One of the questions people ask me is, “Do our stories always have to be true?” If you’re delivering a story that happened to you or that you are representing as true, then it should definitely be true. However, it should contain what my friend and fellow speaker, Darren LaCroix, calls “The emotional truth.” The […]
Continue readingIf you want to thrive in speaking and continue to get opportunity after opportunity, that’s as easy as ABC. ABC stands for… Always Be Creating” Resting on your old material will eventually make your speeches go stale. Creating new, fresh material is a pathway to creating speeches people talk about for years and getting hire […]
Continue readingOne of the questions I get most is, “Craig, where do you come up with your stories?” I generally look in the following 10 places for clues as to which stories I should develop and share. 10 Places to Find Your Stories One: Go to that place in life where you don’t want to go. These […]
Continue readingThe most important skill in speaking is storytelling. However, many speakers make storytelling mistakes that damage their speeches. Below are 12 of the mistakes I see on a regular basis. Avoiding these mistakes will automatically help you make a greater connection and impact each time you speak. Suggestion: You might want to tack these points up somewhere where you […]
Continue readingAudiences remember what they see and what you say. As you watch the following video of me coaching another speaker, you will pick up 7 Secrets that will help you… Breathe life into every story/speech Uncover organic humor Make your message memorable 7 Speaking Secrets Secret #1: Don’t be the hero of your own […]
Continue readingWhat is hitchhiking humor? It’s the humor you pick up on the way to your punch line. Let me explain. Often I put a story together and I know what the punch line is going to be. However, at times, through testing, I get a laugh much sooner than I thought and in an area I […]
Continue readingTo become a top-notch speaker and keep improving, it is important to internalize valuable speaking truths. Now, these are my truths but I’ve certainly found them to work for the hundreds of speakers I have personally coached. I suggest that you tack these Reminders up in your workspace and keep them in front of […]
Continue readingPatricia Fripp once said to me, “Craig, people will not remember what you say as much as they will remember what they see when you say it.” In other words, we have to make our speeches very visual in order to have the deepest impact. Here are 4 ways to accomplish this: 1. Put your […]
Continue reading..the CONFLICT. Nobody will be drawn into your story without a conflict. I suggest that you establish the conflict very early on…as soon as your characters are introduced. The earlier, the better. Throw your character into a problem right away and then turn the heat up on that problem. Take the movie “Titanic” for example. […]
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