"Most elevator pitches are designed to impress, and they fail to intrigue." I made that one up on the spot and I'm proud of it! When you let go of "saying the right things" and "what I should sound like" you open up all kinds of fun and interesting lanes to engage and hook your funder or listener in a whole new way. Here is a surprising story I helped a client create to sell her brand in a totally unique way.

"Simon Sinek doesn’t make money selling his book. Simon makes money selling his ideas through his books and his speeches. It's his books that get him invited on stages. And those stages are where he makes all of his money." - Michael Delon ------------ Publisher and credibility marketing expert Michael Delon shares with you how to create your book, get get booked on more stages and gain more clients. Michael Delon is the founder of Paperback Expert. In this interview we talk about: His...

No one tells stories better than Pixar! Wall-E. Up. Toy Story. Ratatouille. Pixar's stories connect us with at every age, they move us to laughter, tears, and we can still picture them years later. As a presenter, a leader, an educator, telling stories is an incredible way to create trust, connection, and have your message remembered. It's also a lot of fun, and a totally learnable skill! I was inspired by this article "22 Rules of Storytelling Pixar Follows in their Movies" and so...

In your next presentation, pitch, or meeting with prospective clients, do THIS and you'll know exactly what to say to earn your audience's trust and their business. --------------- Want to assess your executive presence skills right now AND get proven tips on how to communicate powerfully? Go to 15feet.com for free resources. If you want to nail an upcoming public speaking opportunity, craft your signature story, turn boring content into brilliance, master your authentic sense of humor,...

After I gave a training on pitching your work to clients, a graphic designer named Todd came up to me. "Here's my problem… When I'm presenting work concepts to clients, I get rattled. I feel like they're judging me, and they think graphic design isn't really that important. It's arts and crafts. I end up feeling like they're the adults in the room, and I'm the kid who needs to prove myself." This is very relatable! Here's what I said to Todd, something that all of us need to be reminded of,...

Clarity and certainty are essential when you are packaging your talk and positioning yourself as a thought-leader! This is also key to persuading your audience to believe in the strength and value of your message. "Evidence shows people will remember one thing you say. When you speak for an hour, it's going to be something different for each person. But when you speak for a minute, you get to decide what that one thing is." My guest is Ryan Dunphy -- the founder of the Adventurous...

"It's been said that every sale is nothing more than getting someone to believe the solution you offer is the solution they need." "The reason you create belief is so they feel within themselves that the person they want to be is the person they can be." "Ask yourself, what is the belief that you want to create for your listener?" What is the belief that you want to create for your listener? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin to find out how to tell the one-minute story that makes...

This is a great one! Christine O’Neill, MMSc, PA-C, ACC is a burnout interventionist, executive leadership coach, and medical clinician (and my friend!). She’s passionate about helping overwhelmed professionals learn how to make a difference while having a life by using values-based prioritization and neuroscience-informed self-coaching techniques. She specializes in professional burnout prevention/recovery, and executive coaching for people-centered leaders. Christine has worked in...

To be clear, Storytelling IS personal development. And Storytelling IS professional development. Because there are times where the toughest story for you to tell is the most powerful story for your audience to hear. Here is what you'll need to know in order to a) be comfortable & authentic when telling this kind of story, and b) achieve the results you want when telling it. Do you want greater impact and income through your speaking/presenting? Schedule a free 15-minute call with...

A racing mind can strike at any moment, and try to ruin a really fun thing like presenting. Here's how to invite that nervousness out of your brain and out of your life. Want to up-level your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.

It's all about a technique I like to call Human-Expert Positioning. Want to improve your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.

Storytelling will make your next presentation an unforgettable presentation, but only if you tell these 3 stories. Want to improve your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.

Here is a business growth strategy that will increase the impact of your message and generate more speaking opportunities. Want to improve your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.

Show Notes: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/the-power-of-silence-when-presenting/ Let's explore using silence as a technique in your presentations, inspired by a lesson I learned IN THE MIDDLE OF a Moth storytelling performance in front of 1,000 people. I had the opportunity to perform my story for a very large crowd, in a beautiful theatre, amidst a roster of talented storytellers and a celebrity host. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure to do well. Put another way, there’s a...

Lindsey Lathrop is a certified business & negotiation coach, and a Top 100 Global Facilitator with Google’s #IAmRemarkable Initiative. Lindsey is not only my wife and favorite person in the world, she has also been my personal negotiation coach throughout my speaking career, and someone who instinctively and tirelessly adds value to the people around her. In this conversation we talk about: · How Lindsey turned a childhood wound into a superpower to help others. And because she’s such...

In this solocast episode, Colin tells a story he's never made public: the story of the biggest speaking backfire of his career. And more importantly, what it can teach us about managing emotions, choosing your path, and protecting your courage. 10+ years of speaking will create a ton of amazing opportunities and experiences. But that willingness to put yourself out there is both a competitive advantage and a predictable risk.  "When you present, you put yourself in public. Which means you...

Kelsa Dickey, along with her husband Michael, are the founders of Fiscal Fitness PHX and Financial Coaches Unite, and has been featured on CNN Money, USA Today and MSN Money. Kelsa is as sharp as they come and has helped countless people through her coaching, yet she is quick to show real candor and authenticity about her own mistakes and journey. This makes her an approachable expert, something all presenters should be striving for. In our conversation we talk about: why business-owners...

Ken Fleisher is the creator of Stage Fright Relief, and helps people overcome public speaking nervousness. In our interview, Ken talks about: the types of performance anxiety that show up in lots of arenas of life beyond just public speaking; why there's so much unhelpful advice out there about overcoming pre-presentation jitters; specific ways you can calm yourself when nervousness hits; and the moment it all changes for his clients (which also happens to be why he does this...

This episode I'm talking with Tavia Sharp. Tavia is an image consultant for men and the founder & CEO of Styled Sharp. Tavia gives advice anyone (not only men) can apply, and talks about: Overcoming her fear of public speaking, only to overcome it again to start virtual speaking; A tip to connect when the audience is different from you; Why you should be using your image to differentiate yourself rather than to blend in. Check out Tavia's work at styledsharp.com or on social at...