Speaker - May 2012

Vandermark uses music in his online university teaching to convey messages and stimulate questions. He recommends that speakers be courageous in their creativity and link what is creative to the important message, creating a speech that engages the audience. Audiences want to be educated and entertained.

(the structure), and right-brain elements of imagery, acting, non-verbal reactions, and the creation of imaginary scenes.

The result is a story rich with texture and nuance, imagery and emotion.

How can these techniques apply to your business? Vandermark offers the following ideas for speakers who want to engage and energize their audiences…and have fun while doing it:

Stevenson begins each Story Theater

•;Create a game around “name that tune”—play a snippet of music and

•

eativity,
ially in
rytell-
ing, is
senses when presenting. In Stevenson’s
stories, there are left-brain elements of
time, place and sequence of the events

The tellin the p in th Stev crea your and sional actor and has theater experience in “eve He h well ers m crea

Retreat session with Brain Gym® activi-
ties—physical activities that stimulate
integration of both hemispheres of the
brain. These allow the participants to get
playful and bring their stories alive. The
exercises get the left-brain people out of
sual mode and help the right-brain
et grounded. “The left brain says
o the facts’ and the right brain says
ave some fun,›” Stevenson says.
g people move through the exer-
nsures that they have balance and
re creative.
tevenson’s Story Theater Retreat,
students learn how to enhance their
t and ideas with imagery, and use
n in their story to make it stick
e audience for a longer time and
eater detail. He describes his cre-
rocess and recommends that once
ite out the details of a story on your
ter, go take a walk or go to the gym
on the treadmill and think about
your story. “Exercise brings oxygen to the
timulating whole-brain activity and
more creativity to the story,” he
You now remember the details, the
s, the emotions. The sensory things
ack to you.”
ood story combines structure and
nal texture. When sharing an
nally charged event, the audience
experiences themselves inside the story.
According to Stevenson, it’s similar to what
happens when watching a movie. You
become more involved when you see the
details of a story (the architecture of time,
place and sequence) enriched with the
non-verbal texture (the scenery, background
music, close ups, and emotion). “The right
brain experiences the sights, sounds, and
feelings, and brings you into the story,» he
says. As the audience gets involved and feels
the emotions, “They become part of your
story and experience it with you.”
Stevenson shares two tips to enhance
your storytelling:

Bonnie Mattick, MAEd MBA, speaker, facilitator, author and artist, spent 25 years as a trainer and instructional designer in the corporate world.
She blogs at www.UnforgettableOutcomes.
com. Email her to brainstorm ideas on
creativity and how you can use it in your work.
P ro vidin g p u blicity for

sp ea kers a n d a uth ors

— Use story structure: Start with the point in mind. If you don’t know where you’re going, your story will lose focus.

INCREASED BO O KINGS
GREATER SALES

— Use imagery and emotion: Nuance,
texture and emotion are essential.
Don’t just “get to the point.”
Whether you are a famous artist, a
keynoter or a seminar presenter, you
are shaped by a lifetime of unique sur-
roundings and individual discoveries. By
becoming more aware of the impact of
sensory;influences,;you’ll;gain;a;new;per-
spective on your own craft—and perfect
the art of sharing exceptional experiences
with your audiences.

LA R GER FEES

SO ME OF THE THINGSCLIENTS ARESAYING “Since Ibegan w orking with P R/P R,I have been published and p rinte d in m a g a zin es, n e w s p a p ers a n d a rticles of all kin d s, all overthe co u ntry.” BRIAN TRACY