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Business Book Summaries

Tell Me About Yourself

Six Steps for Accurate and Artful Self-Definition
Holley M. Murchison
©2017 by Holley M. Murchison
Adapted by permission of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-5230-9466-0
Estimated reading time of book: 2–3 hours

Key Concepts
• Stories provide the foundation for our experiences. The context of our existence as social beings is created
through the stories we tell one another.
• Compelling introductions are stories about who you are, not what you do. A personal statement that expresses
the value you bring to the world is more engaging than one that describes a laundry list of accomplish-
ments.
• Story-based introductions can open the door to new opportunities. Introductions that convey who you are and
the value you bring can greatly expand and enhance your personal and professional connections.
• Anyone can learn to create compelling story-based introductions. By following a six-step process for creating
situation-specific, personal introduction statements, you can dramatically improve your ability to connect
with others in a more meaningful way.

Introduction
When you’re at a social or business gathering, do you often feel dissatisfied with your response to the question,
“What do you do?” If so, it’s probably because you often find yourself simply sharing your job title and duties—
which don’t accurately convey the essence of who you are as a person. In Tell Me About Yourself, education
producer and storytelling expert Holley M. Murchison provides a framework and six-step process for developing
personal introductory statements, or stories, that truly reflect the value you bring to the world and the special
contributions you make every day.

Why Stories Matter

Stories provide the foundation for both social and cultural currency. They help explain who you are as an indi-
vidual and as part of a community—creating context that has the power to either unite or divide groups of

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Tell Me About Yourself Holley M. Murchison

people in world-shaping ways. When you define yourself through deeply personal stories, you share who you
are at a fundamental level. This self-definition can serve as an explanation to both yourself and to others of how
you’ve been shaped by your experiences and your inherent characteristics to become who you are and behave
the way you do.

Creating a personal story to share with others as an introduction requires the following efforts:

• Careful consideration of the many circumstances in which such a story would be useful.
• Developing key questions and prompts that can help prepare the story.
• Creating an outline of critical points to remember when sharing.
• Ongoing practice, so that personal storytelling becomes natural.
• Learning from others who are good at telling their personal stories.
• Revisiting and updating the story over time.
Your personal story will become the basis for meaningful introductions that express your core values and life’s
work. By sharing your story, you will open your life to new opportunities for personal and professional growth.

You can develop an introductory statement for any type situation by following a simple framework and a six-
step process. To get started, you’ll need a few basic tools, such as sticky notes, a storyboard, a journal, pens or
pencils, a timer, and an audio/video recording device (such as a smartphone). Engaging the support of friends
and colleagues in the process can help accelerate your progress.

When applying the six-step process, it’s important to:

• Take small steps and adhere to the established time limits. By sharing your story,
• Honor your time to get the most out of the exercises, rather than rushing you will open your
through them. life to new opportuni-
• Go easy on yourself by spending time in reflection. ties for personal and
• Keep it real by allowing yourself to be vulnerable and honest. professional growth.
• Show your work by using a storyboard to visually map your journey.
• Practice so that storytelling becomes natural to you.
• Repeat the exercise for every situation, as each introduction will have its unique requirements.

Honing Your Voice

Although some people are naturally better storytellers than others, it is possible to improve your storytelling
abilities. By performing the following three impromptu challenges, you can observe your own storytelling capa-
bilities, then use that feedback to hone your skills and develop your own storytelling style:

1. Record a two-minute video of yourself talking about either the best or worst group meal you’ve ever eaten,
a childhood memory or pivotal moment, or your most memorable concert or trip. Watch the video, then
make notes about your delivery. Include what stood out to you in the story, thoughts that led you to create
the story, what you liked most about the story, and what was missing from it.
2. Record a one-minute video as if you were introducing yourself to someone else. In the video, share some-
thing about yourself, why you’re doing the six-step process, and your top one to three most challenging or
frequent introduction scenarios. Watch the video and reflect on the same questions as in the first impromp-
tu challenge, but also compare the two videos. Think about how to merge the best from both challenges.

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Tell Me About Yourself Holley M. Murchison

3. Spend 30 minutes writing down a description of your personality, which features of your personality you’d
like to stand out to others, when you feel most confident in group situations, what you consider to be your
communication strengths, and how you can improve. Then select a public figure or celebrity whose com-
munication skills you admire. Make notes on how you could develop a style more similar to that person’s
style. Close the exercise by documenting your commitment to improving your communication style.
The results from these three challenges will create a foundational backdrop
for working through the six-step process to develop and refine your personal
Delivering the per- introductory statements.
fect introduction
depends on your The Six-Step Process
ability to examine
Delivering the perfect introduction depends on your ability to examine each
each scenario you
scenario you might find yourself in to choose the perfect opening. You can
might find your- blend what you’ve learned about yourself from the impromptu challenges
self in to choose the with the following six-step storyboarding process to effectively address your
perfect opening. specific introduction needs and develop compelling and content-rich intro-
ductory statements:

1. Pick a scenario. Select your most difficult scenario from the second impromptu challenge.
2. Identify your audience. Determine who you will be talking to, what they already know about you, what you
already know about them, and why they’d be interested in learning more about you.
3. Clarify your response time and intent. Establish the amount of time you’re likely to have to make your intro-
duction and determine your intended outcome. Each scenario could have a different outcome, such as a job
interview, a referral, or a collaborative opportunity.
4. Reframe the question. Rather than directly responding to what you’re asked (e.g., “What do you do?”), re-
frame the question in your mind to one that better suits your desired outcome.
5. Decide what you will share. Use category-based probing questions to help yourself refine the specific infor-
mation you want to include in your introduction.
6. Build your story. Gather all of the information you’ve put together up to this point and transfer it to the sto-
ryboard.
Once the information is in the storyboard format, you can begin reflecting on how to best frame the content to
align with the communication style you want to emulate. The next step is to record two or three introduction
scenarios, drawing from the information on the storyboard. Watch your videos and write down what you want
to eliminate and what you want to amplify in future iterations.

Essential Tips & Preparation

The following tips can help you refine your story-based introductory statements:

• Be clear about your aim. The starting place for developing a scenario-specific introduction is understanding
your intent in having the conversation. Do you hope to inspire others? Or is your goal to entertain, persuade,
or inform them?
• Keep the end goal in mind. Your end goal is the specific outcome you hope to achieve as a result of the con-
versation. For example, do you want the other person to feel a certain way, take an action, or remember
something specific?

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Tell Me About Yourself Holley M. Murchison

• Don’t give it all away. Introductions should not be endless monologues; rather, they should spark conver-
sations. You’ll increase the likelihood of an introduction becoming a conversation by speaking with confi-
dence, having clarity of purpose, and being concise.
• Heed the rule of three. People learn and remember things best when they’re presented in groups of three.
When introducing yourself, focus on three key talking points.
• Connect the dots to weave your story together. A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Make sure
your story flows together so your audience can follow it.
• Practice makes perfect. Repetitive, deliberate practice will help you improve your storytelling abilities.

About the Author

As an education producer, entrepreneur, and strategist, Holley M. Murchison has partnered with Oberlin Col-
lege, Spotify, General Assembly, Code2040, Level Playing Field Institute, and many self-employed entrepreneurs
to design and curate courses and experiences ensuring that members of the next generation have the access
and knowledge they need to pursue their passions. Through her storytelling agency, Oratory Glory, she helps
artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and organizations tell stories, pitch solutions, and execute ideas that move the
world forward.

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