When you’re at this point, how do you get the team to dig deeper?

The Brainstorming Dilemma

I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where we want to come up with a new, innovative or creative approach to a problem. We get out that blank piece of paper and we stare at it for while. Eventually we write down a couple ideas.

Then, our brain kicks out 5 or 6 ideas all at once and we feel like the floodgates have finally opened! But, if we’re honest, none of these ideas seem crazy innovative. At that point… we’re stuck and we tell ourselves, “I guess I’m just not that creative after all.”

First Rule of Brainstorming

If you want to get the most out of a brainstorming session, the first rule is “There are no bad ideas.” The technical term for the type of thinking you want the group to do is called divergent thinking. Let your mind wander and come up with any idea, but by all means never shoot down an idea!

No matter what someone suggests, as crazy as it may seem, you write it down on the board. Don’t comment on the idea, just write it down!

As soon as you evaluate or judge an idea, you’ve just killed the brainstorming. Just remember it this way… Every answer is correct! Now write them down!

Creativity Tool: Change the Perspective

Once your group has been tapped out of ideas, you can get them to come up with even more ideas by using the different perspective tool. Every idea they have come up with so far is most likely from their default perspective… their own!

Get the group to brainstorm ideas from someone else’s point of view. You could ask something like…

• How would our customers solve this problem?
• How would our vendors solve this problem?
• How would our executives solve this problem?

These are all questions to get the team to view the problem through a different lens. But if you really want to get a creative solution, you might need to tap into the far-fetched corners of their creative minds. In other words, pick a wild and crazy perspective.

• How would Darth Vader solve this problem?
• How would The Incredible Hulk solve this problem?
• How would Indiana Jones solve this problem?

Remember the first rule from above, no matter what somebody says, you write down the suggestion on the board!

Here’s where the magic happens…

When people are given the freedom to expand their thinking into the silly perspectives we are suggesting, they’ll easily come up with more ideas and many will seem illogical, funny or just plain silly. Write them down.

Because…

Someone in the room is going to feed off of a silly idea and join it with something that makes sense. They’ll create one of the most innovative ideas the group has ever heard!

What’s next?

The next time you’re brainstorming with your team, accept every suggestion given.

And when they’re tapped out of ideas, get them to think about the problem through the eyes of someone else, even a fictional perspective.

That’s where you’ll find the truly innovative ideas!

Until next time,
Russ

JUST RELEASED!
The iSpeak Podcast – Everyday Improvement

Do you like to get your information from podcast instead of reading blogs and books? Go check out the iSpeak Podcast with Todd Zwissler! He’s publishing our iSpeak content in podcast form. Go check it out. You will love it!

Let’s connect…

Let’s connect on LinkedIn.

Let’s connect via my Facebook page!

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.

Would You Rather be a “Doer” or a “Teacher”?

If I’m forced into the False Dilemma of choosing, I can tell you what I’d rather be… I’d rather be the teacher! Why is that? Because the teacher doesn’t fish; she teaches others how to fish. It takes continuous study and practice to be an effective instructor. Trust me… I’m still learning and nowhere near the level of some other teachers.

Going back to the false dilemma, are we also saying that Doers don’t teach? If the Doers don’t teach, then we need to ask the question…

Why don’t they teach?

There are only two potential reasons why a Doer won’t teach others. Either they can’t or they won’t. In other words, they don’t know how to teach or they don’t want to teach.

1. The Doer doesn’t know how to teach

If a doer won’t teach others, I certainly hope this is the reason. And, it’s an understandable one too! Teaching is not easy. Most of us have heard the expression “telling ain’t training” and it’s so true! Have you ever been in a teaching presentation with an unskilled facilitator reading 17 bullets off a slide to you? Then, this facilitator expects you to automatically retain all of that information and be ready to apply it… with no practice!

To be an effective teacher it takes years of study, practice and coaching. If you’ve ever been privileged to take a workshop from one of these highly skilled teachers, you know what I’m talking about.

2. The Doer doesn’t want to teach

If the Doer knows how to effectively teach but chooses not to teach, we have to wonder why they would withhold that skill set from others? Why would they refuse to offer assistance to others who could benefit from their teaching? We can speculate all day long on the reasons why, but the worst of them all is selfishness.

Maybe the Doer fears competition from everyone else, so they withhold their skillset from others. If they can maintain an edge over the others, then they can stay on top of the hill. Holding others down so they can maintain a personal advantage over them.

If someone truly lacks a high level of self-esteem or self-worth, I can see how this could happen. But, I certainly hope it doesn’t. That’s just not right. You’ll never truly elevate yourself by holding others down.

Can We Survive Without Teachers?

I don’t care what your reasoning is, the answer is “no.” I’m usually not one to speak in absolutes because there’s always an exception, but this one has no gray area. The answer is “no.” Think about anything you know how to do. You learned it somewhere! Chances are, it was taught to you by one of two sources:

• a teacher (or content developed by a teacher)
• the school of hard knocks (in other words, through reflection on your own personal failures)

If you never had a teacher in your life and had to learn everything through reflection on your own personal experiences, you would not be where you are today… period. There is no argument you can offer to refute that fact.

You’ve learned so much from so many in your lifetime. Take a moment to think about all the teachers who have blessed you. Without teaching the next generation, our society would regress dramatically within one lifetime.

We All Need Teachers

Our society and civilization would not be where it is today if we were unable to teach the next generation. It takes a heart of gold to want to see others succeed more than you’d want to see yourself succeed. Payday for teachers is found in the accomplishments of their students.

The heart of the teacher seeks the mind of the student.

So the next time you hear someone say, “Those who can do; those who can’t teach!” You can respond with “I agree. Not everyone is skilled enough or cares enough to be a teacher… but we can all find our place!” and if you live in the South, we usually follow an comment like that with “Bless your heart!” just so they know we care.

Do you want to make someone’s day? Take a moment now to send a quick note to a teacher who has impacted your life. That’s their payday!

Proud to be called a teacher and working hard to be a better one!
Russ

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!

Russ

Let’s connect…

on Twitter if we haven’t already?

OR Let’s connect on LinkedIn.

OR Let’s connect via my Facebook page!

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?R

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 new hire stood to be better heard, “If you were to give us any advice on how to be successful in our new sales role, what would you tell us?” The young woman had raised her hand on the first day of the sales new-hire training class. The tenured Sales Manager had just finished presenting a “What to expect in your first 6 weeks” presentation.

He has several choices for his response. He could offer a laundry list of “to do” items. He could pontificate about how important attitude will be for them. He could also simplify it by boiling it down to a quote from a great sales guru like Zig Ziglar. But, he chose to go a different route. He chose to offer the group something much more memorable.

The Two Paths Story

This template is a simple template which showcases two different individuals on two different paths. The paths are different because of the choices made by each individual. The audience will naturally contrast the choices made, the experience on each path, and the end results.

The first path usually sounds reasonable and right. The choices made fall in line with the choices most reasonable people in that position would make. The audience can relate to the experience.

The second path contains a surprise for the audience. The second path can flip normal thinking on its head. It is the unknown or the unexpected that gets their attention.

The story invites two things:

• The audience will inject themselves into the story. Were they the type who would have chosen the first path? Would they rather be on the second path?
• A comparison between the two paths and the associated outcomes. This is the learning element. It teaches the lesson through the story and since they have already placed themselves into the story, they will remember this lesson far longer than just telling them to do something.

What did the Sales Manager say?

Here’s the story the Sales Manager gave to the new sales representatives so they could learn to focus on the customer instead of just on the products being sold.

It’s interview day 12 years ago and I’m a new Sales Manager doing my first set of interviews. Back then I was working with a different company and we had been given a script on what to ask our sales candidates. One of the questions was actually not even a question. It was a command. At the end of the interview we were instructed to hand our pen to the candidate and tell him or her, “Last thing before you go… sell me this pen.”

The first candidate to hold my pen looked a little confused at my request, but then I could see the confidence come back to his face. He began by pointing out some of the unique features of the pen, like the black and silver styling, which would go with both formal attire and casual. The benefit of that being I will always look good and be prepared to take notes! He continued with a few more Features, Advantages, and Benefits of the pen before closing the sale and asking me if I’d like to buy the pen. Classic FAB selling done very well.

The second interview ended the same way, with me handing over my pen. This time I got a longer, more puzzled look at first. She thought for a moment, offered a half smile that verged on a smirk and she raised her eyes to meet mine. Her next comment surprised me. “Why do you want to look at pens today?” For the next 5 minutes, she continued using questions to uncover my need. She successfully uncovered the pain I was trying to eliminate with the purchase of a pen. I had self-diagnosed my need for a pen to solve my issue, but before she began selling me anything, she wanted to uncover the problem I was trying to solve.

You might be thinking the second candidate got the job while the first didn’t and you’d be wrong. They both got the job. But within 2 years, the first candidate was reporting to the 2nd candidate. What she did differently was focus on customer’s need and not the product we’re selling.

You want advice on how to be successful in your new role? Focus on the customer, not the product.

Why does this story template work?

Our brains love to play games and the two paths create a simple game of comparison for the audience to play. You’ve been playing this game since you were very young. If you used to watch Sesame Street on PBS (am I showing my age?) then you remember the little sequence called “Which of these kids is doing his own thing?” Since a very early age, we’ve all loved to compare items to each other to see what we can learn.

If you can provide a comparison game for your audience, along with a lesson to be learned, they will love it! It’s much more memorable than just telling them to focus on customers more than products.

I challenge you to try the two paths story this week! Let me know how it goes.

Until next week,
Russ

Let’s connect…

on Twitter if we haven’t already?

OR Let’s connect on LinkedIn.

OR Let’s connect via my Facebook page!

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?R

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.

My wife and I were both excited to attend the leadership conference! The lineup of speakers included one of my favorites and one of my wife’s favorites.  I was amped to hear from Craig Groeschel on topics like leading change and building systems. My wife was most excited about Lysa Terkeurst and her talk on dealing with disappointment. (and as far as I know, my wife’s interest in that topic had nothing to do with the fact that I was her date for the day!)

Then there was this other speaker, an author by the name Chris Hodges. I knew him as an author, but had never heard him speak before. Besides the one book I could recall (The Daniel Dilemma), I really didn’t know much about Chris. His comments that day were fun, humorous and engaging. I could write several blog posts on his amazing techniques for building approachability with an audience! (Note to self… write a future blog post on Chris Hodges and Approachability!)

So, WHAT’s the One Question?

Chris gave many helpful insights on leadership but there was one insight that just blew me away. It was one of those surreal moments when you realize you’ve just received a moment of truth. He gave us all one question we could use as leaders. This one question is powerful enough to change lives, organizations, communities, and the world. No exaggeration… this is good stuff!

Here it is…

“ What one thing, if it got better, would make the biggest difference? —CHRIS HODGES

This question struck me so hard because it’s both simple and powerful. Knowing why this is such a powerful question and how to use this question, can make you more effective in every aspect of your life. Don’t ever underestimate the significant benefits you can provide to others through the coaching wisdom in this one simple question!

WHY is this Question so Powerful?

1. Because… it’s simple

Elegance is found in simplicity. As the simplicity washed over me, the absolute power of the question began to soak in when Chris shared the story about him and his wife asking this question at least every 3 months on their date night. This one question has strengthened their marriage over the years. There isn’t a 12-step process for improving, there’s just one simple question. That’s it. Just one question. I love simple!

2. Because… it’s focused on only one issue

When I finish any of my workshops, my students usually have several new tools they’ve learned. Instead of asking them to now go and implement all of them, I probably surprise some of them with my final request. I ask them to only focus on implementing one change. When we have too many balls in the air, we don’t really do any of them very well. I love Chris’ question because it keeps us focused on just one issue… Focus!

3. Because… it’s tied to improvement

It’s inherent to the question itself. What would make the biggest difference? Most of us are willing to take on change when we know it’ll have a positive impact. We want that impact to give the biggest bang for the buck! This keeps you from focusing on changes just for the sake of change. The changes you pursue will lead to a positive difference and the biggest difference!

“ Don’t defend what’s not working! —CHRIS HODGES

HOW can you best use this Question?

1. Think about who to ask

When you think about who you could ask this question, two sources come to mind. You could ask yourself this question and you could ask other people this question. What I’ve found from my own experience is that I kinda like me. I mean, when I have an idea, I’m pretty sure it’s one of the best ideas ever! I don’t find myself disagreeing with me too much. Maybe it’s time I admit, I might be a little biased toward my own ideas. I’m jus’ sayin’.

So, what I’ve found is that I might be better served asking other people what should be improved instead of just always thinking I know what’s best. Whether you have ideas for improving your business or your marriage, make sure you get input from others. You can not only improve the outcomes of your business, but also the relationships you have with others.

2. Only ask if you have time to listen

This one question is meant to take your conversations into deeper waters. So, don’t jump into the deep end if you don’t want to swim. These conversations are meant to be savored. So plan on asking them when you have the time to listen and then LISTEN!

“ Nothing improves until something changes. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

3. Expect the work to follow

Something else built into this question is the actionable outcome. Let’s not sugar-coat this… you’re asking for work. You’re asking the other person about what needs to change. The change could be simple or it could be complex, but either way… it will involve you changing something. Remember, nothing improves until something changes. So once you know what needs to change, be ready to get to work!

My son had his eyes set on the biggest stuffed animal, but throwing the balls into the basket was not going to be as easy as it appeared. After three failed attempts at tossing the balls he looked up at me and said, “I want to try again.” I could see where this was going. We would end up spending $40 on a $10 stuffed animal. Well it wasn’t exactly $40, but let’s just say, the carnival midway will remain in business a little longer.

After each attempt of tossing the ball, my son would make an adjustment. He tried different tosses, overhand, underhand, backspin, no spin, hit the back of the basket, lay it in the front. Each attempt taught him something and he’d make an adjustment. Besides, the only thing he was risking was Dad’s money.

Don’t Fear Failure

Why do we fear failure? Probably because there’s something at risk and we’re too focused on losing it. You could argue, “But if we don’t try, then there’s zero chance of failure, right?” Wrong. If you don’t try, you’ve already failed.  You’ve missed out on an opportunity for learning and growth. I’d call that a failure.

None of us want to be seen as a failure but we have to remember what Zig Ziglar said, “Failure is an event, not a person.” Too often we think failure is going to be a reflection on us. If we fail too often, we’ll be defined by it. We will become failure.

According to Daniel Coyle’s research for his book The Talent Code, the most successful musicians, athletes, students, all share a common trait… they relish in their failures because they can learn from those mistakes.

“ You never fail until you stop trying. —ALBERT EINSTEIN

With similar findings, Carol Dweck’s research on what she calls fixed vs. growth mindsets shows that children with a growth mindset are open to failure because they see it as a learning opportunity. Once they learn from the event, they can try something new the next time.

Practice Won’t Make Perfect

I’ve heard people say the quote before, “Practice makes perfect.” Other people prefer the improved version of this quote from Vince Lombardi, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” I personally don’t think Lombardi’s quote is the best for learning either. The main reason is because the focus is placed on the expectation… perfection. Learning doesn’t occur by focusing on the expectation. You have to focus on something else!

“ Perfection is a direction, not a destination. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Besides, I don’t believe I’ll ever achieve perfection (on this side of eternity) because I’m a flawed individual. But that’s okay. It doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop pursuing it. That’s why I’d rather say, “Perfection is a direction, not a destination.”

Just knowing your destination (the goal or expectation) doesn’t get you there. You need a plan. So where should you place the focus if you want to learn and improve? Your emphasis should be placed on the process, the process of learning.

“ You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. —BABE RUTH

Focus on the Process

This process is circular. Once you reach the end, you start over again. Remember what Babe Ruth said, “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”  The only time you get to exit this circle (briefly) is when you achieve success. As I said earlier, it might be success, but I doubt it’s perfection. Since it’s not perfection, there will always be something to learn, then adjust, and then try to improve again.

As Kevin Karschnik says, “There is no best; there’s always a better.” But, trying over and over can be both mentally and physically draining, so make sure you have the motivation or inspiration to change.

The Learning Process

The learning process includes 5 steps:  Try – Fail or Succeed – Reflect – Learn – Adjust

“Trying” is Not a Final Exam

Going back to Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindsets, she found that children who see “trying” as a test of whether you got it or you don’t are less likely to learn and improve. In other words, the fixed mindset shows itself when the children would try something once, fail and then make a comment like, “I can’t do that.” In other words, in their minds their talent was fixed. It was locked in and never going to change.

Don’t allow yourself to see “trying” as the final exam. It’s merely a progress measurement. It’s where you are today, but it’s not your final destination.

What’s the One Thing?

Failure Doesn’t Teach… Reflection Does!

The key element of this entire process often overlooked is reflection. Whether you win or lose, time for reflection will give you the proper perspective to learn from the experience. If you failed in your attempt, take time to reflect on the experience to pull out the learning. But don’t forget to reflect on your wins too!

I’ve been in sales my entire career and I had to learn that you can’t just reflect on the failures to make adjustments for the future, you needed to stay curious and focus on your wins too!

“ Failure is an event, not a person. —ZIG ZIGLAR

There was an opportunity with a customer in California I had been pursuing for 18 months. The call from the customer came through on a Friday afternoon and Chuck told me, “You got the deal!” I was ecstatic for ten seconds and then I realized I had a question for Chuck.

“Chuck, can me and the rest of the sales team fly out there to meet with your decision committee next week?  I’d like to know why you picked us.”

There was silence on the phone at first, but then Chuck spoke up. “Of course you can. We’d be happy to go over it with you.”

For those first 10 seconds of excitement I had forgotten about my learning cycle. This win was a great opportunity for me to reflect on what we did well to win. With that new information, I could adjust my future sales pursuits to replicate even more wins.

Once he agreed to the meeting, I went back to being ecstatic. It was fajitas and margaritas that night!

“ There is no best; there’s always a better. —KEVIN KARSCHNIK

Learning is a life-long process. We don’t stop learning once we graduate from school. But we do stop learning if we fail to reflect on our failures and our successes. Reflection gives us the information we need to make adjustments for the future. Don’t skip it!

Still reflecting and still adjusting…

Best,
Russ

Let’s connect on Twitter if we haven’t already?

OR Let’s connect on LinkedIn.

OR Let’s connect via my Facebook page!

Books referenced in this post:

The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math and Just About Anything by Daniel Coyle

Mindset – The New Psychology of Success: How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential by Carol S. Deck, Ph.D.

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iSpeak also 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. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I’ve always enjoyed sharing stories when I speak. Unfortunately, when I started telling stories over 25 years ago, they weren’t nearly as engaging as they are today. I know I’ve still got plenty of room to improve, but you can trust me when I say, they’ve gotten much better! This is thanks to the generous teaching from other masters of storytelling.

What are the 4 Tools for Better Storytelling?

These are four tools I’ve picked up over the years. Some of these I’ve picked up from observing and experimenting, while others I learned from a master. Before you dive into these four, I can’t emphasize this enough, your audience just wants you to be you! Be willing to show your vulnerability and share your feelings in the stories. Your audience will love you for your authenticity when the real you shows up. Just be you!

Dialogue brings the magic

I learned this technique from a master storyteller, Craig Valentine. He’s an excellent speaker, storyteller and coach. You can connect with Craig to learn more about his techniques. Dialogue brings your story to life because we get to see the characters in your story speaking in real time, as if it is taking place all over again right in front of us!

Now here’s something else magical that happens with dialogue. (Listen up technical presenters!) When we hear dialogue we watch a recreation of the actual scene in our mind, even if it is only one line of dialogue and not a whole skit. We have to travel back in time to when the scene first took place. The logical part of our brain cannot travel through time because it knows we can’t. However, the creative and imaginative part of our brain has no problem with time travel.

“ If you change the experience, you change the brain. —ERIC JENSEN

Why is this magical? Because most business presentations I’ve seen are focused heavily on the logical argument… the data, and that’s understandable. But, if you want to persuade someone it’s going to take more than just the logical part of their brains. It’ll take their imaginations and their feelings. If you use dialogue, you just engaged your audience’s imagination in addition to their logical brain. Now just add the feelings and you’re on your way!

Name your characters

I like to camp. After dinner when the sun goes down and the campfire is crackling, the young ones would usually look to one of the adults and say, “Tell us a story… and make it a ghost story!” Not wanting to disappoint, we’d practice our storytelling skills and spin a yarn for the young ones…

“Every day after football practice three young boys would walk home from school past creepy-old-man Johnson’s house.” I’d get no further than that and one of the boys sitting around the campfire would interrupt. “Wait a minute… what are their names!?” And of course, like any good storyteller, I’d name the three boys in the story with the same three names of the boys sitting around the fire. Their excited response would always be the same, “I knew it!”

“ Action without a name, without a ‘who’ attached to it, is meaningless. —HANNAH ARENDT

As humans, we have a hard time becoming emotionally connected to anything without a name. We start to form an attachment once we know the name. You know this is true. As soon as you bring the puppy home, what’s the first order of business? Yep… “Let’s name her Daisy.” What do you do when you meet someone at any event? You introduce yourself and ask for his/her name.

We crave identities so we can relate. Help your audiences connect with your stories by naming your characters. They have a much better chance of becoming emotionally invested in your story.

Work on your timing

It’s not just for comedians anymore! You’ve got to get your timing down. One of my favorite speakers to learn from is Mark Sanborn. He’s known in our industry as a polished speaker and one who is meticulous for the details. One thing I’ve always admired in Mark is his superb timing. If you want to see how to use pauses like a master, watch some of Mark’s stories on YouTube.

As humans we don’t like monotone from our speakers. We don’t like mono volume. We don’t like mono pace. Let’s face it, we don’t like anything mono… including mono! Give your audience variety in your pacing. The engaging adjustments to timing can be with a long pause, a faster pace, or a slower pace.

“ You don’t have to swing hard to get a home run. If you got the timing it’ll go. —YOGI BERRA

This sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how difficult it can be when I ask a student to, “Read this sentence, but I want you to speak one word every second.” When they read the sentence they end up starting with one word per second, but then end up combining a couple words into the same second.

Use body language

I’m sure you’ve noticed body language with other great storytellers. We all know this is true. A great story is not just about the words. Body language can include movement on the stage, hand gestures/acting, and facial expressions. Dr. Paul Ekman is a PhD is a Social Psychologist who has researched facial expressions his entire career. He’d be the first to tell you how much we can actually say with a simple facial expression, even what he calls a micro-expression.

“ What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. —RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Before you tell your story, think about how you’re going to paint the picture of the scene for your audience with your body language. Think about the pivotal moments of your story and then consider the facial expression you would expect from the person in the story at that time. In business presentations we need to keep it professional, but don’t be afraid to incorporate body language to bring it to life.

Have fun with your next story!

How have you used stories in your presentations? Leave your comments.

See you at the campfire,
Russ

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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. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Dan finished his presentation in my workshop and now he’s looking at me for feedback. My first suggestion is to limit his caged-lion pacing back and forth. His immediate response, “Oh, I know I do that. That’s just me. Everybody knows I do that. It helps me think when I’m moving.” For Dan, I could tell, my coaching was going to be ineffective.

Coaching can’t fix mindset. Dan’s comments showed me he was operating from a fixed mindset, as Dr. Carol Dweck would call it. Dr. Dweck has performed decades of research on mindset and attitude as it relates to accomplishing tasks. Her research is documented in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. She placed a spotlight on two types of thinking she calls a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Most of us have a tendency toward one of these.

“ It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without agreeing with it. —ARISTOTLE

The Fixed Mindset

With a fixed mindset, we see all skills as innate. In other words, you’re either born with it or not. Some people are just smart, while some people are not. Some people can do public speaking, some can’t. Some people can remember names, others can’t.

If we know we’re not gifted in certain areas, fixed-minded people will fake it and hope others don’t find out the truth. After all, we don’t want to be seen as stupid. We don’t want to be exposed as a fraud. Every time a fixed-minded person is presented with a problem to be solved, he or she feels like it’s a test to either confirm the genius or expose the fraud. In sharp contrast, the growth-minded individual views a problem as an opportunity to learn.

The fixed-mindset person is happier taking on challenges he or she knows can almost certainly be accomplished; in other words, low-risk tasks. If a high-risk task is performed but not accomplished, it’ll show the fixed-minded person is really just a fraud, a loser, an imposter. Since you’re either born with it or not, if you fail a test then you’re a failure. You obviously weren’t born with it.

The FIXED MINDSET sees failure as a person.

The Growth Mindset

In Dr. Dweck’s research, children were given simple puzzles to solve. Once the puzzles were solved, the children were given the option to either progress to a more challenging puzzle or to continue with another simple puzzle. The children with a growth mindset were eager to try much harder puzzles. When they could not solve the difficult puzzles they weren’t upset with themselves. On the contrary, they were excited about the opportunity to learn!

People with the growth mindset tend to be more optimistic, learn more, live with a greater sense of gratitude, and feel more fulfilled in life.

The GROWTH MINDSET sees failure as an opportunity to learn.

“ Nothing improves until something changes. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Which are you?

If you’re wondering which mindset you lean toward, here is a simple test. Answer the following question by selecting the answer that feels most like you.

When do you feel smart and accomplished?

1. When you get the answer correct.
2. When you figure out the answer.

If you selected answer number one, you have a tendency toward a fixed mindset. You like to be correct. You like to see the finish line as the ultimate goal. The right answer is really the only goal that matters anyway. If you get the answer wrong, it will not feel good. It may even say something about you.

If you selected answer number two, you appreciate the work and the journey as you move toward the correct answer. While getting the correct answer is important, a more enjoyable part of the journey is the problem solving and the learning that comes with the process. Even if you get the answer wrong, you know you will still benefit because you will learn from the process. This is in line with a growth mindset.

Now here’s the good news…

Dr. Dweck found that we can change our mindset. In other words, if you have a natural tendency toward a fixed mindset but you’d like to be more growth minded… you can do it! Once you are aware of your mindset, you can develop new habits by consciously making decisions to step out of your comfort zone and by viewing setbacks as learning experiences, not as a confirmation of your inadequacies.

I have found that my students who are not willing to change lean toward a fixed mindset. They’re not open to the possibility they may be wrong. They’re un-coachable. And if they’re not coachable, then their situation will never improve from where it is today.  My growth-minded students are always willing to take a risk and try something new. They are always willing to take that next step.

“ There’s no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone. —UNKNOWN

Always looking for my own next step,
Russ

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Books mentioned in this post:

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Dr. Carol Dweck

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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. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I saw my son walking out to the garage one evening. I said, “Hey, where you going?” He replied, “I’m going to change out the distributor on my car.” Just so you know, it was obvious he didn’t learn that skill from me! I’m good to change your oil, but anything involving a wrench on the car involves me calling my friend, Mark. So, I inquired, “Where did you learn how to do that?” His response was one word… “YouTube.” My final question to him was, “Can you show me how?” A new term used today is called micro-learning. It is most easily explained as the “YouTube Generation” style of learning. Short bursts of learning that are immediately accessible upon demand.

Last week we explored how to initiate change by communicating three things for your team:

1. Attention – If you don’t get their attention, they won’t be listening!
2. Comprehension – Teach them so they understand the plan
3. Motivation – Inspiration and encouragement so they feel the need to change!

If they don’t use it, they’ll lose it

Now, what’s the next step? In many cases, the next step can take longer than the first three combined. This next phase is about maintaining your course and momentum until the change is frozen in place. This all begins with maximizing the retention of everything you accomplished in the first three steps!

According to research done by John F. Kihlstrom at UC Berkeley, if people don’t use what they’ve learned, they will begin to lose that working knowledge. One method for reinforcing the new skills is by using frequent recall and testing. He also states how experiential application helps to reinforce the new knowledge or skills by helping the brain create a schema (template) that can be applied to similar situations in the future. In other words, get them to apply whatever they learned to a real-world situation.

“ Active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing. —MICHAEL PRINCE

Three ways to reinforce the learning:

Just like my son with the YouTube video for his car, Micro-Learning is a great method for reinforcement and it doesn’t have to be in video format. If you have weekly team meetings, you can take 10 minutes in a meeting to reinforce the change they have recently learned. If you’d like to know a few methods for doing that, here are some suggestions based on a research study done by Michael Prince at Bucknell University.

1.  Give them a problem to solve

Making the learning more experiential helps make it more permanent. This can be done by giving people an applied problem to solve. If you recently implemented a new procedure for the sales team to get complex quotes completed through engineering, finance, and legal, you could give them a scenario and have them come up with the first 5 steps for completing this complex quote.

2. Have them work in groups

According to Michael Prince’s research, when people worked on problems together they were able to collaborate on solutions. The opportunity to explore different ideas and build upon each others’ work created a stronger reinforcement of their learning. This can also lead to better solutions when synergy sets in. This is when the team becomes more than just the sum of its parts.

3. Assign co-operative roles within the group

If you’d also like to reinforce teamwork with the learning, you could assign unique roles to each person on the team. Using the complex quote example from above, one person on the team could play the role of the salesperson, someone else the legal contact, another person the finance representative, and one more to be the engineer. In this type of group solution, each person needs to rely upon the other to complete the entire project on time.

What have you seen used to help change “stick?”

Still looking for ways to educate better,
Russ

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Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a 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. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The Disney World attendant reached out her hand toward my crying son and said, “Russell… will you come with me please?” Earlier we had asked about getting Peter Pan’s autograph and we were told he would not be signing autographs today, but he would be in the parade down Main Street USA. Peter Pan was on top of the very last parade float and was waving to the crowd. When my son saw he was not going to stop and sign his autograph book extended from his 4-year-old arms, he began to cry.

It’s no secret that we all connect with stories. Well-told stories tell us so much about people, life, and morals. Professional speakers know this truth and they use stories regularly to engage their audiences. In business, the best presenters know this also and they bring their data to life by allowing the data to tell a story. This is probably nothing new to you. But… there is one aspect of storytelling that can create the greatest impact with your audience. This element is probably something you’ve always loved but never consciously noticed.

The Secret: All the best stories include dialogue

Dialogue can be just one simple line or phrase from the story spoken just like it was originally spoken when the story actually took place. The speaker actually becomes that character for a brief moment and acts out what that line of dialogue sounded like to their own ears. Why is this so engaging? There are four main reasons:

1. Dialogue puts action in the story

It is happening right now! When you hear that one line of dialogue, you are no longer talking about something that happened in the past. To the audience, it looks like it is happening right now! The dialogue progresses the story and shows an active participant.

2. Dialogue engages the brain

For the brain to comprehend the past in a present tense, it actually has to transport your mind through time to the exact moment when the dialogue took place. As odd as it sounds, your audience is time traveling with you back to that moment. This creative process engages their brains! The creative side of their brains has to build a vision of the scene and the characters speaking those exact words.

“ Dialogue pulls your audience into the story. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

3. Engagement equals an attentive audience

I’m sure you have seen some engaging speakers and some who are not so engaging. When we observe an engaging speaker we need to ask ourselves, “What specifically made me say she was engaging?” One answer to that question may be the speaker’s proper use of dialogue that forced your brain to build a movie set and travel through time. Brain engagement means audience engagement, which means audience attention!

4. Vivid imaginations produce feelings

Well-told stories with dialogue not only engage our brains creatively, but then they tap into our emotions. Speakers know that feelings are necessary to provide the motivation and fuel for the audience to take the next step. Without the feeling of motivation, the audience will not be willing to do whatever you’re asking them to do next.

Back to our story…

The Disney World attendant led my son through City Hall to a large wooden door. As she opened it and invited us both into the room, Peter Pan himself was standing there to greet us. Then Peter Pan exclaimed, “Russell! There you are, buddy! I’ve been looking for you all day.”

How does dialogue in a story affect you?  When have you seen a speaker use dialogue well?

Always looking for my next step to improve,
Russ

P.S. The Disney story I shared above is very real. I’ve been a huge fan, proponent, and passionate advocate for Disney ever since. Here’s a picture of that moment. Russell was 4 yrs old.

p.p.s. If you like these blog posts, please don’t keep it a secret. Your shares, likes, and forwards are always appreciated!  THANK YOU for being connected with me. Until next time…