Boris Johnson descends into the particular-a consummate communicator and storyteller

When Boris Johnson was released from hospital this week he showed how good a communicator he is by descending into the particulars. What I mean by this is that he did not merely thank the NHS for saving his life and looking after him. No, he went further and identified the two individuals, one from… Continue reading Boris Johnson descends into the particular-a consummate communicator and storyteller

When I Was 23

When I was 23 I bought my first property. Since then I have bought and sold many others, perhaps as many as 17, but I have truthfully lost count. There have been shops, houses, apartments, freeholds, leaseholds, pubs, petrol stations, and sites. In Dublin, outside Dublin, in Meath, Cavan, Longford. In addition to the buying… Continue reading When I Was 23

The Most Powerful Tool to Persuade (No, It’s Not the Data)

The older I get the more I recognise the power of story and storytelling. Take a look at the world in the last few years and the stories that were successfully told: The story Trump told the blue collar workers in the ‘rustbelt’ states in the US during the 2016 presidential election The story Boris… Continue reading The Most Powerful Tool to Persuade (No, It’s Not the Data)

Feeding the Birds-a 5 Minute Story Out of the Ordinary

Using story is one of the most effective ways of communicating and persuading. A story can be as short as 3 seconds, or as long as a lifetime. The video below is a 5-minute story and you will probably recognise the 3 “acts” or “stages” in it. Making this video is the product of a… Continue reading Feeding the Birds-a 5 Minute Story Out of the Ordinary

Lawyers Persuading with Effective Word Pictures (and What You Can Learn)

If I was accused of murder I would hate to see Michael Bowman SC prosecuting me. Although if I had Bernard Condon SC defending my chances of acquittal would be greatly enhanced. My attention has been arrested by the word pictures these two men have been painting for the jury this week in the Patrick… Continue reading Lawyers Persuading with Effective Word Pictures (and What You Can Learn)

My Origin Story

I found the photographs this week, worried I had lost one in particular. Turns out I had put it away so safely I could not find it. Anyway, here it is. On the back it says “Feb ‘87, started trading in December, ‘86, sold in February ‘89, bought Navan July ‘89” This is where my… Continue reading My Origin Story