See a photo of Jim, his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, and Part 3.
Q&A with Jim Signorelli, Questions 4 and 5:
Q: What has surprised you most in your work with story?
A: Of all your questions, this one can be answered most simply: Everything and nothing.
First the everything part: Writers like Kendall Haven, Annette Simmons, Doug Lipman, Stephen Denning, and last but not least, Robert McKee, helped me to understand and fully appreciate the power of a communication tool that I’m regularly exposed to while awake and yes, even while dreaming. Their works have given me a whole new perspective on human communication in general and persuasion in particular. Theirs has been a gift that continues to excite me about the value of authenticity in human exchange and how I can better contribute to it.
The nothing part stems from the lack of awareness and appreciation for
story’s power in my chosen profession. However, I can’t allow myself to get too frustrated when I’m barraged with brag and boast, meaningless advertising. After all, it took a few epiphanies for me to give up my old ways. And furthermore, I’m optimistic. Soon I think advertising, as we know it, will change. Bob Garfield and Doug Levy wrote a groundbreaking article that appeared in AdAge titled The Dawn of the Relationship Era in Marketing. This article put a new stake in the ground for the advertising profession. It suggests that the old days of telling and directing consumers to think one way about their brands is giving way to the need for building relationships with consumers that are founded in shared values and earned trust. I am in heated agreement with these guys.
Telling must eventually give way to showing. And we the persuaders as well as those we set out to persuade will all be better for it.
Q: Watch the TED Talk by Tyler Cowen about the trouble with stories and react to what Cowen says are the problems with stories.
A: Yes, many who know about my interest in stories have sent me this video. I’ve had plenty of time to watch and study it.
Tyler Cowen’s TED speech has been the subject of a great deal of criticism. The most vociferous of the naysayers are wondering why Cowen uses stories to talk about why we should be suspicious of stories. Others are complaining that in his warnings about the ill effects of stories, he offers no remedy. And still others state that until Tyler Cowen can define what he means by stories, he’s hardly worth all the attention we’re giving him.
I subscribe to all three points of view.