Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph With the Hidden Power of Story

So how, in this environment, can we make our opinion heard above all the noise or make our product stand out from the crowd? How can we persuade others to buy into our ideas or support our dreams?

The answer, the author says, is by telling a good story.

So who'd benefit from this book? Well, "Tell to Win" is a must-read for people who negotiate deals for a living, but it's also relevant to anyone who wants or needs to get a message across. Whether you're a salesperson, a business executive, a marketing strategist, a filmmaker, a team leader, a parent or a coach, understanding the power of a compelling story could be your secret weapon.

And who better to give us tips on storytelling than a master storyteller? This book is a compilation of everything Peter Guber has learned in four decades in business - spanning entertainment, ownership of professional sports teams, and real estate management.

He's produced or executive produced award-winning films like "Midnight Express," "The Color Purple," "Rain Man," "Gorillas in the Mist," and "Batman." He's worked with some of the biggest names in the movie business and he's swapped stories with giants from the worlds of sport, entertainment and politics, many of whom feature in this book.

Guber was chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures and he now runs his own venture, Mandalay Entertainment Group. He's the co-owner of the NBA's Golden State Warriors basketball team and oversees the largest combinations of professional baseball teams and venues in the US. He's also a longtime professor at UCLA.

Guber's used storytelling throughout his career, sometimes deliberately, sometimes unconsciously, and has been on the receiving end of many a persuasive story. For this book, he also interviewed people from many walks of life who've used storytelling effectively.

So keep listening to hear how a cookie maker turned authenticity and passion into success, how the author used props and amateur dramatics to appeal to a movie maker's heart, and how perseverance can help you turn the word "no" to "on."

"Tell to Win" is a story in itself. It's the story of the author's swift rise through the ranks of the entertainment business and his successes and failures in making movies and negotiating business deals. It's also the story of many people he's met along the way, from Bill Clinton to Frank Sinatra.

The book is crammed with famous names and titles of blockbuster movies. Every few pages, we meet a new Hollywood star, a musical giant or a famous politician. And we hear the stories behind some of the biggest films of our time.

This barrage of famous names makes for a riveting read but be warned, it is a barrage. At times, we felt a little bombarded by the relentless naming of celebrities and, for that matter, by the sheer volume of stories contained in this book. The author's storytelling is fast and furious, so you might want to read the book slowly or dip in and out.

That said, the stories are colorful and generally support his arguments well. And just when you think the author has exhausted his celebrity contacts book or he couldn't possibly top the last story, he throws in an even bigger name or an even more intriguing story, involving the likes of Fidel Castro or Muhammad Ali, and you can't help but be drawn in.

The author intersperses these stories with insights from anthropologists, neuroscientists and psychologists into how our minds and bodies work, how we make decisions, and how we respond to stories.

So what are the elements of a good story and how can we use storytelling to convince and persuade our listeners?

Good stories, the author says, reach people's hearts, long before they reach their minds. They transport the listener emotionally. They confound or surprise and they combine the elements of challenge, struggle and resolution. Good storytellers are authentic and show their humanity and vulnerability - audiences trust storytellers who acknowledge their frailty.

Though they may not sound like it, these tips are particularly relevant in a business context. If the stakes are high and you've got limited time with your listener - as is often the case in today's fast-paced, competitive environment - a set of PowerPoint slides or a stack of pie charts and graphs just aren't going to cut it. You need a compelling story that'll grab the listener's attention and speak to emotions rather than logic. Data and statistics can follow - the author's not suggesting you don't do your homework or prepare - but get your audience to buy into your concept first.

One of the author's top tips for effective storytelling is to know what makes your listener tick. Ask yourself what element of your story connects with their story? What is most likely to capture their imagination?

Throughout the book the author gives an array of examples of times he effectively used storytelling to close a deal - either in the movie business, in real estate or elsewhere. He also writes about the times he crashed and burned by forgetting he was in the "emotional transportation business." We thought that including the author's failures, as well as his successes, really worked. As the book says, humility and vulnerability are vital elements of a good story.

So let's look at some examples of effective storytelling, like the one about cookie maker Wally Amos.

The author first met Wally Amos in the 1970s when Wally was a Hollywood talent agent, booking the likes of The Supremes, Simon and Garfunkel, and Marvin Gaye. At the time, Wally's dream was to be a big-time show business manager, but there was one problem: he never felt he belonged in Hollywood, he never felt authentic.

So what did he do? He started to bake cookies, following the recipe of an aunt who'd raised him. Baking helped him get back in touch with his authentic self and connect with his roots. Then he started bringing the cookies into the office, handing them out to directors, producers, casting directors and so on. Cookies became his calling card.

Five years later, fed up with show business, Wally quit and decided to bake cookies for a living, aided by financial backing from Marvin Gaye, among others. His ambitions were modest. His aim wasn't to be famous or to have a chain of stores but simply to have more fun and be more in control of his life. Once he'd made that decision, everything changed. Suddenly, he'd found a purpose that lined up with his authentic self.

His cookie recipe came from the aunt who'd taken him in as a troubled kid, turned him around and poured love into him. As he started to market these cookies to the media, customers and investors, Wally would tell the story of how his aunt's love and care was the same love and care that went into choosing the ingredients and baking his cookies. He quickly became the hero of Famous Amos, "cookies that melted your heart."

Now, this might all sound a bit sentimental but Famous Amos went on to become a national brand that was bought by the Kellogg Company and is still doing well thirty years after Wally sold it. It's not just the cookie that sells – it's the story behind it.

So what can we take from this? Well, if your product isn't selling, maybe it needs a compelling story. Maybe you need to rethink your marketing strategy and aim it at the heart. But remember, the best stories aren't engineered - they're authentic, congruent and passionate. And you'll have a better chance of telling an authentic story if your work is aligned with your passion.

Let's now look at how the author used emotional storytelling and some effective props to land investment for the hugely successful movie "Gorillas in the Mist."

It was 1986 and the author needed to convince Terry Semel, then CEO of Warner Brothers, to invest some twenty million dollars in a true drama of a primatologist who lived among the last surviving silverback mountain gorillas and ultimately died to protect them.

But the odds were stacked against him. Several years earlier Semel had given the go-ahead for the making of "Greystoke," an over-budget and commercially unsuccessful Tarzan movie involving men in monkey suits. When the author went to see him, Semel had pretty much made his mind up to pull the plug on "Gorillas in the Mist." So how could the author turn Semel's fear and skepticism into passion?

The author went straight for the heart. "Someone's killing your relatives," he told him. Semel was taken aback and the author seized the moment to explain how plunderers were stealing the land and the source of food of gorillas, creatures so closely related to humans. Murderers were shooting them through the heart and cutting off their hands and feet as trophies.

The author then turned to his props. He handed Semel photographs of the atrocities he'd just described, including a picture of a souvenir ashtray made from a gorilla's claw, on sale on the streets of Rwanda. Semel flinched at the picture.

The author then offered to post his company's fee against the project, proving how serious and committed he was to the film. Semel said he'd think about it and ushered the author towards the door.

At this point, the author decided to go for broke. He lay down on the floor, arms outstretched, and told Semel he was a wounded gorilla. As the CEO's next guest came into the room, Semel had to explain that the man on the floor was a gorilla who wanted to be saved. Semel couldn't help but burst out laughing. He agreed to make the picture and two years later, "Gorillas in the Mist" was nominated for five Academy Awards.

Now, we won't often be called to lie on the floor and pretend to be a gorilla but the author's point is a serious one: if we want buy in from our audience we need to engage them emotionally. We need to show our own passion, commitment and belief in the project and speak to their hearts first. A good business plan is not enough - we need to bring our proposal to life. Semel's logic might have said no to the huge investment, but his heart said yes to the wounded 'gorilla' lying on his office floor.

Another hallmark of a great storyteller is perseverance. The author says many great leaders interpret the word "no" to mean "on." They don't give up. The same goes for good storytellers. Firstly, though, we must believe in ourselves. Many of the world's most successful novelists, artists or inventors were told no, over and over again, but they carried on.

For a lesson in perseverance, the author spoke to Mark Victor Hansen, the co-creator of the hugely popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series. Publishers turned down Hansen and his partner Jack Canfield's book idea 144 times. They ended up publishing it themselves, and the series now has more than 200 titles in print and has sold more than 112 million copies.

So what are their tips on perseverance? One is that perseverance doesn't mean doing the same thing over and over again. Every rejection is an opportunity to modify your offer and improve your story.

We think this is great advice for anyone, from novelists to product designers to job seekers. To quote Hansen, "feedback is the breakfast of champions." Take the rejection on board and come back with an improved offer.

"Tell to Win" is crammed with valuable lessons and insights like this one, brought to life by colorful and often humorous stories. The author also gives examples of how not to tell a story. Of course, you need to judge what story would work in each situation and you need to tell it well, with a keen awareness of your audience's response. If your listener is getting restless or starts to usher you towards the door, rethink the strategy. Timing and context are also vital. Your listener has to be in the mood to hear your story.

And do your research. Take time to find out your listener's prejudices or you might just be telling the wrong story. Think of the images of Tom Cruise in a Nazi uniform and wearing an eye patch in pre-release publicity pictures for his World War Two film "Valkyrie." They created a misconception of the film as a pro-Nazi movie and turned audiences off seeing it.

Finally, make sure you're speaking to the right person. The author tells an amusing anecdote of how, as chairman of Sony Entertainment, he flew to Bangkok to persuade the king of Thailand to help stop the piracy of Sony products. He'd rehearsed a story designed to appeal to the king's heart and he launched into it as soon as he was ushered into the king's reception chambers. He was nearing the end of his story, convinced he was winning his audience over, when he found out he'd been addressing the guard all along. The king was standing on the other side of the room!

With these provisos on-board, if you're pitching for business or investment, particularly face to face, this book is a vital addition to your toolkit. And its lessons can be just as useful for people in other roles and professions too.

"Tell to Win" is published by Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House.

That's the end of this episode of Book Insights. Thanks for listening.