Summary of Give me 9min, and I'll improve your storytelling skills by 176%

Summary of "Give me 9min, and I'll improve your storytelling skills by 176%"

This video offers a concise, practical guide to improving storytelling skills by focusing on five key storytelling techniques. The presenter emphasizes that storytelling doesn’t have to be complicated and that great stories zoom into specific moments rather than summarizing events broadly.

Main Ideas and Concepts

Storytelling is powerful and simple when you focus on what really matters.
Great stories zoom into moments rather than summarizing events at a high level.
The video teaches five essential storytelling techniques that anyone can apply immediately.
Using these techniques makes stories more visual, relatable, emotional, and engaging.
The video includes a real-world example from John Krasinski (actor from The Office) to illustrate how zooming into moments works.
A second example from Sarah Willingham (entrepreneur and CEO) demonstrates all five techniques in action.
Finally, the presenter recommends further learning through an additional video on advanced storytelling.

Five storytelling techniques

Location
- Clearly state where the story is taking place.
- Examples: “Two weeks ago, I’m sitting on my couch,” or “September 2019, I’m standing in front of a conference room.”
- Purpose: Helps the audience visualize the scene quickly without overwhelming details.
- Tip: Avoid over-describing; let listeners create their own mental image.
Actions
- Describe what you are physically doing at the moment.
- Examples: “I open my laptop,” “I’m waiting in line at security.”
- Purpose: Creates forward momentum and pulls the listener into the moment.
- Tip: Use clear verbs that show movement or activity.
Thoughts
- Share your internal thoughts or mental reactions during the moment.
- Examples: Instead of “I was excited,” say “I thought, ‘This will be so cool!’”
- Purpose: Makes the story more interesting and relatable by revealing raw, unfiltered thoughts.
- Tip: Avoid overly formal or intellectual thoughts; be authentic and a bit vulnerable.
Emotions
- Express what you felt, but preferably show the emotion through physical cues rather than just naming it.
- Examples: Instead of “I was relieved,” say “I leaned back and let out a big sigh.” Instead of “He was anxious,” say “He kept tapping his pen and glancing at the clock.”
- Purpose: Makes emotions visual and vivid, enhancing the listener’s connection.
- Tip: Show body language or facial expressions to convey feelings.
Dialogue
- Include exact or memorable quotes from other characters in the story.
- Examples: “My friend said, ‘Phillip, what on Earth was that?’” or “My manager said, ‘That was the best presentation you’ve ever given.’”
- Purpose: Adds interest and realism, bringing characters to life.
- Tip: Use concise, juicy, and catchy dialogue rather than boring or formal speech.

Example Stories Highlighted

John Krasinski’s 20-second story
Demonstrates zooming into a moment at customs rather than summarizing the event.
Sarah Willingham’s story
A detailed example illustrating all five techniques: location (meeting room), actions (walking in, making coffee), thoughts (recognizing impostor syndrome), emotions (watching the lawyer’s face change), and dialogue (lawyer’s comment about coffee).

Additional Notes

Storytelling is about immersing the listener in a moment, not just recounting facts.
Beginners often make the mistake of over-detailing or using formal language.
The video encourages practicing these techniques to tell stories that are engaging and memorable.
For advanced storytelling skills, viewers are directed to a follow-up video.

Speakers/Sources Featured

Presenter (unnamed narrator/coach) – provides the storytelling techniques and explanations.
John Krasinski – actor from The Office, example storyteller.
Sarah Willingham – British entrepreneur, investor, CEO of Nightcap, example storyteller.

This summary captures the core lessons and methodology presented in the video for improving storytelling skills quickly and effectively.

Notable Quotes

— 00:58 — « He didn't just summarize the events, he zoomed into the moment of the story. The best stories don't just summarize events, they don't stay at that helicopter level, they zoom into the moment, they take us into the trenches, they let us be part of that physical moment. »

— 03:03 — « When you do that your audience will immediately know that you won't waste their time, you're straight away taking them into the most important part of the story. »

— 03:56 — « When you share your thoughts, give us the raw unfiltered thoughts, give us those a little bit like ranchy juicy, a little bit neurotic thoughts. Now that will make your story much more relatable. »

— 05:05 — « Showing the emotion makes it much more visual. It takes us into the specific moment of the story. »

— 06:38 — « If you say something like 'in this moment my manager said well I'm very dissatisfied with the inadequate execution of that project' well that would sound super boring. Instead pick much more juicy, much more concise and catchy dialogue. »