How did an American immigrant without a college education go from Venice Beach T-Shirt vendor to television’s most successful producer? How did a timid pastor’s son surmount a paralyzing fear of public speaking to sell out Yankee stadium, twice? How did the city of Tokyo create a PowerPoint stunning enough to win itself the chance to host the Olympics?
They told brilliant stories.
In his hugely attended Talk LikeTED events, bestselling author and communications guru Carmine Gallo found, again and again, that audiences wanted to discover the keys to telling powerful stories, inspiring stories that could galvanize movements and actuate global change. And indeed, whether your goal is to sell, educate, fundraise, or entertain, your story is your most valuable asset. A well-told story hits you like a punch to the gut; it triggers the light bulb moment, the ‘aha’ that illuminates the path to innovation. Your story is “a strategic tool with irresistible power,” according to the NYT. Radical transformation can occur in an instant, with a single sentence; The Storyteller’s Secret lets you craft your most powerful delivery ever.
In The Storyteller’s Secret, Gallo offers lessons from a range of visionary leaders, each of whom cites storytelling as a crucial ingredient in success. A good story can spark action and passion; it can revolutionize the way people think and spur them to chase their dreams. Isn’t it time you shared yours?
CARMINE GALLO, bestselling author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, is the communications coach for the world’s most admired brands. A former anchor and correspondent for CNN and CBS, Gallo is a popular keynote speaker who has worked with executives at Intel, Cisco, Chevron, Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and many others and writes the Forbes.com column “My Communications Coach.” He lives in Pleasanton, California, with his wife and two daughters.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments Preface: Your Story is My Passion Introduction: Richard Branson, Dopamine, and the Kalahari Bushmen
Part I:Storytellers Who Ignite Our Inner Fire 1. What Makes Your Heart Sing? 2. From T-Shirt Salesman to Mega Producer 3. Conquering Stage Fright to Sell Out Yankee Stadium 4. A Rock Star Rediscovers His Gift in the Backstory of His Youth 5. Change Your Story, Change Your Life 6. The Power in Your Personal Legend 7. A Coffee King Pours His Heart into His Business 8. We're Not Retailers with a Mission, We're Missionaries Who Retail 9. If You Can't Tell It, You Can't Sell It
Part II: Storytellers Who Educate" 10. How a Spellbinding Storyteller Received TED's Longest Standing Ovation 11. Turning Sewage into Drinking Water 12. What You Don't Understand Can (and Does) Hurt You 13. The $98 Pants That Launched an Empire 14. Japan Unleashes Its Best Storytellers to Win Olympic Gold 15. A Funny Look at the Most Popular TED Talk of All Time 16. Dirt, Cigars, and Sweaty Socks Put a Marketer on the Map 17. A Burger with a Side of Story
Part III: Storytellers Who Simplify 18. If Something Can't Be Explained on the Back of an Envelope, It's Rubbish 19. The Evangelizer in Chief 20. A Film Mogul's Granddaughter Cooks Up Her Own Recipe for Success 21. The Storytelling Astronaut Wows a TED Audience 22. "Dude's Selling a Battery" and Still Inspires 23. An Entrepreneur Makes Shark Tank History
Part IV: Storytellers Who Motivate 24. Find Your Fight 25. The Hospital Steve Jobs Would Have Built 26. A Hotel Mogul Turns 12,000 Employees into Customer Service Heroes 27. A Revolutionary Idea That Took Off on the Back of a Napkin 28. When Amy Lost Her Legs, She Found Her Voice 29. From Hooters to the C-Suite - A Former Waitress Shares Her Recipe for Success 30. Trading Wall Street Riches for the Promise of a Pencil 31. The Ice Bucket Challenge Melts the Hearts of Millions 32. His Finest Hour - 180 Words That Saved the World
Part V: Storytellers Who Launch Movements 33. Great Storytellers Are Made, Not Born 34. Millions of Women "Lean In" After One Woman Dares to Speak Out 35. The 60-Second Story That Turned the Wine World on Its Side 36. From My Heart Rather Than From a Sheet of Paper 37. Story, Story, Story
Conclusion: The Storyteller's Universe The Storyteller's Toolkit The Storyteller's Secrets at a Glance The Storyteller's Checklist