Viral Voices: Conversation with Carmine Gallo

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      Carmine Gallo is a three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author, internationally popular keynote speaker, Harvard instructor, and leadership advisor for the world’s most admired brands. A “communications guru,” according to Publishers Weekly, Gallo’s books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He delivers highly customized, engaging, inspiring, and actionable multimedia keynotes based on his international bestsellers: Talk Like TED, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, The Storyteller’s Secret, Five Stars, and The Bezos Blueprint.

In this conversation, Carmine discusses his new audiobook-only release, Viral Voices.

Geetesh: Carmine, your new title, Viral Voices, arrives as an audio original. What led you down that path, and how does the audio format help you deliver the book’s ideas more effectively?

Carmine: As your readers might know, the audiobook category is growing faster than printed books. So, it’s understandable that publishers are experimenting with a sub-genre of “audio originals.” These are limited-series audio programs on a specific topic, like Viral Voices, which covers persuasion and communication in the digital world. The format gave me the opportunity to interview a wide range of experts (like a podcast) and deliver the narration in my own voice (like an audiobook).

We get to do some cool things, like interview an expert such as Barack Obama’s speechwriter, and then cut to a line from an actual speech where the listener hears why the speechwriter did what he did. It’s all a lot of fun and super insightful.

Although I know a lot about persuasive communication because I’ve written about it and taught it for two decades, I learned new ideas from this process that really impressed me. I’m excited to share these fresh ideas with people who want to learn and improve.

Geetesh: You’ve written extensively about structured storytelling in books like Talk Like TED. What has fundamentally changed about persuasion in the age of TikTok, Reels, and Shorts? Also, what remains the same?

Carmine: This is where the fun begins—and the real insight. First, very little has changed over the past 2,300 years. A story still follows Aristotle’s structure of beginning, middle, and end. A good story still follows the Hero’s Journey, which is a structure of epic stories that can be traced back to some of the earliest oral traditions. What’s changed are the tools of communication. Our storytelling ancestors didn’t have social media or digital tools to create slides, but the fundamentals still apply.

I was surprised and fascinated to speak with social media influencers who explained the structure they follow to create viral videos. In many cases, they didn’t know they were following a Hero’s Journey template, but that’s exactly what they’re doing.

For example, one creator who has built a following by dispensing financial advice told me the best videos follow this structure: set-up/problem/resolution. Think about how easy it is to follow these stages. A financial advisor would start by setting up a person’s current situation (they’re not saving money). Then they describe the problem that the person will encounter if they do not do so. And, finally, help the viewer resolve the problem with simple steps to get started. A simplified Hero’s Journey works the same way: setting up the world in which the hero lives/hero encounters problems and obstacles/hero resolves the problem and everyone lives happily ever after.

And that’s why I recommend that people see themselves as storytellers first. Everything else, like PowerPoint or social media videos, enhances the story you tell, but the story must take the spotlight.

Geetesh: If listeners take away just one principle from Viral Voices, what should they do differently the very next time they communicate an idea?

Carmine: One of the neuroscientists I interviewed gave me the best piece of advice. Dr. John Medina told me that if this is all you remember, your presentations and communication will be significantly improved: The brain doesn’t pay attention to boring things!

Medina makes so much sense. Think about it:

If you put many words on a PowerPoint slide, it’s boring.

If you take too long to get to your point, it’s boring.

If your presentation is all numbers and no stories, it’s boring.

Yes, there’s a difference between boring and engaging. Best of all, we call it presentation “skill” for a reason—it’s a skill and, like any skill, you can improve. The formula for improvement is the same for public speaking as it is for any other activity: learn something new, practice it, and you’ll get better step by step.

In the age of AI, it’s crucial that you differentiate yourself and stand out. Effective communication skills are no longer ‘soft.’ They’re fundamental to your success.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.