How to: Influence others in business
- Written by Rachel Stevenson
Pronounced dead for over three minutes following a horrific car crash, Sam Cawthorn survived despite all the odds stacked against him. The accident resulted in his right arm being amputated, and caused permanent damage to his right leg. He was told he would never walk again; a setback that would surely defeat many. Proving the doctors and critics wrong, through sheer determination Sam regained his ability to walk just over a year later.
Since his accident, Sam has gone on to speak in 36 countries, sharing his message of resilience with millions of people which has seen him share the stage with world leaders including Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama, through his keynote speaking.
An international best-selling author, Sam was named Young Australian of the Year, Edupreneur of the Year (2015) and became the CEO and Founder of Speakers Institute and Speakers Tribe, mentoring a community of speakers and leaders who are learning to share powerful stories to emotionally connect and influence others.
It was the notion that ‘story is the future’ that led Sam to write his seventh book Storyshowing. Published by Wiley and set to release on October 1, 2017, Storyshowing delves deep into the influence of stories; and that the winners of the future will be those that show the most powerful one that evokes the most amount of emotion in the shortest amount of time.
Along his personal journey, Sam recognised that ‘storytelling’, which is what we are all told to do to “engage”, was neither a compelling way to share and nor did it evoke action, the two things that he had set out to do. He realised that the only way to truly connect with an audience emotionally was to ‘storyshow’, revealing vulnerability and inviting listeners to share in his narrative (rather than telling it), and in turn deeply engaging people to overcome their own obstacles, turn crises into opportunities, and use positivity to succeed.
Sam explains further, “Everything we see now is telling us a story. The stories of products and services, brands and organisations; everything now is about the emotion. The next three years will shape the way we communicate for the next 30 years. The more we stop telling and start showing, at every touchpoint, will evoke emotional connection and this will be the defining moment in our value proposition.
“It is up to us leaders to be at the forefront of global connectivity through sharing and showing stories more powerfully to emotionally connect. Now is the time to stop telling stories. It’s time to show the story. The future of story is now,” Sam adds.
Storyshowing is aimed towards anyone who wants to use stories to convey an idea; to motivate, bond or impact others; and ultimately, to make a difference. It enables readers to use their own experiences and emotions as tools to build a connection with the heads and hearts of their audience – irrespective of who they may be – be it family, friends, clients, colleagues or your boss, as examples.
Readers can discover:
- The 5 step communication framework used by TED talks use to influence audiences
- The secret ingredients that professional speakers use to inspire success
- The difference between content - What you say; and Methodology - How you say it
- The four disruptors of the sales cycle and how to stay ahead of the curve
- The best body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and gestures to engage others
- Insider tips on sharing powerful stories in order to win hearts and minds
Storyshowing is published by Wiley and is available in bookstores nationwide from October 1st, 2017 RRP$19.95. To purchase a copy or to find out more on Sam Cawthorn please visit: https://events.speakers.institute/storyshowing/ ISBN 978-0-730-34588-6.
