Business Storytelling with Author, Speaker Jay Baer
Today’s guest is a Hall of Fame speaker and emcee, a New York Times best-selling author of six books, an Internet pioneer, a 7th-generation entrepreneur and the founder of five, multi-million dollar companies.
Jay Baer has spent 25 years in digital marketing and customer experience, consulting for more than 700 companies during that period, including 34 of the FORTUNE 500. His current firm – Convince &Convert – provides word of mouth, digital marketing, and customer experience advice and counsel to some of the world’s most important brands.
His newest book, Talk Triggers, is the complete guide to creating customers using strategic, operational differentiators that compel word of mouth.
Yet he still has to work at telling his own story, just like the rest of us.
“I have a lot of weird stories from when I was a kid. Stories follow me around. I have a really colorful life. I really have to get better at telling my own stories and not just case studies. But that’s why I spend a lot of money and time on coaches to become a better storyteller.” - Jay Baer
Oral to Visuals to Text to Oral to Visuals - We’ve Come Full Circle
Since the dawn of humanity, we’ve communicated verbally. Over the years, humans evolved to use visuals to tell stories of hunting conquests and more. As we grew in intelligence, true language blossomed. We continued with verbal language and even used visuals in much of what we do. But with the advent of communication tools like mobile phones and emojis, have we come full circle back to cave drawings?
“We went from cave drawings to emojis with all this crap in between. It’s all visual again. I wonder whether 10 years now if we’ll even have keyboards.” - Jay Baer on the evolution of storytelling
Let the Story Breathe
Whether it’s form the stage, in an interview or on a podcast, Jay faces a challenge many storytellers face: rushing the story. When you know how it all ends, you know the hook and you know the story, you’re oftentimes apt to hurry through. Even at his level, Jay faces this challenge. He works with coaches and works on his craft to step back and let the story breathe.
“The biggest challenge for me is giving the audience room and time… to let the story sink in and follow the narrative. I think fast and talk fast and sometimes I rush the story because I know how it ends.” - Jay Baer on challenges in storytelling
Connect with Jay, Convince & Convert and read Talk Triggers:
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The Storytellers Network with Dan Moyle publishes every Monday at 7 AM EST.
