Jason’s Blog:

If you’re looking to get your audience’s attention, one of the best ways to do it is to add suspense to your story. Many people confuse the idea of suspense with surprise. Here’s the difference between the two, as well as the primary way to add suspense to your story. Suspense vs. Surprise Surprise is…

Today I want to look at what speakers and storytellers  can learn from filmmaker George Lucas of Star Wars fame. Now Lucas is a millionaire hundreds of times over and this is largely due to his success with the Star Wars Franchise. Now the stories within the Star Wars franchise aren’t all that great. But…

If you’ve ever listened to someone doing a speak-to-sell talk, you know how awkward it can be when the speaker shifts gears and hits you with a hard-sell pitch. This awkwardness is particularly a challenge in Canada, as Canadians tend to react negatively to pressure tactics.  In Canada, speaking to sell requires you to use…

Several years ago, at a glitzy sales conference in the U.S., I was one of a number of coaches and solo-preneurs who signed up for a combination coaching and production package designed to create a signature video for my website. There were a number of things I liked about the idea. The first, was that…

Have you ever been networking and had someone new come up and pitch their services to you? You made a mental note that you might want to work with them and then POOF! they were gone – either for good or eventually re-emerging with a totally different business (selling an MLM product for example)? With so…

The lifeblood of any great story is tension. If you recounted a time where you woke up and everything was lovely, every person got along, and no problems presented themselves, it wouldn’t really be much of a story. Of course the story doesn’t have to be negative to be effective. For instance,  you could tell…

Typically we tend to tell stories in chronological order. “First this happened, then this happened and then this other thing happened.” What great storytellers often do is break that time barrier. They’ll start with a scene, often the most exciting or emotionally engaging scene they can. Then after they play out that dramatic scene, they…

Whether you’re speaking to sell, telling a client story, or doing a keynote presentation – the key to making a good story great is in the details. Here’s why. Good stories are a form of virtual reality. They allow your audience to step into the main character and feel what she feels. Anyone who has…

Telling a compelling story is a great way to get people’s attention. But turning up the drama is only part of the equation. It doesn’t matter how amazing a story is, if its not relatable to the audience, it won’t have an impact. And without impact, your story is a poor sales tool. There are…

Have you ever heard a speaker tell a long, involved story and think to yourself,  “What was the point of this?” Telling stories to connect with your audience can work wonders, but if you don’t have a strong point to make, then you’re likely turning off your audience and leaving money on the table. And remember,…