StoryBored

A Lesson from American Gangster

Worried about what you should wear for your next presentation? Take a lesson from the movie American Gangster.

In the movie, Frank Lucas (played by Denzel Washington) has established himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. His whole reputation is based on his ability to not stand out, but by working smart and staying under the radar. It is not until several years later when he begins to slip.

What's the lesson? Here's a great quote from the movie:

"The loudest one in the crowd is the weakest one in the crowd."

You always need to be searching for balance - with your visuals and with your style of dress. Never be too loud.

Nonverbal Communication Matters

In the movie Zoolander, Ben Stiller plays the dimwhitted male model of Derek Zoolander. In his quest to maintain his position as the top male model, he has spent years crafting his new look - "Magnum." The irony is that his new look isn't any different than his other looks of Blue Steel, Ferrari, and Le Tigre. They are all the same which is unfortunate since everything we do nonverbally matters especially our facial expressions.

According to a study by UCLA a few years ago, 93% of human communication is nonverbal. Thus, it always amazes me when presenters hide behind a podium which covers 75% of their body. Move away from the podium and let people see your nonverbal communication. The bottom line... everything you do with your hands, your posture, and your facial expressions matter. Switch it up a bit. What's your Magnum?

If you haven't had the privilege to see Zoolander, enjoy this "walk off" clip below.

Know Your Audience

This commercial by ClearBlue is a great example of knowing your audience. In fact, it makes you wonder at first why the commercial is so masculine themed when the product is so feminine. However, when you think about it, men are the ones who purchase pregnancy tests and this commercial is geared for the typical guy - the lover of gadgets and Best Buy.

Advanced... Digital.... Easy... this commercial was definitely made for the man of the household.

Protagonists and Antagonists: G.I. Joe Style

Watching this clip gives me some warm fuzzies since I loved everything about G.I. Joe growing up. It was my all time favorite cartoon for about 3 years straight and I had every action figure I could get my hands on.

To this day I still remember begging my mom to take me from store to store... hoping, waiting, anxious to find my favorite character - Storm Shadow - only to be disappointed that he was sold out. However, on some random Tuesday afternoon - I found him - the only one left in what appeared to be an empty G.I. Joe toy section at Target. This was back in 1984. That's why I love Target. You can't go wrong with Target. =)

I digress... what I learned from a very young age about G.I. Joe is that there is good and evil. Good being G.I. Joe, the REAL American heroes - Evil being Cobra, a ruthless organization determined to rule the world. In fancier words, great stories all have the protagonist (good) and antagonist (evil) or a problem/solution throughline. See in earlier post about the Sherlock story approach.

So what can we learn from Cobra? Antagonists create great tension. They are what keep you engaged. They build emotion, anger, frustration within you. They get you disturbed. That's how they add value.

So what can we learn from G.I. Joe? Protagonists are the heroes. They are what also keep you engaged. They make you happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. You can live vicariously through them. They bring you joy. That's how they add value.

You need both to make a great story and a great presentation.

SuperGood: Make Your Story McLovin

Here are three R's that I have created that illustrate how you can make your next presentation SuperGood. Using these approaches will even make Fogell stand out from a crowd.

Repeat
Stories have always existed, will always be around, and they will be repeated over and over again. This is because they contain nuggets of wisdom that people cherish, crave to hear, and be reminded of on a daily, weekly, month, or annual basis. Think about it. There are really no new stories. They are just retold by different people in different ways. Just look around you… Frodo, Luke Skywalker, William Wallace - all of these heroes faced the same challenges. Their stories just a have a different twist or storyline. Thus, stories will always exist. Period.

Not only are stories repeated but great stories contain repetition.

Most SNL fans remember Chris Farley’s infamous character, Matt Foley: the motivational speaker who lived in a van down by the river. The script is a perfect example of the beauty of repetition.

Well, you'll have plenty of time to live in a van down by the river when you're.. [ tries to be clever ] ..living in a van down by the river! Now, you kids are probably asking yourself, "Hey, Matt, how can we get back on the right track?!" Well, as I see it, there is only one solution! And that is for me to get my gear, move it on into here, 'cause I'm gonna bunk with you, buddy! We're gonna be buddies! We're gonna be pals! [ picks Brian up ] We're gonna wrassle around! [ puts Brian down ] Ol' Matt's gonna be your shadow! [ motions] Here's Matt, here's you! There's Matt, there's you! [ trips and falls flat on the coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor ] Whoops-a-daisy! [ stands up ] We're gonna have to clean that up later! Me and my buddies! My pals! My amigos! I'm gonna go get my gear! [ heads for the door ]

Such a simple a script, but the concept of friends, buddies, and down by the river are what make it so memorable.

Reveal
When exiting a local grocery store one evening, I saw a great bumper sticker on a car parked next to mine. It simply stated: "The shortest distance between two people is a story."
That's powerful stuff!

Remember these two items the next time you start constructing a story. This is an approach that is encouraged by CEO of Parade magazine, Walter Anderson. Great stories are built off these main principles.

Your story needs to have:

1) Tension - You need to create a problem. There needs to be some type of dramatic hook.
2) Discovery - This is the reason why you are telling the story. What is everything leading up to?
In essence, it’s all about the power of the anecdote – leading from one point to the next. Keep in mind, the best anecdotes are the most simple. Here’s a classic quote and example from the movie Elf:

Buddy the Elf: “I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.”

It’s amazingly captivating. The story builds from one point to the next. It doesn’t hurt that the character of Buddy is easy to love. After all, he would like to do nothing more than build snow angels for two hours and then snuggle.

Good news! We are all storytellers. You have stories. Your parents have stories. Your grandparents have stories. Your company even has a story. You should have plenty to write about, so what are you waiting for? Don’t be a cotton-headed ninnymuggins! Start writing. Maybe one day you’ll have book published about your own story just like Buddy the Elf.

Revamp
Storytelling produces results. It will change and grow your business. Here is the bottom line. (Highlight this or write it down somewhere. It’s the heart of this article):

Stories create emotions. Emotions create motivation. Motivation creates action. Action creates results.

Repeat. Reveal. Revamp. These three R's will change the way you look at storytelling and your presentations moving forward.

Presentation 2.0: Simply Irresistible

I am inspired by the late Robert Palmer. Who? His famous song Simply Irresistible put him on the charts back in 1989.

Just like Palmer, we need to be prepared with our troupe of "musicians" to ready ourselves for Presentation 2.0. After all…

Presentation 2.0 is unavoidable
The trend is irreversible
A story is invincible
Simply irresistible

Ernie the Giant Chicken

For your viewing enjoyment… What’s your giant chicken?

The Story Club

I

n John Hughes’ classic, The Breakfast Club, he highlights five high school students, all from different backgrounds, who come together only to discover they have a lot more in common than they imagined. The same holds true with storytelling. There are many styles, all with a lot in common. In fact, the great Hollywood screenwriter Robert McKee illustrates that there are 25 types of stories. Don’t get overwhelmed. I have narrowed it down to three to help you, the presenter. Below are my recommendations the next time you build a presentation introduction.

The Rockstar
Think about the classic hero story- a man or woman is given a challenge and then often turns away only to embrace it and save the world. That’s the Rockstar – the hero that everyone cheers for with tenacious excitement. You can probably think of a few of these Rockstars with little effort – Rocky Balboa, Louis Skolnick of Lambda Lambda Lambda, and Elle Woods. Here is an excerpt from a presentation introduction.

The Maverick
Mavericks are those stories of individuals who literally change the world. They are the dreamers who stand up against all odds to impact lives, to make a difference, to change the world. This list of individuals includes names like MLK, JFK, Mother Teresa, and Ghandi. They are the rulebreakers – the men and women who changed this planet.

The Sherlock
This is the classic problem/solution approach. Typically containing two characters, this approach is ideal for business presentations. Think Disney. Better yet, how about the Fighting Rancho Carne Toros and the East Compton Clovers from Bring It On. One team competed the right way – hard work and diligence. The other did it the wrong way – hiring a choreographer to learn “Spirit Fingers” and a secondhand routine to the once popular “Get Ready for This” by 2Unlimited. Interested in the Sherlock approach? Simply, showcase the right and wrong way to do something with a character.

Alex P. Keaton and the Presentation Revolution

For those of you who are fans of Michael J. Fox or the 80's, you probably enjoyed Family Ties, an American television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989.

So how was this show pitched to NBC? The producers focused on the concept of "hip parents, square kids" with the mindset to make the parents the central focus. However, that changed after the 4th episode and the focus became all about Alex (Michael J. Fox).

So what can we learn from Alex P. Keaton? One thing - he stood on his own. His parents were liberal, his sister was clueless about everything, and his one conservative friend and ally, Uncle Ned, was a fugitive and a drunk. He was essentially a rebel of his time. During the 80's it was hard to find a young conservative person on television. Think about it. Can you name one?

That's what made Alex different, better, unique, and most importantly... memorable.
I encourage you to stand on your own and join this thing I call a presentation revolution. Don't settle with your next presentation. Be different. Be better. Be you.

Differentiation is what is required to make an impact during this time of Presentation 2.0. Just look around you, your colleagues are starting to slowly step away (hopefully) from boring PowerPoints. What you need is something different and that is being you. Being real. Being authentic. Finding your own story.

Bueller? Bueller? Presentation Lessons from the Movies

Remember this classic clip? The best presentations contain emotion so avoid sounding monotone or like a robot.