Where Solutions Are Created

We were practicing stories defining what we had done for others, when a marketeer pointed out that we were talking about previous engagements, not the people we supposedly would be talking to.

The marketeer wanted to fashion a way to talk about the goodness of what was going to happen to the next guy.

That’s not going to work for a couple of reasons.

First, when you are talking about the future, you can’t talk about truth, you have to talk about vision. If you want to be believed, start by telling the truth.

Second, no matter what I say, the listener is going to apply what they hear to satisfying their own need. Get a listener to tell you what they heard you say, and you will learn what they really want.

That means you don’t need to start with a specific solution for everyone. That specific solution develops out of what they value from what you have already done successfully.

What’s your best story?

Story Frameworks

The right framework to organize a story can go a long way to improving its value.

Dana Blankenhorn buzzed: Notice the new way of newswriting? Inverted pyramids out. Now news stories read like live blogs Feb 4

Dick Davies - And how is "blog writing" different?Feb 5

Dana Blankenhorn - A single blog entry is more like an opinion column to me, some coherent whole meant to engender a response. Have a take and don't suck, in other words.

A live blog, by contrast, piles minute-by-minute facts together and, while it may contain a summary at the top (after everything is done) there's often no coherence. Feb 6

When I was a journalist, the inverted pyramid (write the most important first)was taught as Who, What, When Where Why, and How Many? That was how the editors and teachers defined it.

The writer (me) saw the inverted pyramid as, “How do I prioritize my facts, most important first and do it quickly?”

The inverted pyramid is a good, if basic, starting framework.

A second framework is a timeline. What happened first, second, third, fourth? I believe our mind's operating system is a timeline. Excess processing power produces queries like, “I wonder what was happening in China in 1066?”

A flashback, buggering the time order of a story, is a conceit (An extravagant, fanciful, and elaborate construction or structure), I guess showing the attitude of the author.

Bill Bryson's At Home, uses a framework of each chapter examining a room in his house, a rectory from the 1700's. He goes from prehistoric times to speculation about the future, cramming a wealth of disparate facts on every page. I can't think of another way he could have built such an entertaining book. A dense and entertaining read!

What is another good framework for organizing stories?

Good Stories

Good stories are a basic unit of communication. Gets to the point in a minute or less. Good stories go beyond words to form a lasting mental picture in the listeners’ mind.

In Talk Your  Business – How to make more and better sales right away! everyone gets to develop a story that interests them, attracts the listener.

A good story sings to you, sings to to your audience.

The next Talk Your  Business – How to make more and better sales right away! is December 7^th, 7:30 – 9 am, in Alexandria. RSVP to http://holidaytalkyourbusiness.eventbrite.com 

Comments? 

Talk Your Business

“Talk Your Business – How to make more and better sales right away!” is a one hour presentation that creates better sales on the spot.

“The brilliance of Dick Davies' TALK YOUR BUSINESS is its simplicity. Easy to learn. Easy to teach. Anyone can do it. But most won't because they get faked out by how easy it is. How can something so easy be so profitable? Good question. Better question is how fast can you implement what Dick teaches? Those who do will make more and better sales. Quickly.”
Theo Androus, 17-year Sales Lab Beneficiary and Aficionado 


“I think first attended Dick Davies’s Talk Your Business in 1993! And I’ve been “talking my business,” just the way he taught me ever since. Dick teaches a simple and straight forward approach on how to introduce yourself and how to tell an engaging story about your work. It is easy and you understand what to do immediately. Dick is a great coach, he makes it all very easy.”
Julie Perlmutter-founder of the Web Managers Roundtable 


“Talk Your Business is the best Economic Stimulus package Washington has seen. It has inspired new business start ups, led companies to unprecedented growth, and re-educates the unemployed.”
Bill Van Dyke, Paradigm Mortgage 


“I've known the Big D for more than a decade. He describes himself as a loud and frequent speaker. He surpasses that modest description by being engaging, informative, and motivating. His talks are thought provoking and rich in actionable takeaways. Be there!”
Gabe Goldberg 


To schedule your “Talk Your Business” please contact DickDavies@SalesLabDC.com 

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