6 WAYS TO MAKE STORIES STICKY & SPREAD. (The STICKY Story? framework.)
DEVIN D. M.
#TheTEDTalkWhisperer ?? My client's TEDx has 48M views. I help niche experts, authors, and leaders (just like you) spread BIG ideas. LET THE WORLD LIVE YOUR MESSAGE?
This article is an intro to the 6-part STICKY Stories? book. Click for part 2.
6 WAYS TO MAKE STORIES STICK & SPREAD. (The STICKY Story? Framework.)
What pops into your mind when I say the words, “Once upon a time…”??
Better yet, say that out loud.?
(Go ahead... take a moment.)
“Once upon a time …”?
Feel that emotional charge? That story pulse??
Stories can spark our emotions. They are also how we process and share ideas.
And these days, none share stories better than the top tier of TED Talk speakers.
Wildly popular, with billions of online views, TEDsters have redefined keynotes and re-shaped how we share “ideas worth spreading.”?Naturally, story-wrapped ideas are central to that success.
So then, it follows... What differentiates good stories from GREAT stories on that glowing red stage??
The answer is simpler than you think.?
In fact, over years of formal study and experience, I’ve discovered and refined a useful story framework that you can use on and off TED stages to make any story sticky. What's more, this powerful narrative-shaping form will help you connect with your listeners and compel them to act on your words!
The 6-Part Story Framework.
For TED-style communicators, a STICKY Story? is built with six keys.
1. STRUCTURED. A STICKY Story is structured in an uber-tight narrative arc.?
By that, I mean you want to share a concentrated problem to solve in your story. But instead of Joseph Campbell's 12 stages of The Hero’s Journey, embrace an efficient 3-part story structure: set-up, problem, resolution. There’s an arc and “shape” to this model. No one illustrates this more clearly (or with more humor) than the late Kurt Vonnegut. Watch here as he chalkboards his “man falls in a hole” story flow, chortling, “People love that story!”
The 1st key of a STICKY Story is that it is structured to engage and hold attention.
2. TEXTURED. A STICKY Story is textured around a visceral set of details.
By that, I mean you want to emphasize exploiting a few of the five senses in your story. Describe the plumber’s colorful grunt as he kneels to repair the toilet. Recount how July’s tin roof heat supercharged the room’s odors — smells from the commode and the plumber. Demonstrate how he twisted to reach the wall behind as two sweat beads slid in unison — one down his nose; the other down his backside. Then you gagged!
The 2nd key of a STICKY Story is that it is textured enough for an audience to picture the details.
3. IGNITING. A STICKY Story is igniting and points to next steps.
By that, I mean you want to compel viewers to pursue a specific, discrete set of actions in your story. But these aren’t “save the whales"-sized steps. Instead, these are Winnable Wins in the form of doable, repeatable, habit-forming suggestions. Metaphorically speaking, invite the audience to walk to the water’s edge; pick up a piece of plastic; and ask them to do the same. Repeat. Each action models (and spreads) the idea!
The 3rd key of a STICKY Story is that it is igniting to drive an audience to friction-free action.
4. CONNECTING. A STICKY Story is connecting and prioritizes relatability.
By that, I mean you want to emphasize approachable and relatable facets of your story. Remember to start where they are. Design entry points. You’re the niche expert; don’t forget your audience isn’t. So take their hand, guide them over your story threshold into an incremental understanding of your world — and how it can become theirs. If you pursue connection in your storytelling, the audience will mentally enter your tale!
The 4th key of a STICKY Story is that it is connecting with an audience’s experience and memory.
5. KID-LEVELED. A STICKY Story is kid-leveled to facilitate comprehension.
By that, I mean you want to use simple language at the 7th-grade level in your story. Adopt a conversational tone and clear sentence structure. Think Hemingway (pithy) here, not Hawthorne (florid). Newspaper editors have long understood this truth: Small words and short sentences work wonders for big ideas. This also isn’t the time to leverage acronyms or industry lingo. Think bedtime story-level tales that can be re-shared!
The 5th key of a STICKY Story is that it is kid-leveled to facilitate re-tellability.
6. YOURS. A STICKY Story is yours so it radiates warmth and energy.
By that, I mean you want to emphasize your personal experience in a story. Our own stories are always the most visceral. We know our experiences better than anyone and therefore we communicate them with more enthusiasm. Tales of VIPs may appeal, but they can introduce dissonance. After all, few alive today knew JFK or MLK. So your understanding of who they were can clash with mine. Default to sharing the pulse of who and what you know!
The 6th key of a STICKY Story is that it is yours to sparkle for an audience.
ONCE UPON A TIME...
So the next time you say, “I want to share a story...” know that it primes your audience. They instinctively lean in — expectantly.?
But first there are six boxes to check in designing it. Begin with the STICKY framework and you can be confident that what sticks will spread!
P.S. Want to know more about the science behind storytelling? Check out this interesting article published in Harvard Business. And here’s a great TEDx Talk exploring the same.
P.P.S. To keep abreast of this topic and others in the STICKY Story framework, opt-in with a click here for updates on my forthcoming book.
Legal Notice: STICKY Story? and STICKY Stories?and derivative acronyms (aka, S.T.I.C.K.Y. Story/ies) are pending trademarks of CONNECT to COMPEL, Inc. Any use of those terms requires permission and attribution.
DEVIN D. MARKS is known as?The TED Talk Whisperer.?His firm,?CONNECT to COMPEL, has represented 100s of TED, TEDx, and TED-style speakers with millions of views. His team helps leaders,?just like you, catalyze insights.
You can call Devin at 617-804-6020; or DM him by?clicking here.
领英推荐
FIND YOUR TED TALK TYPE. (There are 8 options.)
Ever wonder what?category?of talk you are best suited to deliver? There are?8 distinct types?of TED Talks that take center stage. To get clarity on which one could be yours,?click here.?
In just?15 questions?you’ll have your answer and a PDF with worksheets, TEDster examples, and ways to begin shaping your?idea worth spreading!
Want one example of a talk type? Here’s a brief look at one of the 8 classics:?
The “Personal Journey” Talk.?
Your primary goal in your future TED Talk is best categorized as a “Personal Journey” due to your focus on sharing insights from your own experience and lessons gleaned!
Some attributes of a PERSONAL JOURNEY talk tend to include the following:
[??]?Offers insights gleaned
[??]?Is uniquely your experience
[??]?Is an adventure or learning curve
[??]?Is relatable, connecting for audience
[??]?Offers the audience clarity on next steps
[??]?Positions the audience as the story hero, not you
Do this,?CLICK HERE?to learn what form your BIG IDEA worth spreading will take!
A BREAKAWAY TALK: >1M <1Yr.
It is said that 100K views make for a "viral" talk, and I'm not quibbling there. (Pre-Pandemic I wasn't a fan of the word viral either!) But those are a dime a dozen.
What marks a BREAKOUT in my way of thinking is a talk with?1M views.
I love to highlight and celebrate talks (whether from my clients or otherwise) that have?just recently?surpassed the one-million-view mark. They are special.
This?very recent 2022 TEDxBoston talk**?by writer and leadership coach, Dorie Clark —?The real reason you feel so busy (and what to do about it) — is exceptional. It scratches an itch I think we all have. This is Dorie's fourth TEDx talk. And this one is a grand slam home run — in that it will likely hit 1M by the end of this week.
Here's the TED description:
These days, almost all of us feel pressed for time. Leadership expert Dorie Clark shares three hidden reasons people fall into an endless loop of feeling constantly busy, and invites you to question what really motivates how you spend your time.
Must. Click. Now.
(Right?)
When a talk like this one hits the 1M marker?within the first year... that's special. But when it does so at an accelerated pace (< 3 months?!) there's clearly something special going on.
It. Is. Spreading.
Many so-so talks can accumulate an impressive view count over time. But hitting the 7-figure marker within a concentrated timeframe is a signal that there's something truly extraordinary going on in the talk and around the topic.
So my equation is as follows:
BREAKAWAY TALK = >1M + <1Yr
PS. Know of an about-to-happen breakaway talk? Even better, did you deliver one? Please touch base,
** Full disclosure: My team didn't work with Dorie on this talk. That said, we've been cheering her on since it came out of the TEDx starting gate on YouTube. All honor and kudos to Dorie, the TEDxBoston team, and TEDx Data Hacker Extraordinaire Bilyana Georgieva!
Hope you can become a breakaway (or impactful) TEDster!
When you're ready to take center stage (or center screen), let me know. Whether you're working on a commencement address, an all-hands preso, a keynote... or a TED Talk, you will want to be:
[ ] Clearly-Focused
[ ] Story-Wrapped
[ ] Action-Igniting
And those three priorities make our TED Messaging Method so very, very connecting and compelling.?
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