In 1991, I sailed a wooden boat 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. During my 38 days at sea, I battled seasickness, faced storms and calms, adjusted the sails, and minded the compass.
Do you know what they said when I pulled into the dock in Gibraltar?
“Hey! Nice boat.”
🤔
To be clear, that wasn't a journey I undertook for glory or recognition. I was 25 years old, single, and unemployed. With nothing to tie me down, I seized the opportunity to have an adventure. You might have done the same.
But what did I expect them to say?
They weren't watching when I had to steer through 20-foot seas.
They didn't see me climb the mast to retrieve that lost line.
They weren't there to laugh when I got hit by that flying fish. (At least I got breakfast out of it!)
All they saw was some dude in a boat pulling up to the dock.
“Hey! Nice boat.”
Isn't it the same for you…?
It's conference time again. You find a venue, negotiate with caterers and AV companies, arrange a block of hotel rooms, select speakers, wrestle over COVID protocols, battle over the budget, and manage countless other details.
You figure out the meeting theme and branding, get the event site built, fight with your social media team, and explain to the tech people that it just isn't acceptable to display an error message every time someone tries to register and pay.
And then you pray that people will actually show up—that some new COVID variant won't cause thousands of potential attendees to say, “Maybe next year.”
You hardly sleep during the days before the event, make a zillion last minute changes, resort to Plan B and Plan C when vendors flake out, and through sheer determination, against all odds, you succeed.
And then some well-meaning-but-totally-oblivious person comes up to you and says,
“Great conference but I'd love to see more vegan meal options.”
🤯
Putting a meeting together is like sailing across the ocean. The people you serve only see you at your moment of triumph, when you step onto the dock at the end of a long, difficult journey.
They don't have a clue!
And I get it. Too many people think my job involves hopping onto a stage and talking. They have no idea I had to sail thousands of miles before I could even start putting my stories and messages together. They don't see the hours of writing and editing and practice.
They just clap and say, “That guy has the easiest job in the world!”
You and I play different roles in making meetings successful, but we're a lot alike. When the event is over and the attendees go back to their rooms to pack, you know how totally freaking amazing it was that you were able to make the whole thing happen …
Even if all you hear in return is “Hey! Nice boat.”
I'm Dave Bricker, the StorySailing keynote speaker. How can I help you make your next event totally freaking amazing? I invite you to share a virtual coffee with me. Tell me about your event and the problems your attendees are facing. I just might have a solution!
We've all sat through boring presentations and rolled our eyes at lackluster leaders. Usually, we're lucky enough not to be that person, but at one time or another, haven't we all struggled to communicate important ideas to decision-makers?
That kind of way-too-common business communication leads to uninspired teams, lost sales, dissatisfied customers, annoying marketing messages, and a LOT of wasted meeting time—all stressful and expensive problems, wouldn't you agree?
The solution is business storytelling—the art and science of what to say and how to say it!
Engaging presentations, professional development workshops, and executive coaching reveal the powerful strategies that have raised competitors to the final round (top 8 of 30,000 contestants) of the World Championship of Public Speaking, helped leaders connect (even in times of crisis), boosted the confidence and morale of sales teams (especially those who think “sales” is a dirty word), taken the “cuss” out of customer service, and helped corporations earn over $4 billion in profits.
Is storytelling a worthwhile point of focus for your event attendees, teams, or executives? Set up a sales-pitch-free chat. I promise to lead by listening.
Or just send an email and we'll get you set up the good old-fashioned way.
Not ready to select an event speaker yet? Still planning your professional development calendar? Many people schedule meetings months ahead. Let's talk when the time is best for you.