Say It With Charts!
Don’t data dump! Inspired by my favorite data storytelling book, Say It With Charts by Gene Zelazny, these two videos will help you tell a story with your data. How should you present a chart? Be a good movie...
Don’t present your chart… direct it!
Last week, I had to stop a presenter as he was mid-way through explaining his chart. “Can you back up?” I asked. “I think I first need to understand what the numbers on the side mean.” It happens a...
If You Want To Blow Any Computer Out Of The Water…Tell A Story.
A few years ago in a session of The Story Compass, a participant asked me, “Don’t you think storytelling is a bit primitive? I think we’ll evolve past it, communicate in a more sophisticated way.” My first thought was,...
Have a fast car? Who cares? What’s your story?
One evening last week, I warmed up two chocolate chip cookies and, at the urging of my dad, sat down to watch Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Netflix. By the end of three episodes, I had decided two...
In This COVID Crisis, We Don’t Need Corporate Jargon. Please.
Fear of the unknown. Is there anyone not feeling this right now? If our usual changes at work are like Gandalf showing up at our cottage door and asking, “Hey, want to go to Mordor and destroy this dangerous...
Stop Ignoring Them! How to Engage Your Audience Tip #1
“Tell them that joke you know.” When we think of engaging our audiences, we often think of things like telling a story, a joke, making eye contact or asking a question. And those are great suggestions. (Unless you’re not...
How Is Your Day Going?
Last night I was on the phone with my 11-year-old, Julian. After telling me all about his gymnastics session that evening, he asked me how my day was. It was a moment of sweet connection because that simple question...
If we think “Story” is a passing fad we can ignore, we haven’t just lost the plot. We never grasped it in the first place.
Two days ago, a colleague of mine sent me a video of a communications consultant describing the four basic communication preferences that make us different. The idea was a useful spin off Myers Briggs and it was well presented...
You Have To Spend Some Money to See In The Dark
Today a client called to cancel their Storytelling workshop. “Our budget has been frozen. The first thing to go is this workshop,” she said and I could hear the disappointment in her voice. Twenty-five mid-level technical staff were counting...
7000 views (and growing) on a LinkedIn post about text etiquette…!
Julian-Inspired Rules for Texting Let’s talk about text etiquette. When we posted on LinkedIn about 10-year-old Julian demonstrating superior text etiquette, we never expected it would get that many views. But then again, why wouldn’t it? If we noticed...
“I love what you do, but do you have to use the word ‘story’?”
What’s Your Story? We get it. Story has become a bit of a buzz word. Everyone is talking about the story. “We need to tell our story!” “Check us out. We have a great story!” You hear the word...
Say my name! But why?
Why did we post a song by Florence and The Machine? It’s all about the chorus. When Florence packs all of her vocal ammunition into one anguished request, “Say my name!” Why is she so anguished? Shortly after...
How do I tell the truth with data?
The chart above was posted on Facebook this week and received a number of comments that expressed dismay and shock at the plight of the young Canadian home buyer. That is the initial reaction to this chart. Something along...
How to fake confidence during a presentation?
When I complain about something that doesn’t make me feel good, I have a good friend who will often chide me with, “What does how you FEEL have to do with it?” And he’s right. Usually, I just have...
Corporate storytelling is great…unless it is a fiction.
In March 2013 Volkswagen launched its Think Blue campaign, a beautifully designed and wonderfully crafted corporate story about Volkswagen’s commitment to be the most ecologically sustainable car manufacturer in the world by 2018. At the same time (I like...
Pipeline Wars highlights the power of story
Last night in Calgary Perfect Pitch attended the private screening of “Pipeline Wars: A Burning Debate About Our Future.” The documentary film, the culmination of blood, sweat, tears and re-mortgaged houses, is an 18-month project by independent filmmakers Justin...
Two bands, two vibes.
Last night I went to Wine-Ohs in Calgary to catch the happy hour show at 6pm. I didn’t know anything about Curtis Glas or his friends but I felt for him when my friend and I showed up shortly before...
A Story of Oil – Finally!
Congratulations to Cenovus for producing this frank and engaging story of oil and how it impacts our daily lives in positive ways. The oil and gas industry needs to get on board with storytelling. This resource is critical to...
How much money are we wasting on bad presentations?
Explore more visuals like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
A tour of the world with Hillary Rodham Clinton
When you are invited to hear Hillary Rodham Clinton speak at a private event in Calgary, it’s wise to answer, “Yes, please.” And so we arrived at the Telus Convention Centre yesterday with 1800 other Calgary business people to...
Quote of the day
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Peter Drucker
The Turbo Encapulator. What’s that you said?
The story goes this was totally impromptu. The crew were setting up and one of the camera guys threw on a white jacket and started with the technical jargon and corporate bull speak. We post this to put a...
The Power of Vulnerability
“Sit at the feet of the world’s most courageous marketers, hear their stories…” That was the promise of The Gathering, an inaugural marketing event put on by The Cult Collective and held at the Banff Springs Hotel last week....
Trust
A client recently told us of a 90 minute meeting he had scheduled with a field office in Grande Prairie. He needed the field guys to change the way they were doing things so the company could avoid mechanical...
Just the facts, ma’am.
“Fort MacMurray looks like Hiroshima.” Neil Young, September 2013 Neil Young. Given the news headlines in the last week, just mentioning the aging rock star’s name is sure to evoke an emotional reaction. You either love him or hate him....
Be a great scientist….which is to say, become a great visual communicator.
We believe (and remember) what we see. If you want people to remember your presentation, you need to tap into their long term memory. Think of long term memory as a closet with no walls, no floor and no...
But I’m a scientist. Not a communicator.
Time to break the stereotype. Doumont is a powerhouse of scientific communication expertise and it’s rare to find a talk by him readily available online. This one, delivered at Stanford last year, is an hour long. A lunch break....
Don’t the facts speak for themselves?
Technical audiences want the information. When we visit a company for the first time and start talking storytelling, this is the most common objection we hear. And it seems intuitive. If you’re speaking to a technical audience, surely they...
TED Rehearsal – We Have A Story!
I applied to speak at TEDx Canmore. It’s running on October 25th and I figured this was as good a chance as any to put my public speaking skills to the test at the speaking event I admire most....
Consistency Builds a Brand
Your company probably spends a pile of money on designing logos, marketing materials and packaging that are consistent with its brand. Your company likely has a budget to train staff so they deliver a consistent experience for everyone who...
Why worry about the nerves when it’s the story that matters?
I love this video and not because the presenter is slick, polished and perfect. I love it because the presenter is passionate, engaging and fun. He’s even a bit nervous and that’s okay because audiences will find this endearing...
Prezzip
Prezzip So excited about this…;here are some interesting templates for Prezi, including separate elements that are animated. Have fun!
Quote of the day
“The importance of an idea is often judged by the fluency (and emotional charge) with which that idea comes to mind.” – Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow
Don’t underestimate emotion
Last month, in the U.S., the battle over SOPA happened. Wikipedia and Google launched dramatic campaigns against the bill and, convinced of their rectitude, I sided with them. This month, in Canada, our government is proposing an online surveillance...
What about that, ahem, elephant over there?
In my experience most presenters dread Question & Answer period because they feel they are being grilled, put on the hot seat, or challenged. The truth is a lively Q&A is the best indicator you’ve engaged your audience, given...
Technical doesn’t have to be boring…
A terrific visual story that conveys highly technical information in a simple and compelling way. I’m not crazy about the overly dramatic headline – it’s not truthful in my opinion – but the information below the headline is a...
