The Activation Point: Why You Need to Find It
December 2006
Even when your target audience is informed and concerned, they can remain stuck in neutral. Learn how to find their activation point, however, and you can shift them into drive when you need them most.
Plus: February 2007 Storytelling iSchool now enrolling. (PDF format)
Going Hollywood for the Cause
November 2006
Seeking an outside-the-box way to promote your issue? Try putting your message inside the box.
Plus: Global Warming: Always Hot, Now Sticky, Too! (PDF format)
“We Can See You, But We Can’t Hear You”
October 2006
Videoconferencing offers entirely new ways to ruin meetings and trainings unless, says Dean Freedman, you observe a few simple rules.
Plus: Keep Me On! (PDF format)
Tales: You Win
September 2006
From courtrooms to classrooms, from the NBA to the GOP, examples of the power of storytelling are everywhere.
Plus: Good Causes, Better Ads (PDF format)
The Presenter’s Contract
August 2006
Every time you present, you enter into a contract with your audience. So take a moment to review the terms, or your next talk could be a deadly deal-breaker.
Plus: New books and an online storytelling course (PDF format)
The Seventh Annual Summer Reading List
July 2006
The summer movies stink, the best TV shows are on hiatus, and baseball is boring. We’re out of excuses. It’s time to pick up a book.
Plus: Introducing “Storytelling iSchool” (PDF format)
Reality TV is (a) hideous (b) horrible (c) helpful
June 2006
In television’s “vast wasteland,” reality shows may be the most desolate stretch. For nonprofits, however, they can provide fertile ground for planting your message in prime time.
Plus: Campaigns We Love – WiLDCOAST (PDF format)
If Our Science is Sound, Why Don’t They Hear Us?
May 2006
That’s what evolutionists keep wondering as more and more Americans seriously consider intelligent design. Randy Olson has an answer for them, but it’s one they may not want to hear.
Plus: Metaphor of the Month (PDF format)
Learning from Raisins, M&Ms and Goldfish
April 2006
If you want to become a better storyteller, study the masters. Before you eat them, of course.
Plus: Win a $100,000 Grant for Cause Marketing (PDF format)
A Tall Story About Building Awareness
March 2006
Or, “A Tall Building with a Story to Tell.” Either way, the moral is the same: when you put your name out there, you can’t always predict what will come back. And that’s why you never stop trying.
Plus: MOOving and Growing (PDF format)
Like This, Only Better
February 2006
Printed newsletters may be easier to read and carry, but the electronic format can save you money, track usage more closely, and capture feedback instantly.
Plus: And Speaking of Newsletters… (PDF format)
Say the Words. Show the Pictures.
January 2006
Text-heavy PowerPoint slides can be difficult to read, but far worse, they can also make it more difficult for your audience to learn.
Plus: How to Pre-Order Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes (PDF format)