Category Archives: 07c-Telling stories

Creating a compelling vision, engaging an audience, stimulating creative thinking *beyond* the logic and evidence of problem/solution/recommendation type of communication

07a-Crafting an effective formal presentation, 07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation, storyline structure

Deconstructing a Ted Talk

2 Comments

Happy early 4th of July! Before I head out to the pool to enjoy this long weekend, I thought I would leave everyone with a few tangible tips on how to make a presentation great.

Everyone is familiar with Ted Talks, and for good reason—they contain powerful ideas that often change people’s attitudes, lives, and the world. I happened to find an article that deconstructs one of the most viewed Ted Talks of all time: “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” I do encourage watching it when you get a chance, as it contains some intriguing and useful ideas. Whether you get to watch it or not, here are some takeaways that can be applied to future presentations.  Click Here for the Ted Talk and full deconstruction of the speech.

1. Get your audience in the proper mindset right away. Simon did this by getting the listeners “to question,” but you can be creative here with stories or astonishing facts.

2. Have an inflection point, and be sure to emphasize it.

3. Make your speech tangible by bringing in examples or research to support your ideas (duh!), but do not spend too much time or get into the nitty-gritty details. Otherwise, you risk losing your listeners.

4. Build suspense into your story. More direct eye contact helps you achieve this effect.

5. Consider using parallel structure. Think JFK’s famous line: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” As for Simon, “We follow those who lead, not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead, not for them, but for ourselves.” Very impactful!

6. Pause for impact, but you need to be strategic with quantity and placement; keep them to a minimum and spaced out.

7. The most viewed Ted Talks do not use PowerPoint slides, so do you really need to?

8. This one is my favorite: fascination cannot be faked. Hopefully you have the privilege of being fascinated with what you present because this allows you to connect with your audience. And if you are not fascinated…well, good luck?!

I would like to add “smile” to the list as my own. When I was an intern, that was one of the most important pieces of advice that I received regarding public speaking: “Don’t forget to smile while presenting.” I was a little surprised with this advice since I thought it could take away from the seriousness of a formal presentation, but the more top-notch presentations I see, the more I notice the smiles throughout the speeches. This goes together with tip #8, but I thought it needed to be called out specifically. Hopefully I smiled during the Delta presentation…

Lastly, I came across an article titled, “How to Give a Killer Presentation,” which appeared in the Harvard Business Review last summer (you can get the full article through the Emory library system; click here for a portion of the article). It was inspired by the Ted Talk given by Richard Turere, which this one YOU MUST WATCH (Richard Turere: My invention that made peace with lions)! Richard was an unlikely candidate to give a Ted Talk: terribly shy, spoke poor English, and had difficulty producing coherent sentences. But, his idea was so inspirational that the folks at Ted worked with him to frame his story and give a powerful speech. Boy, did he nail it!

The lesson here is that you do not need to be the best speaker to be engaging and inspiring. There are tools and tips you can follow to improve presentations (i.e. the list from above, this HBR article, all the other posts on this blog…), and if you let your pure passion and unique personality shine through honestly, people will hear you. And how about Richard’s smile? My heart melted.

07c-Telling stories

The Art of Storytelling

1 Comment

Effective communication engages and connects with an audience.  This skill differentiates top leaders and world changers from mere managers.  It is also a pretty good indication of who commands the largest crowd at a party.  And the best communicators know that the way to reach into the hearts and the minds of their audiences is through storytelling.

Data can be compelling, but stories help give it life in the minds of its receivers.  We remember facts in context of a story. Zig Ziglar, American salesman and motivator, used stories as his sales method to create an emotion behind the facts of what he was selling.  Stories inspire people, they touch emotions and help them envision the message.

Looking to start a world-wide movement?  One of the greatest influencers of all time, Jesus Christ, told stories through parables to his followers. Mark 4:34 says, “He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” Whether you plan to start a movement as big as the spread of Christianity or just want to convince the room to understand your pitch on a business idea, the value of a story cannot be underestimated.

There are a few characteristics of a great story to consider, making storytelling a very achievable goal for any individual aspiring to make an impact. One of the best suggestions by Seth Godin is this: “Here’s how to know if you’re on the right track: if you stop a story in the middle, the audience will insist you finish it.” Storytelling is a form of art, and just like an artist practices art, so a storyteller can practice and perfect the influence of the story.

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation

Public Speaking Tips from Susan Cain

1 Comment

 Susan Cain is a writer and lecturer, her most recent book is called “Quiet” from 2012. The book is about “The Power of introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”, she describes how all introverts need to realize the power of stepping outside of their safe zone to be an extrovert every now and again.

She is a well known presenter who is currently delivering speeches on this book. Her style of presenting is intriguing in that she has strong story telling abilities, uses props, humor, strong facial expressions and hand expressions.

She has the ability to remain animated and interesting, as she takes a personal approach and shares her views and funny stories about her life as an introvert.

Several keys to her successes as a speaker that she uses to present her material are below:

1)   Preparation is key- Practicing out loud, and video taping yourself are all helpful things as most people are uncomfortable with the idea of how you come across.

2)   Feed the audience what they want to hear. Is your audience looking to solve a problem or looking for any information in particular?

3)   Watch videos taken from different speakers vantage points. While you are watching take note of all the eyes on you and get used to it.

4)   Practice standing in the place you will be speaking at while looking over the room of empty seats.

5)   Get a hold of a great speakers written version of their speech and see how the speaker engages, inspires, and educates the audience.

6)   Utilize your strengths and weaknesses as a speaker. If you are funny, be funny; if you are great at telling stories, tell one.

7)   Create a persona of sorts. You are on stage and this is a performance, you need to keep the audience entertained and engaged.

8)   Smile at the audience, it will keep you relaxed as well as keep the audience connected.

 

Are there any introverts out there that struggle presenting that have any tips for pushing through a presentation? Please share!

 

Below is a link to her original article on tips for presenting:

http://www.readitforward.com/susan-cains-public-speaking-tips-for-introverts/

 

Below is a link to her speech on the book “Quiet”

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation, storyline structure

11 Techniques Steve Jobs’s used to Present Apple’s

Steve Jobs was known for a slick product presentation with a seemingly casual delivery. His visionary products he pitched through his keynote presentations created hype and buzz in the industry that will be timeless. He was a fantastic presenter however not a natural, which gives hope to all of us that need improvement!

He used many different techniques to perfect his art of presenting and many articles can be found that explain his effective use of these techniques.

I have attached an article which describes 11 different techniques that Steve Jobs practiced. Teaser alert; my favorite recommendation is Practice & Have Fun.

 

1) Express your passion

2) Create a Twitter-friendly headline

3) Stick to the rule of three

4) Introduce a villain

5) Sell the benefit

6) Build simple, visual slides

7) Tell stories

8) Prepare and practice excessively

9) Avoid reading from notes

10) Have fun

11) Inspire your audience

If you have any good tips on presenting you utilize, please share!

Attached below is the original article:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/10/04/11-presentation-lessons-you-can-still-learn-from-steve-jobs/

Continue reading 11 Techniques Steve Jobs’s used to Present Apple’s →

07a-Crafting an effective formal presentation, 07b-Using good information design, 07c-Telling stories, storyline structure

Storytelling for the number cruncher

5 Comments

As someone who works in Excel everyday and prides myself on an ability to crunch any numbers or run any analysis, creating a “story” and selling that to an audience doesn’t come naturally. For me, I’d rather use a line graph or bar chart and let that do the convincing. But if Brandon Smith taught me anything, it’s that using a story works for persuasion.

So I came across an article written a few months ago in HBR by Harrison Monarth (author of The Confident Speaker and Breakthrough Communication) where he writes about the power of storytelling as a strategic business tool. An example he uses to illustrate the power of storytelling is from the latest Super Bowl commercials for Budweiser. In one advertising study looking at the effectiveness of ads based on content or structure, a researcher at Johns Hopkins noted “regardless of the content of the ad, the structure of that content predicted its success.” So I’m thinking: it’s not what you say, but how you say it? Monarth concludes by writing “A story can go where quantitative analysis is denied admission: our hearts. Data can persuade people, but it doesn’t inspire them to act; to do that, you need to wrap your vision in a story that fires the imagination and stirs the soul.”

Working in the healthcare industry, I found it particularly interesting when Monarth notes an example of how patients change their behavior for the better based on stories their physicians tell them, rather than presenting the data.

Does anyone have specific examples of storytelling in a presentation to actually change behavior or implement a proposal? I’d love to use these tactics, but am still a little skeptical my company’s executives could be moved to action by a story vs. data. What works in your industry?

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation

11 Tips for Calming Nerves Before a Presentation

6 Comments

I know that many of us are working on improving our “delivery,” and I think the tips provided in a recent Business Insider article are interesting. I’ve heard most of the suggestions before (i.e. being comfortable with the material you’re presenting and exerting confidence), but some of them were new to me. I really like the three audience truths:

  • One: They believe you’re the expert, so don’t tell them otherwise.
  • Two: They want you to succeed, so they’re on your side.
  • Three: They won’t know when you make a mistake, so don’t announce it.

We have some really good presenters in our class, so I’m curious if anyone has any personal tips to share?

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation

Three Public Speaking Secrets

2 Comments

TED Talks certainly holds a library of great presentations given by  some great presenters. Drake Baer share with us in this Business Insider article, “3 Public Speaking Secrets from the Most Successful TED Talks”, what he finds as the 3 public speaking secrets from TED Talks presenters.

We’ve been taught various tactics for how to deliver a great presentation, and you’ve heard all of this before.  And although it’s best for presenters to incorporate everything we’ve already learned in MP and throughout our career and education, for a novice presenter like myself, this article really highlights to me the three most important things to focus on when developing my presentation skills, from a public speaking perspective.

1. Tell them a story

This article states that you connect with people on an emotional level when you tell them a story- it helps to build a connection when your audience is able to relate to what you’re saying.  Gallo believes that the most successful TED Talks are 65% story, 25% data, and 10% building credibility.

2. Create “emotionally charged events”

An “emotionally charged event” is described in the article “as an incident where you experience shock, surprise, or fear”. This creates a trigger in your brain that remembers this experience.  We learned a similar technique called creating urgency in our presentations. Do we all remember the trailer from “An Inconvenient Truth” about global warming to create that urgency?  The article recommends that in every presentation, you create a way to present the information in a way that is new, novel, and unexpected.

3. Use the rule of three

This rule has probably been engrained in us for a while. This will help structure the presentation as well as help people remember it, since it is easier to remember information given at 3-4 chunks at a time.

Even from a presenter perspective, I believe that these three “secrets” will be very helpful when preparing as well as presenting the presentation.  Stories help connect with the audience, but it help better organize and build on or relate back to the story throughout the presentation.  Creating urgency or “an emotionally charged event” will allow you to remember why you’re am presenting in the first place, as well as help with transitions when structuring the presentation. Using the rule of three will also help with the organization and flow of the presentation.  It will also help me to be sure to touch on three key points for every topic I have.  One of my goals is to rely less on my rehearsed and memorized presentation, and not get caught up in missing a word that I should have used. Instead, I want to be able to focus on preparing the  delivery of my three key points.  I think focusing on these when first preparing my presentation, as well as developing my presentation/ public speaking skills, will be very helpful.
Do you agree with these three secrets to successful presentations? If you could add one more “secret” to public speaking, what would it be?

Link to full article: http://www.businessinsider.com/public-speaking-secrets-from-successful-ted-talks-2014-3

07c-Telling stories, metaphors, storyline structure

90’s Reference, Caveman Stories, and Pigs in a Blanket

7 Comments

Storytelling seems to be the stuff that mermaid tears and unicorn dreams are made of but there is an innate link between storytelling and the human condition as it relates to the work place and beyond. As I read this article, I couldn’t help but think of Tim, the Tool Man Taylor, and the deep conversations that he would have with his half-faced neighbor, Wilson. Tim, who could be quite dense in his relationships at home and at work, would talk to Wilson about his troubles. The neighbor would always recount a story in order to get Tim to realize the error in his ways. How did Wilson convey information successfully and incite Tim to action? Read more to find out why the mind has evolved in such a way that stories make much more sense to us as humans than mere facts and data.

This article discusses the evolutionary adaptations of the human mind through the lens of storytelling and how these specializations help us today in the workplace and beyond. The brain and the way we think – the mind – is considered an organ that is subject to evolution just as other organs. The evolution and natural selection of better acclimated minds that understand and construct stories allowed us to survive better than our predecessors.

Since, it is supposed that, we began communicating by using glances, gestures, and basic sounds, this became the groundwork for emphatic storytelling. As we incorporated language with the gestures, the information exchanged became much more intelligible and memorable than mere facts. As a simple example: imagine a leader of a tribe calmly, without gesture or intonation, says: “at 1,500 feet north-west, there is a tribe that wants to kill us and take our land.” He conveyed the correct information but did not rouse his compatriots to action, he did not gesture where the enemies were, and he gave no context as to what type of people they were about to battle and why anyone should care. All of this is conveyed through gesture, intonation, and emotion – all aspects of storytelling.

Think pigs in a blanket: Pigs in a Blanket without an attractive vessel of flaky buttery goodness, lukewarm mini hotdogs dislodged from a vacuum-sealed plastic bag aren’t very enticing but, nonetheless, an integral part of the all-American snack favorite. Similarly, important numbers, facts, and data sets mean very little to the vast majority of those we may come into contact with throughout our careers without giving them a reason to digest this information. We must find tactful ways to wrap these bits of knowledge into descriptive, savory, and meaningful anecdotes in order for people to enjoy and successfully consume the pairing.

Favorite Excerpts:
“To weave a good story, the storyteller needs to develop the capability to construct fairly complicated inner representations of goals, intentions, and emotional states of real or fictional characters”

“empathy and the ability to understand ‘other points of view’ are necessary for the working of our narrative mind”

ToM – “Theory of Mind” is that we know and acknowledge that other people have their own minds. We can also step into their shoes, empathize, react, and step successfully out of those shoes in the end. This is also used to create metarepresentations. Metarepresentations occur when we imagine five different scenarios before going into a tough meeting with someone. This is the human mind’s way of telling stories to itself in order to prepare for upcoming unpleasant situations and has served our species well for evolutionary purposes.

A successful company should be one that focuses on creating environments where there is a community of storytelling that allows for collaboration and recombination of skill sets and new ways to solve problems.

Real world examples:
Novartis restructured its building in Basel so that the work of each individual could be watched, talked about, and replicated. They called this a “knowledge campus” and guess how the information was transmitted: through authentic communication and storytelling – not through static, out of context presentations.

Pixar built their existing offices around the notion of information exchange through storytelling focused on collaborative efforts and recombination of ideas and backgrounds.

Yang, Chulguen (Charlie). “Telling Tales At Work: An Evolutionary Explanation.” Business Communication Quarterly 76.2 (2013): 132-154. Business Source Complete. Web. 14 June 2014.

Thank you in advance for humoring my metaphors.

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=d017ff20-1bf6-4bdb-9641-493eb889fb0d%40sessionmgr111&hid=119