried.com and Brian Carter of The Briancartergroup.com on "The Hero's [...]
