Melissa Reaves is a professional and award-winning storyteller and a storytelling coach to executives. Her sales and marketing background includes more than 20 years in technology enterprise sales, as well as countless stage credits as a professional actor/improviser. This combination of sales, marketing, acting, writing, directing and producing storytelling shows, ultimately led her to found Story Fruition to help others find and tell their stories–with impact.
Melissa works with CEOs, Founders and Senior Executives to build their storytelling skills and enrich their leadership. Melissa is the Pitch Coach for Founders Live and invited to instruct storytelling for business narratives at conferences all over the United States.
What’s a Winning 99 Second Story Look Like?
Lately we’ve been getting people asking, what sort of story should I submit to your next 99 Second Contest? So let’s take a quick but close look Melissa Reaves story, Hand in Hand.
Several of the stories worked with scene changes and various camera angles. Melissa’s still took 1st place. But her telling is deceptively simple. She still spent time and care in her production values.
The most important thing in production of all video stories is the audio. This story has clean audio and you can catch her annunciation. Now, While it was just her sharing her experience with the audience, she makes eye contact directly into the camera. And her background, while static, has visual elements that lead your eye to her, and still provides stimulation the way a blank background wouldn’t.
Power in Same but with a Twist.
Melissa shares a mystical story that bridges that gap of, “Oh, I’ve never experienced a coincidence specifically like that,” with the eerie, there’s something in the air, feeling we’ve all had.
Stories that hit specific events that no one else has had, but can tie is into emotions and stories we have had through association provide a powerful connection tool.
When you’re searching for your own story to tell, whether it’s for our next 99 Second Contest, Sean Wellington’s, or a live event. Look to your heart. What story are you being called to tell? That’s the story you’re meant to bring.
Look forward to sharing your story with our community and the internet world at large. Due date is Aug 15th. But get those stories in early as possible so we can promote them.
Another proactive move Melissa made was to get her story in 1st. So we had plenty of time to share it, that way people got to see it multiple times and catch the nuances.
Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing this story with us, Melissa.
1 comments
OMG friend. You made my heart smile.
Thank you.
Melissa/Missy