The Art of Savannah's Storytellers

How communication and style make or break success and what you can do

Last week, I made a delightful trip to Savannah for a few days of fun. Savannahians have a lovely sense of humor that has sustained them for centuries.

Every street in the historic district has its own ghost story and hero statue in a square. Over the centuries, the stories have bonded them together and kept the culture alive. After the release of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Savannah saw a resurgence in tourism.

Savannah is famous for so many things. I had no idea. One is the Spanish Moss on the live oak trees. It drapes the trees yet takes nothing from them because it lives on air. It isn’t moss at all. Or Spanish.

Epiphyte grows on live oaks, commonly known as Spanish Moss.

While there, we took two tours: a “Hop on Hop Off” overview of the city and a ghost tour.

Savannah brags that it is the most haunted town in America. It has a long and fascinating history, having been founded in 1733. Indeed, there are hundreds of fascinating ghost stories.

Back to the tours. How the guides used language, timed their jokes, and conveyed information made all the difference in how we experienced the fun.

Our first tour guide on one of those “Hop on Hop Off” trolleys was Icy. She had a funny, spunky, casual, “Y’all are my friends” style. I remember so many of her stories because of her mannerisms, humor, and the way she presented her narrative—all while driving. Her down-home folksy manner made me feel welcome. We didn’t even hop off because we wanted to hear her stories. Style matters when we talk.

I don’t remember the guide on the ghost tour. She appeared nervous, and it seemed like she was trying too hard. She said, “My feelings will be hurt if you’re on your phone or talking.” She meant it to be a joke, but it didn’t come off that way, and her other attempts at jokes were awkward. I wonder if she was a young drama student doing her best to practice. I can’t fault her for that, and I wish her good luck in improving her craft.

As the ghost tour trolley driver moved us past cemeteries and famous homes, she told many stories about Savannah's ghosts, but we missed a lot due to her awkward jokes and style of speaking.

The highlight of the tour was Andrew Low's house. We were escorted upstairs to the bedrooms, where some of the occupants died. A docent narrated our short stay, escorting us through the bedrooms of the departed. Stories of those who died in the house abounded, and we were thrilled to seek the spirits of the dead.

The Andrew Low house is famous for ghost sightings.

But back to communication and presentations. Tone, attitude, confidence, and knowledge can make or break our effectiveness as a communicator.

Join me this Wednesday to learn how you can make things happen when you speak.

On Wednesday, May 8, I will teach you how to INVENT YOUR FUTURE WITH WORDS. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can attend one Zoom call without paying, while paid subscribers can attend each one.

If you are a subscriber, reply to this email, and I’ll send you the Zoom link. A Zoom link has gone out to paid subscribers. If you haven’t subscribed, sign up below and let me know via this email or Notes in Substack. I hope to see you there!

More about Savannah

Because I love this city so much I want to tell you more about it. I will restrain myself and hope that you will visit to find out for yourself. The people are charming and the food is out of this world.

Believe it or not, I have never read nor seen the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt so I downloaded it at the airport on the way home. So far, it’s hard to tear myself away from listening. Many of the streets we walked, squares we strolled through, and homes we visited or passed by are included in the book.

Two of my favorite things - books and chocolate together in one shop!

Who can resist hand-made truffles?

The shelves were lined with books and divine hand-made truffles.

If you’ve read my posts for a while, you know I love to travel. I’m off to Italy next week and will let you know how that goes. So if you don’t hear from me next week, it’s because I’m dreaming of Italian espresso, wine, and art. And frantically trying to fit ten days worth of clothes into carry-on luggage.

May the adventurer in you bring light and love into your life.