I don’t want to make a series of poor choices that leads me down a dark path, (Is this my tie-in to Star Wars?). I discovered recently the difference between First Order and Second Order thinking.

The First Order

No, I’m not talking about the evil empire of the recent Star Wars trilogy. Although, I wonder if Lucas named his new Sith group “First Order” because of this cognitive thinking definition? It would certainly fit that group! Always thinking about immediate gratification instead of the long-term ramifications.

What is First-Order Thinking?

First-order thinking is short-term thinking. In other words, we only consider the immediate effects of any decision we make. As an example, if I eat that cake, my sweet tooth will be satisfied! Or… if I go to the gym, I’m going to be tired and have sore muscles.

First Order thinking puts us in a thinking category closest to the animals. (This is not a creation vs. evolution conversation… I’m simply stating a fact.) Animals don’t cognitively think about the future or consider strategic ramifications of their decisions. They simply make decisions to achieve short-term and immediate effects. What do I want right now and how can I get it right now?

Guess what? We do the same thing sometimes.

Second-Order Thinking Tool

In contrast, our ability to think further down the road about the derivative results spawned off of first-order decisions gives us more control over our future. This is called Second-Order Thinking. Of course, we don’t always do the best job of exercising this style of thinking.

To make better decisions we can use this tool to think about both the short-term and long-term results of the decision you’re about to make. This is heavy lifting for the brain. It pulls in multiple inputs and variables which could lead to a variety of potential outcomes. I’m reminded of the recent Avengers Infinity War movie where Dr. Strange played out one million potential outcomes in his mind and found only one good path forward where the Avengers could win.

That was some heavy-duty, second-order thinking!

But this tool creates a problem…

If you’re like me, then you love to play the second-order thinking game. It’s called speculation! My wife says if I were in the Avengers my super hero name would be “The Speculator” because I love to play out what-if scenarios. I prefer to think I’d be Dr. Strange, but I digress.

The problem we run into with second-order thinking is the tendency to overthink a situation and get caught in analysis paralysis. Sometimes we constantly play out scenarios to look at the potential results, but we never actually take action. That isn’t healthy or helpful. So how do we balance that? The second tool can help us!

The Tool to Force a Decision

Gen. Colin Powell is a retired 4-star general who served in the Persian Gulf War. He had a tool he used to make war-time decisions. His decisions had the greatest of ramifications (people’s lives were on the line) and they had to be made quickly.

To prevent himself from getting caught up in too much second-order thinking, he used a tool he called 40-70. He wouldn’t make a decision before having at least 40% of the information needed. He also didn’t wait to have all the possible information, he didn’t need more than 70%. In an imperfect world and with the constant change of the battlefield, he couldn’t afford to wait for more information.

If he had between 40 and 70% of the information needed for a decision, he felt he could make good decisions much faster than others.

We don’t need all the information and we don’t need perfect information, we just need a fair amount. Then we need the courage to make the call because we don’t have limitless time. So how do we finally pull the trigger? I present to you… the third tool.

20 Seconds of Courage Tool

In the Matt Damon movie, We Bought a Zoo, Damon’s character Benjamin moves his family to the country after losing his wife. The house also comes with a zoo. In one scene when Benjamin is talking to his son, he gives him advice on making decisions, “All you need is 20 seconds of courage… literally, 20 seconds of courage.”

Don’t be afraid to make that decision. It doesn’t take courage for a lifetime. It only takes 20 seconds of courage. All leadership requires courage, so don’t be surprised when you’re standing at the fork in the road and the followers are waiting on you to make your decision. Use your tools. You got this.

Tool 1: Did you consider the second-order ramifications of the decision?

Tool 2: Do you have between 40 and 70% of the information you need?

Tool 3: Can you muster 20 seconds of courage?

It’s time.

Have fun and enjoy the next 20 seconds.
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 to help leaders put a voice to their vision. It’s about connecting with an audience and giving them what they came for.

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.

Taking a break from our leadership communication topic to say thank you to all of our veterans. This US Holiday is meant to thank those who have served or are currently serving our country. Don’t forget to thank a Vet this weekend. And, according to my cousin the Navy Vet, you can tug at their heart strings by saying something like this…

• Warriors like you help me sleep better at night.
• Thanks for being a bad a$$ American!
• You’re a BEAST!

While I didn’t serve in the military I have many friends and family who did, including my cousin Brad who did several tours in the Middle East. My sincerest thanks to you all for serving.

Oh yeah… and YOU’RE ALL BEASTS!

See you next week,

Russ

Providing constructive feedback to the people I coach can be challenging for several reasons. For my students, it can be difficult for them to receive feedback from someone they’ve just met! They know I’m going to point out areas in need of improvement. This creates feelings of exposure and vulnerability. Here’s how I approach the coaching in 4 steps.

As a coach, I’ve found several methods to help create a foundation of trust for coaching. This foundation creates the right environment for effective coaching to take place.

Step 1: Check your heart

If you’re going to offer constructive feedback to anyone, you need to first check your heart. What is your intent with this conversation? If your goal is to tear someone down and make them feel as if they are “less than” you and others, then your brain will find the right words to make that happen. But, if your intent is to build this person up and encourage them to improve from his/her current position, then your brain will find the right words.

If you only want to hit your numbers and you need this person to do something different to make that happen, your heart is focused on the wrong things. If you truly want to see this person succeed, you’re focus is in the right place. Remember, if they succeed – you succeed. You can’t be a great coach without a great team. Focus on creating a great team.

Step 2: Meet them where they are

If you were traveling to Dallas and you asked me for directions, my first question to you would be, “Where are you now?” I can’t offer you any guidance until I know where you’re currently located. I’m sure that seems completely logical to you. But in our leadership roles, sometimes we forget this. Managers will publish a goal and then expect everyone to just get there. “If they’re worth their salt, they’ll figure it out!”

The worst leaders just stand at the finish line waiting for each team member to cross it. Some will make it. Some won’t. But, a true leader recognizes each person will need different levels of coaching to make it there. Meet the people on your team in their current location. Then give them the personal guidance they need to reach that finish line and succeed.

“ The coach’s success is defined by the team’s success. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Step 3: Separate truth from opinion

When you offer any type of guidance to the individuals on your team, you are giving them either truth or opinion. If the quota for the team is set at $45 Million for this quarter, that is truth. If a team member is constantly tapping a pen on the table during sales presentations you might tell them to cease and desist because it is distracting to the audience. That would also be truth. (If you’re thinking… “Actually, I could just tune that pen tapping distraction out.” You may be mentally strong enough to filter the tapping out, but the truth is you had to filter the distraction out. It’s a distraction!)

If you tell a team member you want them to wear a different color tie for sales presentations, that’s just your opinion. If you would rather have them sit down when presenting instead of standing up, that’s your opinion. If you want a team member to change some of the words in their presentation, that’s also your opinion. Most of what you offer your team when coaching is just your opinion. As the boss, of course, your opinion matters. But, if you mistake your opinion for truth, you give the impression you’re a know-it-all.

As the coach, make sure you offer your suggestions (opinions) as just that… your opinion. As the coach, be prepared to offer why you feel the change is needed. From your experience or knowledge, share why you have this opinion. Show them the new result you expect if they adopt your recommendation.

“ In reality, very little of what you offer in coaching is truth. Most of it is just your opinion. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

In reality, very little of what you offer in coaching is truth. Most of it is just your opinion. Without being omniscient yourself, you can only offer your opinion from your view of the world. If you were all-knowing, then your opinion would be truth. But you’re not omniscient (and neither am I) and so your opinion is not truth. It’s just your opinion. So approach your coaching of others with humility. You don’t know it all.

“ Recognizing you don’t know it all is called humility.

Step 4: Offer encouragement

You know it’s difficult to receive coaching, especially when the coach doesn’t start with the heart (see Step #1 above). Even when the coaching is delivered in the best possible way from the heart, implementing change can be difficult for everyone. If you want to see your team implement change, they will need your encouragement. Encouragement creates movement by showing the individual they can achieve the next step. If his/her own future self doesn’t seem achievable from where he/she is standing today, just focus them on the next step. Encourage them to take one step.

“ Encourage your team by helping them see their future selves. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Anyone can point out something they don’t like in others. It takes a true leader to care enough to give both guidance and encouragement so others can succeed.

Just offering you my opinions… and I pray there’s some truth you can use,
Russ

Can I ask a favor? If you like these messages, please invite others to join us!
They can sign up here.

Books I’d Recommend for further reading:

Heretics and Heroes: A Memoir on Modern Leadership, by Cort Dial

Start with Why: How all great leaders inspire everyone to take action, by Simon Sinek

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell

Claim your copy of my new FREE eBook on Sales and Leadership Inspiration.

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.

“Play it safe.”
“Don’t risk too much.”
“Don’t let others know you’re struggling. Just act strong.”
“Fake it because you know you’ll never make it!”

You hear that voice whispering to you? That evil voice? Yes, I said evil. It’s the evil voice that convinced you to wear that mask in the first place.

What would the world say if it knew the real you? One evil lie is whispered to you softly every day…“Are you kidding me!? Who do you think you are? You don’t have what it takes. You gotta wear that mask because we both know you’re a fake.”

You’re listening to that whisper… every day. Do you hear it?

We’re all secretly hiding behind the mask…. hiding our true self. It’s just safer and easier to play the part we think the world wants from us.

So, we wear our masks. We play the part.

We wear our masks so we can pursue things like security, comfort and status. That’s what the whispering voice is selling to us every day. And we’re buying it.

But security, comfort and status won’t completely fulfill. Deep down you know that, but are you willing to admit it to yourself? The world aches for the real you. The world aches for your authentic self. It aches for your gift.

But what are we supposed to do?

Authenticity would mean lowering our mask. Exposing our true self to others. We can’t do that, right? Seriously, lower the mask? That’s crazy. That would mean… Vulnerability and Risk?

YES! Authentic vulnerability and sweet risk!

The truth is we’re all meant for a battle, a battle for authenticity. A battle you’re well armed to fight. You’ve got what it takes inside you. But until you lower the mask, you’re unwilling to step into that fight.

Authenticity is what the world wants. No… it’s what the world needs! You can’t live out your unique purpose on this planet until you’re willing to lower your mask and step into your authentic role, until you’re willing to give the world your authentic self, until you’re willing to step into that battle and fight.

Know this… the enemy is real

There is a very real resistance in our world. It’s an enemy. That resistance will push back with innuendos and lies just to keep your false self showing and your real self… your true gift to the world… in hiding.

Resistance has got you right where he wants you… intimidated, wearing a mask and sitting in the corner. “Now stay there!” He’s shouting. How much longer are you going to listen? How much longer are you going to obey? How much longer are you going to take it? How much longer are you going to rob the world of your gift? How much longer will you hide your authentic self from us all?

Lower the mask, get ready for the battle, and find your why.

“ Every man dies. Not every man really lives. —WILLIAM WALLACE, BRAVEHEART

We’ve lost our why and we need to find it because that’s where our passion lives. Call it a purpose… a destiny… an authentic life of significance… a life that doesn’t just settle for success, but a life that risks vulnerability to live a more authentic adventure, a more fulfilling and authentic life.

You’ll know your calling because you’ll be drawn toward it, while at the same time you’ll sense the cold threat of the enemy’s lies, the whispered voice of resistance, that evil reminder of risk, fear, and doubts. It’s the fear of change, the unknown. Resistance is talking to you again. Pushing you right back into your corner…

“Now stay there!” the enemy shouts

Not this time! Drop the mask. Step into the battle. It’s time to stand up for yourself.

As William Wallace from Braveheart said, “Every man dies. Not every man really lives.”

Where are you men and women of courage? It’s time to live your authentic life!

Drop the Mask!

Let’s stop pretending! Let’s live out our calling. Let’s give our gifts to the world! Be the person you were born to be. It’s time to step into the battle!

Let’s live the AUTHENTIC LIFE! You were meant for so much more.

Now go punch resistance in the face and let’s do this!

Still reminding myself to lower that mask everyday,
Russ

Some books on lowering the mask and being authentic:

Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul, by John Eldredge

Do the Work: Overcome resistance and get out of your own way, by Steven Pressfield

Corporate Ovations: Your Roadmap to More Effective Presentations, by Russ Peterson Jr. and Kevin Karschnik

Cut the C.R.A.P. and Make the Sale, by Russ Peterson Jr.

Have you downloaded my new FREE eBook on Sales and Leadership Inspiration?

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.

You’ve probably heard the expression before… if people don’t get things done it’s either because they don’t know what to do or they don’t know how to do it. Good sales managers know that setting a goal (what to do) for the team is important to drive success. But the best sales leaders know there is more to it than just pointing the team in the right direction. The best sales leaders focus on three areas with their teams to make success more likely. The formula for Success = Knowledge + Skills + Process.

Knowledge

Using the analogy of football, if a coach wants the football team to be successful, the team needs to know the rules of the game. Without the proper knowledge of the game of football, they have no chance. For your team, make sure they know what they need to know to be successful. At a minimum, if you’re leading a sales team, they each need to know their quotas, territories, and product / service offerings.

• What are you doing to educate your sales team on the products, the services, the competition, and your own company?
• How do you encourage your sales team to learn more about the industry?
• In your weekly calls, how do you solicit their input on their territory, customers, and opportunities?

“ The formula for Success = Knowledge + Skills + Process —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Skills

Back to football… and this one seems as bit obvious. The players who excel have advanced skill sets. Skills are different from knowledge and understanding. Just knowing the rules of football won’t make you successful. You need to be able to execute the skills on the field. Talent can be defined as a blessing from God that someone is born with, but skills are something that can be taught and developed. Everyone on your sales team comes to you with a certain skill set, but each of them can develop their skills further. Even professional athletes work on their skills weekly to fine tune them. Corporations have entire departments devoted to this called Talent Development.

Dan Pink, author of Drive, shares research that shows individuals are motivated by opportunities to develop their skills. He calls it mastery. When we love what we do, we all want opportunities to improve our skills and get better at it. If you develop your sales team, they will not only perform better but they will be motivated by the opportunity to become the best that they can be.

• What are you doing to develop your sales team’s skills?
• Are you developing them with one-on-one coaching conversations?
• Do you train your sales team on communication skills and sales strategy?

Process

Process selling has been around since 1988 when Neil Rackham published SPIN Selling. Since that time numerous sales process books have been written. The premise behind every sales process is the same. If we can identify the proper steps for taking a sale from beginning to end, we can create a repeatable process. While there is merit to the logic, if you’ve been in sales long enough you realize not everything is going to fit into a nice, neat box.

Many service organizations have adopted the methodologies of Lean 6 Sigma to identify and improve processes. Entrepreneurs know that to increase sales and scale for growth requires implementation of streamlined workflows across the organization. This includes the sales process too.  Providing a roadmap to your sales team helps them in several ways:

• The stages of the sale are identified from beginning to end
• Next steps for the sales rep and sales leadership becomes easier by identifying the current stage
• Forecasting improves because identified stages are more or less likely to reach closure
• Internal communication gets easier because everyone speaks the same sales language

It’s going to take some effort

Improving Knowledge, Skills and Process will require your sales team (and maybe you too!) to develop some new habits. That in itself can be a daunting task. But if you can provide these three elements for your sales team, you are setting them up for success.

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

But what about motivation?

The one argument I’ve heard from students when I present this formula for success is that none of this will equal success because there is one element missing… motivation. In other words, if they don’t want to do it, then nothing will change. I agree completely. But I also think that’s like saying, “Nothing is going to change until something changes.”  It’s a given.

Best advice I can give on helping them find their motivation is to help them find their “why?”  In other words, what is their purpose for working? In sales its easy to answer this question with “Money!” but I disagree.  It might be what money provides or makes possible, but it’s not for the money itself… but that’s a blog post for another time.

What part of this formula do you think is most helpful and why?

Leave your comments and feedback below.

Still working on all three pieces myself!
See you next week,
Russ

p.s. If you like the weekly message, connect with me on Twitter and Facebook where I share content from leaders I follow.

“Can you help our engineers with their presentations? They’re horrible! They always bombard us with too much data.” I’ve been asked this question countless times by business leaders who sit through presentations from their engineering teams. The complaint is that the presentations include way too much data and detail. What needs to be done? There’s a simple solution.

We need to understand that business managers and engineers speak different languages. In addition, they have different needs, interests, and goals based on their roles. If the roles were reversed, we’d probably have the same problem. The complaint from the engineers would be “Can you please help us with our business manager presentations? They’re awful! Full of lofty theories and general ideas but no concrete data!”

“ Never forget you’re creating your presentation for your audience, not for you. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

You can create the right presentation for the right audience by answering three questions before you construct your message. The answers to these three questions will help you identify how much and what kind of data to include. If you create the right message for the right audience, you’re more likely to achieve your goal. So let’s start with your goal…

1st Question: After the presentation, what do you want the audience to DO?

In other words, what is the next step after this presentation? What does the audience need to do after this presentation? There has to be a purpose for presenting! So, just make sure you are crystal clear on the audience’s next step.

It could be as simple as remembering some key elements for the future so they can make better business decisions. Maybe you want them to approve a new IT budget for system upgrades. If they’re asking for a project update and you’re not quite sure what their next step is or why they need this information, then you need to ask! Find out how they’re going to use this information so you can give them exactly what they want.

Now, in order to equip them for the next step, we need to answer two more questions.

2nd Question: What does the audience need to KNOW and UNDERSTAND?

What does the audience need to KNOW and understand about your subject before they will be able to take that next step? This question is not about teaching them to understand at the same level that you (the expert) understand. It is all about knowing what level of depth they need to understand. This is where the breakdown usually occurs where engineers tend to think the audience should understand the details at their same depth of understanding.

A little empathy can go a long way here. Think about what they need to know, not what you know.

3rd Question: How do you want your audience to FEEL about this subject?

The feeling question is rarely addressed in business.  From what I’ve seen, the business leaders and the engineers are both equally guilty here. The common thought is “What do feelings have to do with business? We make our decisions based on data and logic.” I’ve got some news for you, unless you’re speaking to an audience of robots, you need to deal with the feeling question.

Do you want your audience to feel… bored, excited, frustrated, angry, equipped, confident, proud, anxious, empowered, inspired, calm, supported, comfortable, or uneasy?

“ The speaker speaks for the audience… always. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

It’s not about you…

The more specific you can be with all three of these questions, the easier it will be to construct your message. It becomes much easier to decide how many details to include, which slides to include, which stories to include, and how many examples to include. Overall, it makes your job of creating the presentation easier and much more relevant to your audience.

As humans, we are all created wonderfully different.  As speakers, we need to empathize with the audience’s needs and build the message for them, not just for us. If you do that, you’re on your way to achieving your goals.

Let’s go change some lives. Your audience is counting on you!

See you next week,
Russ

Find additional thoughts and motivation…

Twitter- @RussPetersonJr  or  Facebook

What effective message construction techniques have you used or seen?  Leave your comments here.

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In every Corporate Ovations workshop I deliver, I ask my students, “How many of you want me to show 125 slides full of text, then turn my back and read to you?” It’s no surprise, the response is always zero. Then I ask a follow-up question…

“How many of you still see people doing that?” 100% of the students raise their hands with a, “Yes!” This seems shocking when you think about it. Nobody wants the speaker to read the slides and yet 100% of them still see people doing just that! If nobody wants to see that and everybody knows it, then why do people do it?!!?? Where is the disconnect?

Here are 5 shortcuts you can incorporate into your slides to keep your audiences engaged and avoid the slide-reading trap.

1. Don’t hide Waldo

You know the game called “Where’s Waldo?” While it’s fun trying to find Waldo with your kids, we don’t like playing that game when we’re in the audience of a business presentation. If the main point you want to make on the slide is Waldo, then make it easy to find him.

2. Title = Claim

Think of the Title on your slide as a clue to where Waldo is hiding. It should serve as a “claim” you are making. Then the contents of the slide (text, graphics, charts, etc.) should support the claim. “Acme, Inc. 4th Quarter” is not descriptive. “Acme, Inc. had highest profits in Q4” is much more descriptive.

3. Mix it up

When everything looks the same, it’s harder for the audience to find what’s important. Use different colors, fonts, sizes, shapes, placement on the slides to show the important pieces. This is definitely a balance because too much variety makes it harder to know what’s important too. This is called the Von Restorff Effect.

4. Less is More

This seems to be common knowledge, but we don’t always follow this advice. When the slides are covered with text, the speaker is tempted to read the slides like a teleprompter and the audience tends to read the slides along with them. If you use text, limit it by typing in sentence fragments and keywords only. Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds is a great resource.

5. Use Appropriate Pictures

Professional picture or icons create short cuts to understanding. If you think about it, text is really a collection of symbols (pictures) that create words and sentences. The words and sentences must be translated into meaning. However, pictures skip a step in the translation process and jump immediately to meaning. When used effectively, pictures are easier on the audience because it’s less work for their brains. Websites like The Noun Project have free collections of professional symbols.

Make sure your slides do not create more work for your audience. If it’s hard work for them to follow you, they’ll get tired and then they’ll quit. Then the smart phones start to come out!

What do you do to make your slides more engaging?

I’m always looking for the better,

Russ

P.S. If you didn’t receive this blog post in your email inbox, you can sign up here and I’ll send it to you every Sunday.

You know who I’m talking about. It’s that one guy who always seems to derail your presentation by first interrupting you. Then once he has your attention, he takes everyone down a rabbit-trail. “Hey, wait a minute… take a look at the numbers for the Southwest Region in Q2. How did that happen? Clay, that’s your region. What was going on there in Q2?”

Then Mr. Interruption and Clay have a dialogue in front of the rest of the audience while you stand quietly in the front of the room wondering when this presentation is going to come back to you. While we cannot control the personalities in our audience, we can control how we present our data when using slides. By understanding the three phases of audience understanding you can better design your slides to maintain control of the presentation.

Audience Phase 1: Explore

The first phase the audience enters when a new slides appears is the EXPLORE phase. You know this is true because you do it too when you’re in the audience. You begin to explore the slide looking for the discovery. “What am I supposed to see here?” The longer it takes to get to the discovery, the more frustrated and tired you get. One great technique for accelerating the explore phase is to make your slide title a description of the discovery you want them to find. Think of the title as your “claim” or your key point for the entire slide and the slide content is the proof to support the claim. Give them a clue what you want them to discover.

“Acme Company Financials for Q2” – (Not descriptive at all!)

“8% higher sales across all regions except SW in Q2” – (YES! This tells the audience the discovery!)

Audience Phase 2: Discover

This is when the audience locates the DISCOVERY! It is the “Eureka!” moment for the audience. If we have designed our slides with descriptive titles (claims), the audience gets to this moment faster. However, if the slides include too much detail and information, some members of the audience will keep exploring.

Like the gentleman we introduced in the first paragraph, he probably prides himself on making his own discoveries and then pointing them out to the entire audience. You can help prevent this by limiting the amount of data you put on the screen. If it’s not important to your storyline, leave it out.

“ Audiences explore your slides until they make a discovery. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Audience Phase 3: Imagine

Your audience will not be ready to IMAGINE a different future until they have reached the discovery. Once at the discovery phase, the presenter (you) can now propose changes for the future. Make sure you answer the following questions to move the audience to imagine. You need to show which decisions need to be made and the potential consequences or benefits that may result from those decisions.

“What does this discovery mean?”

“How can we use this data?”

“What decisions will need to be made as a result of this discovery?”

Some personalities pride themselves on making discoveries before others and then sharing them in front of the audience. Build your slides to lead your audience through these phases and you can help curb that from happening in the future.

Still working on moving my audience to imagine…

See you next week,

Russ

p.s. If you know someone who can benefit from this post, please share with others. Sign up to receive my weekly blog in email.

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…

On that horrific day 15 years ago, we were focused on one thing… saving human lives. Just like so many other life-changing moments, I still remember exactly where I was when it happened. I’m sure you do too.

Each year on this day several thoughts weigh on my mind. They serve as a reminder to me for how I should be living each day with focus.

• Hug your children
• Don’t hold back what needs to be said
• Treasure your relationships with others

Always remember the innocent we lost that day.  Remember the brave souls we lost who ran toward the smoke to save others.

…continued prayers for peace and healing.

Russ