“When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”

The Second Time Around

In 1976, a dorky 28-year-old kid dropped out of Vanderbilt Law School to run for a seat in congress.  As a former journalist with a passion for exposing corruption and injustice, particularly in areas of environmentalism, he knew that a congressional position would greatly help him bring his concerns into the public spotlight.

He won the ‘76 election easily, thanks in large part to the fact that his father had also been a successful politician in his hometown.  That same year, he established the first congressional hearings on climate change, co-sponsored hearings on toxic waste and global warming, and began a lifelong crusade to raise awareness of the earth’s environmental crisis.  

He was re-elected back to congress for four additional terms, then went on to serve in the Senate for nearly 20 more years.  All the while, he continued his efforts at raising awareness of what he thought was (and still is) the single most significant conflict mankind will ever face… the threat of cooking ourselves into extinction.  

Unfortunately, the his colleagues weren’t really interested in this issue.  He gave thousands of speeches and presentations across the globe, wrote articles and books, met with Nobel laureate scientists and climate experts, and continued to support legislative committees and caucuses on climate change.  And still… nobody really seemed to notice.

He was up against two significant obstacles preventing his voice from being heard.  

The first was the simple fact that “Green” issues of environmentalism and global warming were politically suicidal.  No self-respecting politician could seriously consider making the environment a focal point of his/her campaign… it just wasn’t relevant enough to everyday life, too intangible for the populace to grasp.

The second obstacle had to do more with his own  internal struggles.  Time and time again, he delivered the same speeches, followed the same formulas, used the same clichés, and…got the same poor results.    

The problem was that he was just….well…boring.

In 2000, the he decided to run for President of The United States, and lost the election in perhaps the most controversial election in U.S history.  

He, of course, is former Vice President Al Gore.

Gore has traditionally been known best for three things:

1. The guy that “used to be the next president of the United States.”
2. The guy that claims to have “invented the internet.”
3. The guy that delivers notoriously dry, sleep-inducing speeches to disconcerted audiences on a consistent basis.  

Whatever your impression of the man may be, you’ve probably experienced the third point at some point in your life – If you’ve ever watched a pre-2000-era Gore speech, you’ve likely found yourself fighting back yawns, and perhaps wondering why Gore doesn’t buy shirts with looser collars.   

According to one political rival of Gore’s in the 2000 presidential election, “When Gore has a fireside chat, the fire goes out.”

Over his 25+ years of public service, Gore successfully earned the reputation of “most boring presidential candidate in history.”

But then in 2000 – after he lost the election - something remarkable happened.

After the election, Gore took a long vacation and traveled the world with his wife.  He bought himself a new wardrobe, put on a good 20 pounds, and refused to fasten the top button of his shirts.  He threw away his old approach to influencing people and started anew.  

If you’ve seen Gore lately, you may have noticed the significantly different approach he’s taking to the same problem he’s had for 30 years.  Perhaps you may have seen his movie An Inconvenient Truth, read one of his many books, or witnessed one of his many new-and-improved speeches.  But in case you haven’t, take a look at him in action – here’s a video of him from the 2008 TED conference in Monterey, California.  Just watch the first 5 minutes:

The words “funny,” “interesting,” and “storyteller” are rarely used in conjunction with Al Gore’s name… until now.  

And people are actually listening.

For the first time in his career, Al Gore absolutely commands the attention in a room.  His movie and books have had a real impact, both on public awareness of climate change, and on the political landscape as well, leading to significant growth in the number of environment-related legislative bills passing through congress.  

The amazing part is that, aside from the weight gain and the wardrobe modification, Gore’s personality has not changed, nor has his fervent belief in the need to act now to prevent environmental disaster.  He’s just beginning to let it show.

See, the old approach just wasn’t working.  Gore needed more options, more ammunition to confront what many people believe to be his biggest weakness – his lack of charisma.  So he branched out, embracing humor and storytelling as the bedrock of his new strategy:  

Step 1: Get people to like you.  
Step 2: Get people to listen to you.
Step 3: Get people to follow you as you lead them in the right direction.   

Before leaving public office, Gore had been trying to accomplish Step 3 without putting much effort into steps 1 and 2.  In order to be an effective leader, it is essential to master steps 1 and 2 first, and the easiest way to do this is by developing a wide range of social skills.

Because of Gore's new found ability to convey himself  effectively – his personality and his passion –  he has made immense progress,  creating an award-winning documentary, winning the Nobel Peace Prize,  and - perhaps most importantly - changing the hearts and minds of people across our nation and every nation... to help save our world.

The Hammer and the Nail

Gore said it himself (albeit in a different context): “When all you have to work with is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”  

Think about this in the context of your social life.  So many of us live our lives with the basic social skills necessary to survive, to get what we need, earn a decent salary, and find a passable mate.  We can get ourselves through those awkward conversations with people we aren’t really interested in.  We learn what to say and what not to say, when and where it’s appropriate to ‘be yourself.’  We occasionally may tell stories and jokes, depending on our inclinations and naturally-endowed social skills. But beyond these basic skills, we rarely take time out to broaden and strengthen the range of our social ammunition.

Al Gore is just one of countless examples of the success people have found when they take time to strengthen some of these basic social skills, namely storytelling and humor.  

The reason for this immense success is pretty simple – it is because there really aren’t that many good storytellers or funny people out there.  And when you can master the art of one or both of these social skills, you stand out in the best possible way.  

At SocialCharm we are dedicated to helping you improve every aspect of your social being, from the fundamental like overcoming social anxiety and storytelling, to more nuanced like humor, flirting, and networking.  

When the founders of SocialCharm were discussing what needed to be included in our Core Program, we had to put some serious thought into determining what the most important area truly is.  What aspect of social interaction has the biggest impact on your overall social being?  What is most likely to help you achieve what you really want in your social life?

After pondering this question and really breaking it down, we found the answer:

Storytelling.

Storytelling is hands-down the most versatile and impactful social skill you can possibly have. Think about it:

• When a good story is being told, people listen intently.  No other form of communications commands such undivided attention.
  
  
• People recall stories far better than they do plain facts. This is why many of the best teachers and leaders are master storytellers.
  
  
• Stories are the best means by which you can convey your personality.  Throughout the course of a story, you can introduce your values, your background and experiences, your interests and passions.  You can demonstrate your humor and wit, showcase your confidence, and garner the attention of everyone around.
  
  
• A well-told story can arouse confidence or fear, happiness or sorrow, anger or joy. A story can entertain, inform, and inspire.

You see, a story gives you a perfect excuse to demonstrate who you really are, and all of the interesting things you’ve done or encountered.  No other form of social interaction allows for such immensely valuable opportunities, and no other type of communication can touch your audience – whether of one or one million – so deeply.

So try it yourself. Here’s three basic tips to get started:

1. Choose a topic. Although a master storyteller can make almost any topic interesting, if you’re just starting out, choose something that is inherently interesting or novel, like this story. Anything that is emotionally engaging or novel most people will find interesting.
   
   
2. Practice. Before telling it to someone, practice telling yourself first. Try to eliminate any ‘uhhs’, ‘umms’, or other filler words, and slow down. Most people talk far too quickly without even realizing it. Slowing down will make you come across as more confident and give you time to think.
   
   
3. Give it a shot. Right now, pick a person you’re going to tell this story to – you don’t need to tell it this moment (you can practice it first), but pick a specific individual. Next time you’re in a conversation with them and there’s a lull, just say “Hey, guess what, I was just reading this story about…” or “Did you hear about the guy who…” It probably won’t go perfectly, but then remember how you did, practice some more, and try again.

Of course, if you’re really ready to get a handle on this, there’s no better way to get started than to purchase Volume I of our Core Program: The Art & Science of Storytelling.

In it, we break down the secrets of master storytellers in incredible detail – what they say, when they say it, and how they say it: how they move, how they speak, how they act, and give you step-by-step instructions on exactly what you need to do, and exactly how to know when you’re doing it right.

So take a look:

Until Next Time,

The Social Charm Team