This week at SXSW in Austin, Kay Kaplovitz (Founder/CEO of USA Networks, The Sci-Fi Channel, and Springboard Enterprises) introduced me to their event sponsor, Shannon Sibold, partner of the Morrison Foerster Law Firm.

I asked, “What’s your favorite part of what you do?“

She said, “I love to work with family businesses.”

I asked, “Could you put me in the scene of a favorite story where you recently worked with a family business?”

She said, “I recently had an opportunity to help a three-generation business close an almost billion-dollar exit. After signing the papers, my client asked, ‘Can I keep the pen?’

I told him, ‘Sure. Why is that meaningful to you?’

He said, ‘Because I still have the pen my dad used to incorporate the company, and I want to give him the pen we used to sell the company.'”

Boom. There it was. A signature story in 60 seconds.

I said, “Shannon, will you be speaking today? And if so, for how long?”

She said, “Yes, Umbreen Bhatti (CEO of Springboard) is going to introduce me, and I have a couple of minutes to say something.”

I said, “Instead of explaining what you do, you might want to start with, ‘Here’s a recent example of what we do…’

Then share that story and finish with a hook and hinge back to the audience by asking, ‘Do you know what my vision is?’ (Pause. Pause. Pause.) ‘To be in the room with you when you ask, “Can I keep the pen?”’

Well, Shannon did share her story, and I wish you could have been there to FEEL the enthusiastic reception in the room. Everyone instantly felt connected to her and wanted to continue the conversation with her.

And isn’t that what we all want?