Brad Montgomery, Motivational Speaker

by Doug Stevenson 2001

This is the SERVE THE MESSAGE Issue

Quote of the Month

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” — Anais Nin

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STORY THEATER Tip of the Month – Serve the Message

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As an actor in a play, you don’t try to please your audience. Your job is to serve the message. Before you even begin to memorize our lines, the playwright has spent thousands of hours crafting the message. He or she has considered every choice, visualized every scene and agonized over every word. When the actors and directors arrive on the scene, the message is clear. Prior to the opening night performance, many hours will be spent in interpretation and experimentation, all in the service of the message.

The reason I love speaking even more than theater is that I get to be the playwright, (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2002

This is THE SCRIPT SHALL SET YOU FREE Issue

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“Stories are the window through which the audience sees their own truth” – Doug Stevenson

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STORY THEATER Tip of the Month – Brand Your Message

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In every two-day retreat and Story Theater presentation, I hear the same question: Do you need a Phrase That Pays for every story? The answer is NO.

First, let me re-define a Phrase That Pays. It is a short phrase that brands the point or message of a story. It is like an advertising jingle in that it is short and sweet, musical and rhythmic, and immediately memorable. It’s a call to action. It’s a command to do something positive, rather than a command not to do something. Rather than use, “Don’t Just Sit There”, a positive Phrase That Pays would be, “Get Up and Go.”

Nike is a good example of a company that has branded itself (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2000

How To Rehearse

Many of my students have asked if rehearsing in front of the mirror is a good idea. It is not. Rather than looking outside of you to see what something looks like, look inside to see what it feels like. You movement, gesture and inflection all come from within. They are organic first, then they are choreographed. In my work with speakers of all levels the most difficult concept to communicate is that of congruence. Story Theater is all about technique and how to technically achieve an optimal best result. The technique however can only build on a foundation of truth; the truth that comes from your desire to touch peoples lives.

Given that, rehearse on your feet and out loud. Once you have done your writing homework, practice your material on your feet and out loud so that you can integrate the concepts and words (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2001

STORY THEATER Tip of the Month: React!

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We all do it all the time. Someone says something and we react. We react facially, physically and vocally. It’s as natural as breathing. It happens between the words like an emotional exclamation point. Some people react more than others, but we all do it. The question is: do you do it when you tell your stories? If I could wave a magic wand and make all of my students react in their stories, it would make them all funnier, more dramatic and more real.

When we get good news, we smile and pump our fists. We jump for joy or squeal with delight. Reactions. When we get bad news, we slump in our chairs, stomp our feet or pound the table. Reactions. When we’re surprised, we freeze, step back or giggle.

Reactions are organic, verbal or non-verbal, communications. Remember to react facially, (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson

Before I step in front of an audience, I have rituals and processes that I go through. I start with NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) exercises that are designed to integrate my right-creative brain with my left-linear brain. I then do some yoga exercises to warm up my muscles. I prepare mentally by reading my notes and the pre-program questionnaire that my client filled out for me. If I haven’t had a chance to run or work out, I often jog in my room or do something to elevate my heart rate. The last thing I do is my spiritual practice. I combine affirmations with prayers that remind me that I’m a conduit for a greater message that goes beyond words and content. I ask God to speak through me. All of this takes place before I go to the meeting room.

Once I’m in the meeting room, I like to (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2004

This is the “Method Acting” Issue

“We are actors. We're the opposite of people.” From Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

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METHOD ACTING TECHNIQUE: Inner Monologue

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Many of the best actors working today studied a form of acting called Method Acting. Method Acting is a process whereby an actor builds a characterization from the inside out. The actor considers the character's motivation and strives to think and act like the character. Since the actor is NOT the character, the actor must use his or her own thoughts and emotions in place of the character's.

While I understand that you have no intention of becoming an actor, let's explore how Method Acting technique can inform and enliven your storytelling in business presentations.

One of the subtle Method Acting techniques that actors use, especially in movies where the slightest nuance of thought or feeling is magnified a hundredfold onto the big screen, (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2001

When it comes to memorization, there are two very different perspectives. One speaker argues that memorization will hinder their performance, making it stilted and hollow. Another counters that memorization has enhanced their performance, allowing greater depth and expressiveness. While their perspectives may differ, their objectives are the same. Both seek to exceed audience expectations with a dynamic performance and stimulating content.

Having been a professional actor for thirty years, I have spoken the words of Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and William Shakespeare. These playwrights labored over each word and phrase. They spent countless hours thinking about the plot and story line. They meticulously developed the relationships between the characters and chose different styles of language for different people. Memorizing their words, especially those of Shakespeare, was hard work. But in the moment of performance, when it all came together and the audience laughed and cried as if on (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2004

This is the “Make Waves” Issue

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.”
George Bernard Shaw

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Make Waves by Doug Stevenson

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True or False? Your presentation begins the moment you start talking.

And the answer is…false. Great presentations begin long before the speaker opens his or her mouth to speak.

I want you to visualize a huge wave off the coast of Hawaii. It's 30 feet tall, the height of a three-story building. Next, imagine that you are riding that wave on your trusty surfboard, your arms outstretched as you move flexibly to maintain the perfect balance. As the dynamic force of the wave propels you forward, you masterfully glide in and out of the wave's (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2004

This is the “Humor is Big – Drama is Small” Issue

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”
Victor Borge

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Strategic StorySelling for Sales Success

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At a recent conference on sales effectiveness, I gave two presentations on the use of stories as a sales tool. I tailored my Never Be Boring Again keynote to the sales process and followed it with a breakout session on Strategic StorySelling.

I received two main feedback comments: the first was that the vast majority of sales managers and salespeople are still stuck in data delivery mode, and the second was that a savvy minority are starting to realize the power of stories to build rapport, gather information, overcome objections and close sales.

It’s no secret that it’s becoming harder and harder to compete. The marketplace is jammed with ruthless competition and spammed with interference, making it difficult to get through to customers and prospects. Your prospects (Continue Reading…)

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by Doug Stevenson 2000

Story Theater Tip of the Month: TWINKLE

The mood of the storyteller is essential to the effectiveness of the story. Prior to beginning a story, there is a moment when you can shift from whatever came prior to the story, to the story itself. I make a shift for my funny stories to a mood of mischievousness. I twinkle. You can sense it in my smiling expression, in my voice and in my body language. It’s almost as if I tickle myself. I revel in the joy of storytelling. Yes, I even do this for an all male corporate audience. Why? I’m about to invite them into a world of wonder, of fantasy, of story. Stories stimulate the imagination. What better way to introduce them to this world than with your energy, your smile and sense of fun? Do you twinkle when you perform your funny stories?

The shift (Continue Reading…)

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