In this episode of People Play Story, we delve into the art of storytelling and its profound impact on communication. We explore how storytelling can transform mundane presentations into engaging narratives. We discuss the brain's natural craving for stories over mere data, emphasizing the importance of narrative in making information memorable.
Today, we introduce the "People, Place, Trouble" framework, a simple yet effective method to craft compelling stories, even in business contexts. This framework helps presenters connect with their audience by focusing on relatable characters, familiar settings, and the challenges they face. We explore examples from advertising and politics, including Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, to illustrate the power of storytelling.
Listeners are encouraged to shift their mindset from delivering information to creating experiences. By incorporating anecdotes, humor, and audience engagement, presentations can become more conversational and impactful. This episode provides practical tips for applying storytelling techniques to enhance communication and leave a lasting impression on your audience.
[00:00:08]
Martin Kloss:
Hi, and welcome to People Play Story, a podcast about storytelling and how to communicate with impact. My name is Martin Kloss, and I'm a professional story coach and speaker trainer. I recently wrote a book. It's called People Play Story, but it's only available in German for now. So to help me reach a wider audience and spread the word about the power of stories, I created this podcast. Full disclosure, what you're about to hear is generated by an AI, courtesy of Google's notebook LM. And each episode is based on a different chapter of my book. I hope you enjoy it and that I can give you something to think about today. Have fun.
[00:00:53] Unknown:
Hey, everyone. Welcome back for another deep dive. Have you ever felt like you're just drowning in information? I know I have. Today, we're tackling that feeling head on, especially for those of you who wanna make your presentations and communication
[00:01:07] Unknown:
more engaging. We're diving into people, place, story, a method that can really transform those dry presentations into compelling narratives. Seriously. I mean, who hasn't sat through a presentation where it's just slide after slide of bullet points and jargon? Your brain just completely checks out. It's true. Most of us have been there, and it comes down to how our brains are wired. We're not wired for pure data dumps. We crave narrative. We want stories, not just facts and figures. The source we're looking at today just nails it.
[00:01:36] Unknown:
It says that straight up facts, they just don't stick, and they use this great example of an ad for a new and improved hammer. It has all the facts about the hammer, but 0 story. Instantly forgettable. Right? Exactly. Because our brains crave narrative.
[00:01:51] Unknown:
It's how we make sense of the world, how we connect with information on a deeper, more meaningful level. So it's more than just entertainment. It's about making that message really resonate with the listener. Right? Absolutely. And this actually ties into something called the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve. Yeah. Basically, we forget most information super quickly unless there's some kind of emotional hook. And stories stories provide that hook. They make the information relatable and, as you said, memorable.
[00:02:17] Unknown:
Okay. So we get it. Stories, they're powerful. But how do we actually do that? You know? How do we go from these bullet points to these really compelling stories, especially in a business context? Right? Like, I'm thinking about my next presentation.
[00:02:30] Unknown:
Yeah. And this source we're looking at, it gives a pretty simple framework, actually. It's called People Place Trouble. Uh-huh. And it's really interesting how versatile it can be, you know, even for something like, say,
[00:02:42] Unknown:
a dry financial presentation. People Place Trouble. I like it. It's catchy. Alright. So let's break it down. Where do we start? It starts with people. Every good story needs,
[00:02:52] Martin Kloss:
you know, a main character. Right? A a protagonist that your audience can really connect with. Okay. So let's say I'm presenting new project management software.
[00:03:00] Unknown:
Would the hero be the project manager who's constantly struggling to keep everything organized? Exactly. You're putting them right there in the thick of it, experiencing the same challenges your audience faces every day. Okay. That makes sense.
[00:03:12] Unknown:
So we have our people, our hero. What about place? So place, that's all about
[00:03:17] Unknown:
grounding the story, making it feel real, especially in a business context. That place should feel familiar to whoever you're talking to. Right? Their company, their industry,
[00:03:27] Unknown:
those everyday realities. Okay. So instead of just listing out a bunch of software features, I'd wanna paint a picture. Like, what does a typical day look like for that project manager, and how does my software help? Exactly. You're meeting them where they are, speaking directly to their experiences. And, usually, when you've got this relatable person in this
[00:03:46] Unknown:
relatable situation,
[00:03:48] Unknown:
there's some trouble brewing. Right? And the trouble in this case being the project chaos that my awesome software is gonna fix. Precisely.
[00:03:57] Unknown:
That trouble, it's the gap between where they are now and where they wanna be. And in the business world, that's usually the problem your product or your service is designed to solve. Okay. So I'm starting to see how this framework works, but can we really use this for anything?
[00:04:14] Unknown:
I mean, what about something like, I don't know, insurance?
[00:04:17] Unknown:
That's gonna be a tough one to make exciting. You think so. Right. But the source, it actually points to those old mister Kaiser insurance ads Yeah. As a really good example of this in action. Really? Those old ads. I mean, I wouldn't call them the most, you know, thrilling things I've ever seen. Right. And that's kind of the point. They took something that could be really dry, like insurance, and made it relatable, you know, even engaging. Okay. So how'd they do that? Well, they really nailed that people, place, trouble framework we were talking about. Think about it. You had mister Kaiser himself, right, with that, like, friendly demeanor and his kind of folksy wisdom. He was the relatable people. Okay. Yeah. And then the place is all these everyday situations, the kind of stuff we all find ourselves in. Right? Spilled milk Yeah. Fender bender. Right. Right. Relatable.
Exactly. And then the trouble, it was never, like, right there in your face. Yeah. But it was always kinda there, you know, lurking under the surface, that universal
[00:05:12] Unknown:
need for security, for peace of mind. I never thought of it quite like that, but you're right. It makes a lot of sense. They took these anxieties we all have but made them, I don't know, reassuring
[00:05:22] Unknown:
somehow. Exactly. Insurance felt human, you know, relatable, even, I don't know, kind of essential. And speaking of essential, the source we're looking at, it also brings up a great example from politics,
[00:05:33] Unknown:
Barack Obama's 2008 campaign. Oh, right. Yeah. His fired up ready to go story.
[00:05:39] Unknown:
That was powerful. It's such a good example of using storytelling to connect with people. And if you go back and listen to it, he hits those same people, place, trouble points we've been talking about. So even presidents are using this stuff. Okay. So let's bring this home for our listeners.
[00:05:55] Unknown:
How do we actually apply all of this to our own presentations or communication in general?
[00:06:00] Unknown:
Honestly, I think it starts with just a little bit of a mindset shift. Instead of thinking about just delivering information, think about creating an experience.
[00:06:07] Unknown:
Less data dump, more, I don't know, more engaging story. How do we make that happen, though? Instead of just listing features, you tell the story of what those features make possible.
[00:06:17] Unknown:
Use case studies. Right? Throw in some anecdotes. Even a little humor, if it feels right, can go a long way. And this is key, bring your audience into the story.
[00:06:27] Unknown:
So it's about turning that presentation into more of a conversation.
[00:06:31] Unknown:
Exactly. What questions would your audience naturally ask? Build those into your presentation. Make them think. Make them feel something. That's how your message is really gonna stick with them. It's not about ditching data completely. It's about using a story to make that data really hit home,
[00:06:47] Unknown:
to make it resonate. Exactly.
[00:06:49] Unknown:
And, hey, who knows? Maybe what starts as one presentation could turn into a larger ongoing story about the work that you do.
[00:06:57] Unknown:
That's something to think about. This deep dive has given us a lot to think about. And as always, we've got links to those examples we talked about in the show notes, so be sure to check those out. Until next time. Happy storytelling.
[00:07:17] Martin Kloss:
Hi, everyone. It's me again. Just a quick note before I let you go. I hope you found today's episode entertaining, engaging, and maybe even inspiring. If you did, please spread the word. And if you didn't, please keep it to yourself. And if you wanna know more, have any questions, or wanna work with me, please get in touch with me on martinklaus.com or on LinkedIn. Now have a great day. Go out and do something fun.
Hi, and welcome to People Play Story, a podcast about storytelling and how to communicate with impact. My name is Martin Kloss, and I'm a professional story coach and speaker trainer. I recently wrote a book. It's called People Play Story, but it's only available in German for now. So to help me reach a wider audience and spread the word about the power of stories, I created this podcast. Full disclosure, what you're about to hear is generated by an AI, courtesy of Google's notebook LM. And each episode is based on a different chapter of my book. I hope you enjoy it and that I can give you something to think about today. Have fun.
[00:00:53] Unknown:
Hey, everyone. Welcome back for another deep dive. Have you ever felt like you're just drowning in information? I know I have. Today, we're tackling that feeling head on, especially for those of you who wanna make your presentations and communication
[00:01:07] Unknown:
more engaging. We're diving into people, place, story, a method that can really transform those dry presentations into compelling narratives. Seriously. I mean, who hasn't sat through a presentation where it's just slide after slide of bullet points and jargon? Your brain just completely checks out. It's true. Most of us have been there, and it comes down to how our brains are wired. We're not wired for pure data dumps. We crave narrative. We want stories, not just facts and figures. The source we're looking at today just nails it.
[00:01:36] Unknown:
It says that straight up facts, they just don't stick, and they use this great example of an ad for a new and improved hammer. It has all the facts about the hammer, but 0 story. Instantly forgettable. Right? Exactly. Because our brains crave narrative.
[00:01:51] Unknown:
It's how we make sense of the world, how we connect with information on a deeper, more meaningful level. So it's more than just entertainment. It's about making that message really resonate with the listener. Right? Absolutely. And this actually ties into something called the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve. Yeah. Basically, we forget most information super quickly unless there's some kind of emotional hook. And stories stories provide that hook. They make the information relatable and, as you said, memorable.
[00:02:17] Unknown:
Okay. So we get it. Stories, they're powerful. But how do we actually do that? You know? How do we go from these bullet points to these really compelling stories, especially in a business context? Right? Like, I'm thinking about my next presentation.
[00:02:30] Unknown:
Yeah. And this source we're looking at, it gives a pretty simple framework, actually. It's called People Place Trouble. Uh-huh. And it's really interesting how versatile it can be, you know, even for something like, say,
[00:02:42] Unknown:
a dry financial presentation. People Place Trouble. I like it. It's catchy. Alright. So let's break it down. Where do we start? It starts with people. Every good story needs,
[00:02:52] Martin Kloss:
you know, a main character. Right? A a protagonist that your audience can really connect with. Okay. So let's say I'm presenting new project management software.
[00:03:00] Unknown:
Would the hero be the project manager who's constantly struggling to keep everything organized? Exactly. You're putting them right there in the thick of it, experiencing the same challenges your audience faces every day. Okay. That makes sense.
[00:03:12] Unknown:
So we have our people, our hero. What about place? So place, that's all about
[00:03:17] Unknown:
grounding the story, making it feel real, especially in a business context. That place should feel familiar to whoever you're talking to. Right? Their company, their industry,
[00:03:27] Unknown:
those everyday realities. Okay. So instead of just listing out a bunch of software features, I'd wanna paint a picture. Like, what does a typical day look like for that project manager, and how does my software help? Exactly. You're meeting them where they are, speaking directly to their experiences. And, usually, when you've got this relatable person in this
[00:03:46] Unknown:
relatable situation,
[00:03:48] Unknown:
there's some trouble brewing. Right? And the trouble in this case being the project chaos that my awesome software is gonna fix. Precisely.
[00:03:57] Unknown:
That trouble, it's the gap between where they are now and where they wanna be. And in the business world, that's usually the problem your product or your service is designed to solve. Okay. So I'm starting to see how this framework works, but can we really use this for anything?
[00:04:14] Unknown:
I mean, what about something like, I don't know, insurance?
[00:04:17] Unknown:
That's gonna be a tough one to make exciting. You think so. Right. But the source, it actually points to those old mister Kaiser insurance ads Yeah. As a really good example of this in action. Really? Those old ads. I mean, I wouldn't call them the most, you know, thrilling things I've ever seen. Right. And that's kind of the point. They took something that could be really dry, like insurance, and made it relatable, you know, even engaging. Okay. So how'd they do that? Well, they really nailed that people, place, trouble framework we were talking about. Think about it. You had mister Kaiser himself, right, with that, like, friendly demeanor and his kind of folksy wisdom. He was the relatable people. Okay. Yeah. And then the place is all these everyday situations, the kind of stuff we all find ourselves in. Right? Spilled milk Yeah. Fender bender. Right. Right. Relatable.
Exactly. And then the trouble, it was never, like, right there in your face. Yeah. But it was always kinda there, you know, lurking under the surface, that universal
[00:05:12] Unknown:
need for security, for peace of mind. I never thought of it quite like that, but you're right. It makes a lot of sense. They took these anxieties we all have but made them, I don't know, reassuring
[00:05:22] Unknown:
somehow. Exactly. Insurance felt human, you know, relatable, even, I don't know, kind of essential. And speaking of essential, the source we're looking at, it also brings up a great example from politics,
[00:05:33] Unknown:
Barack Obama's 2008 campaign. Oh, right. Yeah. His fired up ready to go story.
[00:05:39] Unknown:
That was powerful. It's such a good example of using storytelling to connect with people. And if you go back and listen to it, he hits those same people, place, trouble points we've been talking about. So even presidents are using this stuff. Okay. So let's bring this home for our listeners.
[00:05:55] Unknown:
How do we actually apply all of this to our own presentations or communication in general?
[00:06:00] Unknown:
Honestly, I think it starts with just a little bit of a mindset shift. Instead of thinking about just delivering information, think about creating an experience.
[00:06:07] Unknown:
Less data dump, more, I don't know, more engaging story. How do we make that happen, though? Instead of just listing features, you tell the story of what those features make possible.
[00:06:17] Unknown:
Use case studies. Right? Throw in some anecdotes. Even a little humor, if it feels right, can go a long way. And this is key, bring your audience into the story.
[00:06:27] Unknown:
So it's about turning that presentation into more of a conversation.
[00:06:31] Unknown:
Exactly. What questions would your audience naturally ask? Build those into your presentation. Make them think. Make them feel something. That's how your message is really gonna stick with them. It's not about ditching data completely. It's about using a story to make that data really hit home,
[00:06:47] Unknown:
to make it resonate. Exactly.
[00:06:49] Unknown:
And, hey, who knows? Maybe what starts as one presentation could turn into a larger ongoing story about the work that you do.
[00:06:57] Unknown:
That's something to think about. This deep dive has given us a lot to think about. And as always, we've got links to those examples we talked about in the show notes, so be sure to check those out. Until next time. Happy storytelling.
[00:07:17] Martin Kloss:
Hi, everyone. It's me again. Just a quick note before I let you go. I hope you found today's episode entertaining, engaging, and maybe even inspiring. If you did, please spread the word. And if you didn't, please keep it to yourself. And if you wanna know more, have any questions, or wanna work with me, please get in touch with me on martinklaus.com or on LinkedIn. Now have a great day. Go out and do something fun.
Introduction to People Play Story
The Power of Narrative in Communication
Understanding the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve
Applying the People, Place, Trouble Framework
Storytelling in Politics and Business
Creating an Engaging Presentation Experience
