Three years ago, I published a deck of playing cards that helps people apply storytelling to their business communications. The StoryHow™ PitchDeck is now being used by business storytellers in 24 countries. Today, I’m announcing a new addition to the StoryHow™ family of products–a book that teaches a deceptively-simple technique that great communicators have used since the invention of language. Some call them idioms or wise old sayings, but we’ll call them proverbs, like:
- Slow and steady wins the race (Aesop, ~550 BC)
- Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today (Chaucer, late 1300s)
- Stupid is as stupid does (Gump, 1994)
Proverbs are the ultimate long-stories short. They’re universally human, and thus effective across time, culture, and language. And while it’s tempting to dismiss them as droll or trite, doing so just underestimates the powerful roles they play in both human understanding and teaching. The Proverb Effect is the first book to define a repeatable process for conveying deep meaning through self-created proverbs.
I wrote The Proverb Effect to help you become a better writer, speaker, and teacher. Read it to learn:
- Why proverbs reign supreme over other message types
- What makes proverbs the triple-threat of communications: memorable, repeatable and most importantly, persuasive.
- A step-by-step methodology to apply the most powerful communications device in human history
Lastly, in addition to teaching people how to tell stories, I’m also a working storyteller. So, I wrote The Proverb Effect as a business fable. It’s the story of Samantha Kim, a young project manager whose disastrous presentation sets her on a journey to become a better communicator. She meets Tina, who teaches her how to convey deep meaning through studying everyday proverbs. When Sam’s company loses its largest client, the resulting financial crisis threatens her firm’s very existence. Can Sam learn enough from Tina to win back the client, save her company, and finally redeem herself from the disastrous presentation? The Proverb Effect has the answers.
I’m very excited about sharing this new project with you. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the release date.