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Princesses and dragons, wizards and villains... Each one of us has experienced the power of a story, since our nursery days.
What is that fascinates us so much about following the tribulations of our favourite characters, through thick and thin, until the happily ever after?
Stories are the most ancestral way of passing information to each other. Picture early humans around a fire telling each other magical stories to learn valuable lessons, put each other on guard, or just entertain.
Our human brains are hardwired to get captured by stories, especially the surprising twists that make Hollywood movies so compelling.
Because you are a professional change-maker, that doesn't mean you can't use this amazing tool to influence others. Quite the opposite.
Where to start though?
Follow this process and watch the magic happening!
1. What is the aim of your presentation/communication?
Do you want to raise awareness, inspire, teach or change attitudes and behaviours?
Because this will change the way you talk to your audience and the story you will tell.
2. Who is your audience? What resonates with them?
Before a presentation or a pitch, focus on your audience and spend some time researching what makes them tick.
2. Depending on the two points above, choose a case study of a previous project or event.
Who was the hero? If you want to inspire and change behaviours, choose a relatable hero so that your audience can see themselves in them.
3. What was the hero's quest? What did they want to achieve?
Again, a relatable goal will convince your audience you are speaking directly to them. Give your audience a bit of backstory to put it in context.
4. Now, that's the fun part: what challenges, unexpected twists, and surprises did the hero have to deal with?
This is key to the story, it's what will make it inspiring and entertaining and hook your audience.
5. How did the hero overcome the challenges to reach their success?
Here is where you can get into the picture: were you the consultants who helped the hero reach their goals? Every hero needs a mentor and a magic potion.
6. Finally, show the results. The benefits, the achievements.
It's a simple story arc that works like a charm to make a boring "fact after fact" presentation into a compelling and memorable one.
I have put together a crib sheet (download it HERE) to help you put together your next business story - it goes along with my book SustainABLE, in which I explain in a lot more detail how to create great sustainability stories.
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