How Stories Happen Improving the signature speech of a marketing entrepreneur
9 snips
Jan 9, 2026 In this session, marketing consultant and author Brian Piper shares insights from his journey in crafting a compelling signature speech. He opens with a skydiving story that connects to the challenges faced by higher education leaders amid AI changes. Brian discusses his initial hesitations about using personal anecdotes and reveals how iterative feedback helped refine his presentation skills. The conversation highlights the importance of personal storytelling in engaging audiences, leading to tangible business results like new client leads and booked talks.
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Show Application, Not Just Advice
- Don't just give advice; show application by working through real problems with people.
- Create 'access and analysis' content to prove you can apply ideas, not just theorize.
High-Stakes Skydiving Opener
- Brian described standing 14,000 feet up with his daughter ready to jump and feeling both fear and responsibility.
- That personal skydiving moment became the central opener tying to higher ed's fear about AI.
Audience Fixation And Immediate Leads
- After using the cohort material, Brian filmed his talk and noticed the audience was fixated on him.
- He also gained three stage-side client leads from that single presentation.