good morning believe nation today I’m
going to talk about five secrets of
telling stories that capture attention
for me I’m only interested in one thing
I’m only interested in the thing that is
binding us all together no matter what
you do in this room no matter what your
profession is an entrepreneur work for
an agency designer developer no matter
what you do
always and forever our job is to tell
our story and that is never going to
change the way you make real money the
way you make real impact the way things
get changed is by great storytelling
it’s always been that way and it always
will be that way because I don’t know if
you guys heard but we’re human beings
and that’s what we like I like I love
going to farmers markets and if you go
to the farmers market and this guy’s got
better strawberries and this guy cuz
he’s using less of something in it he’ll
tell you the details but no one’s
waiting there because this guy’s got a
cuter side because this guy’s telling a
story that’s resonating with me and
that’s what we do for a living we tell
stories not slogans stories Little Red
Riding Hood is a story once you’ve heard
it you’re gonna remember it for your
whole life and it’s something that
resonates and that it matches the way we
want to see the world so when we see a
kid with a lemonade stand it’s different
than when we see a vending machine
selling lemonade even if it’s exactly
the same product because the story
around it is what people are paying for
so when I meet small business people all
I ask them is not what’s their balance
sheet but what’s their story why should
I pick you why do I care about what
you’re doing and if you start giving me
all this inside baseball statistics
about why you’re 2 percent better than
some other competitor I’m already glazed
over because that’s not part of the way
I see the world
every single thing you touch is impacted
by your story as an attorney as a
teacher as an architect
there’s not one line of business that
you can be in that a story and a great
story won’t elevate your outcome every
single line of business every single
line of service that you’re connected to
will be impacted and ideally elevate it
by the level in which you’re willing to
tell and share your story so let me give
you some guidelines some parameters what
I like to call the bumper rails as if
you’re going bowling you know when I go
bowling I ask them to put the little
bumper rails down so I could stick my
ball can get down the lane so let me set
up some bumper rails for you so that you
understand what makes a great story so
one is the willingness to take risk
most people vision when they’re telling
a story they don’t want to take a risk
so the story has it has its limits on
how high it’ll go or how deep it’ll go
and when you have that then you’re
really not at that part that’s gonna
touch my soul so being willing to take a
risk being clear and concise with your
story’s a great story is a ShowMe story
not a tell me story now this is the
distinction that’s the game changer for
most most people were telling a story
they say so let me just share with you a
little bit of my story and I’ll tell you
and then I’ll show you so as I was
building my life there was a time in my
life that was very difficult it was very
challenge true story very difficult very
challenging very uncomfortable I didn’t
have a lot of money I didn’t have a lot
of hope and things just look dismal at
some point I had to turn my life around
at some point I made the decision that
life had to get better I’m telling you
that it’s decent you learn about me then
if I were to show you that story I would
say six days a week I had to eat beanies
and weenies I had to find money in the
crevices and the corners of my couch so
that I can get my son milk there were
times when my heart would beat fast just
at what am I gonna have tomorrow at some
point I got sick and tired of my own
story is this gonna be my future
No I can’t handle it notice the
difference in that seconds to wrong I
completely see that I just painted a
picture same story now the second one
will you show a story it’s gonna require
more of you it’s gonna require to find
the colors what were you thinking what
were you experiencing what was going on
in your head instead of telling me you
look for money turn and point now this
is anywhere this is anywhere you are
doing anything I promise you become a
great storyteller and you will have to
bait your audience no matter what you’re
doing I’ve captivated investors I’ve
captivated students I’ve captivated
educators because I was willing to show
the story I call it unpacking the story
vision being willing to tell me what
were you thinking what were you feeling
what were you saying
think about a story as an oral movie and
so in an oral movie think when you’re
looking at a movie the first thing they
do is they identify what state of time
it is is a futuristic is it in the now
was it back in the day you notice that
based on what people are wearing how
they’re talking so paint that picture
for me take me to that environment set
the backdrop up for me show me what
you’re going through instead of saying I
was angry you can tell me you’re angry
but when you say the hair on the back of
my neck was standing up I felt the fumes
exiting my nose I thought that my chest
was going to pop and I was gonna say
something that I’d regret forever
ooh you just showed me you were angry
take that extra time to unpack it
why will most people not do that because
it requires a level of vulnerability
that we’re not willing to share I don’t
want to talk to you about telling your
story
see as an entrepreneur you’re gonna have
to tell your story every time that I
speak as an entrepreneur I have to tell
my story and and why is that important
because people do business with people
they know like and trust so when you
tell your story people get a chance to
know you I was talking to a friend of
mine today and and she’s going to give a
presentation in Jamaica does it tell me
your story so she said well I I was an
assistant principal for 25 years but I
said and what do you do now she said
well I’ve retired and I’m refire died
said what do you mean by that
she said well I retired from being an
assistant principal but to me retirement
means fading away so now I’m an author
I’m a speaker I teach people how to put
together travel packages I’m a travel
agent and and I help people to begin to
add more adventure to their lives I said
very good and so then she went on to
talk about her education I said well
first of all I said here’s what I want
you to know as an entrepreneur and this
is what you’re doing you’re gonna be
talking to people to attract customers
and I said let me give you some points
about what it is you need to do in order
to attract more customers and for people
to want and say I want to do business
with you as this number one start off
telling them who you are and why you do
what you do and why is this important
because when people hear you speak as an
entrepreneur when you are presenting
yourself
people are asking three questions who
are you what do you have and why should
I care
so I told Cynthia said Cynthia if I were
you here’s how I would open up hello how
many of you have goals you want to
achieve
raise your hands very good let me share
something with you
one of the things that I want you to do
right now is think about your goals I
used to be an assistant principal for
over 20 years and I decided after return
I was not just going to fade away I
wanted to do something else and I put
together travel groups for people to
travel around the world to live their
dreams and now I’m an author and I’m a
speaker and this is something that I
enjoy doing this is something that turns
me on
what turns you on because what I want to
do is show you how you can begin to see
the world on your terms from a
perspective that will add more zest to
your life Helen Keller said life is
either a daring adventure or it’s boring
and so my husband and I we are looking
for people who want to live a daring
life we’re looking for some adventure
and I said you got to make it exciting
for people and give them an experience
see as as an entrepreneur we’ve got to
be strategic with our story and we’ve
got to be experiential strategic what do
you mean because what we’re doing is
distract is feud and inspire people
already have
mindset about what it is that they want
when you tell your story as an
entrepreneur about your product about
your skills or about your business you
are disrupting the story that’s already
in their head maybe about somebody else
that they’re already dealing with or
they’re looking at someone else and so
what you want to do is interrupt that
story with your story so they don’t look
any place else so they’ll know that you
are the one and through your
presentation you dismantle their belief
system and begin to encourage them in
the process of your presentation to
create a thirst for you for what it is
you do there’s no saying you can take a
horse to the water you can’t make them
drink however through telling your story
strategically and experientially that
that you begin to not only expand their
minds about the possibilities about what
it is you provide but you create a
thirst for what it is that you provide
where they want to that’s what you want
to create the want to where they want to
do business with you tip number three it
comes from integral all achieve a
storytelling consultant so story as you
know has a beginning a middle an ending
but that’s not really helpful to anybody
in any real way so she talks about it in
this very simple structure and I love it
there’s the normal an explosion and then
the new normal the normal is what we do
to set the scene what’s happening you
include details you include the emotions
the explosion is the thing that disrupts
the normal she was riding in a car and
her picked in the car crash and her
parents died that’s obviously an
explosion in every sense of them meaning
now the new normal is a progress report
we’re now going to tell you how the new
reality exists the normal explosion the
new normal
greatest market or Steve Jobs when he
introduced the iPhone for the very first
time he talked about how smartphones
aren’t very smart so he’s describing the
normal as we’ve been let down by the
promise of a smart phone the explosion
is going to be this wonderful beautiful
device called the iPhone
and it’s going to change the way you
communicate it’s going to change the way
you surf the internet it’s a computer in
your pocket and the way you’ve never had
it before
that’s explosion that’s how you tell a
great story a story has to be told in
short breathable sections no matter how
long it is it can be a 20 second news
story or it can be Don Quixote I’ve
begun to think of stories as kind of a
swim whether you’re heading across an
outdoor pool or you’re trying to swim
the English Channel the story has to
breathe you have to breathe with it so
does the audience
when you break down the story and tell
it in breaths you create a rhythm people
can go along with the rhythm now we have
a couple of points that are specific to
audio and video avoid dependent clauses
don’t put in some of these mind-numbing
tongue twisting titles don’t begin by
saying in response to congressional
pressure the Illinois Democrat President
Barack Obama said no just begin by
saying President Barack Obama speak
conversationally for example you’d never
say actor activist humanitarian father
of six Brad Pitt
by the way by the time you see this it
might be up to seven or eight but no you
would say Brad Pitt if you need to
explain who somebody is do it in the
phrase that follows you’d never say
Cambridge scientists and mathematicians
Stephen Hawking you’d probably say
Stephen Hawking and if you had to
explain who he was then you go you know
the Cambridge mathematician or scientist
be conversational talk to an audience
the way you would talk to somebody
across a table let’s talk about how you
can get a group of people to even listen
in the first place look how Kevin Hart
turns all of these guys who are talking
to each other into a quiet audience tell
Chuck that many pieces in the suit
what you see right here is the most
overlooked aspect of storytelling and
that is capturing attention before
you’ve even started when I listen to
most people tell stories in real life I
see people who start and stop because no
one is listening or people who struggle
through because half the group is
carrying on a side conversation if you
take just a few seconds to make sure
that you have the attention you can save
those failed stories
Kevin’s stories are one on the fact that
he grabs your attention at the beginning
and he does that in a number of ways
check out two of them here yeah and then
you got you got asked to meet the
President of the United States huge huge
I mean let me tell you why this was huge
Jim yeah it occurs really quickly but
the two pieces are first giving the
story a preamble let me tell you why
this was huge Kevin does this all the
time and it’s because that creates
intrigue that will grab attention here’s
another quick example from the same
interview I’m a you don’t agree people
to shake hands so I said we’ll put you
on the front of the podium yes very true
story very formal there’s no story I’m
in upfront president comes down so you
just heard Kevin say true story twice
that is a preamble when someone says
that the implication is that whatever is
coming next is unbelievable so that you
definitely want to listen in those two
words are a great way to hook attention
provided that you don’t abuse them now
going back to the first clip and
watching it all yeah yeah and then
you’ve got you got asked to meet the
President of the United States huge huge
I mean let me tell you why this was huge
Jim yeah the second thing to notice here
is that Kevin says his name Jim and even
does a different version of his normal
name Jimmy
which makes him chuckle but the
underlying point is that nothing makes
people sit up and pay attention like the
sound of their own name now I’m sure
you’ve been in a conversation and heard
your name from across the room but
immediately you had your attention
sucked in that direction saying people’s
names basically puts them in listen mode
because what’s coming next is relevant
to them that makes it a great way to get
people’s attention at the beginning of a
story or even while you’re already
telling it if you see that they start to
drift out another great way is to let
people know that you are on your way out
like in this clip I see why people
bottom exotic animals if you go to Dubai
you come back you think it’s okay cuz
that’s all I got I want two sheets
housing Dubai I say others cuz I know
they say I gotta go we went to so Kevin
just said I’m
tell you all this and then I gotta go
and by making this his last story he
creates the sense that they had better
listen up and you can’t use this one
unless you are truly on your way out but
it does work well in any event calling
their name saying true story telling
them that you’re on your way out these
are all just examples the key that
underlies all of it is this do not ever
get into a story without first having
attention from your intended audience
now watch how Kevin will literally
repeat himself three or more times to
make sure that he isn’t starting without
attention actors might have you been the
awkward guy and boy have you been the
sort of cool and controlled guy ever
well Louis right now that’s all I think
it’s happening Kevin is incredibly
awkward in the way he’s helping me to be
honest here I don’t think I’ve ever been
the awkward guy same principle applies
to when you’re already in the middle of
a story sometimes distractions come up
people walk in there’s a side
conversation
Kevin literally tells people to listen
before he continues check it out an
orangutan house on a four-wheeler listen
to me this is amazing
no that’s just that’s the orangutan his
quarters okay so no quarters this the
orangutan they got like the quarter
listen to me but understand how he came
out like each so you see it there Kevin
doesn’t plow forward until he’s answered
those side questions and he has the
attention to continue with the story and
you could see it even more clearly in
this next clip so here Kevin and Josh
GAD are telling a story about how they
went to a strip club and Josh was
dressed completely ridiculously Josh
interrupts to make a joke at Kevin
they’re going back and forth but notice
how coming up Kevin will not actually
continue with the story until the
attention is fully on him and he repeats
himself several times to get the
attention there
like a substitute teacher so you see
there they’re telling this kind of
shared story where they ping-pong back
and forth cracking jokes but when Kevin
is ready to continue with the story he
repeats what he was going to say three
times before the attention comes to him
and then he starts the key to this which
so many people miss is not to get
attention with your story you get
attention before your story and you
don’t proceed until you have it
otherwise it’s going to fall flat or
you’ll just wind up trailing off thank
you guys for watching my own quick
addition to this would be don’t be
afraid to tell your own story I think a
lot of people and I was like this too I
was afraid to tell my own story cuz he
didn’t want to be about me it’s not
about me it’s about the products it’s
about the services about what I’m
offering to you and I didn’t want to be
seen as an ego thing like I’m just
trying to bump myself up the thing that
really helped me get through that was
understanding that the story that you
tell helps connect customers to you if
they feel your passion if they
understand your excitement if they know
why you started the business and how
much you really care that helps set you
apart from the next guy no matter what
product or service you’re selling you
have tons of competitors and often big
competitors so why would I buy from you
when I could buy from one of these safe
trusted big companies the difference is
going to be your story it’s the personal
connection I can make with you it’s the
passion that I feel in your voice or in
your words as you talk about why you
started this business and what it means
to you where so many entrepreneurs just
have a really boring corporate landing
page a corporate homepage it talks of
what they do with no picture with no
story with no background and you’re
gonna lose
you’re gonna lose because the other guys
have the track record and the history
and the only reason someone would go
what for you is if they beat you down on
the price if you just wait cheaper than
everybody else and that sucks as a
competitive advantage and there is
something special about you that is
different than everybody else you’re
just not doing a good job explaining it
and so that took me a long time to
understand and digest and unpack because
I still felt like it’s not about me it’s
about the stuff I’m creating again what
helped me make the jump was realizing
that by sharing my story and talking
about me
it helped people understand what I was
doing better and get my ultimate goal of
having an impact on somebody’s life so
make sure to tell your story and don’t
be afraid
thank you guys again so much for
watching I’d love to know which of the
clips meant the most to you resonate
with you the most and why what changes
are you gonna make now on your website
or in your personal life I’d love to
know that leaving the comments below and
I’ll join in the discussion I made this
episode of believe life because Elias s
asked me to so there’s a topic you’d
like me to cover in the next edition of
believe life leave it in the comments
below and we’ll see we can do thank you
again for watching
have an amazing day continue to believe
and I’ll see you soon
now on the tip number five tip number
five is to have a reason or purpose for
why you tongue the story when you have a
reason behind why you’re telling it or
purpose it could be as simple as to make
somebody laugh or to share this
experience of life or as deep as to
inspire people or to move them to action
it could be anything but when you’re
connected to that purpose in that
mission that reason why that’s what’s
gonna make you a great storyteller
because you’re not just telling a story
just to tell it you’re telling it to
make that personal have to bring a smile
to their face or to inspire them or to
show them possibilities whatever it is
connect to that purpose the purpose for
this example and the stories that I
share here or to give you an example of
how to hook somebody how do you be
animated and engage and captivate in a
way that’s congruent authentic and
believable but that’s also going to be
entertaining and inspiring and I teach
us something if you’re serious about
winning you’re gonna be looking for ways
in which you can study and know your
customers extremely well and and begin
to look at how is it that you can
provide the kind of service that make
you stand out in their minds I’m
reminded of a woman who became a
dominant voice in their industry and she
and she was asked the question what what
is it that you can point to that allowed
you to become successful and she said
it’s not our intention to please our
customers or to satisfy our customers
our intention is to amaze them see when
you are looking at your customers and
looking for ways in which you can amaze
them with your story with your expertise
with your knowledge with your
follow-through with the quality of the
service that you provide
that’s how customers vote with their
dollars because of the service that you
provide and because of Europe keeping
your word they did a study to find out
what does customer service mean to the
average person and they said reliability
can we count on you will you keep your
word when you operate with integrity
will you honor your word as yourself can
we count on you you have something
special what’s the story around your
business
what is it about you when people ask who
are you what do you have and why should
I care what is it about you and how you
present yourself
that will cause them to say I want to do
business with you I’ve been looking for
you you are the answer to my problem
think about it
going to talk about five secrets of
telling stories that capture attention
for me I’m only interested in one thing
I’m only interested in the thing that is
binding us all together no matter what
you do in this room no matter what your
profession is an entrepreneur work for
an agency designer developer no matter
what you do
always and forever our job is to tell
our story and that is never going to
change the way you make real money the
way you make real impact the way things
get changed is by great storytelling
it’s always been that way and it always
will be that way because I don’t know if
you guys heard but we’re human beings
and that’s what we like I like I love
going to farmers markets and if you go
to the farmers market and this guy’s got
better strawberries and this guy cuz
he’s using less of something in it he’ll
tell you the details but no one’s
waiting there because this guy’s got a
cuter side because this guy’s telling a
story that’s resonating with me and
that’s what we do for a living we tell
stories not slogans stories Little Red
Riding Hood is a story once you’ve heard
it you’re gonna remember it for your
whole life and it’s something that
resonates and that it matches the way we
want to see the world so when we see a
kid with a lemonade stand it’s different
than when we see a vending machine
selling lemonade even if it’s exactly
the same product because the story
around it is what people are paying for
so when I meet small business people all
I ask them is not what’s their balance
sheet but what’s their story why should
I pick you why do I care about what
you’re doing and if you start giving me
all this inside baseball statistics
about why you’re 2 percent better than
some other competitor I’m already glazed
over because that’s not part of the way
I see the world
every single thing you touch is impacted
by your story as an attorney as a
teacher as an architect
there’s not one line of business that
you can be in that a story and a great
story won’t elevate your outcome every
single line of business every single
line of service that you’re connected to
will be impacted and ideally elevate it
by the level in which you’re willing to
tell and share your story so let me give
you some guidelines some parameters what
I like to call the bumper rails as if
you’re going bowling you know when I go
bowling I ask them to put the little
bumper rails down so I could stick my
ball can get down the lane so let me set
up some bumper rails for you so that you
understand what makes a great story so
one is the willingness to take risk
most people vision when they’re telling
a story they don’t want to take a risk
so the story has it has its limits on
how high it’ll go or how deep it’ll go
and when you have that then you’re
really not at that part that’s gonna
touch my soul so being willing to take a
risk being clear and concise with your
story’s a great story is a ShowMe story
not a tell me story now this is the
distinction that’s the game changer for
most most people were telling a story
they say so let me just share with you a
little bit of my story and I’ll tell you
and then I’ll show you so as I was
building my life there was a time in my
life that was very difficult it was very
challenge true story very difficult very
challenging very uncomfortable I didn’t
have a lot of money I didn’t have a lot
of hope and things just look dismal at
some point I had to turn my life around
at some point I made the decision that
life had to get better I’m telling you
that it’s decent you learn about me then
if I were to show you that story I would
say six days a week I had to eat beanies
and weenies I had to find money in the
crevices and the corners of my couch so
that I can get my son milk there were
times when my heart would beat fast just
at what am I gonna have tomorrow at some
point I got sick and tired of my own
story is this gonna be my future
No I can’t handle it notice the
difference in that seconds to wrong I
completely see that I just painted a
picture same story now the second one
will you show a story it’s gonna require
more of you it’s gonna require to find
the colors what were you thinking what
were you experiencing what was going on
in your head instead of telling me you
look for money turn and point now this
is anywhere this is anywhere you are
doing anything I promise you become a
great storyteller and you will have to
bait your audience no matter what you’re
doing I’ve captivated investors I’ve
captivated students I’ve captivated
educators because I was willing to show
the story I call it unpacking the story
vision being willing to tell me what
were you thinking what were you feeling
what were you saying
think about a story as an oral movie and
so in an oral movie think when you’re
looking at a movie the first thing they
do is they identify what state of time
it is is a futuristic is it in the now
was it back in the day you notice that
based on what people are wearing how
they’re talking so paint that picture
for me take me to that environment set
the backdrop up for me show me what
you’re going through instead of saying I
was angry you can tell me you’re angry
but when you say the hair on the back of
my neck was standing up I felt the fumes
exiting my nose I thought that my chest
was going to pop and I was gonna say
something that I’d regret forever
ooh you just showed me you were angry
take that extra time to unpack it
why will most people not do that because
it requires a level of vulnerability
that we’re not willing to share I don’t
want to talk to you about telling your
story
see as an entrepreneur you’re gonna have
to tell your story every time that I
speak as an entrepreneur I have to tell
my story and and why is that important
because people do business with people
they know like and trust so when you
tell your story people get a chance to
know you I was talking to a friend of
mine today and and she’s going to give a
presentation in Jamaica does it tell me
your story so she said well I I was an
assistant principal for 25 years but I
said and what do you do now she said
well I’ve retired and I’m refire died
said what do you mean by that
she said well I retired from being an
assistant principal but to me retirement
means fading away so now I’m an author
I’m a speaker I teach people how to put
together travel packages I’m a travel
agent and and I help people to begin to
add more adventure to their lives I said
very good and so then she went on to
talk about her education I said well
first of all I said here’s what I want
you to know as an entrepreneur and this
is what you’re doing you’re gonna be
talking to people to attract customers
and I said let me give you some points
about what it is you need to do in order
to attract more customers and for people
to want and say I want to do business
with you as this number one start off
telling them who you are and why you do
what you do and why is this important
because when people hear you speak as an
entrepreneur when you are presenting
yourself
people are asking three questions who
are you what do you have and why should
I care
so I told Cynthia said Cynthia if I were
you here’s how I would open up hello how
many of you have goals you want to
achieve
raise your hands very good let me share
something with you
one of the things that I want you to do
right now is think about your goals I
used to be an assistant principal for
over 20 years and I decided after return
I was not just going to fade away I
wanted to do something else and I put
together travel groups for people to
travel around the world to live their
dreams and now I’m an author and I’m a
speaker and this is something that I
enjoy doing this is something that turns
me on
what turns you on because what I want to
do is show you how you can begin to see
the world on your terms from a
perspective that will add more zest to
your life Helen Keller said life is
either a daring adventure or it’s boring
and so my husband and I we are looking
for people who want to live a daring
life we’re looking for some adventure
and I said you got to make it exciting
for people and give them an experience
see as as an entrepreneur we’ve got to
be strategic with our story and we’ve
got to be experiential strategic what do
you mean because what we’re doing is
distract is feud and inspire people
already have
mindset about what it is that they want
when you tell your story as an
entrepreneur about your product about
your skills or about your business you
are disrupting the story that’s already
in their head maybe about somebody else
that they’re already dealing with or
they’re looking at someone else and so
what you want to do is interrupt that
story with your story so they don’t look
any place else so they’ll know that you
are the one and through your
presentation you dismantle their belief
system and begin to encourage them in
the process of your presentation to
create a thirst for you for what it is
you do there’s no saying you can take a
horse to the water you can’t make them
drink however through telling your story
strategically and experientially that
that you begin to not only expand their
minds about the possibilities about what
it is you provide but you create a
thirst for what it is that you provide
where they want to that’s what you want
to create the want to where they want to
do business with you tip number three it
comes from integral all achieve a
storytelling consultant so story as you
know has a beginning a middle an ending
but that’s not really helpful to anybody
in any real way so she talks about it in
this very simple structure and I love it
there’s the normal an explosion and then
the new normal the normal is what we do
to set the scene what’s happening you
include details you include the emotions
the explosion is the thing that disrupts
the normal she was riding in a car and
her picked in the car crash and her
parents died that’s obviously an
explosion in every sense of them meaning
now the new normal is a progress report
we’re now going to tell you how the new
reality exists the normal explosion the
new normal
greatest market or Steve Jobs when he
introduced the iPhone for the very first
time he talked about how smartphones
aren’t very smart so he’s describing the
normal as we’ve been let down by the
promise of a smart phone the explosion
is going to be this wonderful beautiful
device called the iPhone
and it’s going to change the way you
communicate it’s going to change the way
you surf the internet it’s a computer in
your pocket and the way you’ve never had
it before
that’s explosion that’s how you tell a
great story a story has to be told in
short breathable sections no matter how
long it is it can be a 20 second news
story or it can be Don Quixote I’ve
begun to think of stories as kind of a
swim whether you’re heading across an
outdoor pool or you’re trying to swim
the English Channel the story has to
breathe you have to breathe with it so
does the audience
when you break down the story and tell
it in breaths you create a rhythm people
can go along with the rhythm now we have
a couple of points that are specific to
audio and video avoid dependent clauses
don’t put in some of these mind-numbing
tongue twisting titles don’t begin by
saying in response to congressional
pressure the Illinois Democrat President
Barack Obama said no just begin by
saying President Barack Obama speak
conversationally for example you’d never
say actor activist humanitarian father
of six Brad Pitt
by the way by the time you see this it
might be up to seven or eight but no you
would say Brad Pitt if you need to
explain who somebody is do it in the
phrase that follows you’d never say
Cambridge scientists and mathematicians
Stephen Hawking you’d probably say
Stephen Hawking and if you had to
explain who he was then you go you know
the Cambridge mathematician or scientist
be conversational talk to an audience
the way you would talk to somebody
across a table let’s talk about how you
can get a group of people to even listen
in the first place look how Kevin Hart
turns all of these guys who are talking
to each other into a quiet audience tell
Chuck that many pieces in the suit
what you see right here is the most
overlooked aspect of storytelling and
that is capturing attention before
you’ve even started when I listen to
most people tell stories in real life I
see people who start and stop because no
one is listening or people who struggle
through because half the group is
carrying on a side conversation if you
take just a few seconds to make sure
that you have the attention you can save
those failed stories
Kevin’s stories are one on the fact that
he grabs your attention at the beginning
and he does that in a number of ways
check out two of them here yeah and then
you got you got asked to meet the
President of the United States huge huge
I mean let me tell you why this was huge
Jim yeah it occurs really quickly but
the two pieces are first giving the
story a preamble let me tell you why
this was huge Kevin does this all the
time and it’s because that creates
intrigue that will grab attention here’s
another quick example from the same
interview I’m a you don’t agree people
to shake hands so I said we’ll put you
on the front of the podium yes very true
story very formal there’s no story I’m
in upfront president comes down so you
just heard Kevin say true story twice
that is a preamble when someone says
that the implication is that whatever is
coming next is unbelievable so that you
definitely want to listen in those two
words are a great way to hook attention
provided that you don’t abuse them now
going back to the first clip and
watching it all yeah yeah and then
you’ve got you got asked to meet the
President of the United States huge huge
I mean let me tell you why this was huge
Jim yeah the second thing to notice here
is that Kevin says his name Jim and even
does a different version of his normal
name Jimmy
which makes him chuckle but the
underlying point is that nothing makes
people sit up and pay attention like the
sound of their own name now I’m sure
you’ve been in a conversation and heard
your name from across the room but
immediately you had your attention
sucked in that direction saying people’s
names basically puts them in listen mode
because what’s coming next is relevant
to them that makes it a great way to get
people’s attention at the beginning of a
story or even while you’re already
telling it if you see that they start to
drift out another great way is to let
people know that you are on your way out
like in this clip I see why people
bottom exotic animals if you go to Dubai
you come back you think it’s okay cuz
that’s all I got I want two sheets
housing Dubai I say others cuz I know
they say I gotta go we went to so Kevin
just said I’m
tell you all this and then I gotta go
and by making this his last story he
creates the sense that they had better
listen up and you can’t use this one
unless you are truly on your way out but
it does work well in any event calling
their name saying true story telling
them that you’re on your way out these
are all just examples the key that
underlies all of it is this do not ever
get into a story without first having
attention from your intended audience
now watch how Kevin will literally
repeat himself three or more times to
make sure that he isn’t starting without
attention actors might have you been the
awkward guy and boy have you been the
sort of cool and controlled guy ever
well Louis right now that’s all I think
it’s happening Kevin is incredibly
awkward in the way he’s helping me to be
honest here I don’t think I’ve ever been
the awkward guy same principle applies
to when you’re already in the middle of
a story sometimes distractions come up
people walk in there’s a side
conversation
Kevin literally tells people to listen
before he continues check it out an
orangutan house on a four-wheeler listen
to me this is amazing
no that’s just that’s the orangutan his
quarters okay so no quarters this the
orangutan they got like the quarter
listen to me but understand how he came
out like each so you see it there Kevin
doesn’t plow forward until he’s answered
those side questions and he has the
attention to continue with the story and
you could see it even more clearly in
this next clip so here Kevin and Josh
GAD are telling a story about how they
went to a strip club and Josh was
dressed completely ridiculously Josh
interrupts to make a joke at Kevin
they’re going back and forth but notice
how coming up Kevin will not actually
continue with the story until the
attention is fully on him and he repeats
himself several times to get the
attention there
like a substitute teacher so you see
there they’re telling this kind of
shared story where they ping-pong back
and forth cracking jokes but when Kevin
is ready to continue with the story he
repeats what he was going to say three
times before the attention comes to him
and then he starts the key to this which
so many people miss is not to get
attention with your story you get
attention before your story and you
don’t proceed until you have it
otherwise it’s going to fall flat or
you’ll just wind up trailing off thank
you guys for watching my own quick
addition to this would be don’t be
afraid to tell your own story I think a
lot of people and I was like this too I
was afraid to tell my own story cuz he
didn’t want to be about me it’s not
about me it’s about the products it’s
about the services about what I’m
offering to you and I didn’t want to be
seen as an ego thing like I’m just
trying to bump myself up the thing that
really helped me get through that was
understanding that the story that you
tell helps connect customers to you if
they feel your passion if they
understand your excitement if they know
why you started the business and how
much you really care that helps set you
apart from the next guy no matter what
product or service you’re selling you
have tons of competitors and often big
competitors so why would I buy from you
when I could buy from one of these safe
trusted big companies the difference is
going to be your story it’s the personal
connection I can make with you it’s the
passion that I feel in your voice or in
your words as you talk about why you
started this business and what it means
to you where so many entrepreneurs just
have a really boring corporate landing
page a corporate homepage it talks of
what they do with no picture with no
story with no background and you’re
gonna lose
you’re gonna lose because the other guys
have the track record and the history
and the only reason someone would go
what for you is if they beat you down on
the price if you just wait cheaper than
everybody else and that sucks as a
competitive advantage and there is
something special about you that is
different than everybody else you’re
just not doing a good job explaining it
and so that took me a long time to
understand and digest and unpack because
I still felt like it’s not about me it’s
about the stuff I’m creating again what
helped me make the jump was realizing
that by sharing my story and talking
about me
it helped people understand what I was
doing better and get my ultimate goal of
having an impact on somebody’s life so
make sure to tell your story and don’t
be afraid
thank you guys again so much for
watching I’d love to know which of the
clips meant the most to you resonate
with you the most and why what changes
are you gonna make now on your website
or in your personal life I’d love to
know that leaving the comments below and
I’ll join in the discussion I made this
episode of believe life because Elias s
asked me to so there’s a topic you’d
like me to cover in the next edition of
believe life leave it in the comments
below and we’ll see we can do thank you
again for watching
have an amazing day continue to believe
and I’ll see you soon
now on the tip number five tip number
five is to have a reason or purpose for
why you tongue the story when you have a
reason behind why you’re telling it or
purpose it could be as simple as to make
somebody laugh or to share this
experience of life or as deep as to
inspire people or to move them to action
it could be anything but when you’re
connected to that purpose in that
mission that reason why that’s what’s
gonna make you a great storyteller
because you’re not just telling a story
just to tell it you’re telling it to
make that personal have to bring a smile
to their face or to inspire them or to
show them possibilities whatever it is
connect to that purpose the purpose for
this example and the stories that I
share here or to give you an example of
how to hook somebody how do you be
animated and engage and captivate in a
way that’s congruent authentic and
believable but that’s also going to be
entertaining and inspiring and I teach
us something if you’re serious about
winning you’re gonna be looking for ways
in which you can study and know your
customers extremely well and and begin
to look at how is it that you can
provide the kind of service that make
you stand out in their minds I’m
reminded of a woman who became a
dominant voice in their industry and she
and she was asked the question what what
is it that you can point to that allowed
you to become successful and she said
it’s not our intention to please our
customers or to satisfy our customers
our intention is to amaze them see when
you are looking at your customers and
looking for ways in which you can amaze
them with your story with your expertise
with your knowledge with your
follow-through with the quality of the
service that you provide
that’s how customers vote with their
dollars because of the service that you
provide and because of Europe keeping
your word they did a study to find out
what does customer service mean to the
average person and they said reliability
can we count on you will you keep your
word when you operate with integrity
will you honor your word as yourself can
we count on you you have something
special what’s the story around your
business
what is it about you when people ask who
are you what do you have and why should
I care what is it about you and how you
present yourself
that will cause them to say I want to do
business with you I’ve been looking for
you you are the answer to my problem
think about it
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