Communicate to Win: 025 – Do You See What I See? Using Vivid DetailsIn previous posts, I’ve stressed the importance of crafting a good story. Use the power of language laced with vivid details to connect with your listeners while you are telling a story. When you can drive your point home with colorful descriptions, you are seen as the authoritative expert on the topic. Read more
Personal branding long before social mediaPersonal branding today is deeply rooted in how you present yourself online. But, a 40-year old brand known as Jimmy Buffett provides some lessons we could all learn about brand building. Read more
What the ant and the elephant teach us about leadershipI am great believer in the power of the parable, the fable, the story, the case study. I use stories frequently in my talks, sessions and in my writing. When people hear an inspiring tale that they can visualize, it helps them to remember the moral of the story and the lesson to be learned. Read more
How to change people’s behaviorI have been traveling the past week while also preparing to present at the 2011 Senior Sales Executive Conference. My topic is, “Driving Collaboration and Effective Change Initiatives.” I have been using Tom Kelley’s Advice and thinking like a traveler. When we travel, we open our eyes and see things we may not usually see. I was looking for signs of people driving change. Read more
The art of the tell, Part 3This is the third in a series of lessons from Peter Gruber, a producer and executive producer of movies such as Rain Man, Batman, The Color Purple, Midnight Express, Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey, The Witches of Eastwick, Missing and Flashdance, which have earned over three billion dollars worldwide and more than 50 Academy Award nominations. Read more
The art of the tell, part 2In the last post, I shared stories from Peter Guber, who has long relied on purposeful storytelling to motivate, win over, shape, engage and sell. His executive and entrepreneurial accomplishments have made him a success in multiple industries. Today’s post extends Peter’s lessons! Read more
The art of the tell, Part 1Why do you need to tell stories? Because today everyone — whether they know it or not — is in the emotional transportation business. More and more, success is won by creating compelling stories that have the power to move partners, shareholders, customers and employees to action. Simply put, if you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it. Read more
What sales people can learn from Sam AdamsYou hear ‘Sam Adams’ today and you think beer. But, on a recent Boston Freedom tour, it was clear that he never owned a brewery but rather he was a political and public relations genius; something all sellers can learn from.
Storytelling sells: what is your story?Premium brands all have stories to help endear their customers to them. Whether you are a global luxury brand or not, a story will help drive a premium for your product. BMW has long history of creating performance vehicles that started with the production of engines for early airplanes. Read more
What are your impossible goals?With the New Year upon us, goal setting is a trendy topic. Few business leaders have been as eccentric and unpredictable as Ted Turner in setting and meeting their goals. He took pleasure in choosing goals that seemed impossible to achieve. He created the first “superstation” television station, WTBS, which broadcast nationwide through a network of local cable television operators. Read more