Always pitching. Always storytelling 😎

AtomicIdeas from TED Talks.

We are always pitching - though unknowingly, in 95% of the cases.

Be it your colleague, your family members, your partner, your kids, your neighbours - we are always conveying an idea to them. Always pitching.

And (always) failing! 🤓

Yeah, it’s true that most of us often fail to communicate our idea - for instance, last evening, I was talking to my teen kid who is now looking at earning some pocket money via freelancing.

I ended up giving him a long list of tasks that he can do on platforms like fiverr, along with a whole lot of (boring dad) wisdom on freelancing, discipline..the discussed turned into a monologue..and eventually, he lost interest in the conversation 🥱.

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Here is something that I have learnt and I keep reminding myself:

Communication isn’t a lack of communication problem. But, is actually a narrative framing problem. [Tweet this]

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Some of the most effective communicators are not the ones with the best grammar or vocabulary. Instead, they just tell a compelling story. They are bloody damn good at framing the right narrative, ensuring that the other person ‘gets it’ really well.

As the last edition on this month’s theme, i.e. storytelling - sharing AtomicIdeas from the book “TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking” by TED founder, Chris Anderson. Though the advice in this book is largely meant in the context of public speaking, but is equally applicable in larger context as well.

The most important (atomic)ideas from the book 👇

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Convey One Big Idea

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to cover everything in a single talk. Instead, convey one big idea that leverages your personal experience.

A big idea can take an audience on a journey that alters the way they view the world. You should be able to define your idea as a throughline* that is 15 words or fewer. 

*A throughline is a common or consistent element or theme shared by items in a series or by parts of a whole. It can refer to a character or the story itself.

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The Core Point

Essentially, what is the core point of your talk?

Think about the audience, their context, and why your problem matters to them. As a tip, choose one person that you like and assume you are presenting the talk to them.

Script the opening minute and the closing lines.