Rob Biesenbach's Blog, page 9

It’s True: I Am Not a Communist

There, I said it. It feels good to get that off my chest.

When I do presentations, I get all kinds of feedback, from the eye-opening to the mind-bending. But until recently I’d never been accused of being a mindlesstool of the capitalist agenda.

Estela and the Candy Factory

It was during a webinar when I was telling a story Ilike to call “Estela and the Candy Factory.” It’s about howone woman finds the motivation to do her job to the best of her abilities.

I’ve told this story many times, and...

How to Structure a Story in 3 Easy Steps

If you want to break down walls with an audience and influence them to act, nothing beats a well-told story. To create that story, simplicity is key: you need three basic elements:

Character Goal Challenge

Now you can make it as complicated as you want, layering on other elements like a turning point or a surprising twist. But these are the three legs of the stool. Without them, your story falls down.

Besides, three is just easier to remember. I had an audience member once who said he atte...

The Leading Cause of Death by PowerPoint

I was talking last week with my next awesome client about the problem of Death by PowerPoint, and why so many people still don’t get it. Our conversation led me to a realization about whysmart people continue to give bad presentations.

Dull Slide Decks, and the People Who Use Them

We were mainly discussing the problem of dense, wordy slides. I continue to be amazed that this is still an issue. This in spite of the prevalence of TED Talks, which seem to be near-universally admired, and the he...

10 Confusing Word Pairs Everybody Gets Wrong

If you’ve been waiting with bated (or baited) breath for my next post on confusing word pairs, today is your day!

It was almost three years agothat I firstset out to make the world a better place by ending once and for all the misuse of “jibe” and “jive” and “hone” and “home,” among others.

Check out that post here, and you’ll see it’s not for the faint (as opposed to feint) of heart. You’ll find none of the basics like “there/their” or “to/too.” It’s strictly an advanced class, as is this on...

Brian Williams: Cats, Dogs, Mass Hysteria!

The more this Brian Williams story plays out, the more ridiculous it seems. Unless NBC knows something the rest of us don’t, a six-month suspension seems pretty draconian. (But not draconian enough for thosedemanding he be fired.)

I don’t really have a dog in this fight. I don’t watch the NBC Nightly News (or any of the network newscasts for that matter), though I do enjoy his occasional comedy turns on 30 Rock and other shows.

But since this controversy touches on storytelling, memory, commu...

Rachel Pridgen, Northwestern University Alumni Relations

Rob did anin-person event to a sold-out crowd and a webinar with one of ourhighest registration rates, and our high expectations were absolutely exceeded! Not only was Rob easy to work with, but he left his audiences with inspiration and motivation to make their presentations and storytelling come to life. I’m still hearing back from our alumni who are praising Rob Biesenbach!

The post Rachel Pridgen, Northwestern University Alumni Relations appeared first on Rob Biesenbach.

How Long Does It Take to Write a Speech? 30 Years

I love giving presentations, but I recognize I’m in a unique position: I get to choose the topic, the time and the place.

So I really feel for those in the corporate world who find themselves staring at the screen trying to figure out what to say for some presentation they’re obligated to give.

It reminds me of George Costanza, roped into giving a talk on risk management.

So how do you make creating a presentation a quick and easy process? You don’t. It takes a lifetime to prepare.

“Good Publ...

7 Surprising Self-Publishing Lessons

My book, 11 Deadly Presentation Sins, is officially one-year-old this Saturday. Like any toddler, it’s caused me more than a few sleepless nights.

And, like parenthood, no matter how much you prepare, the process is still full of surprises. Even when you’ve done it before.

But this book was different, since I decided to publish it on my own.So here are the seven surprising lessons I learned about self-publishing that might be helpful if you’re thinking of writing your own book.

1. Print is No...

Why Being a Planner Could Be Your Downfall

If you’re the kind of person who plans things out carefully, beware: that strength could also be your biggest weakness, if it keeps you from being in the moment.

That’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way, and something I intendto work on in the new year.

Planning Only Takes You So Far

I consider myself fairly quick on my feet. I studied improv at Second City’s training center, and that’s been enormously useful to me, especially in keeping cool when things go off the rails.

But I’m also a plan...

One Year, Four Careers: Blood, Sweat & Tears

Fifteen years ago this fall I struck out on my own, leaving a job as a vice president at Ogilvy PR to work independently.

I started out doing what I’d been doing at the firm: corporate communications work for a variety of clients. Over the years, I added three other lines of work: acting (in 2002), book writing and publishing (2010), and public speaking (2011).

It all fits together pretty nicely. The booksbring together the worlds of acting and business to help people become more skilled, co...