Warriors to Workforce: How to positively engage and influence hiring managers with your words and stories

Your Upcoming Tour on
Main Street
How to positively engage and influence hiring
managers with your words and stories

Ira Koretsky
The Chief Storyteller ® LLC.
+1 (301) 718 – 8368
info@TheChiefStoryteller.com

Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved.

Note to Slideshare.net Readers…

http://www.americanfreedomfoundation.org

Copyright © 2013, The Chief Storyteller®, LLC.
Copyright © 2013, The Chief Storyteller®, LLC. All rights reserved. www.TheChiefStoryteller.com

All rights reserved.

www.TheChiefStoryteller.com

Dialogue to Audience…
Several years ago I vacationed in Egypt. Here is a picture from my day spent at
the famous Sphinx. Thousands of years ago the Sphinx looked out over vast
lands. Today…the Sphinx looks out at a strip mall among other things. And that
strip mall includes a KFC and Pizza hut franchise. If you are not familiar, they
are owned by Yum! Brands. Now, imagine if you were the CEO of Yum!. Imagine
having worldwide recognition of your brand…this is called brand equity…trust,
comfort, positive impressions, etc.
Now, when it comes to you and your brand…what is it that you are known for?
More importantly, what do you want to be known for? Everything you say,
write, and post online in social media is part of your personal brand and how
people form first impressions.



Today’s workshop focuses on two areas: First, your “Tell me about yourself”
answer, which is your personal value proposition to prospective employers and
second, personal storytelling in business.


Giza, Egypt – The Sphinx




Giza, Egypt – View from the Sphinx



What do you want to be known for?





“Think Deliberately” is my most important
mantra. I really, truly want you to consider the
intended impact on the target audience of your
message before you say it, write it, or post it
online. Everything…





Historia de un Letrero, The Story of a Sign, is an
excellent example of the power of words…how
changing words how the power to reshape your
message and power to change how people react
to your message.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NKvF_zYyXI





Historia de un Letrero, The Story of a Sign
Alonso Alvarez Barreda, WAMA Films, 2007




Pillars
1. Promise a better tomorrow

2. “Texture” your story
3. Feed the craving




Promise a
Better
Tomorrow




Sep 19, 1989

If your audience* forgot
nearly everything you
said, what is the
one thing you want
them to remember?


* Hiring manager, colleague,
friend, family, HR contact, ???



Tbilisi, Georgia



As soon as you share any business story element with someone,
you relinquish absolute control. He/she can tell anyone anything
about your story—the right way, the wrong way, or not at all.
What do you think happens to your story as it is retold and retold?
I call this effect Story Decay. By the time the ultimate decision
makers hears your message, what are the chances it is the right
message…the one you originally shared?



Keep your core value proposition as simple as possible to ensure
the ultimate decision maker can readily understand and
appreciate the extraordinary value you can bring to his/her
company.

Turbo Encabulator is an another excellent
example of the power of words…
Note to Slideshare viewers, I encourage you to
watch the first minute or so before continuing.
I promise you’ll enjoy it.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac7G7xOG2Ag



Turbo Encabulator
Bud Haggert, Filmed late 1970s, Directed by Dave Rondot



Before I deliver a presentation, I always do pre-interviews. Michele’s interview
was for a closing keynote to an annual conference for about 1,200 hospital
health care administrators.
During the early part of my interview, I asked her to summarize her elevator
pitch, her personal value statement. She shared, “I’m a risk consultant.” Later in
the interview, while answering a completely unrelated question to what she
does at the hospital, she said, “I make a difference in patients’ lives every day.”
This statement came almost 15 minutes on the dot after starting the interview.



I immediately interjected, “Michele, this is your new value statement. This is
what you should be telling your colleagues in the hospital from now on.” There
was a palpable pause on the other end of the telephone.
15 minutes to share her true value. The bad part is that it typically takes most people a
long time to get to his or her true value statement. The good part is that each of you can
find your true value statement. I’ll show the key steps after a few more examples.

I met Joe at a Financial Executives International
conference where I did some programs on messaging,
elevator speech, and networking. I became friendly with
him and helped him reshape his message. His new value
proposition was the main reason he landed his next job.



He synchronized his value proposition throughout all of
his potential touch points (e.g., resume, cover letter, and
personal statement). By synching his LinkedIn
professional headline, he attracted the right attention,
and the CEO contacted him based on this phrase alone.

I…
translate strategy into action
 am a technology strategist
 am a [blank] strategist
 am a healthcare problem solver
 am a [blank] problem solver
 build great teams
 build [blank] teams
 am a cross-cultural communication specialist
 am©a program, process, and project manager
Copyright 2013, The Chief Storyteller , LLC. All rights reserved. www.TheChiefStoryteller.com
 ensure IT services work as they were designed


®


It may help to answer these three key questions:
1. How will the world around your target audiences improve?
2. What problems are you solving for your target audiences?
3. What are the 3 things differentiating you from the competition?
Keep your headline to a maximum of seven words.
Suggested conventions include:
“We are _____________”
“We help [verb] the/you _____________”
“We make ___________” ®
Copyright © 2013, The Chief Storyteller , LLC. All rights reserved.
“We [verb] ___________”



accelerate
expand
align
explore
bridge
facilitate
build
formulate
capture
foster
coordinate
generate
defend
grow
design
guide
develop
implement
enable
improve
Copyright © 2013, The Chief Storyteller , LLC.
engineer
increase
execute
innovate
®


integrate
produce
launch
promote
lead
research
leverage
shape
make
solve
manage
stimulate
modernize
streamline
move
strengthen
multiply
support
oversee
sustain
All rights reserved. www.TheChiefStoryteller.com
perform
transform
pioneer
unify

Word clouds or what I like to call them, “message clouds,” are a
fantastic way of visualizing your key messages.
The words that have the biggest physical size are the ones that
should be your message. These are the words you use most often.
This is a message cloud from one of my clients working at a large
defense contractor in the Washington, DC area. Development,
Business, Analysis, Market, and International comprise this
person’s value proposition. After showing it to her, she nodded
her head and said, “exactly.”



What will your target audiences see and hear? Does your message
cloud display the right message…the one you want shared?




* Selected information changed and/or removed to ensure privacy
www.Wordle.net

Stats









Words: 1,134
Pages: 2 very full
Font: 10 point
Flesch Reading Ease: 14
Flesch-Kincaid Grade: 16
Skills Overview: 130 words
at 18th grade level



Compelling Story?






Headline?
Quick read summary?
Heavy jargon
Top 1/3, key area, missing
opportunity to wow

Test
Evaluate
Revise




Texture Your
Story




“That’s Interesting, Tell Me More™” is one of the
exercises we use to demonstrate…on-the-spot…how to
reshape your messages.

This exercise provides immediate feedback from your
conversation partner on what he/she finds interesting.
Look for feedback in your conversations, online, emails,
and social media. Test, Evaluate, and Revise your words
and messages to generate the right results for you in
Copyright © 2013, The Chief Storyteller , LLC. All rights reserved. www.TheChiefStoryteller.com
your job search.
®


“That’s Interesting, Tell Me More”™

Your One-Minute Story
P1: Tell your life story in one minute
P2: Any time, “that’s interesting, tell me more”
P2: Switch, become the storyteller




“Dr. Raymond Schinazi is an
explorer. His passion lies in
discovering new lands, conquering
new-found territories, and
vanquishing foes. But for Dr.
Schinazi, the lands aren't
geographical; and the enemies
aren't human. He explores viruses
that attack the human body…”



— Raymond Schinazi
Ph.D., DS.c., Emory University
Professor of Pediatrics and Chemistry
Director, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology
Published >420 peer-reviewed papers and 7 books, holds > 70 USA patents



Begin Differently




1.

Remove the “boring” parts

2.

Control time

3.

Use real names

4.

Use repetition

5.

Draw us in with metaphors,
comparisons, analogies





Repetition
“Of all the gin joints
in all the towns in all
the world, she walks
into mine”
— Rick Blaine
Casablanca, 1942





Comparisons and Analogies
“The solution is not to do
more of the wrong things,
to entice people with a
sweeter carrot, or threaten
them with a sharper stick.
We need a whole new
approach”
— Dan Pink
TEDtalk, The Puzzle of Motivation, 2009




Metaphor
Audiobooks are no longer just
books read out loud. They have
become a separate and
legitimate type of
entertainment. They are a
dramatic art form. I call them
‘movies in the ears’
— Anthony Goff



Publisher, Director, Hachette Audio
Interview in AudioFile Magazine
12/2011



Vocal Variety

<p> = pause
<e> = extend or stretch the word

<r> = raise your voice
<s> = increase talking speed



<w> = lower your voice, whisper


Jeff Hoffman, co-founder of Priceline, shares an
excellent personal story with a powerful message
that resonates with business audiences.
It is short, makes great use of character
development, and is well “textured.”



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcV4RXC-V94


Jeff Hoffman – Power of Wonder


Jeff Hoffman
“The Power of Wonder”

Co-Founder of Priceline, TEDxWallStreet 4/2012



There was always an unspoken generosity
about my mom. I would jump in my
Volkswagen Beetle and drive home from
Ohio University and get to Greenwich by
dinnertime. I’d walk in and surprise her and
my stepfather. My mom would jump up,
hug me, and say, “Pull up a chair. We have plenty of food!”
She’d walk to the kitchen with her plate and around the corner,
where I couldn’t see her, take the pot roast off her plate, put it
on another plate, slide over half her mashed potatoes, and
then she’d come out with this great plate for me. When I
looked at her plate, I realized there was almost nothing on it.
I’d say, “Mom—” And she’d say, “I ate before you got here.”


— Matt Lauer, What I’ve Learned
Interview in Esquire, October 2013





20 years in 22 Words

Last time for this exercise. By now, you should
have received insightful feedback on what was
interesting to your two previous conversation
partners.



Now… begin in the middle of the “action” and
“texture” with figures of speech, repetition, tone
of voice, pacing, metaphors, etc.



Begin Differently & Texture




Feed the
Craving




1
2
3
4
5

Why? this story or
message?

Identify one easy-toappreciate message

What does it mean
to you?

Ensure it is your authentic
experience

Will it mean the
same to them?

Make sure it resonates

Will they pay
attention?

Draw them in with “story
texturing”

Will they act?

Measure, measure, measure





Unforgettable
Communications




65

Life Map

13

Born

Bronx, NY

Current

11+ years in business,
9 countries,
multiple industries,
learning, fun





Elementary School

GI Joes®, Legos®,
HO Trains®, Lincoln Logs®,
board games,
monster movies,
Little League

Syracuse U.
ROTC,
fencing,
scuba

70

65

ComedySportz

University

Improvisational
humor (12 yrs)

California-1

The Chief Storyteller®

US Army CIO
Healthcare IT

83

91

81

Daughter born

Founded

94

87

02

00

Bronx, NY

High School

basketball, softball,
drama theatre, New York debate
championships,
Grand prize science award


13

Married

US Army public affairs
Healthcare IT
international travel,
presentations


08

Wash, DC-3

Wash, DC-1

Born

09

Current

California-2

Dot Com Years
Xuma, Aptegrity,
MBA


11+ years in business,
9 countries,
multiple industries,
learning, fun


Journey

Beg

Research

1. Compelling Title

2. Key characters
3. The “Tomorrow Message”
4. Transformation
5. Opening
6. Support point 1
7. Support point 2
8. Support point 3

End


Copyright © 2013,
The Chief Storyteller®, LLC.


9. Conclusion - Achieve


Identify 3 personal
stories with a
business message
you would want to use in an interview





And This Means What?
Think Benefits and Accomplishments





P1: Share one strength or skill
P2: Say “and this means what?” 2x to 4x
P1: Tells P2 in simpler, compelling words, the skill
and accomplishment








P2: Share one strength or skill
P1: Say “and this means what?” 2x to 4x
P2: Tells P1 in simpler, compelling words, the skill
and accomplishment


For Sales & Marketing Teams
Relevant, Practical, and High-Impact Workshops & Webinars
The Chief Storyteller® offers a variety of one-time and ongoing
programs tailored to your revenue goals. Sample topics include:
Title

Brief Description

“What Do YOU Do?” How to tell your value proposition in 30 seconds or less
Revenue through Design and deliver sales presentations that engage and influence
Engagement prospects and customers
Be Unforgettable

How to turn your personal experiences into inspiring business
stories that close more deals

Optimize Your Reach

Multi-channel social media strategies for increasing customer
engagement and growth

Grow Your Business Humanize your sales message to achieve breakthrough results

Contact us for the complete list of topics

For Professional Development
Hands-on Workshops, Webinars, & Training Programs
The Chief Storyteller® offers a variety of one-time and ongoing
programs tailored to your goals. Sample topics include:
Title

Brief Description

Be Unforgettable
Presenting with
Confidence
Stronger
Relationships
The Deliberate
Relationship Builder
Leaders are
Storytellers

Turn your personal experiences into inspiring, message-driven
stories
5 steps for building presentations that engage and inspire your
audiences
New and different ways of building stronger relationships with
colleagues and clients
6 steps for building more profitable relationships with
networking
The art and science of how leaders can use stories to educate,
inspire, and persuade

Contact us for the complete list of topics

Generate Results with Customized Training


Generate Results with Proven Services


Let’s Connect…

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LinkedIn

LinkedIn

Ira Koretsky

Blog

Facebook

The Chief Storyteller®

Newsletter,
Tip of the Week

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Let’s Connect…
http://www.twitter.com/chiefstorytellr
http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/TheChiefStoryteller (Ira)
http://www.linkedin.com/company/337549 (company)
http://www.TheChiefStoryteller.com/blog
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http://bit.ly/1e8Uow8
http://www.slideshare.net/ChiefStoryteller
http://www.TheChiefStoryteller.com/resources
Newsletter, Tip of the Week, Tip Guides, Articles

Your Upcoming Tour
on Main Street
How to positively engage and
influence hiring managers with
your words and stories
Ira Koretsky
The Chief Storyteller® LLC.
+1 (301) 718 – 8368

Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved.

Resources
1.

TED Talks: http://www.ted.com/

2.

TEDx Talks: http://www.ted.com/tedx

3.

@Google Talks
http://www.youtube.com/user/AtGoogleTalks

4.

Stanford Business School
http://www.youtube.com/user/stanfordbusiness

5.

Harvard Business School
http://www.youtube.com/user/harvardbschool





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