When I was driving home from California yesterday, I heard the news that legendary
newsman Don Hewitt had died. One story said that when he got the go ahead to produce 60 Minutes, CBS told him, “Don’t make us money. Make us proud.” He did both, of course.
Hewitt had a simple rule for that long-running program: Tell Me a Story.
That’s good advice for marketing your business or captivating an audience, too. When I read this piece by Paul Hellman, I asked for permission to share it with you. To my delight, Paul agreed.
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1) “Do you think he has a gun?” I asked my friend.
It was past midnight. We had driven to an isolated place where a big, muscular guy was waiting for me. He wanted money.
“This guy doesn’t need a gun,” my friend said. “He could kill us with his bare hands.”
(Let’s pause for a second to talk about stories. Ever use them at work? They’re one of the best ways to capture attention. But first, you need a good opening.)
2) (Same story, different opening.) I knew I was in trouble when my friend drove off. It was the middle of night, in the middle of nowhere.
“Come back,” I yelled. “I have no money.”
(A good opening hooks us. “What happens next?” we wonder.
Try opening with a problem.)
3) “Every night, 20 new people hate my guts,” the big muscular guy said. “On a good night, 30 people.” Then he spit. “I could care less.”
(You can also start with a character.)
4) “A few hours ago,” the big muscular guy told me, “we watched you get out of your car, leave the parking lot, and walk down the street. That was your mistake. You should have
never done that.”
(Begin your story anywhere; it could be the first thing that actually happened, or it could be the middle.)
5) “It’s your own fault,” my mother said. “I would have never parked there.”
(It’s ok to embellish. My mother, for example, never said this, for the main reason that she’s been dead for several years. But it’s certainly something she might have said.)
6) When I returned to the parking lot after dinner, my car had vanished.
(Think about what you want to reveal in the opening, and what you want to leave out.)
7) “Apparently, you can’t read,” the big muscular guy said. “Otherwise you would have seen the sign in the parking lot. ‘If you walk off the premises, your car will be towed.'”
Tip: Use stories. Try different openings. Be careful where you park.
p.s. The tow guy demanded cash ($112) for my car. My friend, who had driven off, came back and took me to an ATM.
(c) Copyright 2009 Paul Hellman. All rights reserved.
Consultant, author & speaker, Paul Hellman has helped thousands of professionals improve their effectiveness at work.
Paul’s columns have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and on public radio and TV. His latest book is Naked at Work.
Visit http://www.expresspotential.com/
Email paul@expresspotential.com
NEW WORKSHOP: Stories that Work
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