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5 Communication Skills That Tell The Story

  

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Posted By Leslie Dickson

5 things Robert Krulwich can teach you about storytelling.

Wow.  That’s all I can say.  If you haven’t seen science reporter Robert Krulwich’s commencement address at the Berkeley Journalism School, you’ll want to get to the Discover Magazine blog by Ed Yong to read it.  I think it’s likely to show up in VoicePro’s Persuasive PowerPoint, one of our presentation skills workshops, as an example of bringing storytelling’s power into PowerPoint presentations. 

You may recognize Mr. Krulwich’s name from Radiolab, the nationally syndicated science program he co-hosts from New York’s WNYC.  Or from his reports on ABC News, or his NPR blog, or a number of other publications and programs.

The speech is a wonderful inspiration to Berkeley’s journalism students entering a career that’s been turned upside down in a digital age when people get news of world revolution by watching a Twitter feed.  More than that, it’s a handbook on how to make your own luck in the world if you’re passionate.  And more than that, it’s great storytelling – the kind of storytelling that’s made him a sought-after journalist, writer and speaker. 

Mr. Krulwich’s Berkley address is a case study -- and a lesson plan -- in great storytelling.  Here are just 5 of the insights he so beautifully illustrates.

1. Start with the audience.  You need to know who you’re talking to, what their main concerns are, what their frame of reference is.  Mr. Krulwich taps right into an issue that’s top of mind: how do I get a job in a field drenched in chaos.  More than that, Krulwich worked to close the gap between a 50-ish icon and an audience of 20-something hopefuls.  He told a story! He brought them into his geeky, naïve beginnings making a video in his living room, hoping to get it on an underground local cable TV show. 

2. Have heroes and villains.  In other words, be sure there’s drama.   A story that just recounts an event like a fourth grade book report is lifeless.  Who’s the hero?  Who (or what) are the villains to be overcome.  In Mr. Krulwich’s story, his mentor Charles Kuralt (another iconic storyteller) had to battle CBS News’ change of focus from strong content to glitzy showbiz.

3. Details paint a picture.  I’ve never been in the newsroom of the CBS network, or forged credentials to a national presidential convention, or raced to the scene of a plane crash in New York.  Yet Krulwich took me there with details about the sunset through an office window, double-laminating his false press pass, the wild motorcycle ride to the crash scene.  What are the details that make your story real and memorable?

4. Humor has its place – when it has a point.  Only the gravest situations call for unrelenting seriousness.  An appropriate bit of humor can ease tension, set a stage, get the audience on your side, or instantly flip a switch to a new point of view. And remember, humor doesn’t mean “a joke.”   It should illuminate your point.  In Krulwich’s case, he uses humor to set the stage for a group of people worrying about the future:   

   “So how do you taste more of what you tasted [in college], which (if I can presume) includes the thrill of occasionally writing a good sentence, of asking exactly the right question at the right moment, of making two pieces of tape fit perfectly together, of getting to meet new people, go new places, see things unfold… these little satisfactions of journalism… how can you have more of that? That’s all you’re asking, right? That’s all you want. That, and a salary.”

5. Tell people what you want them to do.  Here’s the best part about a well-told story.  It creates the memorable treasure box that gives the message emotional staying power.  It helps people want to remember, feel the need, and have the internal drive to put the message of the story into action.  So, as they say in baseball, that’s the wind-up.  Don’t forget the pitch.  Remember to make clear what you want the result to be.  It can be specific action, but stories can be even more powerful setting up a paradigm shift in attitude, point of view or approach to certain issues. That’s why stories are so valuable in change management.  Krulwich exemplified that in his final words to the Berkeley grads. “Fall in love, with the work, with people you work with, with your dreams and their dreams.”

Next time you’re preparing for a presentation, ask the question:  what’s the story?

Learn to tell great stories with our  SpeakPresentInfluence seminar!