An extension of storytelling, it's something called open loop. And that's where you set up a story, perhaps at the beginning of your speech, and then you close it later on maybe at the end of your speech. Now, this is very engaging for an audience because it creates some suspense for them about what happened. So think about what as a story that you could just chop in half and fill it in your speech so that people can enjoy that for song of wondering, how does the end? I'll give you an example. In my signature talk, which is on persuasion that I often do at conferences, I tell a story about how I pushed a woman on the tube doesn't make me look good.

I know. And I tell it in some detail, I'll just summarize it for you here. I say that I was commuting on the tube. And one day a woman in front of me was taking too long to get on. And so in order to get both of us on the carriage and so that I could get to work on time. I pushed her.

I know it's bad. I pushed her and she got on the carriage and so to die and the doors closed behind us, and we were both able to get to work. I thought this is a very neat solution. She didn't. She turned to me. And she looked up at me.

She was very small. And she said, You pushed me. And I said, I think you'll find I moved you. And this went on for some time. You pushed me. I moved you now, perhaps I should explain.

I spent a lot of time in bars in Sheffield. That doesn't sound right. But I was collecting glasses mostly. And I had to get through a crowded bar. And the way I would do this is to move people in. You put your hands on my shoulders, don't you and you just displace them in space and time.

And they don't mind because they're drunk. I'd underestimate my audience. Yeah, because she was sober. So she wasn't happy about this. One done this for a little while you pushed me, I moved you. She got off her staff went to work.

And I thought that was the end of it until I ended up in court. I know. Now when I'm doing my feet, I leave it there, and the audience sometimes boo and complain that I'm not going to finish the story because they're really into it by now. But that's great, because you know what? They are highly engaged. And that's where I want them to stay so that I can now carry on with the meat of my presentation, which is about persuasion, particularly about can you push people, or can you move them?

Yes, but not in the way that I did with that woman to Eva. So I then get on with all the rest of my presentation, and I like to leave it until the last two to three minutes before I say to the audience. Did you want to know what happened when I ended up in court? I'm thrilled because I think I'd forgotten yesterday. He wants to know. And so this is what I say to them.

Well, it wasn't a real court. It was a comedy court. And then I show them a slide. And on the slide is Clive Anderson in the chair playing the judge and Trevor lock is playing the clock. And I explain that this is a TV pilot called this is your trial. I know David Anderson who invented it, and he asked me to be part of the audience.

And it was being filmed. unbeknownst to me, my best friend Kelly had written into the show and told them about this incident with the woman on the tube. And so I was put on stage and put on trial for it. The audience had to decide whether I was guilty or not guilty. Now I say to the audience, what do you think they said, shout out for me now guilty or not guilty. Nine times out of 10 the live audience shouts guilty.

And then I say to them, no, this is the London audience and they thought that this behavior was perfectly reasonable and let me off scot free. But there was a little bit of time left on the program. And I was put back on trial a second time, this time for being a northerner pretending to be a southerner. And that time, I did not get off so lightly. And that's how I finish my signature speech. Audiences really go mad for it, because they find it very satisfying, that something was set up at the beginning, and then closed at the end in a way that was funny.

And that didn't make them feel uncomfortable in any way. audiences are looking for you to end your speech in a way that makes them feel good. And that perhaps is a little bit thought provoking that they can walk out of there. And that's the thing that they're going to remember about you. So if you want to get into these really high level skills with storytelling, think about whether there's a story that you could chop in half and create an open loop. Give it a go next time, you speaking