Why we suck at storytelling and how to become better storytellers. One simple tip! The video of this presentation is here : http://www.seame.tv/nl/2012/05/22/why-we-suck-at-storytelling-tjorven-denorme-presentation-multi-mania-2012/

1. Multi Mania
Why we suck at storytelling
Flickr DJ Bass

2. Multi Mania
Why we suck at storytelling
Throughout this presentation,
you’ll find these yellow boxes.
These yellow boxes give you a
little more info about the
slides.
Flickr DJ Bass

3. Hi, I’m Tjorven

4. My wife is a WITCH!

5. First let me introduce myself.

6. @TjorvenD
TjorvenDenorme
www.twitter.com/TjorvenD
www.facebook.com/eMenKa
www.slideshare.net/emenka
TjorvenD.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/tjorvendenorme
www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/tjorven/denorme

8. Sales to a customer
eMenKa is a company with 35
.NET developers. It is one Employee to a friend
company with one story. But it
isn’t really. HR to a job applicant
Depending who tells the story
and who he or she is telling it
to, it is a different story. There
CFO to the bank
is never one story.

9. My wife is a WITCH!
That’s a story. A short story,
only 5 words, but a story.
It’s not a good story because
what I have in my head, is not
in the head of the audience.
That’s a problem. And it is
because when there is not
enough info, everyone makes
a different story out of it.

10. Who believes me?

11. My wife is a WITCH!
The part that does believe me
has many different stories in
their head. I try to make
groups of what the audience
thinks.

12. Because she flies on a broom?

13. Because she is ugly?

14. Flickr Chrisi-Lee
She makes me do the dishes,
cleaning, ...
Because she is a bitch?

15. Flickr Cavan images
Because she is into herbs?

16. Something else?

17. Something else?

18. Those are the possible stories
in the head of the audience.
I need to give more info, to
make sure that everyone
leaves the room with the same
story in their head.
Something else?

19. My wife is a WITCH!
And she likes it when I say it to her.

20. Something else?

21. My wife is a WITCH!
And she likes it when I say it to her.
I love my wife, I think she’s the best.

22. Something else?

23. My wife is a WITCH!
And she likes it when I say it to her.
I like my wife, I think she’s the best.
and we live in Beselare.

24. My wife is a witch because she
lives in Beselare. Every girl,
woman in Beselare is a proud
witch. We even have a
witchesparade every two
years.
Beselare
The witches village

25. My wife is a WITCH!
Now the five words give one
story because everyone knows
why I tell this ...

26. You think that’s it, but it’s not!

27. Blond?
Brown?
Curly?
Long?
Short?

28. Is she small, tall, big, skinny?

29. My wife is a WITCH!
It is nearly impossible to tell
the whole story. You always
leave blanks. The more you
tell, the more your audience
knows, but still there are
blanks in the story. And the
biggest problem is ...

30. You fill(ed) the blanks!
The audience fill the blanks
with their imagination. As a
storyteller you have no control
over the imagination of your
audience.

31. Why we suck at storytelling?
It’s YOUR fault! The audience!

32. Impossible to tell everything.
But wait.
Maybe that’s not such a bad
thing.

33. The truth doesn’t exist.
Guide people to the truth.

34. You always have blanks!

35. Everyone has a different truth
Your
Guide people to the truth.

36. Perception is the truth.

37. Leave blanks and people will fill them.
You can use that to your advantage.

38. This is a picture. That’s a story.
It has blanks, but the blanks
don’t make the story
interesting. Blanks can make a
story interesting because
imagination takes over.

40. Imagination vs Reality
Or you tell it, or you leave it
blank. But when do you tell it,
and when do you leave it
blank.

41. Imagination vs Reality
If reality is better than the
imagination you should tell it.
Fill the blank.

42. Imagination vs Reality
If Imagination is better than
the reality you should shut up.
Leave the blank.
Here are some examples...

43. Flickr 2Composers
I drive an Alfa Romeo

44. If this is the Alfa Romeo I drive,
I probably better shut up.
Most of you would have
imagined a better car looking
than this one.

45. If this is the Alfa Romeo I drive,
I should tell it, because no one
will imagine this car.

46. Imagination vs Reality

47. I bought a ticket and won!

48. If this is the amount you won.
Shut up.

50. Imagination vs Reality

51. I buy my clothes in Antwerp (the fashion capital).
You probably figured it out by
now.

54. The story is :
My wife is a witch
I bought a euromillionticket and won
I drive an Alfa Romeo
I buy my clothes in Antwerp
The picture in the head of your
audience should look like this ...

55. I bought an alfa romeo
Euro millions winner
I buy my clothes in Antwerp
My wife is a witch

56. My wife is a witch
I bought an alfa romeo
If you do it wrong, this is what’s in
the head of the audience...
Euro millions winner
I buy my clothes in Antwerp

57. If you tell a story ...

58. Know your audience
Know their reality/imagination
Leave the right blanks

59. @TjorvenD

60. Thank You !
@TjorvenD