Posts by Esther Choy
The #1 Business Storytelling Tool That Instantly Improves Relationships
“Welcome! We’re here today to discuss the upcoming product shipment and get all hands on deck. Thanks, everyone, for being here on time. Let’s get started!” This is often the way business meetings begin: efficiency and professionalism are front and center. But what if we started more like this? “Welcome! Before we get started,…
Read MoreThe Best Business Storytelling Questions to Build Relationships
Leadership Story Lab Certified Storytelling Facilitators Rissa Reddan and Donna Bauman have both seen striking results in their work contexts when they have taken the risk of asking business storytelling questions that make people reflect. They’ve seen how the conversations that result from these questions can do three things: Improve wellbeing during the pandemic Reveal people’s…
Read MoreAvoid Post-Lockdown Business Communication Blunders
Don’t donate your professional clothes to the thrift shop just yet. Despite the advantages of saving money on office space, cutting employees’ commute times, and potentially creating a happier workforce, a recent survey shows that most CEOs of major global companies plan to call remote workers back to the office once it’s safe to do so. The survey…
Read MoreMajor Donors Reveal How To Request Donations
U.S. nonprofits have long struggled for funding, even before the pandemic. In 2019, the National Council of Nonprofits reported that roughly 50% of U.S. nonprofits “have less than one month of cash reserves.” This means crucial services hang in the balance for the vast numbers of people that America’s 1.3 million charitable nonprofit organizations support. Here’s a quick snapshot of…
Read MoreMajor Donors Want You To Break This Fundraising Taboo
The flip side of knowing your donor’s stories is being able to tell your own story. I know. This is a total fundraising taboo in nonprofit circles. Nonprofits are all about the cause and the clients’ stories, not the employees’ individual stories. This is particularly true for employees whose backgrounds are dissimilar from the clients…
Read MoreAn Honest Conversation About Wealth and Philanthropy
“What kind of terrible world have we entered?” This is how Lisa Greer, a panelist in the ”Inside Out” webinar Leadership Story Lab recently co-hosted with ALUMinate, ended her poignant, personal story about realizing how differently her family was being treated solely because of their wealth. It’s a feeling many first generation wealth creators experience…
Read More7 Techniques To Take Your Business Storytelling To The Next Level Now
High quality, comprehensive storytelling training for a team isn’t cheap. Even a half-day workshop can cost over $10,000. And after the company pays for the training, your team will still need to continue to take time to practice the lessons learned to make the investment worthwhile. Whether you’re in the process of searching for…
Read MoreHow To Fully Understand Your Donors’ Stories
For six years, I taught in a major gifts strategy program at Kellogg School of Management while being a major gift donor myself. One thing puzzled me greatly. Fundraisers mostly learn from other fundraisers who are very rarely major gifts donors themselves. How do they know if their messaging actually resonates and their fundraising strategy actually works?…
Read MoreThe One Category of Major Donors Fundraisers Can’t Miss
Before Covid hit, my family often traveled to Germany. There, we found “Asian” restaurants in many small German towns. I had to chuckle at the generalization. Did these restaurants serve East Asian food? South Asian? Chinese? Indian? Thai? I considered, too, how even the flavors, textures and colors of what gets called “Chinese food” vary…
Read More3 Storytelling Secrets To Winning Major Gifts
Have you ever been surprised by news so positive, you had to pinch yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming? Quite a few colleges and universities were in this position recently when they started receiving $10, $20 and $50 million dollar donations, all from a mystery donor. Finally, this past Tuesday, the stealth donor was revealed.…
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