WEBVTT 00:00:03.030 --> 00:00:06.000 Matt Abrahams: This Tech Tools miniseries is brought to you by Prezi, the 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:10.050 presentation tool that makes your ideas easy to follow, hard to forget, and 00:00:10.050 --> 00:00:12.870 faster than ever to create with Prezi AI. 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:16.830 The best investment is in the tools of one's own trade. 00:00:17.310 --> 00:00:20.070 At Think Fast Talk Smart, we are taking this quote by Benjamin 00:00:20.070 --> 00:00:24.060 Franklin, the famous US inventor and founding father very seriously. 00:00:24.570 --> 00:00:28.930 As you know, our show strives to share tips and techniques to help you hone and 00:00:28.930 --> 00:00:31.215 improve your communication and careers. 00:00:31.725 --> 00:00:35.985 These practices and approaches can be augmented with tools and technology. 00:00:36.495 --> 00:00:37.515 I'm Matt Abrahams. 00:00:37.575 --> 00:00:40.965 I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. 00:00:41.265 --> 00:00:46.395 Welcome to this Tech Tools miniseries of Think Fast Talk Smart, the podcast. 00:00:47.445 --> 00:00:51.615 In this multi-part mini series, we'll introduce you to tools we use at Think 00:00:51.615 --> 00:00:56.295 Fast Talk Smart to help us be better at our spoken and written communication. 00:00:56.934 --> 00:01:00.205 And you'll learn best practices from the founders who created them. 00:01:00.745 --> 00:01:04.285 Taken together, we hope these communication tools will help you find 00:01:04.285 --> 00:01:07.075 new ways to think fast and talk smart. 00:01:07.465 --> 00:01:11.395 I'm really excited today to speak with Jim Szafranski, who is Prezi's CEO. 00:01:11.875 --> 00:01:13.074 Jim, welcome. 00:01:13.164 --> 00:01:14.095 Thanks for joining me. 00:01:14.515 --> 00:01:15.565 Jim Szafranski: Yeah, it's my pleasure. 00:01:15.804 --> 00:01:16.285 Matt Abrahams: Excellent. 00:01:16.285 --> 00:01:16.870 Shall we get started? 00:01:17.595 --> 00:01:18.465 Jim Szafranski: Yeah, let's do it. 00:01:18.525 --> 00:01:19.095 Matt Abrahams: Okay. 00:01:19.635 --> 00:01:21.885 Well, I have been a long time Prezi user. 00:01:21.885 --> 00:01:25.125 Some of our listeners might not quite know what Prezi is. 00:01:25.395 --> 00:01:29.565 Can you share what your product is using the elevator structure I teach 00:01:29.565 --> 00:01:35.904 my MBA students, what if you could, so that, for example, and that's not all? 00:01:36.354 --> 00:01:36.625 Jim Szafranski: Yeah. 00:01:36.655 --> 00:01:37.524 Let me give it a go. 00:01:37.524 --> 00:01:42.625 So what if you could easily create engaging presentations so that your 00:01:42.625 --> 00:01:47.030 target audience not only appreciates your presentation, but they act on your idea. 00:01:47.970 --> 00:01:51.449 Or easily retain and recall the knowledge you shared in your presentation. 00:01:51.720 --> 00:01:55.530 For example, if you're in a pitch competition, while many of the ideas 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:59.759 were high quality, your presentation is the one that the panelists remember 00:01:59.789 --> 00:02:04.169 best and reward, and that's not all, given how Prezi's format is highly 00:02:04.169 --> 00:02:09.570 visual, it brings out the best in your creativity and can actually be fun to use. 00:02:09.990 --> 00:02:13.829 Matt Abrahams: Well, you get an A plus for using the structure and it's really 00:02:13.829 --> 00:02:19.650 clear that what Prezi helps with because it's so engaging and stimulating that 00:02:19.650 --> 00:02:21.360 people remember it and it stands out. 00:02:21.450 --> 00:02:25.320 And for certain in communication, anything that helps you stand out 00:02:25.320 --> 00:02:28.710 and reinforces the story and messages you tell will be really helpful. 00:02:28.710 --> 00:02:29.550 So thank you for that. 00:02:29.820 --> 00:02:32.610 I know that storytelling is something that's very important to 00:02:32.610 --> 00:02:36.120 effective communication in general, but it's important to you as well. 00:02:36.380 --> 00:02:41.750 You've explored the importance of visuals in storytelling and supporting narratives. 00:02:42.079 --> 00:02:45.859 What are a few of your top insights or best practices when 00:02:45.859 --> 00:02:47.959 using visuals in storytelling? 00:02:48.200 --> 00:02:48.320 Jim Szafranski: Yeah. 00:02:48.320 --> 00:02:51.000 We've been at this for over fifteen years here at Prezi. 00:02:51.019 --> 00:02:53.989 Certainly have a few insights and best practices. 00:02:54.170 --> 00:02:56.540 Let me start with this idea of retention. 00:02:56.750 --> 00:02:59.910 It's probably the case that if you're putting in the effort to tell 00:02:59.910 --> 00:03:03.240 someone a story that you're hoping they remember your key points. 00:03:03.720 --> 00:03:08.610 And the insight that I would offer is that people remember and retain information 00:03:08.850 --> 00:03:11.130 very well when presented spatially. 00:03:11.490 --> 00:03:15.780 And this idea dates back to like five hundred BC and it's often referred 00:03:15.780 --> 00:03:19.680 to as a memory palace, or more scientifically the method of Loki. 00:03:20.055 --> 00:03:23.055 The way it works is imagine that you're trying to memorize, let's 00:03:23.055 --> 00:03:25.065 say the US presidents in order. 00:03:25.155 --> 00:03:28.935 It's a classic test, you know, for middle school students in America. 00:03:29.174 --> 00:03:33.015 You visualize walking into a house, let's say, and in the 00:03:33.015 --> 00:03:36.855 entryway is George Washington, the first US president greeting you. 00:03:37.155 --> 00:03:39.840 And then maybe down the hall sitting on a chair is John 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.834 Adams, the second US president. 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:46.170 And then beyond that hall, as you walk into the living room is Thomas 00:03:46.170 --> 00:03:48.269 Jefferson, the third US President. 00:03:48.750 --> 00:03:52.920 And you could draw this out and then, you know, during your recall, you visually 00:03:52.920 --> 00:03:54.720 just go through that house that you built. 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:58.620 And without getting into too many specifics of how Prezi works, this is 00:03:58.620 --> 00:04:03.929 one of the foundations of what we have learned is a good visual presentation. 00:04:04.200 --> 00:04:08.640 It lays out information along some story arc that often creates a 00:04:08.640 --> 00:04:12.060 vision in people's minds, and it dramatically increases retention. 00:04:12.450 --> 00:04:14.820 Matt Abrahams: I think that is such a powerful memory tool. 00:04:14.820 --> 00:04:16.820 I use it all the time for my talks. 00:04:17.430 --> 00:04:22.110 Human beings are designed to be good at knowing location. 00:04:22.110 --> 00:04:24.960 It's evolutionarily advantageous for us. 00:04:25.020 --> 00:04:29.610 And anytime you can tap into that geolocation ability we 00:04:29.610 --> 00:04:30.659 have, it can really help. 00:04:30.659 --> 00:04:35.080 And Prezi does lay things out in a visual sense, in a way that helps. 00:04:35.349 --> 00:04:39.070 When I give big talks, I will always place the introduction in the 00:04:39.070 --> 00:04:42.700 entryway to my house, and then the first point is in the first bedroom. 00:04:42.940 --> 00:04:46.299 And because I know that space, I just see myself walking through 00:04:46.299 --> 00:04:50.095 the space to make sure I remember the content I want to deliver. 00:04:50.515 --> 00:04:55.555 And while it helps me to remember, the visual elements of your tool really 00:04:55.555 --> 00:04:57.175 can help people remember as well. 00:04:57.175 --> 00:05:01.765 So for anybody listening, thinking about visual elements to help you remember, but 00:05:01.765 --> 00:05:05.395 also to make it easier for your audience to remember can be really important. 00:05:05.725 --> 00:05:08.755 Are there other best practices that you guys have identified over the years? 00:05:09.605 --> 00:05:12.095 Jim Szafranski: Yeah, I can certainly share at least one more here. 00:05:12.245 --> 00:05:15.905 And I think another one around, again, if you're telling a story, you're trying 00:05:15.905 --> 00:05:19.955 to help people understand, probably, your point, not just retain it. 00:05:20.465 --> 00:05:24.155 And what we've done a lot over the years is worked on actually some 00:05:24.155 --> 00:05:25.865 pretty polar opposite use cases. 00:05:26.015 --> 00:05:30.005 Sometimes helping people sell, let's say, very complex products, sometimes 00:05:30.005 --> 00:05:32.075 sell commodity products like insurance. 00:05:32.525 --> 00:05:37.025 But if we focus on the complex example, the insight that I would offer is that 00:05:37.025 --> 00:05:41.660 the use of visuals, in particular, something, say metaphorical can 00:05:41.660 --> 00:05:44.540 really help reduce complexity, right? 00:05:44.540 --> 00:05:45.770 And increase understanding. 00:05:46.130 --> 00:05:49.400 So what we see in many good presentations are images like let's 00:05:49.400 --> 00:05:53.340 say an iceberg, where you focus on the thing above the water, but 00:05:53.340 --> 00:05:55.440 there's danger lurking below, right? 00:05:55.800 --> 00:05:59.790 The roots of a tree, which while not dangerous, the unseen part 00:05:59.790 --> 00:06:03.930 under the tree is really important to how the organism functions. 00:06:04.080 --> 00:06:07.830 And these are all kind of storytelling techniques that can help. 00:06:08.010 --> 00:06:11.880 Let's say it's a complex example, even consulting engagement, and 00:06:11.880 --> 00:06:13.050 you have a skeptical client. 00:06:13.290 --> 00:06:16.530 It can help them maybe understand and appreciate that there's a lot 00:06:16.530 --> 00:06:20.775 more to this project or to the idea then they were thinking and that, 00:06:20.775 --> 00:06:21.880 you know, you could be very helpful. 00:06:22.935 --> 00:06:25.844 Matt Abrahams: It is really important when dealing with complexity, not to 00:06:25.844 --> 00:06:28.965 dumb things down and oversimplify, but to make them accessible. 00:06:28.965 --> 00:06:33.284 And using a comparison, a metaphor, that's visual in particular, can 00:06:33.284 --> 00:06:38.294 be really helpful so that we not only see it, but we understand it. 00:06:38.385 --> 00:06:43.604 And this notion of accessibility, when paired with the value of visuals for 00:06:43.604 --> 00:06:47.984 memory, really can make you stand out and make the content more engaging. 00:06:47.984 --> 00:06:48.794 So I appreciate that. 00:06:49.375 --> 00:06:53.305 Now, not every point made needs to have a visual. 00:06:53.895 --> 00:06:58.155 When should someone use visuals and when should they refrain from using them? 00:06:58.425 --> 00:06:58.844 Jim Szafranski: Yeah. 00:06:58.875 --> 00:07:02.685 It might be surprising to hear, but I personally don't use a lot of visuals in 00:07:02.685 --> 00:07:07.875 my presentations and certainly no stock or clip a just to fill space, right? 00:07:08.355 --> 00:07:12.495 What drives my style and a lot of what we try to do with our customers here 00:07:12.495 --> 00:07:16.635 at Prezi is based on the understanding that the same part of the brain is 00:07:16.635 --> 00:07:19.575 generally used for visual and audio tasks. 00:07:19.950 --> 00:07:23.669 So we aren't actually good at reading and listening at the same time. 00:07:24.195 --> 00:07:27.224 So if you wanna talk, put a visual instead. 00:07:27.555 --> 00:07:31.305 Maybe that just shows the simple relationship between the points, if 00:07:31.305 --> 00:07:35.414 you're doing like a cause effect or a goal challenge, next step list. 00:07:35.745 --> 00:07:38.955 And so I would use that a lot to guide, you know, when do you use a 00:07:38.955 --> 00:07:43.484 visual and when do you maybe not, is basically which part of the person's 00:07:43.484 --> 00:07:45.440 brain are you trying to engage. 00:07:46.275 --> 00:07:48.885 And I think this is, even without a physical presentation, you 00:07:48.885 --> 00:07:50.025 can think about this, right? 00:07:50.115 --> 00:07:53.235 And how to engage, you know, get someone painting a picture in their 00:07:53.235 --> 00:07:55.125 mind while you're telling a story. 00:07:55.245 --> 00:07:58.995 You could say, imagine you are in a cockpit of an airplane ready for takeoff. 00:07:59.145 --> 00:08:01.125 You've already got the person then in that space. 00:08:01.455 --> 00:08:06.075 So if I could give a rule of thumb, I would focus visuals for the main story arc 00:08:06.315 --> 00:08:11.325 for key relationships between important information or to simplify complex topics. 00:08:11.565 --> 00:08:14.070 But then don't clutter the rest of your content that you're sharing. 00:08:14.820 --> 00:08:18.030 Matt Abrahams: So just reinforcing that the visuals aren't needed for everything. 00:08:18.030 --> 00:08:20.460 Sometimes people carry around this notion that I have to have 00:08:20.460 --> 00:08:23.760 a visual for every point I make, and certainly that's not the case. 00:08:23.909 --> 00:08:27.659 And I really like your idea of using visuals for what they're really good at, 00:08:27.659 --> 00:08:32.039 which is helping people to understand, helping them to engage and thinking 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:34.544 about the impact that the visuals have. 00:08:34.575 --> 00:08:39.434 You know, human beings are wired for visual and let's not overwhelm 00:08:39.434 --> 00:08:41.775 people with too much information. 00:08:41.775 --> 00:08:43.424 I think that's really valuable. 00:08:43.755 --> 00:08:48.765 And I challenge everybody to remember that slides and visuals are for your audience. 00:08:48.765 --> 00:08:50.325 They're not for you. 00:08:50.325 --> 00:08:55.215 And so thinking about when to use them can be really helpful and I 00:08:55.215 --> 00:08:57.975 appreciate you sharing that you don't overload your communication 00:08:57.975 --> 00:08:59.235 that way with too many visuals. 00:08:59.235 --> 00:09:01.035 I am the same way, so I appreciate that. 00:09:01.605 --> 00:09:06.465 One element, Jim of Prezi that I really like is it's non-linear nature. 00:09:06.465 --> 00:09:08.835 You can move all around the content easily. 00:09:08.835 --> 00:09:11.145 It doesn't always have to go beginning, middle, end. 00:09:11.535 --> 00:09:15.765 What advantages and disadvantages does removing the typical linear 00:09:15.765 --> 00:09:19.470 constraint of communication provide when trying to get information across? 00:09:20.565 --> 00:09:23.115 Jim Szafranski: We like to call our format kind of an open canvas. 00:09:23.235 --> 00:09:27.705 Even our technology is more of a video game camera moving through 3D 00:09:27.705 --> 00:09:29.925 space than say traditional slides. 00:09:30.375 --> 00:09:34.545 To your question, like the advantages of being able to go non-linear, 00:09:34.545 --> 00:09:35.955 let's say, there are a lot. 00:09:35.955 --> 00:09:37.185 I would focus probably on two. 00:09:37.215 --> 00:09:40.785 The first is you can really personalize the flow and the information shared. 00:09:41.465 --> 00:09:44.585 Let's say this is a presentation you're gonna use with twenty different 00:09:44.585 --> 00:09:48.485 people, rather than having to change a presentation every time. 00:09:48.485 --> 00:09:51.785 If you don't have the time or the information on who these people are always 00:09:51.935 --> 00:09:55.355 to do that, you can kind of personalize your way through the presentation. 00:09:55.355 --> 00:09:58.535 And even better actually though, is interactivity with the audience. 00:09:58.835 --> 00:10:01.775 A lot of what we do when we try to go non-linear is you create 00:10:01.835 --> 00:10:05.435 curiosity moments on the screen and someone will say, well, what's that? 00:10:05.435 --> 00:10:06.725 Or can I see that? 00:10:07.155 --> 00:10:10.454 Now all of a sudden you're interacting with your audience, with the person 00:10:10.454 --> 00:10:14.385 you're presenting to, and it becomes very conversational, which is, you know, 00:10:14.415 --> 00:10:18.104 all of a sudden they're not thinking, I went to a presentation or I got pitched. 00:10:18.104 --> 00:10:20.834 It's more like, oh, I had this really interesting conversation with Matt. 00:10:21.255 --> 00:10:22.964 So those would be some of the advantages. 00:10:23.475 --> 00:10:26.475 Matt Abrahams: It's really cool that going non-linear can actually 00:10:26.535 --> 00:10:31.965 build curiosity and it allows you to tailor the material to the needs and 00:10:31.965 --> 00:10:36.015 interests of the audience, which we certainly know really draws them in. 00:10:36.495 --> 00:10:41.265 And it makes the presentation move from just broadcast to conversation. 00:10:41.685 --> 00:10:45.205 So, I think everyone should take a step back and think about 00:10:45.265 --> 00:10:46.765 the flow of your communication. 00:10:46.765 --> 00:10:50.875 Clearly you need to have a structure and a logic behind it, but the ability to 00:10:50.875 --> 00:10:55.645 move from place to place to really engage where the audience is most interested, 00:10:56.215 --> 00:10:58.945 that curiosity breeds conversation. 00:10:58.945 --> 00:11:02.155 And I like your metaphor of saying it's a canvas. 00:11:02.155 --> 00:11:06.595 I think many of us think of slides and other visual tools as really 00:11:06.595 --> 00:11:09.955 a template, and a template and a canvas, to me, are very different. 00:11:10.465 --> 00:11:15.805 And getting people to think about how they can communicate visually using that 00:11:15.805 --> 00:11:18.055 canvas metaphor, I think really helps. 00:11:18.055 --> 00:11:19.915 And it goes back to what you mentioned earlier. 00:11:20.155 --> 00:11:23.395 If you can get people to see it, not just actually see it, but see 00:11:23.395 --> 00:11:26.215 it in their mind's eye, they're going to retain it even longer. 00:11:26.515 --> 00:11:32.185 Now I have to ask you this because AI is ubiquitous and it certainly has impact in 00:11:32.185 --> 00:11:35.935 communication and visual communication, and I know you're integrating 00:11:35.935 --> 00:11:38.035 AI into the tool that you have. 00:11:38.425 --> 00:11:43.195 What role does AI play in storytelling and helping people communicate better? 00:11:44.105 --> 00:11:46.525 Jim Szafranski: What I've seen over the years of storytelling and visual 00:11:46.525 --> 00:11:48.025 design can be quite intimidating. 00:11:48.900 --> 00:11:52.590 But somewhere along the way we forget how to be creative sometimes 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:54.690 or how to tell a story, right? 00:11:54.690 --> 00:11:58.440 And so I think first up, I think AI is helping make storytelling and 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:01.920 visual design way more accessible, right, to many more people. 00:12:02.220 --> 00:12:06.120 We like to call, like our AI first user experience, for instance, 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:07.890 at Prezi a designer by your side. 00:12:08.535 --> 00:12:11.565 So we don't think of it as necessarily getting rid of you as 00:12:11.565 --> 00:12:15.105 the storyteller or even necessarily building the entire narrative for you. 00:12:15.135 --> 00:12:18.765 But we're there to help to get past that intimidation factor. 00:12:19.215 --> 00:12:22.365 And you know, so now you can have a tool that really guides you 00:12:22.365 --> 00:12:25.845 in crafting your narrative is a great thing aI can help with. 00:12:25.995 --> 00:12:28.965 Selecting visual imagery, which is something even I struggle with. 00:12:28.965 --> 00:12:30.315 Everyone struggles with, right? 00:12:30.585 --> 00:12:33.735 And then populating the content in ways you just didn't think you could do 00:12:33.735 --> 00:12:35.155 or didn't have the time to years ago. 00:12:35.780 --> 00:12:38.660 So I think it's revolutionary on that accessibility front. 00:12:38.870 --> 00:12:42.920 Matt Abrahams: Yeah, I certainly agree, and this is true for me, finding visuals 00:12:42.920 --> 00:12:45.320 is really intimidating and stressful. 00:12:45.410 --> 00:12:46.820 Can you find the right visual? 00:12:46.820 --> 00:12:47.885 Does it capture what you need? 00:12:48.615 --> 00:12:51.735 Having a guide or help on the side I think is really useful and I 00:12:51.735 --> 00:12:56.625 encourage my students and others to use AI to help you brainstorm, to 00:12:56.625 --> 00:12:58.665 help you consider different options. 00:12:58.665 --> 00:13:01.905 Clearly, your role as the communicator and the person who will actually 00:13:01.905 --> 00:13:05.235 be delivering and connecting with the audience is really important. 00:13:05.295 --> 00:13:09.075 And so as a guide I think is a great way to look at it. 00:13:09.075 --> 00:13:13.155 And we do get intimidated and we do lock in too quickly. 00:13:13.155 --> 00:13:16.755 So having options and having somebody help us can really make a difference. 00:13:17.895 --> 00:13:20.895 So Jim, before we end, I'd like to ask you two questions and I'm 00:13:20.895 --> 00:13:23.865 asking these questions of everyone who's part of this miniseries. 00:13:23.865 --> 00:13:24.615 Are you up for that? 00:13:24.705 --> 00:13:25.605 Jim Szafranski: Sure, let's do it. 00:13:25.755 --> 00:13:26.325 Matt Abrahams: Alright. 00:13:26.715 --> 00:13:30.855 So I'd be very curious to know who is a communicator that you admire and why? 00:13:31.215 --> 00:13:34.905 Jim Szafranski: I really admire and get inspired by the work of Chip and Dan 00:13:34.905 --> 00:13:38.775 Heath, with Chip being a professor at Stanford for folks that aren't familiar. 00:13:38.865 --> 00:13:42.165 And they've written many good books, and I would recommend all of them, 00:13:42.285 --> 00:13:45.750 but in particular on this topic, the ideas they presented in this book 00:13:45.750 --> 00:13:49.829 called Made to Stick, really, you know, were inspiring for me and has 00:13:49.829 --> 00:13:51.900 served me well a lot over the years. 00:13:52.110 --> 00:13:55.439 So I think their work, it offers a super simple framework for sharing 00:13:55.439 --> 00:13:58.620 ideas in a way that sticks, right, and that's the name of the book. 00:13:58.740 --> 00:14:02.640 And with a real focus on like trying to help lead people to action, 00:14:02.670 --> 00:14:06.209 they try to really help people communicate for action, for leadership. 00:14:06.569 --> 00:14:09.449 Matt Abrahams: So Made To Stick is one of my go-to books that I recommend 00:14:09.449 --> 00:14:11.069 to everybody for communication. 00:14:11.069 --> 00:14:14.100 It wasn't written as a communication book, but it is a great book. 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:16.560 And I happen to know both Dan and Chip, and we've interviewed 00:14:16.560 --> 00:14:17.910 both of them for the podcast. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:22.199 And you're right, they're very good at articulating very clear direction, 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:28.030 practical tactical tips, and they do a good job, I think, of giving examples. 00:14:28.030 --> 00:14:31.180 So you can really understand through examples, they show 00:14:31.180 --> 00:14:32.380 you what they're talking about. 00:14:32.380 --> 00:14:34.930 And I can see how that aligns a lot with the work you do, 00:14:34.930 --> 00:14:37.329 which is very much into showing. 00:14:37.329 --> 00:14:39.850 So thank you for sharing the Heath brothers, they do a great job. 00:14:40.060 --> 00:14:44.800 So beyond your tool, I'm curious if you have one particular communication hack or 00:14:44.800 --> 00:14:49.930 tool or shortcut that you use to help you be more effective in your communication? 00:14:50.325 --> 00:14:52.515 Jim Szafranski: What I would share is, you know, I've learned over the 00:14:52.515 --> 00:14:57.060 years, to get people to buy in and understand, they really need to be 00:14:57.060 --> 00:14:59.430 able to relate to you and your ideas. 00:14:59.640 --> 00:15:03.690 And so it's really important to help people relate to you and your 00:15:03.690 --> 00:15:06.900 idea while you're communicating, which is where sometimes Slack and 00:15:06.900 --> 00:15:09.990 things like that can go astray if you just get right to the point, right? 00:15:10.050 --> 00:15:14.160 So I think that I would encourage, you know, the hack would be communicate 00:15:14.160 --> 00:15:18.370 your experience, communicate your feelings, even your emotions. 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:24.570 And likely your audience will have then or has had similar experiences and then 00:15:24.570 --> 00:15:28.770 they can kind of place that idea in that context and understanding so much more. 00:15:28.770 --> 00:15:32.010 So, you know, essentially the idea you're communicating starts becoming 00:15:32.010 --> 00:15:36.000 theirs, but the way you get it is not by bludgeoning them with the idea, 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:37.720 it's by actually relating it to you. 00:15:38.035 --> 00:15:41.215 So then they, as humans can relate to what you're trying to talk about. 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:46.109 Matt Abrahams: So both tailoring your message to connect to your audience 00:15:46.170 --> 00:15:48.540 and then give the information. 00:15:48.540 --> 00:15:50.670 And you're right, that does take a little bit of time, but I 00:15:50.670 --> 00:15:52.920 think it is time very well spent. 00:15:53.400 --> 00:15:57.479 And it is through that connection, through that warmth, through that tailoring that 00:15:57.479 --> 00:15:59.219 you really can make your message land. 00:15:59.339 --> 00:16:03.420 And I like the example you gave of, show it, you know, tell your experience, 00:16:03.420 --> 00:16:07.740 share your emotions, and that's how you make that connection happen. 00:16:08.415 --> 00:16:11.205 Jim, this has been really insightful and useful. 00:16:11.235 --> 00:16:15.255 It is all about showing and connecting, and your work does that. 00:16:15.255 --> 00:16:16.605 Your tool helps. 00:16:16.875 --> 00:16:21.345 It makes things accessible, it makes things memorable, and those are things 00:16:21.345 --> 00:16:25.245 that all of us can leverage to be better, more effective communicators. 00:16:25.485 --> 00:16:26.385 Thank you for your time. 00:16:26.955 --> 00:16:27.885 Jim Szafranski: Yeah, thanks for having me. 00:16:28.035 --> 00:16:28.515 It's been fun. 00:16:31.095 --> 00:16:32.505 Matt Abrahams: Thank you for joining us for one of our 00:16:32.505 --> 00:16:36.435 Communication Tools episodes of Think Fast Talk Smart, the podcast. 00:16:36.974 --> 00:16:40.405 Please be sure to listen to all of the episodes in this miniseries. 00:16:40.755 --> 00:16:44.084 We appreciate Prezi's sponsorship of these episodes. 00:16:44.505 --> 00:16:49.724 This episode was produced by Katherine Reed, Ryan Campos, and me, Matt Abrahams. 00:16:50.069 --> 00:16:51.600 Our music is from Floyd Wonder. 00:16:51.689 --> 00:16:54.060 With special thanks to Podium Podcast Company. 00:16:54.449 --> 00:16:57.750 Please find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. 00:16:58.050 --> 00:17:00.060 Be sure to subscribe and rate us. 00:17:00.420 --> 00:17:03.420 Follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram. 00:17:03.810 --> 00:17:08.099 And check out fastersmarter.io for deep dive videos, English language 00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:10.319 learning content, and our newsletter. 00:17:10.830 --> 00:17:14.310 Please consider our premium offering for extended Deep Thinks episodes, 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:19.850 Ask Matt Anythings, and much more at fastersmarter.io/premium.