Did I Ever Tell You About The Time...Using The Power Of Stories To Persuade & Captivate Any Audience »

"Grady Jim Robinson is probably the best personal storyteller in all of professional speaking...this book will be an invaluable resource for anyone who must stand before an audience and speak."--Mark Victor Hansen, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul. "Grady Jim Robinson is not only the premier storyteller in the speaking industry, he is a master teacher of how stories work. Every speaker, teacher, trainer, and preacher will achieve higher impact as a speaker by reading this book."--Dan Burrus, Technotrends. "It is one thing to tell a story masterfully, which Grady Jim does. When that can be extended to teaching others the skills so they can turn theirs into art, it is genius in action...Long after audiences have forgotten concepts shared, they write to tell me how a story shared helped them transform their lives."--Rosita Perez, speaker and winner of the NSA Cavett Award, and National Management Association Speaker-of-the-Year. A complete guide to dynamic storytelling...Whether you're a professional speaker, teacher, salesperson, corporate trainer, or someone who just wants to be more effective at getting a message across to an audience, good storytelling can make the difference. But it's how you tell the story that matters. Did I Ever Tell You About the Time...shows you how to develop and deliver a speech using stories that will persuade and captivate any audience. Written by nationally known speaker Grady Jim Robinson, this entertaining and informative guide helps create an immediate bond with your audience and gets the message across with maximum impact. Among the many techniques Robinson covers, you'll discover how to: use personal experiences to discover your "signaturestory"; integrate humor and action into the story; tie the story to a universal message or "happy ending'. Connect with your audience on a deeper level. Entertain your listeners as you inform. Use the power of storytelling to turn your next speech into an absorbing message your audience will enjoy from beginning to end.

Part I: The Power of the Hero's Journey.
The Day I Became the Story.
The Trance-Forming Power of Story.
When the Student Is Ready.
The Three Phases of the Hero's Journey.
Tranformation through Losing and Learning.
Fingerprints upon the Universe.
Part II: Discovering and Developing Your Story.
Steps One and Two: The Storyboard of Discovery.
Story Development: From Humble Origins to Art.
Sir Gawain Meets Fishook.
Part III: Delivery.
From Written Story to Oral Delivery.
Humor is Contex-Dependent, Or, You Just Had to Be There.
Where Humor Really Comes From.
Get to the Point Already!
Discovering and Delivering Other People's Stories.
Beyond Skill and Toward Soul in Delivery.
Basic Tips for Powerful Speaking.
Using the Gift: Mastering Public Speaking.
Postcript.