Could your speeches take a lesson from Quentin Tarantino?
Tarantino's ninth film, titled Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, was released worldwide in August 2019.
Tarantino describes it as "a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don't recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor...Sharon Tate."
A speech coach who has helped me tremendously, Patricia Fripp, and I have often discussed the Hollywood formula for developing successful stories used by Tarantino and other masters of the craft.
“The first thirty seconds of your presentation needs to arouse interest in your subject,” says Fripp.
Just like Hollywood films grab you from the get go.
“What you are doing is creating your own once upon a time story, told with some basic Hollywood elements,” says Fripp.
Fripp has a special interest in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. She worked for Jay Sebring, the slain Hollywood hairstylist for all the top man stars. These included Paul Newman, Peter Lawford, Steve McQueen and George Peppard.
In real life, that evening in 1969 Hollywood when the Manson family came to Tate’s home changed Fripp’s life forever. The impact launched her into more of a public figure and media personality.
She has come a long way from being a celebrity hair stylist. For 25 years, Fripp has helped executives, sales teams, engineers, and ambitious professionals craft powerful, persuasive messages that gives them a competitive advantage.
She has won and been awarded these designations by the National Speakers Association: Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), CPAE, Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and the Cavett Award (considered the Oscar of speaking). She is a past president, and the first female president, of the over 3,500-member National Speakers Association.
Fripp offers this advice on opening your speech with a grabber story:
Once Upon A Time. “Share an average day in the life of the hero,” says Fripp. “The hero or protagonist in your story is not necessarily a heroic character; just the person through whose eyes we see the story. Help your audience personally relate to your hero’s situation at the beginning of your story. The audience can better relate to the hero when they understand some of the backstory.”
Something Happens. “Then, something happens,” says Fripp. “Every story has a beginning. This is the inciting incident that propels the hero into a challenge that leads to a lesson learned.”
The Challenge. “How did the hero handle the challenge?” asks Fripp. “What was the result of the something that happened? Did they step up and embrace it?”
Then Something Else. “The hero faces another challenge, and the suspense in the story builds,” says Fripp. “Next, something else happens. If it all comes easy, then that is a boring story.”
Climax. "What are the happily-ever-after and the result of the hero’s handling of the challenge?” asks Fripp. “What is the result of the something else? Tell the audience if the hero won or lost, and what they learned in the process.”
A final piece of advice from Fripp is there should be a moral to the story, a reason for telling it to start your presentation. “Your story has to connect directly and be relevant to the premise of your presentation,” says Fripp. “Otherwise, your audience is left thinking, ‘So what?’”
