Book review: Lou Hoffman on 'Tell to Win' by Peter Guber

It pains me to say what I’m about to say.

Advertising recognises the power of storytelling more than the PR profession does.

This isn’t to say that PR efforts aren’t using storytelling techniques. There are consultancies like us as well as corporations who have got the storytelling religion.

But you don’t see narrative deployed as consistently on the PR side as in advertising.

For those non-believers or communicators striving to learn about storytelling, help is on the way.

Peter Guber, who headed Columbia Pictures (now Sony Entertainment Pictures) before starting his own company, Mandalay Entertainment, has written the book, 'Tell to Win'.

Whether navigating the waters between Hollywood and his Sony bosses in Tokyo or trying to convince Fidel Castro to allow his crew to film in Havana Bay, Guber has always had a secret weapon at his side: the ability to tell a story.

In 'Tell to Win', Guber articulates how the power of storytelling should be part of business communications.

Channeling his own experiences as well as the knowledge of colleagues, Guber tells a 'few' stories in the book.

We learn that then presidential candidate Bill Clinton used the movie 'High Noon' as the stage setter to tin cup for US$90,000 to keep his campaign alive after losing the New Hampshire primary.

We learn that the human brain is wired to interpret 'microexpressions' (involuntary facial expressions) which come in more than 4,000 different forms and occur in a fraction of second.

We learn that Guber went on the movie set to tell Dean Martin to shape up only to have Frank Sinatra intervene with a 'Who the hell are you?' before physically pushing him out the door.

He sugarcoats his lessons in stories that parade a who’s who from the movie biz, TV and politics across the pages.

Keep in mind that Guber focuses on oral storytelling, which actually cuts to one of the key points in the book.

If you need to win someone over to your way of thinking, don’t get on the phone or send an e-mail.

Get face-to-face with the person (or people).

Arianna Huffington, cofounder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post, affirms this belief:

“The more time we spend in front of screens, the more we crave human interaction. I believe the intimate in-person interactions where we tell stories to realise our ambitions, goals and dreams will only intensify as technology expands.”

With this as the backdrop, I found three takeaways that frame the book.

First, recognise that emotions play just as an important role as intellect in how people make decisions

Stories – not facts, figures and spreadsheets – tap the heart.

This concept can be difficult to grasp for those coming from technical orientations. Engineers in particular tend to view anecdotes as fluff, not fodder for bolstering one’s communications.

The book also explains the importance of personalising your story with a hero.

“Human beings instinctively turn off when numbers get large and impersonal. We’re wired to respond emotionally one-to-one.”

There’s simplicity in the definition of a hero that comes from basketball coach and executive Pat Riley:

“In every story there’s one person who can make the difference. That’s your hero.”

And three, storytelling offers a means to show vulnerability, a quality for building trust.

According to Keith Ferrazzi, author of 'Never Eat Alone' and one of the resources leveraged by Guber:

“Vulnerability is one of the most underappreciated assets in business today. Everyone has something in common with every other person. And you don’t find those similarities if you don’t open up and expose your interests and concerns, allowing others to do likewise.”

Putting the double negative aside, it’s an excellent point.

For those who favour their geek side, Guber also tackles the cognitive part of storytelling.

I especially liked the line from Jerome Bruner, a cognitive psychologist:

“Narrative emerges from violations to expectations.”

Guber’s buddy and neuroscientist Dan Siegel explains:

“You have expectations in your head; I have expectations in my head. We sit down to breakfast. I tell you, ‘I got up this morning, I went to the bathroom and picked up my toothbrush and put toothpaste on it, blah, blah, blah.’ Our expectations are totally in sync. There’s no violation of them. It’s boring. It’s not memorable.”

Allow me simplify the equation.

Violation = Attention.

There were a few parts in the book that didn’t work for me. 

I could have done without the pop psychology lesson; i.e., Larry King stayed at CNN because Ted Turner knew King put loyalty above money due to his father’s premature death which King interpreted as disloyalty.

Mr. Guber also makes ample use of exclamation points.

But these aren’t major flaws.

The entertainment value in the book allows the storytelling medicine to go down nice and easy.

For those who like their lessons bulletised, every chapter ends with “aHHa!” moments.

If you’re looking to explore and apply the persuasive qualities of storytelling in communication campaigns, 'Tell to Win' makes for a good starting point.

'Tell to Win' is available for pre-order at Telltowin.com and in stores on 1 March.

Lou Hoffman is the CEO of The Hoffman Agency. He also blogs on storytelling through a business prism at Ishmael's Corner. He submitted this book review to Campaign Asia-Pacific after receiving a preview copy.