168. How Story Can Change Everything in Your Career

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Communicating, Influence, Career Skills, Career, Business, Education, Leadership, Careers, Communication, Career Growth, Public Speaking, Language Learning, Improv

4.7 • 711 Ratings

🗓️ 12 November 2024

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Make your message memorable.

“Immediately forgettable” — that’s how Matthew Dicks describes most of the business communication that he encounters. If you want to be remembered, he says, it’s time to tell stories.

A veteran elementary school teacher, storytelling coach, and best-selling author, Dicks knows how the right narrative can transform mundane messages into stories that stick. In his book, Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling, he explores how to capture and hold an audience’s attention, which is particularly critical for business leaders. "When we tell a story about a product or service, the people we work with, our company, we become memorable and interesting and entertaining in a way that doesn't happen very often in business," he says.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Dicks and host Matt Abrahams discuss practical techniques for crafting compelling narratives, from setting a scene to creating suspense. “Don’t build a building. Don’t buy a machine,” he says. Becoming a better storyteller is one of the most effective ways to level up. “It’s a crazy thing for businesses,” he says.

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(01:52) - Why Storytelling Matters in Business
(03:28) - The Essence of a Good Story
(05:29) - Become a Better Storyteller
(07:09) - Using Suspense in Stories
(09:15) - Suspense in Business Communication
(11:17) - Structuring Stories Like Scenes
(13:26) - Relating Stories to Life
(15:53) - Homework for Life
(18:33) - Storytelling Delivery
(19:40) - The Final Three Questions
(23:45) - Conclusion

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, Matt here. You've invested in your education to grow, advance, and unlock new career opportunities.
0:07.0	But here's the challenge. How do you position yourself to stand out in a competitive job market?
0:13.0	It's not just about what you know. It's about how much you communicate your value, build strategic relationships, and take decisive action.
0:21.7	That's where today's sponsor, Strawberry.me, career coaching, comes in.
0:26.2	They match students and professionals with certified career coaches who will help you refine
0:31.1	your personal brand to confidently articulate your skills and experiences,
0:35.3	to develop a results-driven strategy and stay accountable so you
0:39.8	follow through on networking, applications, and negotiations. Because knowing what to do is one thing.
0:46.4	Having a coach to push you forward, that's how you create real momentum in progress.
0:51.9	Visit strawberry.m.m.m. TFTS and claim your $50 credit. That's strawberry.
0:59.1	dot me slash TFTS. What if you could get a low-cost, effective way for making your points clear,
1:10.4	concise, and engaging? That's what we're going to talk about
1:14.1	today. My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of
1:21.9	Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Today I'm really excited to interview Matt Dix. Matt is a best-selling
1:34.0	novelist, elementary school teacher, and storytelling coach. Matt wrote the book, Storyworthy,
1:40.5	engage, teach, persuade, and change your life through the power of storytelling.
1:45.8	Matt, thanks for being here. I'm super excited for our conversation.
1:49.6	I am thrilled as well. Should we get started? Yeah, let's get on. All right. You've mastered
1:55.1	the art of storytelling in various formats. To help us get started, can you share how great
2:00.6	storytelling can enhance everyday communication,
2:04.4	particularly in a business environment? Sure. You know, I think that most of the business
2:11.4	communication that I encounter in the world tends to be what I say, round, white, and flavorless, meaning it's ultimately
	...

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