Ask the Author: Storyteller Tactics (Oct 2023)

Simon (00:30): I need to give a 10 minute presentation in a job interview where I am given the subject just before the interview. Can you advise on a structure/story that would work?

• Movie Time & Rolls Royce Moment help you get quickly into a story, creating a vivid image in your audience’s mind. These stories allow you to turn your wisdom into a moment of experience where we can “see” what you mean.

Mathieu, Brandi & Emily (12:00): We want to make our stories more engaging for a photography workshop we host. Is there a particular card or method you would suggest to start with? What is the good starting point ?

• Best thing to do is start somewhere. Let’s try the Recipe card Stories that Sell

• Remind yourself of who the audience is with Audience Profile.
• Simple Sales Stories points you towards the type of stories you need to tell.
• Social Proof shows new customers what to expect.
• Rags to Riches gives you a simple structure, beginning middle & end
• Pitch Perfect gives you a more structure for a formal sales pitch.

Godwin (27:00): What’s the best way to tell a compelling story about your unique coaching service?

• Compelling stories have drama, twists & turns. They’re not just a list of things that happen, linked with “and then… and then…”
• Dramatic stories use “but then…”, because this signals an unexpected change.
• Structure cards are all designed to give twist or turn to your story.

Bill (31:00): what is a good way to build a story bank? Also, The Innovation Curve has me a little confused.

• A simple spreadsheet works as a Story Bank, with a few words as prompts, tactic, source.
• Innovation Curve helps you think about your audience, how they feel about risk and what kind of story you need to tell them.

Lina (38:00): I want to inspire nurses to use a new hospital in a different way but I’m not a nurse, I’m a project manager.

• Stories help us change our perspective and see things from another person’s point of view.
• Do your research and give a simple example from a nurse’s point of view, or from a parent/carer’s point of view. Tell a single Movie Time story of what happens if someone does the right/wrong thing?
• But you do also have a story you can tell about your expertise. ‘I’m not medically trained but I do have experience of managing change. For example…”