Volume 1, Number 6                 October 2006

Welcome <$firstname$>,

I'm finally coming up for air after the big event, and, yes, it was a truly big event. I am gratified that almost 100 people showed up to hear a wonderful lineup of speakers at Speak Your Way to Wealth August 18 and 19.

The biggest thrill of all was to greet everyone as they walked into  the room Friday morning and then to go up on stage with my business partner Arvee Robinson and welcome everyone to our dream come true.

We've got hundreds of pictures and audio and video of the whole event. You can see a few of them at www.speakyourwaytowealth.com. And you can get the audio-video set there too.

As I reflect almost a month later on what happened that weekend, it becomes clearer just how powerful an event Arvee and I created. The attendees have told us about changed lives, new directions, new enthusiasm and new friends.

And it all came about because we set a clear vision of what we wanted to accomplish and never deviated from that purpose.

There's a lesson here. No matter how impossible your dream may seem, no matter how far out of reach, you can make it happen by setting a path, never straying from it, by taking little actions every day, by asking for help along the way when you need it, and above all by keeping true to your purpose.

Story Magic Weekend, November 11-12, 2006

Many of you have asked when I will be teaching my next class. Well, here it is. The Story Magic Weekend will be held the second weekend of November in Orange County, California.

This is your chance to learn and practice story creation techniques in a small group setting. Go to www.storyseminars.com for details.

Featured Articles in this issue:
  • The Power of Stories
  • News From Speak Your Way to Wealth

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The Power of Stories
By Lee Pound

As speakers, we are told time and again how powerful stories will make your speeches more effective than if you simply present information.

For those of you who are not speakers, who are simply trying to make it in the world of work or as a professional or entrepreneur, story skills may seem less important.

The truth is that storytelling skills are as crucial for the corporate employee and businessperson as they are for the speaker. In a business setting, you day is spent communicating in one fashion or another. You are providing data to superiors or subordinates. You are convincing both to take action or defer action. You are asking someone to buy your products or services.

Lets look at the basis of the storytelling process:

  • First, create a believable character who wants something badly. this character can be you, a co-worker or a customer.

  • Second, place your character in a situation from which they cannot escape.

  • Third, add an opposing force that your character must overcome.

  • Have your character figure out a way to get around or defeat this opposing force.

  • Resolve the story by having the character get what he or she wanted.

How does this work in business?

  • Let's say you have a proposal for your boss that will save your company money. You want to convince the boss that this method will work and to implement it.

  • First, you decide how best to approach the boss. Will the boss react more to a strictly dollars and sense presentation or will he or she react more on emotion? The answer to this question will determine what character you play during the presentation.

  • The boss is in fact the opposing force because you must convince him or her to act.

  • The approach you use is the result of your careful consideration of the way the boss reacts to new proposals of this type.

  • To resolve the issue, you make the presentation in the way that will most easily convince the boss to take your point of view and thereby get what you want.

This process works just as well in a sales situation. Remember that almost all advertising is story based and that when you are selling you are telling your customer the story of your company and product in a way that will get the customer to acknowledge that he or she must purchase now.

When you use this approach you will find that sales will increase at a far faster rate than you ever expected.

News From Speak Your Way to Wealth

You can now get a complete set of audio and video recordings of the Speak Your Way to Wealth seminar. If you want a jumpstart on getting new clients for your business, you will find everything you need to get started. Those who attended raved about the event. Get the tapes and find out what all the fuss was about. Simply go to www.speakyourwaytowealth.com for all the details.

Speak Your Way to Wealth 2007 will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 17, 18, and 19, 2007 in Newport Beach, California. You can reserve your seat before December 31, 2006 for a very special discount price.

Just go to www.speakyourwaytowealth.com/2007event.htm for all the details.

Where Is Lee Speaking?

Saturday, Sunday, November 11,12, 2006, Lee's Story Magic Intensive Weekend, location to be determined.

New Books

Fifty-Seven Steps to Better Writing is my personal look at the writing and publishing business. You will learn how to choose a genre, how to select a publishing method and how to use the craft of writing to make your work sparkle.

Order this book now

Do you need help with your writing?

Lee Pound  helps writers and speakers strengthen their communication skills by teaching them to write clear, concise prose that all readers can understand.

Learn more about coaching here

Do you need a speaker?

Lee is an inspirational and motivational speaker who presents to organizations, conferences, businesses and clubs interested in learning more about skills used to communicate in writing and speaking and how to apply those skills in our daily lives.

Learn more about my presentations

Toastmasters

Learning to speak well requires practice. The best forum to practice is at a local Toastmasters Club. You can go to www.toastmasters.org for more information. You are invited to visit my clubs at any time. Call or e-mail for further information.

Possibilities Unlimited
Carrows Restaurant on Marguerite Parkway north of Avery Parkway in Mission Viejo, CA, Monday evening 7:15 p.m.

Performance Unlimited
Executive Career Services Conf. Room
2955 Main St., # 110, street level
Irvine, California, 92614, Wednesday evening, 7:00 p.m.


The Write Coach
4533 MacArthur Blvd., #200, Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-246-8580   lee@leepound.com  www.leepound.com

This newsletter is provided as a service to those interested in improving their writing and speaking skills. I will never sell or disclose your e-mail address to any other party for any reason. All information in our files will be kept in the strictest confidence. If you wish to discontinue receiving this newsletter, please e-mail me or use the link at the bottom of this e-mail. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might want the information.