How To Connect The Dots By Telling The Story Of What Sparked It All
We as a species love to connect the dots between things.
It helps us make sense of the world and satisfies our natural curiosity.
Which is why we love to hear someone’s back-story.
I was reminded of this about 12 months ago when I visited an epic Lego Exhibition.
I’m not even a big Lego fan.
But these creations were BREATH-TAKING. I was blown away by it.
Think life-sized safari animals (along with 3D immersive videos, music and creative lighting).
This was Lego on a level I’d never seen it before.
Which got me really curious wondering:
How did this artist get to this point? Where he’s built a life out of making Lego!?
Because let’s be real.
People might call themselves Lego fans, but 99% of them haven’t gone on to do what this guy has done. Touring all over the world showcasing his designs.
Interestingly though, I got that question answered as I walked into the exhibition floor.
They showed a short video of the artist talking about what led him there.
So this was the backstory……. 👇
“Apparently, when he was young, he’d really wanted a dog. But, as he lived in a small apartment, his parents had said no.
So, he decided to build himself a dog out of Lego. Nothing special, just a boxy dog. But it served its purpose given he couldn’t get a real one.
Now, as he grew up, his love for building things out of Lego never faded. However, he didn’t for a second think he could build a career out of it. So, he chose to pursue Law. Because he thought it was a ‘proper’ job.
Unfortunately, during his studies, he was miserable. So he started building Lego for enjoyment and the rest is history.”
I personally found this story SO interesting.
Because, had his parents actually bought him a dog, he might not have gone on to do what he was doing now! 🤷🏻
It’s the connection of that specific (almost sliding doors) moment that’s the really interesting bit.
Also, armed with this story, his creations made a lot more sense.
I believe we all have an innate curiosity to connect the dots between things.
Whether it’s why someone has chosen a specific and unique career path, why someone believes passionately about a topic or even why someone has applied for a particular job.
There’s a back-story to everything.
It’s what sells a product to investors on SharkTank. It’s what helps businesses sell products to consumers.
But it’s not just a technique for entrepreneurs and business owners.
You can leverage this – to sell yourself or your ideas.
In fact, sharing your ‘origin’ story is great at the start of a Conf talk too.
When I’m working with a client on a Conf talk, I’ll always dig for their origin story.
To make sense of why they’re even sharing it to begin with.
More often that not, this is not something they were ever planning on sharing. They were going to just dive into ‘the talk’.
However, the audience needs you to get them up to speed in terms of why you’re even up there talking about it in the first place.
I remember one client who was talking about Compliance Loopholes in GDPR at BlackHat Las Vegas (BHUSA).
When I asked him what the back-story was, he shared this:
The talk idea came about when they had a bet with their fiancée at the airport.
They had been talking about GDPR loopholes and decided to do an experiment to see what information they could get from different companies, based on the GDPR regulations at the time.
Again, such an interesting moment that led him to talk on BHUSA stage!
The cool thing about origin stories is that no origin story is the same.
It’s this UNIQUENESS that also brings an interesting angle. Almost an added depth to a Conference Talk.
Unsure how to find your origin story for a talk or what about it to share?
HOW TO SHARE A RELEVANT BACK-STORY
There’s really 2 key components to it.
Finding the spark + connecting the dots
STEP 1 – FIND THE SPARK
Go back in time to find what sparked everything?
For example…
In the example of the Lego Artist, it was making a Lego dog when he was younger.
In the example of my client’s GDPR talk, it was the conversation he had with his fiancé back in the Airport months earlier.
A few points to note:
- It’s better if you can zero in on a very *specific* moment (e.g. an event, conversation or realisation)
- It doesn’t matter if you didn’t realise it was a pivotal moment – at the time. It’s upon looking back that it needs to ‘click’ for you (and others)
- It also doesn’t have to be an outrageously exciting moment. It just needs to make other people go “Ahhh ok, I get it” about your connection to the topic
STEP 2 – CONNECT THE DOTS
Connect that initial spark event to your Conf Talk (or whatever else you’re describing an Origin Story for), so it makes sense how you got here.
E.g. You segue by saying something like –
“The reason I’m here talking to you is …” OR
“The idea for this talk came about when …” OR
“Back in x date I was… “
A few points to note:
- Explain *when* this moment occurred (i.e. how far back in time it was)
- If you can, share some *dialogue* (e.g. who said what, or exactly what you thought to yourself)
- Less is definitely more. The shorter it is, the less likely you are to go off track.
IN SUMMARY
If you’re sharing something important (i.e. At work, at a conference, in an interview, on a website, in your LinkedIn profile) don’t just dive into what you’re talking about.
Share the back-story.
It bridges a gap that’s often left as a big void. It satisfies people’s natural curiosity; it helps them better relate to it and it’s far more memorable.
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Cheers,
Emily
Hey, I’m Emily Edgeley, a Public Speaking Coach for the Tech industry.
Since 2017 I’ve transformed the lives of thousands, by helping them to communicate with more power. I’ve run 300+ group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and helped more than 100+ others give their first ever Conf talk.
I’m on a mission to help anyone in Tech communicate with more clarity, impact and confidence. To boost their brand, career and influence.
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