Susan Trivers is Out to Kill
Boring Presentations

I've helped CEOs, Sales Teams and other Professionals:

Increase their Personal Impact

Deliver Memorable Messages

And make many $$$

Use the best practices of great business speakers and become the Success You Are Meant to Be

People make hard and fast decisions about you in 20 seconds. You must make them love you that quick or you dig yourself a hole that's extremely hard to climb out of

Simple business stories make your speeches unforgettable and impressive.

I'm not talking about spinning a yarn like a little old lady or telling a tall tale like a gnarly guy from the back woods...

I'm talking about serious stories that stay etched in the minds of your business audiences. Stories paint pictures that make your point stick even years later.

Here's an example from my own story library:

"They shuffled into the classroom, shoulders slumped and faces taut. I could see their weariness after a full day at work. They were only in this class because they needed the credits from Finance 500 to earn their MBA.

How could I overcome their resistance? I knew one thing for sure---lots of theoretical reading, many abstract problems to solve, and case studies of other people's problems—these didn’t work when I was a grad student. I didn’t expect they would work now that I was the professor.

What did work was a story—one that lasted the whole semester. That first night I waved my professor’s laser pointer over them and turned them into chief financial officers of their favorite public companies. Using real data to solve the real problems these companies faced, my students learned the value and importance of a strong understanding of finance.

How will you use stories to overcome resistance from the people you lead?"

Fast Facts about Business Stories

Fast Fact #1: Stories help you take charge of your nerves

You take charge of your nerves as soon as you begin crafting your story. Transport yourself fully away from the present and into that moment.

When your feelings and responses are fully involved as if the event was happening all over again right now, your nervousness about speaking will recede.

Fast Fact #2: Crafting stories is simple

Using sticky notes or a mind map or just pen and paper, quickly write down all the stories that come to your mind. Do not edit during this step. Capture all your thoughts.

Fast Fact #3: Stories free you from the rules of reporting

The storyteller's framework allows you to be creative and selective. This is a welcome change from the reporting (who, what, where, when, why and how) you do in the rest of your presentation.

Fast Fact #4: Stories help you turn fear into confidence

Confidence is a dominant emotion that is able to overpower the other potent emotion, fear. Focus on confidence building steps such as:

Select the right story for the point you want to make

Craft your story carefully and well

Practice your story until you can turn it on as if you're flipping a switch inside you

Rehearse your storytelling delivery with a friendly audience

Fast Fact #5: Stories delight your audiences

Audience love surprises. Your engaging stories are a refreshing change from the same old opening lines and slide after slide of text-heavy details. Inspire your audience by tapping into their more hidden personality traits. Give them something memorable and meaningful.

Fast Fact #6: Stories freshen your industry or company speaking standards

Audiences get bored easily and they expect to be bored by 'typical' industry or company presentations. Jolt them out of their boredom with well-crafted and properly placed business stories.
Become a leader in a new way of public speaking. Add stories and other attraction- techniques to your presentations. You’ll grow your reputation as a storyteller and great presenter and boost your professional status.

Fast Fact #7: Stories accelerate your Sales

Springboard stories, company values stories and future stories elevate the presentation of your products and services into an art form as opposed to a sales pitch. Help the audience imagine the end results or outcomes after you've delivered your product or service and theyll be eager to become your client or customer.

Fast Fact #8: Stories entertain while they educate

Laughter, joy, "goose bumps" and other atypical business-place emotions reach people through the right brain and the left brain. The two-sides-of-the-brain approach delivers more impact than the left brain only content of most business speakers. You'll make an impact and be remembered long after the presentations is over.

Fast Fact #9: Stories put an end to Death by Power Point

You can take the lead in eradicating the scourge of business speaking today—death by Power Point. The nervous laughter that accompanies this label isn’t really funny—it's represents time wasted and energy dulled.
Why sap your audience with boring slides that are text-heavy and meaningless to the listener? You can decide on a key point and craft and deliver a story that makes your key point. That will leave a positive lasting impression and improve your reputation.
So much better to be remembered as a lively storyteller than a killer with the today's lethal business weapon: death by Power Point.

Fast Fact #10: Stories make audiences very happy

Do you ever find yourself on your feet, applauding enthusiastically as the speaker basks in the glow of the audience’s ovation? Most likely the speaker has used many sophisticated speaking techniques to build excitement in the audience.
With great storytelling, you create excitement so that your audiences break out in enthusiastic applause.

Business speakers who add storytelling skills to their public speaking "toolkit":

Increase Audience satisfaction ratings to 4.5 out of 5
Receive 50% more invitations to speak to audiences of economic buyers and prospects
Save 2-3 hours of preparation time for each speech
Easily customize their presentations without spending more time
Enhance their reputation as an industry leader
Increase their personal enjoyment of public speaking

"There is no substitute for an expert, like Susan, to upgrade and coach me to express what I know. Susan turned me around to weave a story and stick to a framework – helping me to both have confidence in what I was saying, and being comfortable in presenting a message. My first "new and improved" presentation went splendidly, with the promise of more opportunities to come."

– Louise Sabol, Director of Technology Solutions, Design + Construction Strategies

This Guide will help you do your job...

In hard times, when you need to motivate others
When people are resisting an unpopular policy or plan
When you need to increase sales and lower costs as the economy drags

Use stories to get the audience thinking about how
they can be a part of the solution.

I've owned five businesses and I’ve seen every business grow as I've told stories to frontline and office staff, to customers and prospects and as a speaker and speaking mentor and coach.

"I’ve worked in five different industries and I’ve seen my success grow with my use of stories. As a professional speaker I weave business stories into the other best practices of professional speaking."

"I experienced firsthand that speaking to the audience about what they wanted to hear increased my sales, my retention of clients and my own personal reputation and status. That’s why I founded Trivers Communications Group."

"For my promotional talks Susan helps me craft and tell dramatic stories about cases my clients won or the opponents lost because of their pre-trial jury research strategy. I’ve really differentiated myself from my competitors this way. This helps me persuade my audiences without having to "sell" and I get at least one new client from every audience."

– Carolyn S. Koch, JD, Jury Solutions, LLC

"Working with Susan I learned to fill my presentations with springboard, future and organizational-values stories. Now the scientists and researchers in my audiences stay totally tuned in, ask great questions and call me later for more information."

– Clare Allocca, Chief, US Measurement System, NIST

There are two principles of public speaking I expect every public business speaker to practice:

Put the Audience First
Be Yourself Polished

They apply every time for every audience in every situation and to achieve every goal.

Put the Audience First and Be Yourself, Polished are my two principles of public speaking. They apply every time for every audience in every situation and to achieve every goal.

The 7 story types in "The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling" help you use these principles:

Put the Audience First... stories help you leap the barrier of 'boring expert' and connect with the audience

Be Yourself Polished…stories help your natural qualities shine

Guarantee:

If you can’t make 1 story fit into a presentation within 30 days of purchase, you get your money back.

Bonus #1!

Personalized critique by email of one 3-5 minute story (2 pages of text) within 30 days of purchase. You’ll write your story, send me the pages and then I’ll tell you how to strengthen it, where to use vocal variety to create dramatic effects and how to place it in your speech.($100.00 Value)

Bonus #2!

"The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling workbook." Step-by-step you learn how to create a powerful impact with your stories. ($99.00 value)

Bonus #3!

My very own Business Presentation Checklist. Learn every step I take to craft and deliver my own presentations in easy-to-use Check List format. ($38.75 value)

Great Speaker’s Guide is an exceptional value--

This high quality audio CD program is only $19.97

For just the cost of one week's worth of Starbucks you can have unlimited use of the coaching on The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling.
And...
You’ll have unlimited use of the coaching on "The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling"

Have you been frustrated by other so-called "coaches?"

By rules-based coaches who overwhelm you with commands and requirements?
By people in your field who may give speeches but who aren’t experts in the best practices of public speaking?
By your spouse or kids who are "just trying to help"?

Stop your frustration–
Get professional guidance from me!

In just 45 minutes you'll learn:

Why jargon causes the audience to tune out...so they won't miss a word of your message
Why audiences appreciate your originality...so they don't get bored to tears
Why stories (not facts & figures) get your audience to respond to your call-to-action..so they see themselves already doing what you ask
Why CEOs get stuck in the model of using facts & figures…so you overcome your concerns about your image
How to get comfortably get out of your comfort zone…so your presentation is memorable
How to write the story? (Hint: start with 4 lists)...so you don't get stuck at the starting gate

And that's not all:

The important difference between reporting and storytelling...so your story becomes their story
How to make your point...so you generate a high return on the audience's investment
Why short stories are better than long ones...so you grab 'em and keep 'em
Get encouragement to use evocative language...so your story sticks
Determine what type of story to use...so your story matches your key point
Why springboard stories motivate and inspire...so your speech has lasting impact

And there's more:

Why storytelling trumps work history to communicate who you are when you're new to a company...so people can say "I like him" and "I trust her"
How values stories help people adopt the company's ethical and instrumental values...so everyone acts accordingly
How stories bring to life the visuals of the company brand…so you reinforce the brand message
How stories about collaboration overcome silos and bring dispersed workers together...so you break down fiefdoms
How to tame the rumor mill with stories and humor...so you re-direct energy from negative to positive
How stories help your organization face the future without fear…so people experience changes comfortable
How delivery style- voice, face, gestures, movement - enhances your content and helps your stories stick...so your message lasts beyond the moment

And ...you can listen over and over to whenever you need to!

FAQ

How can the Great Speaker’s Guide to Business Storytelling help me write my speech quickly?

Use the Guide to create a library of stories: one of each type. Remember to include the 3 essentials of stories

Crisis

Obstacles

Resolution

Use your bonus (see above) to work with me to hone the right story for your particular occasion

How can "The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling" overcome entrenched "company public speaking practices?"

The track for each story type includes the key elements of that kind of story and the applications of that story type. You’ll have the tools to explain your choice of story to others in your company and get them onboard with your decision to try a new approach instead of sticking to the old routines.

How do I incorporate Business Storytelling into my Power Point presentation?

Stop thinking ‘presentation’ is a synonym for Power Point. Slides are only one element of a presentation, yet too many people spend most of their time on slides. Use your own stories, your key points and a few visuals and you’ll create a 30 minute speech from start to finish (including practices and rehearsals) in less than three hours.

How can you help me with my specific topic since you’re not a subject matter expert in my topic?

The best practices of public speaking apply no matter what the topic, setting and audience. Crafting and delivering the right story at the right time is a best practice that applies in every speaking situation.

How can "The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling" help without face-to-face coaching?

The most important part of any presentation is the work you do before you get in front of your audience. This includes:

Creating an audience profile (what does that audience want to hear about?);

Crafting your presentation according to my Speech Development System (using note cards, sticky notes, or mind maps);

Pulling together your leading materials for each key point (stories, statistics, visuals, quotes, testimonials, news articles, handouts and exercises);

Crafting your attention-getting opening.

How can you help me with my specific topic since you're not a subject matter expert in my topic?

The best practices of public speaking apply no matter what the topic, setting and audience. Crafting and delivering the right story at the right time is a best practice that applies in every speaking situation.

Invest in Your
Storytelling Success NOW

Invest NOW in "The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling" and get ONE Extra Bonus Crtitque. That's 2 personalized story critiques in 30 days!

There's a Limited time offer on bonus critiques. Once I run out of critique slots the bonus will end. Don’t delay! Take advantage of your 2 bonus critiques by investing now

Why buy The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling?

Portable and reusable reference…like a "coach on call"
Easy to understand different story types...you'll find the right type for each key point, opening and closing
Short to listen to...speeds up work on your speeches
Story types described in everyday language...no special vocabulary or jargon to learn
Inexpensive...fits everyone’s budget compared to live mentoring
Includes examples of stories told to business audiences…takes the guesswork out of how to use stories

The Great Speakers Guide to Business Storytelling is...

Short and to the point…compared to typical business books of over 250 pages
45 minutes listening time...you're ready to open your next presentation with a compelling story
Comes with the Bonus critiques...ensures that you're on the right track the very first time

Invest in your Storytelling Success NOW

Susan Trivers is Out to Kill Boring Presentations

I've helped CEOs, Sales Teams and other Professionals: Increase their Personal Impact Deliver Memorable Messages And make many $$$ Use the best practices of great business speakers and become the Success You Are Meant to Be