DESCRIPTION
A guided journey to a 100% proven and guaranteed story structure of whatever you want or need to tell. 100% GUARANTY! It’s a combination and adaption of different methods put together in one.
Put yourself in a state of mind, where you can tell your story. In your pace. Make sure to have something to write and make yourself comfortable.
Hint: Go thru the single steps, one by one, without looking for the next step before you’re done with thep revious one. Keep yourself focussed and finish each single step before continuing to the next one.
USED BY
Myself, in case of a totally blanc start… 😉
Approximately needed time
- Step 1: 2 hours
- Step 2: 2 hours
- Step 3: 2-4 hours
- Step 4: 2 hours
- Step 5: x hours
- TOTAL: 8-10 + X hours
METHOD
MATERIAL YOU COULD NEED: Something to write.
STAKEHOLDER GOOD TO KNOW: 123
STEPS
GOAL, TARGET & NEED & C2A: What and why do you want somebody to do something.
First, you need to know the reason for your story. WHAT is your goal? Do you want people to buy your product? Do you want your management to grant resources or budget? Do you want somebody to do something?
Phrase which NEED you want to solve and describe which CALL2ACTION you want to achieve at the end.
Add on: Describe both in ONE sentence each.
Hint: telling a story for entertaining purposes only is fine if this is your goal… 😉
Supporting methods: short-story-shorter
WHAT: Compile the content of your story.
Imagine, you’re asked to tell a brief story of WHAT your story is all about, to somebody not involved in the topic. What would a short and understandable version of your story be? What would you tell?
Write it down as a summary. Short and crisp. Take the time needed to ensure you write the shortest understandable version of the story.
Alternative: Turn your approach upside down and tell your story backwards. Step by step. As if you would be interviewed in tu future. WHAT needed to be done to achieve it? Beginning with phrasing the achievement as measurable as possible. Describe all the (sub-)steps, and the (sub-sub-)steps which lead you to these steps, etc. Now turn what you wrote upside down, and you have a summary too.
Supporting methods: Message from the future and short-story-shorter. Imagine you write yourself a letter from the future. Everything you wanted to achieve with your story is achieved. Well done!
WHOM: Make sure to address your topics correctly.
Now, it’s time to focus on the most important topic of your story: your audience. WHOM are you telling the story to. Cluster them into groups of similarities and interests and describe every cluster. What are they interested in, what do they fear, what makes them happy, how can you reach them and what questions could they have? These parameters give you the emotional and contentual structure you need to reach your audience. Just make sure you cover each and every one of them.
Supporting methods: Mix the methods Persona and Stakeholder Management to create your personal “Story people” canvas.
TRANSFER, RE-WORD & ARRANGE: Get your 2do-slide-deck ready for content.
You’re almost done! The summary you wrote in step one ideally consist of (very?) short sentences. Transfer each sentence as title to a slide. It does not matter (for now) if the slide deck doesn’t have the quantity of slides you expected. Make sure the need and the call2action you described in the second step are in too. Now you have an empty but 100% structured story deck.
Hint: If you would print out your story deck, and lay the slides in front of you, showing only the titles, you would read the summary of what you want to say and achieve.
Supporting methods: Message from the future and short-story-shorter
HOW: Here comes the wild jungle of methods.
This empty slide desk now needs content. Each title describes exactly what the content of the slide should be. You may add a subtitle if needed, but challenge HOW the content needs to be shown, to reach your audience. Keep in mind, that the story has to be understood by your audience. Therefore make sure you cover all parameters defined in step three. It’s absolutely fine to add or combine slides if it makes sense, but keep the structure to keep the storyline.
Hint: Always short and crisp, because the more they CAN read, the less they WILL listen to you.
Hint II: Last slide minimalistically recaps the main content and describes the next step by pointing out I) the 3 most important KPIs, II) 2 supporting messages for the WHY and III) your call2action.
Hint III: Short and crisp means a maximum of 25 words or 150 letters per slide. If you can’t transport your message in short, you need to understand it better. 😉
