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iSpeak teaches workshops on Professional Selling to help sales leaders gather the most important data and then use that information to create the right message. Are your sales presentations closing eyelids or deals?

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. His leadership blog assists leaders in giving voice to their vision. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post The Fable Story Template and When to Use it first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

How and When to Use the “David and Goliath” Story Template

RPjr — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 11:02:00 +0000

Whether you’re Jewish, Christian or neither, you’ve probably heard the Biblical story of the shepherd boy destined to become a king. David was the shepherd boy who courageously accepted the fight-to-the-death challenge from the Philistine warrior Goliath, a man twice his size. It’s a classic tale of the underdog facing the champion.

If you’ve heard this story then you already know the outcome. If you haven’t heard this story, you can probably still guess how it turned out. Our shepherd boy, armed with only a few stones and a sling, was the champion of the day when he defeated the heavily armored and weaponized giant.

According to Malcolm Gladwell, in his book David and Goliath: Underdogs, misfits, and the art of battling giants, the best way to pull off the upset is to play by a different set of rules. In other words, be unconventional.

Do we truly love underdogs?

We love any story that fits the template of this classic tale. The underdog defeats the heavily favored champion! In a 2007 study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the researchers asked 71 participants to imagine two teams.

One was described as a strong champion, most likely to win. The other was described as the underdog. With only knowing the information of who was most favored to win, participants in the study were asked who they would rather see win. The underdog was chosen in every instance.

Or, do we just despise the most likely winners?

There’s seems to be something deep inside us that makes us want to see the underdog win. Or, according to one study by the Baylor College of Medicine, maybe we like to see winners lose because we’re envious of the teams that always win. This phenomena is called schadenfreude. Homer Simpson is a great example of someone who expresses this often.

Regardless of whether it’s a love for the unlikely hero or a joy for seeing the champions struggle, you can’t deny there’s something that attracts us all to the underdog stories. Maybe it’s that we can see ourselves as the underdog in these stories?

When to use this template in business

This type of story is used by leaders to inspire. When the team has to overcome tremendous odds to be successful, they need encouragement to press on. Leaders can use a David-and-Goliath story to give them hope and inspiration. If it’s been done in the past, we can do it now!

I’m not suggesting you tell the actual David-and-Goliath story, but instead, use it as a template to show your audience that nothing is impossible. Show them how their current situation is not impossible. It can be overcome!

How do I pick a story?

The closer your story is in relation to the actual situation they’re facing, the more impact it will have on the audience. In other words, just sharing a college basketball comeback story from March Madness may be exciting, but the audience can easily dismiss the story by saying, “Yeah, but that’s basketball! This is managed IT services we’re talking about here! It’s not the same thing.”

Try to find an underdog victory story that aligns closely with the current situation your team is facing. If it’s a tough business situation where you’d like to use the story, try to find another business story similar in scope. I recommend you use Paul Smith’s book on storytelling if your looking for stories you can use.

How do I structure the story?

The key to any David-and-Goliath story is to make sure your audience can see themselves as David. The audience needs to be invited into the story if you want to generate the feeling of encouragement and inspiration.

Give the landscape and characters for the story and do this quickly! This should also include the obvious problem (Goliath) that seems impossible to overcome.
Provide the thoughts of the underdog (David) by showcasing two things:
1. The underdog’s awareness of the challenge and the insurmountable odds he/she is facing.
2. The hope and faith to try anyway. This should point directly to the reason why it is still worth pursuing.
Describe the approach used to solve the problem. What did the underdog do to approach the problem? Remember, history has proven when the underdog wins, they tend to use unconventional methods. What is the unique approach they took? It’s important that this element be something within his/her control. Do NOT let this be a product of pure luck. If it is just a lucky break, your team can easily dismiss this as a fluke which is unlikely to occur again for them.
Describe the feeling of victory and what it meant to the team. This is the part of the story that gives the audience the deep sense of satisfaction. It should generate the feeling of a tough victory earned by fighting unconventionally to overcome amazing odds.

It’s time for you to go slay that giant and inspire your team.

Until next time,

Let’s connect…

The post How and When to Use the “David and Goliath” Story Template first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

One Crazy Solution for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

RPjr — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 11:02:25 +0000

His question was the most common question I get in workshops on public speaking. “How do I overcome the fear and anxiety?” He had no idea where I was about to take him with my answer. It’s a good question because most people feel something on the inside when it comes to public speaking. But the crazy thing is there’s one secret to control the fear and it’s probably not what you think.

Tools You Can Use

Sure, there are plenty of tips and tools you can use to help get those butterflies flying in formation, but the real secret lies much deeper inside all of us. If you’d rather just start with the tools, here are a few that can help:

Know your content. If you don’t know it well, go study.
Prepare and rehearse. Run through your talk a few times. We even suggest you stand in the room you will be presenting to rehearse.
Prepare for the tough questions. You’re going to get some. Speculate on the toughest questions you might get, and then rehearse your responses to them.
Arrive early. Running late for anything will increase your heart rate and anxiety level. You don’t need that today.

But, what’s the deeper solution?

I’m glad you asked. This is the more permanent solution. This is the solution that provides a true foundation to confident public speaking. The true root of overcoming fear and anxiety of public speaking is simply this… be present. That’s it. If it sounds too simple, you’re right. It is simple. But that doesn’t make it easy.

What’s the key to being present?

I’m going to ask you to stick with me and hear me out. I’m preparing you because some of you are going to read the next paragraph, roll your eyes and say, “Oh brother! Please…” right before you exit this web page. Please don’t! Stick with me until the end…

The key to being present is getting your mind and body to occupy the same space and time. The way to do that is with meditation.

I knew it! You rolled your eyes didn’t you?!

Please hear me out! I’m not talking about sitting in a lotus position, staring at a candle and burning incense in a dark room.

Do you know what mediation is? It’s one thing. That’s it. That’s the definition of mediation… one thing. To meditate you don’t clear your mind of everything. When you meditate, you clear your mind of everything except for one thing.

What’s the one thing?

It really doesn’t matter. Just focus on one thing for two minutes. If you know anyone who meditates regularly, ask them what you should focus on for two minutes and I bet they’ll tell you to start with your breathing. Just focus on your breathing for two minutes. Don’t change your breathing. Just focus on it. Notice your breathing.

For me, I usually coach people to pick one of their 5 senses and then focus on the data currently coming in through that port (you’re just like a computer!) for two minutes. My personal favorite is the sense of touch.

How I coach my leaders to meditate

I first learned this technique from my good friend and speaking coach, Paul Slattery. If I have a leader struggling with some anxiety before a presentation, I will find a quiet place for us to sit. Once he’s seated and still, I have him notice what he feels starting with the lowest touch point on his body (his foot in his shoe, pressure from the floor on the sole of his foot, etc.)

Then, we work up the body to the next touch point he can feel (one leg crossed and sitting on top of another leg). Then, move up the body to the next touch point (back of the thighs sitting on the chair). This continues until we reach the head. I have him turn his head slightly to feel it move. Then we work our way back down to the feet using the same checkpoints.

If you do this system check using your body’s sense of touch, up and down the body twice, you’ve just meditated for about 2 minutes!

Why does this work?

This is the essence of presence. The presence you project to others is rooted in your mind and body being in the same place. In other words, if your mind and body are occupying the same space and time, you’re present!

You know this is true because I’m sure you’ve had conversations with others and you can tell when their mind is someplace else. It bothers you. We want someone to be fully present when they’re communicating with us. Being fully present has benefits for both the speaker and the audience.

Before you speak, if you allow your mind to travel through space and time instead of being present, it starts to tell your brain stories and it takes you off your game.

“I remember the last time I presented to this group and they tore me up with tough questions!” (Your mind is in the past.)
“I just know they’re going to ask me a tough question and I won’t have the answer… or I’m going to forget something and lose my train of thought!” (Your mind is in the future… a false future!)

Get your head in the game!

If you played sports, my guess is your coach has dropped this one on you before. And she couldn’t have been more correct. Getting your head in the game means you bring it into the present. You get your mind to be in the same space and time as your body. That’s where your body is doing all the work right now… and it needs the brain to pull its weight too!

Be present for your audience.
It serves both you and the audience.

It’s where you live

In reality, the present is the only place you can really live. You can plan for the future and you can remember the past, but living can only take place in the present. So you might as well let your brain live a little too. Why should the body have all the fun?

Until next time,

Let’s connect…

The post One Crazy Solution for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

Are You One of the 4 Types of Speakers we Love?

RPjr — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 11:02:03 +0000

You’ve just been promoted to a management position and you will be transferred to a new location. The people on your new team are new to you and you are new to them. How can you possibly connect with this group?

This is the daily struggle for every leader. How can I connect with my team better? Leaders help groups move to new locations, but that will never happen if the leader has no connection with the audience.

As a speaker, if you can build a strong connection with the audience, you’ll have more leadership influence with the group.

The Key is Influence

John C. Maxwell has summarized leadership into one word… influence. Remember, influence has a noble purpose, not a self-serving purpose. The negative side of influence is called manipulation. It’s selfish and pure evil. We’re talking about the noble skill of leadership influence.

Influence is not about what the leader wants personally. It’s about what the team needs. Here are four methods Maxwell has presented as bridges we can all build to connect with others.

1. What you know

Do you remember the game show called “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” In that trivia game show, if you didn’t know the answer, you could use a life line and phone a friend. From the show, you could tell the host who you’d like to call for help on the question. Then, they would ring up your friend so you could ask the question.

When people need advice or guidance, they call upon people who have a knowledge they don’t. When speaking to a team you may have advanced training and knowledge or you may have received information from the executives and they want to know it. Either way, when you know information the team wants and needs, they will connect with you and seek your input or advice.

2. What you’ve done

Imagine if you were attending an industry conference and the breakout sessions were about to begin. There were 2 speakers speaking in different breakout rooms at the same time. You obviously can’t be in two places at once, so you’re being forced to pick just one. Choose wisely because you will never get to hear the other. Who will you pick?

The first speaker is a great speaker. Delivery is impeccable, great tone in the voice, little bit of humor, and uses the stage effectively. Not sure about the content she’s talking about, but she is guaranteed to have a great delivery.

The second speaker is not nearly as good on the stage. That’s a fact because he’s not a professional speaker. But,he’s just returned from being stranded on a desert island in the Pacific after a shipwreck. He was trapped on the island all alone for 7 weeks. He’s going to speak about his physical, mental and emotional struggles.

I’m guessing 9 out of 10 of you would rather hear the Robinson Crusoe speaker! Why? Because of what he’s done. When people have had struggle experiences we have not, we want to learn from them. It creates a connection.

This isn’t about bragging to others. It’s about recognizing if you have something of value you can share with others to help them move further down the road and avoid some of the issues you’ve had to endure.

3. What you can do

One of our instructors once had a student in class mention he could do a back flip. Seriously! From a standing position in the classroom, he said he could do a full back flip. What do you think the next comment was from another student? You guessed it. “Do it!”

But before he did, someone else asked, “How did you learn to do that?” The student told his back story of always challenging himself. He came up with the idea to learn a back flip and committed himself to doing it. He recruited a friend to come over and spot him and after many bruises and attempts, he did it! The moral? Find your next challenge, recruit help from others, and commit to overcoming it!

When others know we are capable, they may want to leverage our skill set in the future. If you are willing and able to help others with a skill you have, they will want to connect with you. Use your skills to help others, not so you can expect something in return. Do it because it aligns with your core value for serving others. Which leads us to the 4th method of connection…

4. How you’ve lived

This is all about your values. It’s so true that words are cheap. I’m sure we’ve all experienced the pain of hearing a friend say the right things and then act in a completely different or inappropriate manner. It’s the source of the expression, “Actions speak louder than words.”

People like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jesus… all lived lives of sacrifice. If we had the opportunity to have a conversation with an any of these people, we would want to listen! We appreciate strong core values, worthy of admiration, but even more than that… we appreciate someone who has lived out the values they preach.

Know your values and live in alignment with them. It sounds so simple. I’m willing to admit… I’m still working on doing just that.

A challenge for all of us… use the 3 steps from last week’s conversation tool and let’s combine it with living out our core values. Then, let’s start building stronger connections and relationships with the ones we serve and love.

Until next week…

Let’s connect…

The post Are You One of the 4 Types of Speakers we Love? first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

What makes someone a great audience member?

RPjr — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 11:02:21 +0000

How you can positively affect a speaker’s future audiences

It’s two weeks ago and I’m attending a charity dinner as a member of the audience, not the speaker! The guest speaker was with an organization I held in high esteem and I was looking forward to his message. Then he began…

After 4 or 5 minutes of reciting his resume accomplishments and then telling us how the organization planned on spending some of this year’s budget on technology, he paused. I’d have to say, as I looked around the room, the audience was not keenly engaged at this point. It was at this critical moment, he appeared to remember something tangental to the prepared message, and he went off script.

Now, as my wife would be quick to point out, this is pure speculation on my part. But in my defense, I’ve seen and coached a lot of speakers in my career, and in my own personal biased opinion, I can usually tell when my speakers are going off the script with their messages.

After his pause, he said, “I need to share a story about something that happened about a year ago just so you all can appreciate what we’re dealing with when it comes to a multi-generational workforce and our aging technology.”

He shared an amazing story in a masterful way. He had the audience listening intently and laughing at the ironies of the old and new technology aligned with the older and younger generations. It was magnificent! I couldn’t help but think to myself, “That’s your opening right there!” He did a fantastic job and that’s not just my opinion, that was the audience’s opinion too. You could see it and hear it in their body language and laughter.

The Unsolicited Coach

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, unsolicited feedback usually doesn’t end well… and I would agree! As a speaking coach, I can’t help but take mental notes on any speaker I have the pleasure to hear. Some might say I’m always “judging others” or “Russ, no one will ever want to speak in front of you!”, but I’d argue right back… you’re being a bit pessimistic. I can assure you, most of my mental notes are full of praise for what other speakers do, not criticism.

I’m always humbled by the amazing abilities of other platform speakers. I take so many notes for myself because I want to learn from them. What works with the audience? What did he do to engage the audience? How did that speaker structure the message? Why does she appear so approachable? Why do I feel so inspired right now?

Be a Positive Force

As an audience member, when I leave an event I always try to shake the speaker’s hand and share a few words. I know my words are unsolicited feedback, so I always leave them with the praise and encouragement.

Everyone out there is doing something right… you, him, her, me, all of us. When you’re in the audience, enjoy the message, enjoy the experience, and learn from it. Look for the best parts of the speaker’s delivery and remember something specific.

Then when you leave the assembly, thank the speaker and tell them specifically what they did well. “That was an amazing story you used to parallel the older and younger generation with the older and newer technology. Both the humor and the metaphor had us all engaged. Thanks for sharing that with us.”

Just dropping a “good job” or “I enjoyed your message” is okay, but it’s not as helpful to the speaker. Give them a specific example of something said and why you thought it was so good.

If speakers never get feedback on what worked, they won’t know what to include the next time they speak.

You Have the Power to Impact Future Audiences

When you give your speaker a specific piece of feedback on something that worked well, they will not only learn something about themselves, but you’ll be encouraging them to positively impact future audiences.

So, I challenge you to be a positive force for better communication! The next time you’re in the audience, listen for something done very well and then specifically share that before you leave.

See you next week,

Let’s connect…

The post What makes someone a great audience member? first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

3 Tools to Crystalize Your Message

RPjr — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 11:02:21 +0000

My student gave me one final comment as she was exiting my workshop. She said, “My biggest takeaway from today? Less is more. I won’t forget that.” She smiled and shook my hand as I thanked her for her participation and insights.

When you’re the speaker, you’re trying to achieve an objective when you speak. You’re trying to convey a message, teach a concept, or inspire new ideas. You have a goal for speaking and you won’t achieve that goal without the audience reaching theirs. To help them reach their goal, you need to be crystal clear in your communication, not muddied!

That means giving them less when you speak might actually be better!

Clear Communication is Built With Less

We need to avoid muddying the water when we speak. What do I mean by that? Don’t use too many words when fewer words will actually work better. Be succinct! One executive Kevin worked with said he wanted people presenting to him to “be prepared, be brief, and be gone.”

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler" 
- Albert Einstein

3 Tools for Practicing Brevity

Here are three tools to help you simplify for message. Do these exercises after you’ve constructed the full message to help you crystalize your key points into fewer words.

100 Word Summary

For some of us 100 words may feel like a painful request for hours of devotion on the word processor, but you might be surprised at just how short 100 words really is. For example, the average speaker speaks at about 125 words per minute. At that rate, you have 48 seconds to speak your 100-word summary. That isn’t much time!

Write out the summary of your entire presentation in approximately 100 words. If you can’t read it in less than 1 minute, it’s too long! This is a great summary to give to the audience at the start or the end of your message.

6 Word Summary

This sounds ridiculous on the surface, but summarizing your entire message in a brief phrase or sentence is powerful. We do this exercise in our Message Builder workshop. Students usually push back at first, but once we put them into the exercise, they see the power and simplicity of the tool. Here are a few examples of what our students have created in the past:

Alpha project, under budget, on time.

Don’t submit change orders after Friday.

Question the customer. Listen for flags.

1 Word Summary – The Prompt

If you thought summarizing your presentation in 6 words was ridiculous, I bet you love this one! What is the one word that could serve as a mental prompt for your entire message? What is one word that causes the floodgates of the audience’s mind to open wide and let the message rush in?

In 2001 I was working with a managed IT services company as a business development manager. I had a good year because I was privileged to work with an amazing sales team that year. We closed one of the largest deals for the company and one of the biggest I’ve ever closed in my life, even to this day. As a result, our entire sales team made President’s Club that year and we all won a trip to the prestigious sales conference.

At the President’s Club event our team was asked to sit on stage in front of an audience of hundreds to explain how we managed to close such a large deal. I let the rest of the sales team offer their insights first. They all did an amazing job pointing out the engineering hurdles we overcame, the legal negotiations, and the financial plan for asset depreciation. Like I said, they were a great team and I was proud to serve as their BDM (Business Development Manager) on this deal.

Then they handed the microphone to me and only one word came to mind. So I shared it. Momentum.

I explained how the more we worked together as a sales team overcoming hurdles, we became a stronger team. We accelerated and hit our stride. We became efficient and more productive over our 8 months together. I ended with this. “I guess that’s how I’d sum up the key to the entire win. I’d sum it up in one word… Momentum. Help your team find it’s momentum and nothing will stop you.”

As I exited the ballroom that evening the CEO of our organization was shaking everyone’s hand. He stopped me by holding our hand shake with a tight grip and a longer hold. With a genuine smile on his face, he looked me in the eye and said, “Momentum… I like that. Keep up the momentum next year.” It wasn’t something I had planned to say. It just came to me as I listened to every member of my team offer their insights on teamwork.

The lesson I learned that evening was one of simplicity. To connect with an audience and give them something of value, a one-word summary can be your ticket. You give them a one word prompt and their brains will unlock everything they learned and felt from your message.

If you want to have a greater impact on your audience, don’t weigh them down with more unnecessary words. Give them something to remember!

I’ll close with my 6 words…

I will see you next week!

Let’s connect…

The post 3 Tools to Crystalize Your Message first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

Your Best Source for a Story

RPjr — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 11:02:33 +0000

This comment seems to come up every time we discuss storytelling, “But I don’t have any stories!” I have but one response when I hear that comment (with both a smile and a wink.) “You’re wrong.” I’m usually not one to tell my students they’re flat out wrong, but this is one of those exceptions.

If you think you don’t have any good stories, maybe you’re not really looking or maybe you don’t really know where to look. Let’s help you with both.

First, HOW can you become better at looking for stories?
Second, WHERE is the best place to find the seedling of your next story?

First, Become an Observer

Daniel Kahneman has studied how we all think for most of his career. In his book Thinking Fast and Slow he explains how we all have two systems operating in our minds. He calls them System 1 and System 2. (I can’t help but think of Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat with Thing 1 and Thing 2 every time I read that.)

The world of System 1 is the automatic. It’s in charge of directing your attention and making snap judgements. For example, System 1 is great at driving on a straight and empty highway, noticing a surface is hot when you touch it, or knowing that 2 + 2 = 4. This is the part of our brain that’s always on and always monitoring. It takes care of our day-to-day, mundane habits so we don’t have to bother the big thinker… System 2.

System 2 takes care of the heavy lifting. It gets involved when System 1 has prompted it into action. When you hear a loud “bang!” your System 1 will whip your head around to look. It will also notify System 2 to figure out the source, assess any damage, and figure out what to do next!

When we go through our day on autopilot (System 1 is in the HOUSE!) our System 2 stays calm and relaxed. In fact Kanehman points out that deep down we’re all a bit lazy. It’s hard work to activate System 2 and we don’t like doing it. We tend to select our actions based on the paths of least resistance (“If System 1 can handle it, then just handle it!”). Because of this, our System 2 tries to stay on the couch all day watching Netflix while System 1 is on the clock.

Second, The Unexpected Source

If you want to train your brain to notice more story sources, start taking notice of where System 1 draws your attention. Your best source for stories is something unexpected. By the way, that’s not a sentence meant to be a cliff-hanger before I tell you the unexpected source. THAT IS the source… the unexpected!

Any time you experience something unexpected, your System 2 will be required to pause BirdBox on Netflix and get off the couch. It’s required to look at the situation because System 1 doesn’t have this one in the playbook. It’s new. It’s different. It’s unexpected. This situation has never been encountered before, so System 1 doesn’t know what to do.

Don’t worry, you’ll do this naturally because we’re all wired this way. System 2 looks at the situation and attempts to make sense or rectify the situation. But it also develops a template for System 1’s future playbook. If System 2 can get the new play into the playbook for System 1… then maybe System 2 can spend more time with Sandra Bullock and Netflix!

This is our brain’s natural learning process. We experience a new situation. We reflect on the situation to learn from it. We file it away in the playbook for future reference.

These unexpected experiences happen all the time and they are the seedlings for your next great story!

Now,… Write it Down!

Here’s the problem… we all know how to handle many of life’s simple situations (filed away in the playbook for System 1’s future use), but if we’re asked, “Where did you learn that?” We might be at a loss because we’ve forgotten. We forgot the original learning experience. Once you experience the unexpected and learn from it, write it down!

A great suggestion from one of our Sr. Trainers, Todd Zwissler, is what he calls the Daily Homework. Each day write down one unexpected thing from your day. If you do this with a digital tool (Apple Notes, Evernote, OneNote), you can include key words or tags so you can easily search your story seedlings in the future.

For example, you might have the following experiences documented for the past three days:

The VP asked EVERYONE on one side of the dinner table to slide down a little, so I had more room at the end of the table. #leadership #service #courtesy
Visited Federal Hill in Providence and noticed the Italian colored stripe down the center of the road. #history #Italy #family
Talked to flight attendant and found out best place for food in Taiwan #travel #cuisine

With these recorded in your Notes tool, you can easily search them later by keyword or tag to find the seedling for your next story.

Here’s my challenge for you… Write down one unexpected thing you experienced today and what you learned from it.

Here’s something you can expect… I’ll see you next week.
Russ

Let’s connect…

The post Your Best Source for a Story first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

The Springboard Story

RPjr — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 11:04:55 +0000

How to inspire your audience into action

The audience was loud and boisterous as they funneled out of the convention center. Their final speaker for the day left them all inspired and chattering about possibilities. “We could start by talking to our customers and ask them!” Then someone else responded, “I think we should figure out how we could scale this beyond North America!” They were all working on building a new future.

This moment of inspiration and collaboration was created by an average speaker using a powerful tool. She didn’t deliver her story with the sights and sounds of an entertainer, nor did she use eloquent words like Hemingway. Instead, she used an often overlooked, but powerful tool for creating inspired audiences.

This tool is part of the Corporate Storytelling arsenal and it can be used by anyone. It involves three main elements: The Setup, The Failure, The Possibility.

The Setup

This first phase introduces the audience to a success from the past. While I wasn’t there when Steve Jobs asked the engineers at Apple to start working on the iPod, we can use the technology as an example since I’m sure you’re all familiar with the iPod. I can picture his setup going something like this…

The problem for music lovers has always been twofold, portability and choice. We all want to take our music selections with us. Portability was first solved with the 8-track tape in cars and the cassette tape in a walkman. But the choice was limited with either program buttons or a linear rewind to get to the song you wanted. The CD was invented and solved both issues. Now you had portability and direct access to the exact song you wanted.

The Failure

At this point in the story, the audience is tracking with the speaker. They’re actually waiting for the fork in the road. There’s been nothing but a description of a landscape so far. This feels like a simple history lesson. What’s the issue here? In the example we’re using with the iPod, the audience of Apple engineers is waiting for the problem. If we have portability and direct access… then what’s the big deal?

This is when the speaker drops the problem on the audience. It’s a moment when the audience will choose to either get on board or discount the issue completely. Back to our fictitious Steve Jobs springboard message, it may have gone something like this…

But now there’s a new problem… the music lover wants more. One minute I’m in the mood for Van Halen, but the next I want to hear Neil Diamond or Katy Perry. I never know what music my mood will request so now my challenge is the quantity of CDs I need to carry. The solution can’t be more suitcases for holding 100 CDs. Why can’t this quantity issue be solved with technology?

Boom. The failure (problem or opportunity) has been identified. Now the audience is thinking something like “It shouldn’t be that way.” or “We could fix that.” or “Why haven’t we already started working on this already?”

The Possibility

Without overdramatizing the delivery, I’d recommend the speaker gives the audience a healthy pause right here. Now there’s only one step left for the speaker. Give the audience the prompt they need to get started on the issue.

The verbal prompt will tap into the audience’s imagination. This is the fertile playground in the brain for taking action. All humans love games and puzzles. We like to work on creating something. This third step doesn’t need to be lengthy or dramatic. It’s just the prompt to get started. Back to Steve Jobs…

Isn’t that what we do? We improve life with technology. We can solve this. Just imagine a day when a jogger can carry over 10,000 songs in her hand while running and still be able to call up the exact song she wants to close out the race strong. I can’t wait to meet you there on that day.

While some may feel the speaker should provide the answer, the vision, the ending to the story… that won’t always be the most effective with the audience if the goal is to move them into action. When the speaker leaves the possibility hanging in the air without a solid path to get there, the audience will take ownership and begin to build that bridge.

And when the audience builds the bridge to that possible future, they are much more likely to buy into the overall strategy and vision. They are co-creating the strategic plan as they leave.

“	… the question becomes: how is a CEO to make effective use of storytelling? —STEPHEN DENNING

Steve Jobs was known by many as a great presenter, speaker and storyteller. While my Steve Jobs iPod example above is purely fictional, I certainly hope it does his memory justice. We all know a great storyteller in our life. Let’s all learn from them and inspire the world to imagine a better future.

As we wrap up this blog post, I just have one question for you…

What kind of future could you help create by inspiring your team with story?

See you next week,
Russ

Let’s connect…

The post The Springboard Story first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

Do You Want Your Data To Tell a Story?

RPjr — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:02:58 +0000

Borrow this one storytelling technique to make that happen!

What is the most exciting part of any story? What’s the one thing that creates movement in a story? How do Hollywood directors like Spielberg and Howard make it impossible to look away? They do it by creating a sense of flow in the storyline. This sense of flow can be created with many techniques, but it’s most often done with this one simple tool…

Decisions! Remember… “No Decisions = No Movement.” If there is nothing for the main character to consider or decide, then we’re really just looking at a landscape. It’s like looking at a picture or a painting of a lake with some trees. There’s no decision to be made. There’s no movement. It’s still. It could be beautiful, but there is no movement. If your goal is to create movement in the audience, then you’ve got to present more than just a beautiful landscape.

We Love the Fork In the Road

Think about it… when someone is giving you information, you’re waiting for the decision moment. If someone were to say, “I left my house around 8:30 and started driving toward town. I passed several busses, a few trucks, and some cars on my way. There had to be at least 5 stoplights I had to sit through. It was fairly cloudy too. The sun wasn’t shining at all.”

I think your eyes would be glazing over as you’re wondering, “Exactly where is this tale is going anyway?” If he stopped talking right there you’d probably respond by saying, “…and then what?” You’re waiting for something else in the story, but what is it? You’re waiting for the fork in the road! That’s the moment. That’s the catalyst you need to move this story along!

A fork in the road is the one critical moment when something unexpected happens and the main character is forced to make a decision. Stories don’t get exciting until the main character is forced to make a decision.

For us to connect with a story, we need to place ourselves in the story. As audience members, one of the most common ways we do this is by focusing on the decisions a main character is faced with. Then, we immediately start thinking, “What would I do in that situation?” NOW you’ve engaged your audience.

Make it a Tough Choice

As a speaker, you can’t just present any fork in the road and expect your audience to stay engaged. The decision to be made must be something out of the ordinary. The choice needs to be difficult. If it’s an easy answer to select, it won’t compel the audience to engage. But when it’s a tough choice, we’ll start to think, “Now… what would I do?”

Think about your next presentation. Do you want your data to tell a story? Then paint the scene with the data but take the audience to the fork in the road. This is where the decision needs to be made. What is the data telling you? Does the data present options to choose from? Which direction should we go in? What makes the most sense for our next step? What are the decisions you and the audience need to make? Why these choices? Why now? Why us?

The tougher the decision, the more compelling and engaging the message. When we have no idea what we would do and we’re waiting to see what our speaker suggests, we’re engaged!

Don’t Forget the Risk

Some of your friends are great storytellers and you love to hear them spin a yarn. Others… maybe not so much. While there are many techniques for telling better stories, presenting decisions (forks in the road) is one of the most fundamental tools and also one of the most effective. If you want to make your decisions even more compelling, make sure you expose the risk in either choice.

In other words, show the potential consequences if either of the decisions doesn’t turn out well. What is at stake here? What is the risk and what is the consequence if this choice goes South on us?

“	Choices with consequences create movement in stories.

This is what we love about movies like Die Hard, Star Wars, or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Our heroes are placed in impossible situations and they need to make a choice. What is your next move? How will you play this? What is at risk if you choose wrong? I’m reminded of C3-PO in the Star Wars movies constantly offering the odds of survival in every dire situation.

How risky is the choice to Han Solo? 34 million to 1 (nearly impossible)

What is the consequence if you choose wrong? Death

Talk about making the audience aware of the risk in a decision! We’re drawn to watch the “high-risk, high-consequence” forks in the road.

How can you apply this in business?

I’m not asking you to overdramatize your business presentations, but if you want your data to tell a story, take a lesson from Spielberg. You need to create forks in the road. What are the tough decisions in your message? Tell the audience what you decided on and where that decision took you next.

Every fork in the road… every decision to be made… when tied to the level of risk and the consequence if you’re wrong, will create movement in your stories.

Now go let your data tell a story!

Until next week…

Let’s connect…

The post Do You Want Your Data To Tell a Story? first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

How Some Executives Have Ruined Presentations

RPjr — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 11:02:51 +0000

and what they should do different to fix it!

“Our executives don’t want us to tell stories.” After the student made the comment another jumped in, “No way! He’s right! You don’t ever want to tell a story to our executives. They hate stories.” I found the response a little sad and the worst part… this wasn’t the first time I’d heard something like this.

These types of comments tell me something about the company and the executives. It tells me they’re creating a culture of mis-led communicators and unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse for the executives.

The Demands of an Executive

I’ve sold to executives and I’ve coached them. I’ve had the distinct honor and privilege to meat some amazing ones! Why do I think they’re amazing? Because they understand how to change a situation permanently by fixing a problem instead of a symptom.

When you’re presenting to your executives, have they put rules in place? You know what I mean. Have the executives outlawed certain types of presentations or certain tools? I’ve heard plenty of these rules from students over the past 20 years.

Never tell stories to the executives when presenting. It’s a waste of their time.
Never use animations in a powerpoint presentation. It’s childish and demeaning to executives.
Never use more than 4 slides for your presentation. You’ll end up taking too much time.
Put everything you want to say on one slide. This will prevent you from wasting executive time.
Always give the executive summary at the start. This way the executive can drill down on their personal areas of interest.

I guess what bothers me with wet-blanket rules like this is two-fold: Number one, they’re just solving a symptom at best. Number two, the executives actually think they’re solving the problem but they’re actually perpetuating the problem by creating an army of presentation foot-soldiers who only know how to present a message one way. They’re not being taught to think for themselves on how best to construct a message for any audience in any situation for any reason!

The Problem with the Quick-Fix

In reality, when executives are dissatisfied with the presentations being given to them, instead of focusing on how to develop the communication skills of the presenters, they go for the quick fix based on what they personally like and don’t like.

If the executives get burned a few times by presenters using too many animations for the wrong reasons, they will ban all animations.

If the executives get burned by someone using 47 jam-packed slides full of text for a 10-minute presentation, they ban anything more than 3 slides for a 10-minute presentation.

If they’ve been burned by one presenter telling a funny story to kick off a presentation because he read somewhere you should start with a joke, they ban all stories from future presentations.

These all fix a symptom, not the problem.

Let me ask you something…

If a chef puts way too much salt in your food and it tastes awful, would you ban the chef from ever using salt again when cooking for you?

Or would you tell the chef they can only use one teaspoon of salt no matter what he’s cooking?

Or would you tell the chef she could only put the salt in first, but never again after that?

Or…

The Proper Solution

Would you train up the chef to know the best times to use salt in a recipe and how much salt to use depending on the meal being prepared?

If you really care about fixing the issue then… solve the problem not the symptom!

Have a great week,
Russ

Let’s connect…