I am in love with this word – storyselling!  It says it all about the power of stories to persuade listeners to buy products and services or buy into ideas. Storyselling is the act of telling the authentically persuasive story. It is sharing the story that excites others to say, “Yes, I want that!” [...]

  Next week I am facilitating a day-long training program for sales professionals in the world’s fifth largest software company. Unlike my usual clients who feel fear of speaking, these folks will be good at speaking and selling.  They are already very successful. So, “What,” I wondered “Do they need from me?” They need me [...]

A special contributor to The Tribune Newspapers,  writer Richard Asa, contacted me recently.  He was writing an article on fear of public speaking at family events, such as weddings and funerals. I shared some ideas that I thought might be valuable.  Public speaking when the public is family can produce anxiety for some people.  Many of [...]

  “Has anyone ever been in prison?”  These were the words that opened W Mitchell’s talk to NSA Houston Chapter in September 2010.  Words spoken quietly in a voice vibrating from deep within his chest.  Words not spoken immediately.  W Mitchell wheeled himself to the center of the staging area, sat deeply into his wheelchair [...]

  My webmaster Kenan Branam happens to be a thought leader about the internet and the future of humanity.  He is always trying to make sense of the world and how we humans live in it.  This cold drizzly Houston morning in December we chatted about a new program I am creating called Your Life [...]

  Storytelling is the way to capture attention, engage listeners, free your self-expression, persuade listeners and make your ideas stick. I believe that storytelling is the most valuable presentation skill you can learn.  My friend Doug Stevenson is a master at teaching storytelling for business purposes.  Doug has written a definitive article on how to [...]

  Shame and perfectionism are interrelated.  Shame is the painful feeling that comes from a deep-seated belief that “I am not good enough.”  It is generated from an unconscious thought that “I AM wrong.”  That means your very Being is not acceptable.  Perfectionism is what we do to try to avoid the feelings of shame.  [...]

    By now you know that I believe in telling stories to make talks interesting, engaging and compelling.  Did you also know that telling your story relaxes and calms you, and it frees your body to express more naturally and creatively?   I used to think that I did not have any stories to [...]

  Sean  Buvala  at storyteller.net has written an awesome post on using stories for apologies and healing.  He says that “Storytelling can be used for many different applications. One of the most difficult, but needed, application of storytelling is to express reconciliation, repentance and recompense.” Sean lists five steps that help create a story of redemption: [...]