Do you remember the first time
you heard a really good story? One of my first times was when I read
"Ramona the Pest" by Beverly Cleary. As a kid, I loved to curl up
in my favorite chair in our living room and transport myself
into the misadventures of Ramona Quimby. Even now, I remember
how my heart would race, reading about her getting into trouble
over and over for misbehaving. At the same time, as a shy suburban kid who often took myself
a little bit too seriously, I really admired her fun-loving attitude
and her carefree spirit. I've always loved stories because they allow me
to experience other worlds I didn't know anything about, yet helped me make sense
of my own world at the same time. But stories aren't just for books
or movies or entertainment. They’re one of the most powerful forces
on the planet to connect, persuade and influence our mindset,
beliefs and behavior. And that's why storytelling
is one of the most powerful marketing and leadership tools there is. In a world cluttered with forgettable,
lackluster messages, stories make us memorable. Not only that, stories create powerful
connections between the storyteller and the story listener. Eleanor Rankin, writes, Uri Hasson, professor of psychology
and neuroscience at Princeton University, discovered that as you hear
a story unfold, your brainwaves actually
start to synchronize with those of the storyteller. The greater the listener's comprehension, the more closely the brainwave
patterns mirrored each other. Kind of brings a whole new
meaning to the phrase "get on the same wavelength," right? But here's the best part of all: stories are proven to affect behavior. Let's take the health care
context, for example. Melanie Green, a communication professor
at the University of Buffalo, says that people are more likely
to make changes to their lifestyle and health habits if they see a character they relate to
making the same change. And so if you've ever wanted
to get anyone to do anything, you would do well to learn
how to tell better stories. Yet too often we're telling
the wrong stories or we're not telling them at all. And in effect, we're wasting our time
and our precious dollars on programs, campaigns and initiatives
that sorely miss the mark. Well, I've been studying stories
since I was a kid, and I've been bringing them to life
for more than a decade as a professional corporate marketer. And today, I want to show you the easy way to create your own stories
that connect, persuade, influence and break through all the clutter. So let's start at the beginning. Number one, the problem and the pursuit. The problem and the pursuit. You know, I believe the worst story of all
is the one that is told too soon. And truly, this is a very common mistake
that aspiring storytellers make. We launch into a story and don't know the first thing
about who we're talking to. Before you're qualified to tell anything, you must deeply understand
your audience's problem and pursuit. Their problem is where they are right now. It's the issues that they're facing
in their current state and how they feel about it. Their pursuit is where they want to be. It's who they want to be, and it's how they will feel
in this future perfect world. Business development expert and LinkedIn top sales
influencer, Liz J. Simpson, knows a little something
about understanding her audience's problem and pursuit. To create messages
for her email marketing, her website and her social media content, she listens to her clients and then begins to extract specific
elements from what they've said and infuses it into her language
and her visuals. The effect is a resounding “Girl! How did you do that? Because every time I see
something from you, it feels like you're talking
directly to me." Now, how did she do it? Simply because she's taking
time to understand her audience's problem and pursuit. Now how did she get that understanding? Well, it's because she's living out
a very powerful storytelling principle, which is this: good story listening always comes before a good story telling. And so, number one,
if you want to tell a good story, you have to understand
your audience's problem and pursuit. Number two, you have to be able
to paint them a picture. You have to be able to co-create a reality that shows you understand the problem, yet hints at a better future. To do this, you'll need a specific person, a specific challenge, specific imagery and specific feelings. Did I mention you should be specific? Now specific doesn’t mean
long and drawn out, it just means you want to include
some distinguishable characteristics that your audience can relate to. It's the reason why Nike's ads
with LeBron James don't include a bunch of close up shots
of shoes they're selling. They don't need to. They found the perfect person
in LeBron James to represent a specific, relatable challenge, namely overcoming obstacles
to beat an opponent. Then they utilize specific imagery to represent a specific
progression of feelings, like defeat and discouragement, to hope and victory and resilience. And once you've been gripped
by a story like that, doesn't it almost go without saying that you want to wear the same
sports gear LeBron James does? To inspire action and shift beliefs, paint a vivid picture for your audience
through words and imagery that they can instantly recall
when they think of you. And so if you're going
to tell a good story, you have to, number one,
know your audience's problem and pursuit. You must, number two, paint them a picture that they can remember and repeat. And finally, number three,
you must propose. You must propose. The year was 2004. I was a senior at Kent State
University at the time, and my boyfriend was holding
a get-together at his home, which I, of course, attended. And suddenly, when I least expected it,
there were roses, there was music, and right there, in front of all
my closest family and friends, he got down on one knee, he pulled out a ring, and in an instant all my little girl
marriage proposal fantasies came true. On the other hand, we have Curtis. Curtis, a couple of years back, was at a local outdoor music event. And at the end of the event, he invited his girlfriend Jackie
to come up on stage with him. And so Jackie begins
to wade through the crowd and find her way to the stage, and she climbs the steps to the stage, and she gets up there and she's standing
up there looking at Curtis. The only problem was, she's looking at him like this. (Laughter) Undaunted, Curtis begins
to pour out his heart, and he says, "Jackie, baby, I love you, girl." (Laughter) He says, "Jackie, baby, You've been like an angel in my life." He said, "Jackie, baby, the writing is all over the wall. I want to spend the rest
of my life with you." And he, too, gets down on one knee and he, too, pulls out a ring and he says, "Jackie, will you marry me?" And right there, in front of all those people, Jackie looked him dead in the eye,
and she said, “I’m sorry, but no,” and walked off the stage. (Laughter) This is the tension we stand in
as marketers and leaders. Because we're constantly making proposals. Buy my product, try my service, come to my event, join my cause. And as much as we want
to hear that enthusiastic yes, we're also pretty afraid
of the rejection of no. I mean, let's be real. Especially a public
rejection like Curtis's, where, despite your best efforts, your preparation and your good intentions, it just fell flat. But this is the power of story. Because stories make proposals
extremely appealing and stack the odds in your favor. First, stories help you
get the timing right. How many of you know, nobody wants you to propose
marriage on the first date? (Laughter) But too often, we expect our audiences
to commit too soon. Well-placed stories slow down
the process just enough for you to build credibility and trust. It’s the principle that New York Times
best-selling author Gary Vaynerchuk talks about in his book
"Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story
in a Noisy Social World." The idea is to give before you ask and to give much more than you ask. Good stories position us to be givers
before we expect to receive. Not only that, stories
make proposals irresistible because they allow us to build connection. Stories masterfully infuse a human
element into our businesses, our brands and our programs
that draws people in. So much so that by the time
you do go in for the ask, like any good proposal, it simply feels
like the next logical step. You see, stories are more than stories. They are the connective tissue that links you to the solution
in people's minds, so that by the time you do present
your solution or propose your offer, they say, "It's about time. I've been waiting for this." And once you've told your story with all the confidence
in the world, ask, invite, propose, shout it from the rooftops. Because by that time,
if you found the right people, the next step you're suggesting is something they'll want
just as much as you do. And so, tell more stories. In fact, tell your stories. It might be the details
surrounding your greatest losses, your greatest wins or the context in which you’ve learned
your greatest life lessons that will paint the pictures, that will let people know,
you understand my problem. And you understand my pursuit. Absolutely, I would love
to accept your proposal. And who knows, maybe your stories
will serve a bigger purpose. Maybe they'll help someone
find connection, community and a little bit of fun. Just like so many years ago, Beverly Cleary's stories did for me. Thank you. (Applause)