If you’re searching for presentation inspiration, look no further than author of Blink Malcolm Gladwell’s perfect TED Talk: “Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce.” Storytelling is the key to his presentation as he weaves a narrative about how spaghetti sauce relates to happiness. How does he do it?
Unique Details
All of his stories are peppered with memorable, small details that bring his tales to life. For instance, listen to the way he describes Howard Moskowitz at about 1:20 in the video. He’s a round man with thinning gray hair, has a parrot, and loves the opera. It’s not necessary that we know about Howard Moskowitz loving the opera, but it fleshes him out as a real person.
Humor
Gladwell masters subtle humor throughout, particularly in the quotes he selects for the speech. For instance, when he uses the expression: “To a worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish” at 4:47. Also, the “invented” quote he uses at 8:20 serves to add a little drama to an ordinary marketing situation. In the imagined words of Prego to Moskowitz: “You’re telling me that 1/3 of Americans crave extra chunky spaghetti sauce and no one is servicing their needs?” Delightful.
Personal Additions
While generally sticking to the topic at hand, Gladwell also does an good job subtlety dropping in personal details to enrich the narrative. The best example is at 1:43, when he brings up that he has no idea what psychophysics are, even though he dated a girl getting her doctorate in it. It’s relevant and funny, but doesn’t detract from the main point.
Narrative
This is by far the strongest part of Gladwell’s presentation; his incredible ability to tell a story. He gives life to the tale of how Howard Moskowitz put Prego spaghetti sauce on the map against the watery, more popular Ragu sauce. It’s an underdog story that he later weaves with an overall message about happiness through diversity. Storytelling engages the audience then hits them with the takeaways: a one-two punch that KOs.
Easy Takeaways
Gladwell finishes strong with the three lessons that Moskowitz learned through his studies, and then ends with a final takeaway. The message couldn’t be more direct: embracing diversity is the way to happiness. There is no perfect way to make a plate of pasta and thus, no universals about the way we feel and behave. He makes this connection through nearly an entire presentation of storytelling, creating a parable about variables and happiness.
“Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce” has skills that we should all aspire to: pitch perfect storytelling, humor, and a strong takeaway. If only we were a little more like Malcolm Gladwell.
Question: What presentations lessons can you learn from Malcolm Gladwell’s TED Talk?
