Are You a Professional Speaker? (5/2/2023)   For fifteen years, I taught graphic and web design at a university. Because I had a master’s degree and the requisite portfolio, I was deemed qualified to teach. I was shown my classroom, provided with course objectives, and directed… READ ON
Punch Up Your Pitch With Storytelling (4/18/2023) You’ve been asked to pitch a big project. You and your teammates Shelly and Barbara sit at your conference table discussing next week’s big presentation. “It’s impossible to know how the competition is going to position themselves,” says Shelly. “We… READ ON
The Golden Rule of Storytellinggolden rule of storytelling (4/4/2023) The golden rule of storytelling is simple:   Stories are always about people!   If you’re talking about prices, processes, ingredients, features, or data, you’re not talking about people. If you’re not talking about people, you’re not telling stories. If you’re… READ ON
If You Think SALES is a Dirty Word… (3/21/2023) Do you think sales is a dirty word? Many of us think that way … and given all the tacky messages we have to sort through and delete every day, it’s no wonder. For some, the word “sales” conjures up… READ ON
Punch Up Your Elevator Pitchelevator pitch header (3/4/2023) The “elevator pitch” is an essential professional tool—a tool that should be kept razor sharp and as ready to deploy as a handshake and a smile—and yet, most professionals are woefully bad at introducing themselves. Have you ever attended a… READ ON
Tell Your Story Concisely! (2/21/2023) Can you tell your story concisely? A popular anecdote about Ernest Hemingway says he made a bet with friends that he could tell a story in only six words. That story:   Baby shoes for sale. Never worn.   Whether… READ ON
Illustrate Your Story with AI? (2/2/2023) You've probably read about OpenAI and how artificial intelligence has come of age. It's easy enough to generate articles and blog posts using tools such as ChatGPT, and if they turn out a bit too academic or clinical, you can… READ ON
No Response? Leave ’em Satisfied … and Hungry! (1/24/2023) We all love dessert! If you dine at Seasons 52, you’ll be presented with a selection of tiny sweets at the end of your meal—chocolate mousse, key lime pie, carrot cake, and a host of other delectable options to enjoy… READ ON
Change Your Pricing Story (1/10/2023)   Should you charge $20 for your new book or $19.97?  Will dropping your price by three cents help you sell more books? What about smart consumers who are educated about sales and marketing? Will they think you're being manipulative?… READ ON
The Truth About Christmas : A Parable (12/20/2022) Jef­fer­son Baugh de­spised Christ­mas. He hated the in­ces­sant month-long ca­coph­ony of pop-mu­sic-in­fused hol­i­day car­ols that began the day after Thanks­giv­ing and droned on through New Years. He loathed hol­i­day sales and the an­nual cycle of ram­pant com­mer­cial­ism. He scoffed at… READ ON