In this episode of the Speaking Story audiobook, host Sally Koering Zimney presents Chapter 19, which introduces the S.A.S.S.Y. analysis – an acronym for Speaker, Audience, Space, and Idea – as a quick, repeatable framework for preparing any speaking moment. She explains why context (who you are, who you’re speaking to, where you’re speaking, and what you’re saying) is the linchpin of effective communication, and how the framework helps speakers show up with intention and avoid unintended disconnection. Sally traces the origin of the framework to a theater directing class she took in college, adapting a director’s production checklist for speakers. She illustrates the concept with a workshop case study where a company’s all‑hands meeting space unintentionally created hierarchy and intimidation; after a S.A.S.S.Y. analysis, the leaders altered the seating arrangement, leading to greater connection. Throughout, she encourages listeners to apply the analysis to talks, keynotes, boss conversations, or even parent‑child discussions. The episode also promotes free resources from the Movers Collective – the Movers Roadmap, the Power Pitching Push audio series – and the Unspeaker Simple Storytelling Audio Mini Course, providing URLs for listeners to access them. The tone is conversational, instructional, and enthusiastic, aiming to equip speakers with a practical tool and motivate them to deepen their craft.
Chapters
What's going on? Anyway, so let's try that again. I keep almost forgetting, or actually forgetting, to press record. That's a bit of a problem, but here we are. Here we are. Welcome everybody back to Speaking Story, this fun little jaunt that we're taking, whether or not you're listening here on the This Moved Me podcast where we are spending several weeks, every week dropping a whole part of the book Speaking Story, which I wrote many moons, mm, slash months ago, but now it's here in audiobook form, free for you. Or you're watching slash listening, you're really listening, over on YouTube. Welcome, welcome. I'm delighted that you're here. And we are diving in through, moving through Part 4, and we're on Chapter 19 right now. So Part 4 is all about the how. We're getting a little more tactical and technical about how exactly we do that. And Chapter 19 introduces you to a concept that I call S.A.S.S.Y., and it's an acronym that stands for Speaker, audience, space, and idea. And we'll dig in more into all of this once you really dive into the episode/chapter. But I remember when I had this realization that this concept was really the linchpin to making our messages meaningful. So last time we were talking about— last episode, we were talking about The Moment and the Meaning, and it's the beginning concept of that, which is how do we make a story that we're using and apply it to a specific context, a specific audience? Well, I wanna just dive into that whole idea even more in this chapter because in speaking, everything is contextual. Everything. You, you have a script, you might have a script, but when you show up in that moment, that context, where you're speaking, who you're speaking to, the vibe of the room, how warm or cold it is, how you're feeling that day, who, what your title is, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I mean, there's a million things that adjust and change The way in which we show up in that moment, and it is foundational to effective communication. I don't think that's gonna blow anybody's mind there, but I hope that this framework is something you can take with you and leverage before every moment that you speak, every conversation you have where you wanna bring some intention to the message, you can do a really quick Sassy Analysis. I use it all the time. And once you learn this framework, you can just turn around and go apply it to all kinds of different things. You can apply it to the presentation that you're doing. You can absolutely apply it to the keynote that you're building. You can absolutely apply it to the conversation with your boss. You could apply it to one of those conversations you need to have with your kids where you're like, I just want them to get this. Uh, Sassy Analysis is gonna help you show up with more intention, and gonna make your message even more meaningful. So, woo! High fives for that. I think this was maybe one of the first frameworks I ever developed as a coach, and it was inspired by a theater class that I took. I think it was, might have been like a directing class, that would make sense, in college. I was a theater major in college, and I remember just reading a book or something, and they were talking about this framework that directors use as they start to plan out the show. Like, how do we want to bring this show to life? How do we want this production to be different? Like, I've got a script here, but, you know, where we do this production, who's in the production, who's going to watch the production, all of these elements are going to change the way in which we bring this to life. And as I was building my coaching business, what I realized is we speakers need our own version of it. So I have adapted that beautiful idea and brought it here to you. The Sassy Analysis, the Sassy Framework. So I'm really excited for you to get this, take it, use it, boop boop. And, um, can't wait to hear. I had actually, I'd really love to hear if this resonates, if you're using it, and how it's all working for you. So excited. Let's dive in. Hey everybody, and welcome to This Moved Me, a podcast about creating talks that move the world. With me, your host, Sally Koering Zimney. This complimentary episode of the Speaking Story audiobook is brought to you in part by the Movers Collective. If you are listening to a book about speaking stories, I have a feeling you already know that you have a message worth sharing. Maybe you've been on a stage or two. Maybe it's still just a dream kind of sitting in your chest waiting. Either way, I want you to know that there's a real path from where you are right now to a speaking career that actually pays, one that fits your life, your message, and the change that you wanna make in the world. That path starts with two free resources I wanna give you. The first is the Movers Roadmap. This is a clear-eyed look at what it actually takes to build a career as a professional speaker. The second is an audio series that I recorded live, uh, and this developed with my own clients, and it's called the Power Pitching Push. And in this series, I walk you through exactly how to pitch yourself as a speaker so that you can get some gigs. You will get a real taste of what it's like to work with me. Both are free. Go grab them. Sally-z.com/path. Sally-z.com/path. And when you're ready to go all in, The Movers Collective is where we can take you from talented to professional. All right, now let's get into the show. Chapter 19: Do a Sassy Analysis. "Storytelling offers an opportunity to talk with your audience, not at them." Laura Holloway. When you're speaking, context is truly king. You can create a beautiful story, but if you aren't thinking about context, you can't create the meaning that your audience needs. Or you might accidentally create the wrong or unhelpful meaning they don't really need. Here is one of my favorite tools: a S.A.S.S.I. analysis that you can do before each message or story you speak. S.A.S.S.I. stands for: Speaker—who you are. Audience—who they are. Space—where you are. An idea—what you're saying. When we think about preparing for a specific talk, message, or story, most people think mostly about the idea. In other words, what we're gonna say. More and more people are focusing on the audience now, which is great, but it's too rare that we spend time thinking about the other pieces, like how we can bring more of ourselves as a speaker to the moment and how we can set up the space to create the kind of environment we want. One of my favorite examples of this is from a workshop I was leading a few years ago when I was helping a group of emerging leaders create a story-based pitch for their C-suite leaders. I was teaching them the core concepts of persuasion and storytelling and helping them speak their stories in a more authentic and compelling way. At one point, we were walking through the Sassy concept. I invited the participants to analyze a speaking situation that wasn't going well, using a Sassy analysis. Number 1, speaker. Who is the speaker in that context? Are they showing up fully in that moment? Are there stories or experiences they could bring into that moment to help connect to the audience and create a more human resonance and meaning to the idea? Number 2, audience. Who is the speaker talking to? What does that audience know about the speaker's topic? What don't they know? In what way could the speaker bring their expertise to bear on this particular audience? Number 3, space. Where are the speaker and their audience? Is the space set up to create an intentional experience? How is the space interacting with and creating the environment and feeling of the experience, even in a virtual context? Number 4, idea. What is the idea the speaker's sharing in that speaking moment? Does the idea reflect the insights gained from the speaker, the audience, and the space so it resonates in this particular moment? One of the women in the workshop raised her hand and said, "I think I know why this one meeting isn't working so well." She went on to tell us about a monthly all-hands meeting her company was holding. The intention of the meeting was to create space for the employees to connect and talk about what was going on. The room had been set up with circular tables around the space, and the managers would stand along the edges of the room to give employees space to talk with one another. Their intention was to create space for employees to talk without fear of being overheard by the bosses. But how do you think it felt for those employees to be sitting at those tables knowing their bosses were standing around the edges of the room? A little intimidating, like they were being watched, like they were smaller or less important. Clearly, that was not the intention with the setup, but that was the feeling the space created in the room. The woman turned to me and then said, "We thought we were giving them space to connect, but I'm afraid we're creating disparity and underlining a sense of inequality." I asked her, "How would you change the space to make sure you're creating the experience you'd like it to be for your employees? She thought for a moment, then said, "I'd make sure we have the leaders sit right with the employees and share more of their own struggles to create a stronger sense of community and connection." Yes! I thought. And then the following year, when I spoke at that organization again, I heard from this client that she went back and implemented that small change and watched as it made a significant impact on future meetings as well as the camaraderie and connection at her company. Walking through a Sassy Analysis before each time you speak your story can help you make sure that your message is relevant and impactful and that you don't inadvertently create disconnection when you're trying to do the opposite. It ensures that your moment creates the meaning you intend. That's the end of this chapter of Speaking Story. If you want to keep listening ad-free, you can find the full audiobook on Audible or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. And if this chapter stirred something in you, if it, shall we say, moved you, let me suggest that you start with the Unspeaker Simple Storytelling Audio Mini Course. At Sally-Koering Zimney.com/unspeaker. All right, movers, this moved me. What is moving you? See you next time.
