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7 Years of Storytelling Advice in 54 Mins — Transcript

by Philipp Humm · 9,057 words · 1,274 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:02by now I've coached thousands of people
0:04on storytelling gave storytelling
0:06workshops to companies like Google
0:08medlife visa and many more and I'll also
0:12publish the number one bestseller the
0:14story selling method now the stuff that
0:16you're about to learn has taken me years
0:18to figure out to save you the time I'm
0:21going to compress everything that I know
0:23into 20 lessons after this video you'll
0:26know everything you ever need to know to
0:29tell ins insanely good stories first
0:32lesson don't use the sword a few weeks
0:34ago I was leading this storytelling
0:36Workshop here in the Netherlands and at
0:38one point one of the participants he
0:39stood up and began with um let me tell
0:42you a story okay right in that moment I
0:44interrupted him whoa hold on there um
0:46can you start over but this time without
0:48the sww confused he said uh what's the
0:51sww I said it's story can you start your
0:55story without saying oh let me tell you
0:57a story now why should you avoid saying
1:00story because some people certainly not
1:03everyone but some people hear the word
1:06story and it triggers almost like this
1:08negative expectation they may think oh
1:11great here it comes a 15minute fairy
1:15tale do we really have time for this
1:18good thing is you can easily avoid that
1:21reaction so instead of saying story say
1:24experience case example or event for
1:28instance if you're sharing a story in
1:29front of of your friends you can
1:31say two weeks ago I had this crazy crazy
1:35experience and then launch into your
1:37story or if you're sharing a story at
1:39work you can say let me quickly share an
1:42example to really show that point okay
1:45and then launch into your story it's a
1:48subtle but very important shift and with
1:50that clear let's now look into the next
1:53lesson second lesson start story strong
1:56or SSS you have 7 Seconds to grab your
2:00audience's attention if you spend those
2:03crucial seconds setting expectations or
2:06providing so much context you know what
2:08happens
2:10H what should I eat for dinner tonight
2:14pizza or pasta wait what is that guy
2:17even talking about you only have one
2:21chance to make this first impression
2:23make it count obviously you don't have
2:25to do that well unless you want to which
2:27is also cool but let me now share
2:30three ways to start you a story strong
2:33first jump into action jump into the
2:36scene where something is happening make
2:38the character do something talking
2:40biking stepping reading anything that
2:43brings in forward momentum example I
2:45stood in front of the manager's door
2:48took a big breath knocked three times
2:50and slowly opened the door as I peeed
2:54inside I saw my manager the head of a
2:57jar Amelia knew this was isn't good
3:00second ask a question ask a question
3:03that makes your audience reflect on
3:05their own experiences or feelings it's a
3:08great way to make them think and connect
3:10with your story example have you ever
3:13wondered what it would be like to just
3:15walk away from everything that you ever
3:17known and start over well that's exactly
3:22what I did when I packed my backs and
3:24moved across the entire country and
3:27third use a cliffhanger start your story
3:30as close as possible to the most crucial
3:33part of the story show your listeners
3:35that this moment is going to be huge but
3:38don't share everything yet example I was
3:41standing in my room with a letter in my
3:44hand I knew that was it I knew that this
3:48letter would change my life forever but
3:51hey let's wind back to when it started
3:55all of those three hooks work incredibly
3:57well if you start your story strong your
4:00audience will be with you in that story
4:02fully present now the hook is crucial
4:06but I guess if the foundation Is Not
4:09Great you won't be able to keep their
4:12attention to have the right foundation
4:13the next lesson is absolutely essential
4:16third lesson Master one story structure
4:20now when I started on my storytelling
4:22journey I had this moment that made me
4:25question how storytelling is taught back
4:27in 2020 I took this very expensive
4:30storytelling course here in the
4:31Netherlands there they taught their
4:33hero's journey which is that beautiful
4:3617-step story structure used in films
4:38like Star Wars or a lot of the Rings now
4:41I love that structure and I thought I'm
4:43going to try this out at work sure the
4:46customer will love it so next day I'm in
4:49a meeting with that customer launching
4:51into my breathtaking story expecting the
4:54client to be blown away
4:57well that didn't exactly happened
5:00halfway into the story the customer
5:02started to look away and it almost felt
5:06like he was uncomfortable with my story
5:09after hearing my story he awkwardly
5:11entered the call and said oh thanks okay
5:13we'll be in touch all right and he left
5:17the call confused I sat there and I
5:20thought wait what just went wrong it
5:23wasn't until I called my sister that I
5:25realized the problem she said philli
5:28obviously your stories are too big too
5:31long hey this is not a TED Talk this is
5:34a casual conversation and there it hit
5:37me the structure that they teach in most
5:40of the courses it's useful for these big
5:43stages but it's completely useless for
5:46the stories we tell in front of our
5:47friends or at work those casual stories
5:51should be 1 to 2 minutes long and then
5:53one to 2 minutes you don't have the time
5:55to cover 17 steps of the hero's journey
5:59you need need something much simpler but
6:01still effective that's when I developed
6:04a structure that changed my life and
6:07that will work for almost any of the
6:08stories that you will tell it's called c
6:11t or card and it's made up of four steps
6:15context adversity resolution and
6:17takeaway think of your structure like
6:20this card in the supermarket that holds
6:22together all the awesome ingredients or
6:24elements of your story or I guess if you
6:27also want to remember it just remember
6:29remember it rhymes on fart let's break
6:32it down step one context first set the
6:35scene for your story give your listener
6:37some basic context where and when does
6:40the story take place who's the main
6:41character and what do they want example
6:44it was October 2019 I was in Amsterdam
6:47rushing to the train station I had to be
6:50there on time to catch the train for my
6:52job interview the company that I've
6:54always dreamed about they' invited me
6:57for an interview that's it who went when
6:59where what boom just a few sentences to
7:03establish the setting and then move into
7:05the most important part of the story as
7:08quickly as possible step two adversity
7:11next you want to introduce the conflict
7:13or the challenge that that main
7:15character faces this is really the heart
7:18of the story this is where things go
7:20wrong or where the tension builds now
7:22the adversity can be anything difficult
7:24decision another person an emotional
7:26challenge a physical challenge anything
7:29as as long as it's substantial for that
7:31main character example as I reached the
7:34station I realized and left my wallet at
7:37home he Panic said in and I thought how
7:39am I going to pay for the train what if
7:41I miss my interview I searched every
7:43single pocket but I just couldn't find
7:46my wallet now this is really the part
7:48where the tension builds up show what is
7:52at stake let us know how the character
7:54feels in that moment this step is
7:56usually the longest and most engaging
7:58part of the story step three resolution
8:02now you want to describe how the
8:04character deals with that adversity what
8:06actions do they take what decisions do
8:09they make and crucially how does the
8:11story resolve at the end example just
8:14when I thought that I'd miss my train I
8:16saw a woman who saw my Panic approach me
8:19and offered me to buy my
8:22ticket I couldn't believe it I made it
8:25to my interview just in time up to this
8:28point the story is in interesting story
8:30but your listeners don't really know why
8:32you're telling them that story that's
8:34when you move into the last step step
8:37four takeaway finally tell your audience
8:40what you learn from that experience what
8:42realization did you have what is the
8:45point of going through all of that
8:47example what I learned from that
8:49experience is that unexpected help shows
8:52up when you needed the most and I guess
8:54also to just double check my pockets the
8:57next time I leave my house when you
8:59share that takeaway avoid things like
9:01saying the moral of the story or you
9:04should take away why because that can
9:06make you sound a little bit preachy
9:08instead frame it as something you
9:10learned is a little bit softer less
9:13preacher is okay mastering this simple
9:16four-step structure context adversity
9:18resolution takeaway will give you your
9:20stories this really strong Foundation
9:23it's quick to learn flexible enough to
9:25adapt to most situation and it helps
9:27your story really to be clear concise
9:29nice and at the end engaging but hey you
9:32can still tell a pretty average Story by
9:34having a great structure that's why the
9:36next lesson is absolutely crucial lesson
9:40number four show don't tell one of the
9:43golden rules in storytelling is to show
9:46don't tell so instead of directly
9:48telling your audience how the character
9:50feels show how it looks show the
9:52emotions the actions the environment and
9:55bring your listeners into the story it
9:58should feel as if the story was
10:00happening to them but not going to lie
10:03when I first heard show don't tell I
10:06didn't really get it back then I had no
10:09interest in writing a novel and it
10:10seemed that all of the advice out there
10:13was for writers now listening to
10:16thousands of oral stories I realized
10:18that there are actually three techniques
10:20of show on tell that are super simple
10:23but very very effective first technique
10:26use dialogue dialogue is a powerful tool
10:29for for showing rather than telling so
10:31instead of saying what someone felt or
10:33thought share the exact words of that
10:36moment let their words their
10:38interactions reveal that emotion example
10:41before he was angry with me after that
10:45moment he snapped are you kidding me you
10:48said you'd be here on time and now look
10:51oh man everything is ruined through this
10:54exchange you get a sense of that
10:56character's anger without explicitly
10:58saying it second technique show through
11:01action actions speak louder than words
11:04what a character does reveals much more
11:06about their feelings and intentions than
11:08simply stating them use physical
11:11movements and behaviors to convey that
11:14emotion and tension example before she
11:17was nervous after she kept fidgeting
11:20with her ring twisting it around her
11:22finger taking it off just looking at
11:25that clock every few seconds those
11:28actions con evade the nervousness much
11:30more effectively than just saying oh she
11:32was nervous third technique show through
11:36metaphors and another great way to show
11:38rather than tell is through metaphors
11:41analogies and comparisons this can help
11:44convey the emotions in a much more
11:46engaging much more creative way example
11:50before the kids were excited
11:53after the kids excitement was like this
11:57Wildfire spreading as they chattered and
12:00jumped with enthusiasm now that
12:03comparison helps the audience feel the
12:06energy in the room by showing instead of
12:08telling you allow your audience to
12:10experience the story firsthand as if it
12:13was happening to them the more you show
12:16the more immersive your storytelling is
12:18going to be but hey that next lesson is
12:21actually a lesson I wish I had learned
12:23right when I started on this journey
12:25lesson number five build a story bank
12:28for my book public speaking with
12:30confidence I asked the 2019 world
12:33champion of public speaking Aaron Bly
12:35hey uh Aaron how do you prepare for your
12:37speech his response was simple but blew
12:41my mind he said I have a story file
12:44where I not done anything that could be
12:46slightly more interesting once I'm
12:48invited to give that speech well then
12:50I'll just review my entries and I'll
12:52look for a story that could potentially
12:54work with that audience sure your
12:57ambition may not be to be the next world
12:59champion of public speaking but I'd
13:01encourage you to do the same build a
13:03story bank if you rely on your memory
13:06alone to remember those stories your
13:09stories will start slipping away that's
13:12exactly what happened to me before I
13:14used to forget most of my stories that
13:17all changed only about 4 years ago when
13:20I started my story bank now the story
13:22bank is this dedicated place where I
13:25record and categorize all of my stories
13:28sure it takes me a few minutes to
13:30document those stories but the payoff
13:32it's enormous today my story Bank holds
13:36I think around 141 stories still
13:39counting now the incredible thing is
13:42that I can use those stories for the
13:44rest of my life they're there for me
13:47whenever I need them whether I'm
13:49delivering a speech engaging in a
13:51meeting or just telling a story in front
13:53of friends so what should you capture in
13:55your story bank now I try to keep it
13:58pretty simple simple and I focus on five
14:00things first a title a short title that
14:03helps you remember the story second
14:06Point that's the core message or point
14:08that you want to convey third a summary
14:11just a few bullets to help you remember
14:13the story fourth use case so the
14:16situations in which that story could be
14:18useful and then lastly rating a rating
14:21of how much you enjoy telling that story
14:23or also how much uh your audience likes
14:26your story now you might be wondering um
14:29look where should I store all of these
14:30stories now the answer is wherever works
14:34best for you I use notion because I can
14:37then access it while traveling and I can
14:39update it from anywhere but it doesn't
14:41really matter if you use Google Docs
14:43Evernote notion or even a physical
14:46Journey but to make it even easier for
14:48you I've created a template of my story
14:50bank which I'll link in the description
14:52below that way you don't have to spend
14:54hours building a story Bank from scratch
14:56now a story bank is like having a saving
14:59account for your stories each time you
15:01add a story you're investing in your
15:03ability to tell more impactful stories
15:06the more stories you have in your story
15:08Bank the more you'll be prepared to
15:11inspire connect and entertain others now
15:14at first that story Bank might still be
15:16a little bit empty but that's where the
15:19next lesson comes in super handy lesson
15:22number six find magic in the mundane
15:25when I started on my storytelling
15:27journey I thought those great great
15:29stories are big stories like the T type
15:31of stories like the time I almost died
15:34climbing in Rio de Janeiro or the time I
15:36met God while doing some while
15:38participating in some crazy iwasa
15:40ceremony in the Amazon now after
15:42studying some of the best storytellers
15:44out there I realized that that actually
15:47wasn't the case in fact it's often not
15:50recommended to tell these big stories no
15:53why not because those stories are not
15:56relatable storytelling is about about
15:59building a connection when you share the
16:01story about this extreme event you're
16:04not building a connection you're pushing
16:06the audience away it's too far to remove
16:09from everyday life the best storytellers
16:12know this and they focus instead on
16:14these smaller moments but the difference
16:17is that they tell these small moments so
16:20skillfully that they almost appear as
16:22this extraordinary event so how can you
16:26spot those small moments there is an
16:28exercise ex called homework for Life by
16:30Matthew dicks now it is the only
16:33exercise I've been doing every single
16:35day for 4 years now and if you take
16:37anything away from today let it be this
16:40here's how it works at the end of each
16:42day take a moment and ask yourself H if
16:45I had to tell a story from today what
16:48would it be H you're not looking for
16:50something huge just a small act of
16:53kindness funny conversation or even that
16:55small thing that annoyed you anything
16:58that touched your hard now once you have
17:00that moment write down the date and that
17:03story worthy moment for example today
17:05was August 22 and my story worthy moment
17:09was feeling proud after cooking Curry
17:12for dinner now just quick context that
17:15was a huge moment for me because I
17:17haven't cooked in like 14 months I
17:20usually just order or eat outside so I
17:22felt really like this grownup today um
17:25well anyway probably sharing a little
17:27bit too much information here probably
17:29thinking what a weirdo right now anyhow
17:31what about you what was your story
17:33worthy moment today let me know in the
17:36comments now what's in it for you at
17:39first your entries might not seem overly
17:41special they may look something like oh
17:43I really enjoyed this peanut butter
17:45sandwich this morning or I took the bus
17:47to work but over time you start to
17:49notice more and more of those
17:52storyworthy moments you'll realize that
17:54your life is actually full of stories
17:57you just got to spot T them if you stick
18:00to that exercise just for a few weeks
18:02you'll soon have this suitcase of
18:04stories ready to share because those
18:07small moments that's where really the
18:10best stories are often hiding but let's
18:12say you do this for a while but how can
18:14you then actually start sharing these
18:16mini moments with the world here's where
18:19the next lesson comes in lesson number
18:22seven share tiny stories and even though
18:25I knew how to tell stories it took me
18:27actually quite a while to actually sh
18:28share them I just couldn't figure out
18:31when and where to drop a story most of
18:34the times I only realized said hours and
18:36hours later I was like ah Phillip you're
18:38so stupid you could have used the story
18:39in that moment now that only changed
18:42when I developed one simple habit
18:45instead of waiting for the perfect
18:47moment to tell this big story I started
18:49telling these tiny stories in one
18:52specific situation whenever someone asks
18:55me how are you before I'd give this hual
18:58bar answer I would say something like oh
19:00good thanks or oh yeah great finally the
19:03sun is out but after this change I began
19:07sharing a tiny story instead example if
19:10someone were to ask me today how are you
19:13I'd respond like this I'm good actually
19:16today I feel like such a grownup today
19:19uh I cooked vegetable curry and I know
19:21this sounds like nothing but for me it
19:23was huge I hadn't cooked in like 14
19:26months usually I just order but today
19:29some I felt like it is time to be an
19:31adult anyway what about you when was the
19:34last time that you tried something new
19:36and how was that for you that's it a
19:39tiny story that shares a little bit more
19:41about me as a person so what kind of
19:45things can you actually say when someone
19:47asks you how are you now I try to
19:49respond with anything that is more
19:51engaging than weather or traffic that
19:54could be maybe has there been something
19:56interesting that has happened to you may
19:58have you picked up this new skill that
20:00is interesting to share or is there even
20:02this small thing that annoyed you but
20:04it's still kind of funny to share now
20:06you might be wondering hey um isn't this
20:09super awkward like to share something
20:11unsolicited like no one ask for that
20:13absolutely yeah it's super weird at the
20:16beginning but what I can tell you now
20:18after using those stories hundreds and
20:21hundreds of times it's absolutely worth
20:23it try it out gather your own data
20:26points not only will you become this
20:28better Storyteller but you'll also spark
20:31more meaningful conversations with
20:33co-workers friends and even strangers
20:36but hey let's now move into the next
20:39lesson that lesson that is that is a
20:42must have in any story next lesson build
20:46anticipation imagine you're super hungry
20:50and you just ordered a meal from your
20:52favorite restaurant you can't wait for
20:54the food to arrive every minute you
20:56check your phone you look for the
20:59delivery guys only 10 minutes away you
21:00sit there and you're like so excited
21:02you're like oo I can't wait for the food
21:04to arrive when we
21:06arrive now that sensation of waiting
21:10craving and desire that is what dopamin
21:12creates you want to create that same
21:14sensation for your audience when telling
21:16your story well not that you want your
21:18audience to think of food you want them
21:20to be on the edges of their seats dying
21:23to find out what happens next so how do
21:27you build anticipation first sell your
21:30story before you go into your story say
21:33a sentence to get your listeners excited
21:36about the story something that
21:38immedately pequs their interest and
21:40makes them want to hear the rest of the
21:42story example just yesterday I had an
21:46experience that completely changed my
21:49outlook on life or two weeks ago I had
21:53the worst meeting of my life second drop
21:57mini cliffhanger
21:59now hooking them at the start is good
22:01but don't just hook them there try to
22:04insert these mini Cliff hangers
22:06throughout your story example just when
22:09I thought that I had everything under
22:11control my phone rang with a message
22:14that made my heart stop as I walked down
22:17the alley I heard some footsteps behind
22:20me but when I turned around no one was
22:22there so try to include a few hooks
22:25throughout your entire story now what
22:27happens if you don't hook them well your
22:30listeners will then just look for other
22:32cheap sources of dopamin avoid that by
22:35including a few sentences that raise the
22:39anticipation next lesson bring your
22:41characters to life just last week I
22:44watch Star Wars Episode 2 for I think
22:47the fifth time now it's so freaking good
22:51uh anyway at one point like in pretty
22:54much every Star Wars dozens of
22:55Stormtroopers were killed and for those
22:58of you who haven't watched Star Wars
22:59before Stormtroopers they're the bad
23:01guys now as I sat on my couch seeing all
23:04these bodies of the Stormtroopers pile
23:06up I noticed um that I was feeling
23:11happy relieved I somehow didn't feel any
23:14sympathy whatsoever for the
23:16Stormtroopers now why is that one reason
23:20could be that I'm a very troubled person
23:22that yeah I have a lot of problems that
23:25could be one reason but the more likely
23:27reason is that I don't know anything
23:29about the Stormtroopers they're these
23:31faceless nameless creatures I don't know
23:33anything about for Star Wars it makes
23:36sense because they don't want us to
23:37sympathize with the bad guys but for our
23:40stories often times we don't share
23:43anything about the main character that
23:45makes our audience care so how can you
23:48avoid that how can you bring your
23:50characters to life first describe the
23:53physical characteristics you can
23:55describe the character's appearance like
23:57clothing body type or even Gadgets in
24:00any way that makes it more memorable
24:03give the details that really stick to
24:05your audience's mind example she had
24:08this bright infectious smile that just
24:10could light up any room also her curly
24:13hair looked like she just stepped out of
24:15this wind tunnel second reveal their
24:19quirks and traits now you can share the
24:21unique traits or habits that make your
24:25character stand out and feel real
24:28example he had a habit that he couldn't
24:31start his day without making sure that
24:34every item on his desk was perfectly
24:36aligned and third share their dreams and
24:40fears show what drives the character and
24:43what they're afraid of now that adds
24:45depth and makes your audience empathize
24:48cheer for them example her biggest dream
24:51was to open this small bakery and really
24:54bring joy to her community but her fear
24:58of failing just capture her from taking
25:01that plunge when you bring your
25:03character to life your audience will
25:05connect with them and care about their
25:07Journey so remember don't be a
25:10stormtrooper let's now go to the next
25:13lesson that lesson is probably the one
25:16that is the easiest to make any story
25:18more interesting lesson number 10 make
25:21it emotional quickly think about a
25:23childhood memory can be any memory that
25:26pops to your mind maybe it was this
25:27birthday party party maybe it was a
25:29family holiday or maybe it was this
25:31school performance now how old were you
25:33at that time and also what did you feel
25:36in that moment also why do you think you
25:39remember that
25:40moment I tell you why it's because of
25:43the emotions you felt in that moment
25:46these can be pleasurable emotions like
25:48happy or excited or painful emotions
25:51like fear and sadness now compare that
25:53with how much you remember from let's
25:55say a meeting you had a week ago or a
25:58that encounter with a friend a week ago
26:00you probably forgot 99% of what you
26:02talked about in that meeting if you want
26:05to connect to your listeners and be
26:07remembered almost years and years down
26:09the line you've got to tell a story that
26:11touches them emotionally so how can you
26:14infuse emotions into your story there
26:17are two techniques that I love more than
26:19anything else first technique share the
26:22thoughts let us know what the character
26:24is thinking in that crucial moment of
26:26the story what are the hopes the dreams
26:29the fears the plans that are going on in
26:31the character's mind example before I
26:34was beating myself up over gaining
26:36another 10 lb after I thought I'm
26:40useless why is it so hard for me to just
26:44eat like a normal person I don't even
26:46have the willpower to go one day without
26:49sugar second show the emotions show the
26:53emotions rather than just telling the
26:54emotions show us what the emotion looks
26:57like on the body on the face when
26:59experiencing that emotion example before
27:02I was stressed about the deadline after
27:05my chest felt tight thinking about that
27:08deadline was like this weight pressing
27:11me down really hard to breathe by
27:13sharing the thoughts and showing the
27:16emotions your audience will find it much
27:18easier to visualize feel but also to
27:21remember your story let me now share
27:24another lesson and I've seen some very
27:27average stories land incredibly well
27:30only because of that lesson number 11
27:34act out key moments now how do you use
27:36your voice your body your emotions to
27:39tell you a story well there are
27:41different styles in this one some use it
27:43very little they rely 100% on their
27:45voice or on their story others use them
27:48quite a lot as you can probably see I
27:49like to use my voice and my body to
27:51bring the story to life I'm acting out
27:54parts of my story but hey look I'm not a
27:57professional actor and your PR neither
27:59but that does mean that we cannot use
28:01some of their techniques to bring our
28:02stories to life now there are three
28:05techniques that are pretty easy that you
28:07can try out in your next story first
28:09technique show in action if you say I B
28:12down to pick up that orange well
28:14actually bend down and pick up that
28:17orange and hold that imaginary Orange in
28:19your hand or if you say well I walk
28:22across the hall and open the door well
28:24then take a few steps pretend to open
28:27that door and go inside show the action
28:30don't just describe it second technique
28:33show reactions now in life something
28:36happens we react whether it's raising
28:38our voice when we get angry or whether
28:40laughing when we're happy or speaking
28:42very softly when we're sad we react but
28:45somehow when we tell our stories we
28:48suppress those reactions to appear more
28:51professional don't do that show the
28:54reactions relive the emotions if the
28:57moment was joyful well let the joy come
28:59through in your expression and in your
29:01tone if if the moment was sad well then
29:04don't be afraid to show that sadness
29:07show the reaction third technique
29:09impersonate a character now most stories
29:12involve more than one person and
29:14dialogue as you know is a great way to
29:16make any Story come alive now when you
29:18include a conversation in your story try
29:21to impersonate the other character
29:24involved for example if you're sharing a
29:25conversation you had with your mom well
29:27then impersonate your mom while sharing
29:29the dialogue give your audience a sense
29:32of who she is mimic her tone of voice
29:35her posture her body language capture
29:38her personality example in that moment
29:41my mom said Phillip why did you do that
29:44you had one job and that was to take
29:47care of the dog you couldn't even do
29:49that I know it may feel awkward at first
29:53to act out parts of your story but trust
29:55me doing so makes your story much more
29:57Vivid it much more compelling give it a
30:00try lesson number 12 break expectations
30:03imagine you lived on the countryside and
30:06every day you drive to work along the
30:08way you see bunch of fields there cows
30:10grazing but you don't even recognize
30:12that you're just on autopilot but on
30:15this one day same route you look to the
30:17left and you're like whoa oh that's a
30:19pink cow crazy a pink cow I've never
30:22seen a pink cow in my life you arrive at
30:24work and you tell everyone about that
30:25pink cow you remember that pink cow for
30:28the rest of your life this is the
30:32essence of breaking expectations we as
30:35humans we are great at spotting patterns
30:38but as soon as we think that something
30:40is
30:41predictable we tune out the moment your
30:44audience knows where the story is going
30:46they'll start thinking about other stuff
30:48they won't be there with you what should
30:52I watch tonight Modern Family the
30:56office hm
30:58to capture their attention and to keep
31:00it you want to share something that your
31:03audience didn't see coming that can be
31:06an unusual activity an unusual event or
31:08an unusual reaction anything that breaks
31:10that pattern of what is expected let me
31:13give you an example of a story that has
31:15a few major moments of surprise now this
31:18story comes from clothing retailer
31:20Nordstrom and is used to show what the
31:23company really stands for 1978 Craig
31:26troun was working as a store associate
31:28at the Nordstrom in Fairbanks Alaska and
31:31on this one day Craig looked at the
31:33entrance and saw something super weird
31:36there was this man rolling in a pair of
31:39tires into the store I'm confused Craig
31:42went up to the guy and asked uh excuse
31:44me sir can I help you and the guy said
31:46yeah yeah I wanted to return these tires
31:48Craig said uh sir you know that we're
31:51clothing retailer we don't sell any
31:53tires it turned out that he had bought
31:56the tires from the previous tenant of
31:59that same building now at first Craig
32:02didn't know what to do with that guy
32:03should he just sent that guy back but
32:05then he decided to do what felt right he
32:09called the local tire agency to get an
32:11estimate of the value of the tirus he
32:14then took in the tarus and gave a refund
32:18he gave a refund for a product that
32:20nordom didn't even have now that's what
32:23it means to put the customer first did
32:26you notice which moment of the story
32:27went into a different direction than
32:30You' expected there was this one moment
32:32where this customer rolled a pair of
32:34tires into the store that's weird right
32:36we don't see that that often the second
32:38moment was when Craig decided to give a
32:41refund for a product that they didn't
32:43even have also massively surprising so
32:46try to incorporate a few unexpected
32:48elements twists and resolutions to make
32:51your story Unforgettable lesson number
32:5413 turn up the heat imagine watching Who
32:58Wants To Be A Millionaire now at the
32:59beginning of the show the stakes are
33:01still quite low the contestant well they
33:03can earn few hundred dollars but that's
33:05it but then as the show
33:08progresses the stakes get much higher
33:11each correct answer brings the
33:13contestant closer to that massive
33:15million dooll prize but to make it even
33:17harder the time to respond goes down to
33:2015 seconds at one point the host ask the
33:22contestant what would they do with all
33:24the money the contestant responds and
33:26says I'm going to buy my dad a house to
33:28take him off the street the audience now
33:31is dying to know if she'll secure this
33:34lifechanging price and make her dream a
33:37reality now that is a prime example of
33:41raising the stakes raising the stakes
33:44means increasing what is at risk in your
33:46story share the big thing that the
33:48character can win or lose in that
33:51specific situation raising the stakes is
33:53like turning up that heat in your story
33:56the higher the stakes the more intense
33:59and more engaging your story becomes so
34:01how do you raise the stakes in your
34:03story there are three simple ways First
34:06share the character's goals share what
34:09your main character wants to achieve
34:11what are their hopes their dreams their
34:13plans but hey don't just share any
34:16shallow goals share emotional goals
34:19share really what matters to that
34:21character example I wanted to finish
34:24that Marathon to prove to myself that I
34:26can do anything in life life that I
34:28don't need to play it low anymore second
34:32show impact on others you can increase
34:35the stakes even more by showing how
34:37other people are affected by the hero's
34:40actions and what will happen to them if
34:42that hero succeeds or also fails right
34:46example I got to get this job if I don't
34:49get it I won't have the money to send my
34:51daughter to college she relies on me and
34:54third introduce time pressure now you
34:57can make any story Meely more
34:59interesting add a deadline or a time
35:01limit to increase the urgency and to
35:04make it even ju here example I had 2
35:07hours to prepare this 30 slide
35:10presentation that would be presented to
35:12the board of directors now when you show
35:15what is at risk your audience will care
35:17much more about the outcome and they
35:19will become invested in your characters
35:21and also in the journey that they're on
35:23but let's now go into a lesson that took
35:26me quite some time to find out that
35:29lesson can actually make or break any
35:32story lesson number 14 show the change
35:35during my MBA at Columbia University I
35:38had this one friend who was a wonderful
35:40Storyteller every single time we went
35:42out he shared a story a story about a
35:45time that he got super drunk did
35:47something crazy or inappropriate man I
35:50got so wasted that I passed out in the
35:53subway it was legendary and just a few
35:57days ago I thought of him and I tried to
36:00remember some of his stories to my
36:02surprise I couldn't remember a single
36:06one of them at first I couldn't
36:08understand why I didn't remember them
36:10because they were entertaining but then
36:12I realized why because his stories
36:15didn't have any element of change he was
36:18like oh I was that person before did
36:20this crazy stuff and I was that same
36:23person after no change no transformation
36:26no growth just the same old him change
36:30is the difference between a story that
36:31people forget and a story that sticks to
36:34create a story that resonates you need
36:36to show some sort of transformation
36:39think about it in almost every movie or
36:41book you love the main character under
36:44go some sort of change they start out in
36:47one way and they end up completely
36:49different take the movie Avatar for
36:51example at the start Jake s is this
36:54disabled Marine who feels lost and once
36:57meaning in life but then he changes into
36:59this Brave leader who loves and protects
37:02Pandora's nature for your story show
37:05some sort of change or transformation if
37:08for example if you were out of shape
37:10well now you're running a marathon if
37:12you hated your sister now your best
37:15friends or if you were terrified of
37:17public speaking well now you love being
37:19on stage show the change but hey so far
37:23we've only talked about the stuff to add
37:25to your story but let's now go into to a
37:27lesson that makes sure that whatever you
37:30say lands really well lesson number 15
37:34keep it simple for my book The Story
37:37selling method I wanted to understand
37:39what language do the best storytellers
37:41use and for that I analyzed 97 stories
37:45now after listening to each one of the
37:47stories I gave each story a score from 1
37:50to 10 now one being ah this is a
37:53terrible story to 10 oh I freaking love
37:56this story this is so good after that I
37:58transcribed each one of the stories and
38:00I put the transcript into a readability
38:03tool and what I found blew my mind the
38:07highest rated stories could be
38:09understood by a fifth grader that is
38:12someone that is 11 or maybe 12 years old
38:16great stories don't try to be too fancy
38:18or too intellectual they focus on
38:21connecting to Their audience the simpler
38:24your language the easier it is for your
38:26audience to connect to story short and
38:29clear sentences they stick complex and
38:32to flowery sentences not so much so how
38:36can you simplify your stories first
38:38break down long sentences instead of
38:41having this one gigantic sentence use
38:44two or three shorter ones before as I
38:47was walking down the street feeling the
38:50brisk Autumn air on my face I couldn't
38:52help but contemplate about the time I
38:54spent In America which was an
38:56unforgettable experience that truly
38:59shaped who I am today after as I walked
39:02down the street I felt this cool air on
39:05my face reminded me of my time in
39:07America an experience that really
39:09changed me forever second avoid jargon
39:12or fancy words now try to use everyday
39:15language even if you use stories in
39:17business don't use too complicated words
39:20I know we're constantly trying to look
39:22and sound smarter than we really are but
39:24don't do that in your story use everyday
39:26language before we need to synergize our
39:29methodologies to achieve optimal
39:32efficiency after we need to work
39:34together to get better results third HD
39:37conversational share your story as if
39:40you're talking to your best friend it
39:42doesn't matter if you're sharing a story
39:44with one person or on a stage in front
39:46of hundreds of people before on
39:49considering the extent of possibilities
39:52I came to the conclusion that the most
39:56efficacious route forward was to proceed
40:00with caution after after thinking about
40:03it I realized that the best thing to do
40:06was to take it slow if you want to check
40:09whether your story is simple enough well
40:11just copy the text that you've written
40:12on your story and put it into a free
40:15readability tool I'll actually include
40:17the link to my favorite readability tool
40:19in the description below now that
40:21software or that tool will tell you
40:23exactly what grade level your story is
40:25what I suggest aim for grade level that
40:27can be understood by fifth grader maybe
40:30sixth grader or maybe seventh grader but
40:32not much more than that keep it simple
40:35and remember Simplicity it's not about
40:38dumping down your story it's about
40:40making sure that your message is clear
40:43and accessible to really everyone lesson
40:46number 16 uncover forgotten stories when
40:50I first began my storytelling journey I
40:51sat down and I tried to count how many
40:54stories I had after 2 hours I came up
40:57with
40:57six stories for my entire life and I was
41:01proud I thought wow Phillip well done
41:03you're such a wonderful Storyteller now
41:05I realize that that number could be much
41:08higher if you're around let's say 20
41:10years old you probably have hundreds of
41:13stories if you're in your 30s or 40s you
41:15will have thousands of stories that you
41:18could potentially use and no you don't
41:20need to have the craziest life for that
41:22the reason you might not see these
41:24stories yet is either because you've
41:25forgotten about them or your memory
41:28doesn't save them as a story we're about
41:30to change that think of yourself as as
41:33an archaeologist but instead of digging
41:36out these dinosaur bones we're digging
41:39here for past memories that could be
41:42turned into a story the most effective
41:44way to uncover your hidden memories from
41:47the past is through a practice called
41:49stream of Consciousness journaling now
41:51how does it work first choose a prompt
41:54start by picking a prompt to help you
41:57spark your ideas and get your thoughts
41:59flowing PRS can be based on locations
42:03themes like travel Sports relationships
42:06or specific experiences now some
42:08examples could be the courageous leap
42:11for example these can be these moments
42:14when you faced a major Challenge and you
42:15overcame it or the special encounter
42:18these could be these Brief Encounters
42:21that you had with a stranger or an
42:23acquaintance but that really left an
42:25impact on you or nature simp syy in
42:27which you reflect on a very memorable
42:30experience you had in nature whether
42:31that was that challenging hike or a
42:34romantic day at the beach you know what
42:36I'll actually include my top 10 prompts
42:38in the description below so that you can
42:40get started straight away but for now I
42:42would say just pick one of them second
42:44set a timer to avoid feeling overwhelmed
42:48start with a short time frame set your
42:50timer for maybe like 5 minutes that's
42:52about it you can then adjust that frame
42:54the more comfortable you feel with that
42:56exercise third start writing once you've
42:59set the timer begin writing down any
43:01memories that come to your mind anything
43:03related to that prompt now the key here
43:06is to just keep writing don't stop don't
43:09edit don't second guess just keep
43:12writing let your thoughts flow freely
43:14even if they seem random stupid or all
43:17over the place stream of Consciousness
43:19journaling is not about quality but
43:22about quantity don't worry if your ideas
43:24are all over the place or if you think
43:26that this is silly just keep going four
43:31identify potential stories and when the
43:33timer is up you then look to your sheet
43:35and you think hm is there any memory or
43:39any story that stands out anything that
43:41is particularly interesting entertaining
43:44or maybe emotional well that could be
43:47then the seat for your next Story by
43:50practicing stream of Consciousness
43:52journaling just a few times you will
43:54uncover more and more of those meaning
43:57ful moments from your past these could
43:59then become the stories that you tell in
44:01casual conversations at work or even on
44:03stage trust me you've got way more
44:06stories than you think you just need to
44:09start digging all right on to the next
44:11lesson which is I think already quite
44:14Advanced lesson lesson number 17 avoid
44:18generic language now ever noticed how
44:21some stories just come alive While
44:24others just fall flat and one Secret to
44:27making your storytelling more Vivid more
44:29engaging is to use specific descriptive
44:32words instead of those generic ones now
44:35imagine two scenarios scenario one I was
44:38driving in my car down the highway now
44:41what does it really tell us how much
44:43right you know that I drive a car and
44:46that I use the highway that's it but you
44:49don't get a sense of who I am as a
44:52person right scenario 2 I was driving
44:55120 mph down the German Autobon in my
44:5910-year-old Toyota Prius now this tells
45:02you so much more gives you some
45:04indications that maybe I'm a risk taker
45:07right driving so fast on the Autobon
45:10shows you that I like the thrill or the
45:12adventure or maybe also that I'm a
45:14little bit cheap right driving this old
45:17Toyota Prius might indicate that maybe I
45:19don't have a lot of money or maybe I
45:22choose practicality over luxury so it
45:25shows you much more about me as a
45:28character so how can you make your
45:30details pop first replace generic words
45:34generic I was at a party specific I was
45:38at this Halloween party surrounded by
45:41superheroes and with this DJ blasting
45:4480s hits second add unique details to
45:48the character generic she was really
45:51smart specific she was the kind of
45:54person who could solve the Rubik's Cube
45:56in just under minute and really explain
45:59quantum physics over coffee third use
46:03metaphors generic it was strong specific
46:07that guy was strong as a bull lifting
46:10those weights as if they were feathers
46:12but when you replace that generic text
46:15through more specific details make sure
46:17that your sentences are not much longer
46:20that you actually use it strategically
46:22because if everything is just details
46:24details details it can be overwhelming
46:27as well but yeah if you just sprinkle a
46:29few of those details into your story it
46:32will transform that story so most of the
46:35lessons we focus on techniques to pretty
46:37much enhance your story but there are a
46:39few lessons that will help you feel also
46:42excited to deliver those stories to
46:44really tell these stories lesson 18
46:47memorize smme when you're telling a
46:50story the last thing you want is to
46:52sound like this robot resigning Lines by
46:55Lines by from memory now a story that is
46:58too rehearsed can often come off as too
47:00stiff and unnatural but I guess at the
47:03same time you also don't want to stumble
47:05through your story searching for the
47:07words ah what I want to say here getting
47:09lost that's also not good right so how
47:12do you find the balance instead of
47:14memorizing your entire story word for
47:16word focus on memorizing smme for those
47:19of you in business know we're not
47:20talking about small and mediumsized
47:22Enterprises here we're talking about
47:26start scenes and end first memorize your
47:30start think of the best speeches or
47:32stories that you've ever heard they
47:35start with that bang whether it's an
47:37action it's that question or that
47:39Cliffhanger they start with a bang the
47:42start of your story is like that
47:44Spotlight that grabs everyone's
47:46attention it sets the tone pequs
47:48curiosity and gives your listeners a
47:51reason to keep paying attention now as
47:54it's so crucial I'd suggest to memorize
47:57the first few sentences in Your Story by
47:59Heart by knowing those opening lines
48:02really inside out you can then launch
48:04into your story with full confidence
48:07second memorize moments now that we've
48:10got the opening down let's now talk
48:12about the middle the the heart of your
48:14story this is where memorizing every
48:17single word is not really necessary
48:20instead what you want to do is memorize
48:22the key moments or scenes of your story
48:26think of the moments like the main
48:27building blocks those are the places
48:30where the action takes place maybe the
48:32decisions that are made or the emotions
48:34that were felt each moment is like a
48:36snapshot a clear mental image of that
48:40place or that moment where something
48:42important takes place for example um one
48:45moment could be that you're in front of
48:47your manager's door and you're knocking
48:48at the door another moment could be
48:50you're in the office and your manager
48:52telling you about this unexpected
48:54project then third moment could be in
48:57the elevator Crying by memorizing or
48:59visualizing those scenes you'll
49:01naturally remember what happens in each
49:04part of the story three memorize your
49:07end I know people usually don't really
49:10like to think about the end of their
49:12story they spend their entire time on
49:14the opening or the body that's it that's
49:16a missed opportunity the end will be
49:18this last impression that people have of
49:21your story this is where you drive from
49:23your takeaway this is where you give
49:25your audience something to to to reflect
49:27upon that's why I suggest to memorize
49:30the end or closing of your story really
49:32also hard by heart CU that's what people
49:36will remember so use smme so start
49:40moments and end to memorize your story
49:43that way it will feel alive natural and
49:47real all right the next lesson that one
49:50it's a crazy crazy hack I wish I had
49:54discovered much earlier lesson number 19
49:57rehearse with a tutor practicing your
50:00stories a couple of times two to three
50:02times is usually enough to get
50:04comfortable but once you feel
50:06comfortable it's then important to share
50:09that story also with someone else to get
50:11feedback at first I asked my friends and
50:14family if they could listen to my
50:16stories this worked well for sometimes
50:18but after asking my best friend for like
50:21I think the seventh time I started to
50:23feel a little bit awkward I felt like
50:25he'd probably do something and else that
50:27listen to my stories every single week
50:30so I started looking for a storytelling
50:32coach but that's really when I hit the
50:34wall good storytelling coaches they're
50:37expensive like really expensive decent
50:40one cost at least $200 an hour and
50:43excellent ones can charge thousands but
50:46that's when I discovered something that
50:49completely transformed my storytelling
50:51journey I hired an English language
50:54tutor but hold on there there's a Twist
50:57I didn't use that shooter for English
50:59lessons I use them to practice
51:01storytelling there are these language
51:03platforms like prle or itaki where you
51:06can find private English tutors for as
51:09little as $3 an hour in these 1hour
51:12sessions I then share two to three
51:14stories with their tutor and I asked
51:15them for feedback now it doesn't really
51:18matter that they're not professional
51:20storytelling coaches doesn't matter they
51:22can still tell me how they like the
51:24story whether they got bored somewhere
51:26and how the story made them feel after
51:28then sharing a few stories I use that
51:31remaining time to improvise a few
51:33stories on the spot now this is really a
51:37crazy hack that has helped me make the
51:39biggest leap as a Storyteller all right
51:42are you ready for the last lesson of
51:45this video can I get a drum roll
51:49please po last lesson commit to a big
51:53goal I owe much of My Success to a
51:55simple Mantra commit now figured out
51:58later let me share how I discovered this
52:01approach in November 2021 I had this
52:04crazy idea I wanted to try out to do
52:07standup comedy back then I'd never read
52:10a book on Comedy or never taken any
52:12course but I didn't let that stop me I
52:14searched for open m nights here in
52:16Amsterdam found one and signed up to be
52:19a comedian just to be clear I knew
52:21nothing about comedy but I
52:23thought I I I'll figure it out fast
52:26forward forward 3 weeks I'm standing in
52:28front of 180 people delivering my first
52:32ever standup comedy routine it was hands
52:35down the most difficult moment most
52:38terrifying moment of my entire life my
52:41legs were just shaking uncontrollably
52:43the entire time I wish I could say that
52:45I absolutely crushed it but no that just
52:49wouldn't be true I wasn't terrible but I
52:51definitely wasn't amazing either but
52:54actually that didn't matter what really
52:55mattered is how much I learned those
52:59three weeks of preparation taught me
53:01more about comedy than in a year of
53:04passive learning the key is this the
53:06biggest growth happens when you go after
53:09something that seems far beyond your
53:12current abilities now what I did in
53:14comedy you can do with storytelling now
53:17most major cities today have
53:19storytelling open might nights in the US
53:21the moth and risk are two of the most
53:24well-known storytelling open might
53:26nights go to their website submit an
53:28application to tell a story and then
53:30figure out the rest later or I guess if
53:33there aren't any storytelling nights in
53:35your city well ask your manager or your
53:37boss if you can share a story in your
53:40next team meeting or if that is not an
53:42option ask a friend or a family member
53:44if you can tell a story at the next
53:46celebration yes it will feel terrifying
53:50and yes you might not be ready but the
53:52minute you commit to that date you'll do
53:55whatever it takes to nail the story and
53:58to mostly avoid that embarrassing
54:01situation and even if you messed up well
54:04that by itself would be a wonderful
54:05learning and also a great story that you
54:08can tell in the future that's it those
54:11are my 20 lessons from 5 years of
54:13Storytelling actually let me know in the
54:15comments which lesson was your favorite
54:18today we went deep into storytelling but
54:21when you speak in front of friends when
54:23you give a presentation or often times
54:24when you record a video they're also few
54:26other public speaking techniques that
54:29you need to master and for that you may
54:31want to check out this next video in
54:33which I'll give you some of my favorite
54:35public speaking techniques enjoy
54:39[Music]

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of 7 Years of Storytelling Advice in 54 Mins by Philipp Humm, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 9,057 words across 1,274 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

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