Storytelling
Handout #1
WHO ARE YOU PLANNING TO TALK TO? WHAT IS THEIR BACKGROUND, EDUCATION, &
BELIEFS?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
PROBLEM
•
What problem are you trying to solve?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
•
Why does this problem exist? What is the root cause?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
ORGANIZATION
•
What is your organization’s solution? How are you different?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
•
What happens if nothing is done?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
CARE & CONCERN
•
Why should they care? Why should they care now?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
ACTION
•
What can they do?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
PARTNER COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Storytelling
Handout #2
1. ________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________________
10. ________________________________________________________________________
11. ________________________________________________________________________
12. ________________________________________________________________________
13. ________________________________________________________________________
14. ________________________________________________________________________
15. _______________________________________________________________________
Storytelling
Handout #3
THOUGHT STARTERS
•
•
•
•
Refer to Handout #1.
How do you compare to things in the commercial world – which everyone knows?
How are you different?
How do your clients start and finish with your program or services?
THE BIG IDEA
•
List words, visuals/pictures, statistics, metaphors, movies, or stories that connect with
your mission/programs. List synonyms.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
PARTNER COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Storytelling
Handout #4
SCRIPT TITLE
______________________________________________________________________________
OPENING SCENE
•
•
•
What is your starting point?
Who is your hero?
How do you draw us in?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
THE SET UP
•
•
•
•
Who are the main characters?
Who is the protagonist (hero)? Is there an antagonist (villain) yet?
Where is the story set?
How can we identify with the hero?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
INCITING INCIDENT
•
What is the catalyst that turns the world upside down?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
BIG DECISION
•
•
•
•
What is the hero debating?
What are the pros and cons?
Why is it hard for them to decide?
What does the hero decide?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
•
•
•
What is the new world like?
What funny & interesting things happen along the way?
How do you draw us in?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
ANTAGONIST
•
•
•
Who is the antagonist?
Is there a villain beyond the person?
What happens?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
ALL IS LOST
•
•
What goes wrong?
What didn’t the hero expect and why?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
AHA! MOMENT
•
•
How does the hero overcome the antagonist?
What is the underlying message of hope and/or redemption?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
•
•
What does the hero learn?
What do you hope others learn from the story?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
MADE to STICK
SUCCESs Model
A sticky idea is understood, it’s remembered, and it changes something. Sticky ideas of all kinds—ranging from the “kidney thieves” urban
legend to JFK’s “Man on the Moon” speech—have six traits in common. If you make use of these traits in your communication, you’ll make
your ideas stickier. (You don’t need all 6 to have a sticky idea, but it’s fair to say the more, the better!)
PRINCIPLE 1
PRINCIPLE 2
PRINCIPLE 3
PRINCIPLE 4
PRINCIPLE 5
PRINCIPLE 6
SUCCESs
SIMPLE
UNEXPECTED
CONCRETE
Simplicity isn’t about
dumbing down, it’s
about prioritizing.
(Southwest will be
THE low-fare airline.)
What’s the core of
your message? Can
you communicate it
with an analogy or
high-concept pitch?
To get attention,
violate a schema. (The
Nordie who ironed a
shirt…) To hold
attention, use
curiosity gaps. (What
are Saturn’s rings
made of?) Before your
message can stick,
your audience has to
want it.
To be concrete, use
sensory language.
(Think Aesop’s
fables.) Paint a mental
picture. (“A man on
the moon…”)
Remember the Velcro
theory of memory—try
to hook into multiple
types of memory.
www.MADE to STICK.com
CREDIBLE
Ideas can get
credibility from
outside (authorities
or anti-authorities)
or from within, using
human-scale statistics
or vivid details. Let
people “try before
they buy.” (Where’s
the Beef?)
EMOTIONAL
People care about
people, not numbers.
(Remember Rokia.)
Don’t forget the
WIIFY (What’s In It
For You). But identity
appeals can often
trump self-interest.
(“Don’t Mess With
Texas” spoke to
Bubba’s identity.)
STORIES
Stories drive action
through simulation
(what to do) and
inspiration (the
motivation to do it).
Think Jared. Springboard stories (See
Denning’s World Bank
tale) help people see
how an existing
problem might
change.
© 2008 by Chip and Dan Heath. All rights reserved. Do not replicate without written permission.
Are You Elevator-Ready? The 6 Cs for a
Dynamite Nonprofit Pitch
Nothing strikes fear in the heart of a nonprofit staffer
or board member more than the dreaded question, “Tell me what you do?” After almost a
decade of training on storytelling, I now realize why it is so hard. Most people see the elevator
pitch as a sales-driven vs. relationship-driven process. And that perspective can be scary. But,
no one ever sold anything in one elevator ride – not even Elisha Otis, the inventor of the
elevator pitch. While elevators had existed for centuries, they were mostly used for objects
because the rope used to hoist the elevator would break, causing goods to plummet and be
destroyed. In 1852, Otis invented a safety brake that would catch and secure the elevator from
falling, making elevators a viable way of safely transporting people as well as goods. However,
Otis couldn’t get any buyers. Undeterred, he decided to organize a demonstration in New York
City. He stood in an elevator three stories off the ground and had his assistant purposefully cut
the rope with an axe to engage the safety brake. The crowd gasped, expecting him to fall to his
death, but instead he was stopped by the safety brake. He exclaimed, “All safe gentleman. All
safe!” Of course, the rest is history – with 3 billion people using Otis Elevator Company
elevators every day – but that success was built upon the initial connection Otis created with
his audience during that first “elevator pitch.”
Otis clearly got it right – the elevator pitch isn’t about sales at all. It is about connection. As
Seth Godin aptly puts it, “the purpose of an elevator pitch is to describe a situation or solution
so compelling that the person you’re with wants to hear more even after the elevator ride is
over.” To help you craft your elevator pitch, we have developed 6 Cs to help you get started.
• Compelling – The most important thing about a pitch is to share YOUR passion for the
cause. You may have a personal story. When I worked for the American Stroke
Association, my pitch included that my grandmother died of a stroke when I was 8 and I
was working hard now to ensure all grandchildren got to spend time with their
grandparents. You may need to cultivate a story through a personal experience with a
client. Whichever you do, use a story that lights you up when you tell it.
• Customization – If you know your audience, design something that will connect with
their interests. For example, business people like data, so start with an unexpected
question based on a statistic. When I worked on childhood obesity, I would ask my
listeners, “Did you know that this generation is the first that will not outlive its parents?”
•
•
•
•
and pause for them to consider this new piece of information. The goal is to create a
positive connection based on similar interests. If you do not know your audience, you
might want to ask them questions – “What issue are you most passionate about?” – and
find a way to connect your cause to their passion.
Concise – In general, your pitch should be short – no longer than 60 seconds – but the
conversation can last as long as the other person seems engaged. It is important that it is
a two-way conversation, so stop and engage them in the discussion. To make it easier,
keep it conversational, rather than scripted. Also, as we discuss in our storytelling
session, don’t share everything, but instead focus on ONE thing and draw them into a
conversation.
Clear – The biggest mistake nonprofit staff make is getting lost in lingo. Technical or
industry-specific lingo serves a purpose, but to a listener unfamiliar with it, that same
lingo often goes over his or her head and creates a dreaded disconnect. Practice your
pitch as if you are speaking to your family, and you’ll be in safe territory.
Credible – Nonprofits have a lot of credibility, so be sure to pepper your pitch with data,
results and stories. There is a risk in sharing something too complicated and boring your
audience, so use information that is memorable and clearly supports your case.
Close – Never end without a closing invitation. Offer to take them on a tour or to lunch to
learn more. Share what you need in an interested way that doesn’t feel transactional,
e.g., “We are always looking for great board members – if you know anyone, let me
know.”
Remember that elevator pitches, especially for nonprofits, are invitations. You are inviting your
listeners to share in your passion. But to do so, the story you tell has to be worthy of igniting a
spark that will inspire them to support your cause. Please share your ideas on how to craft a
dynamite elevator pitch. Feel free to use this with board and staff for a fun exercise at your
summer retreat. Next week we will be covering other great ideas for summer retreats.
Sign up to receive the Social TrendSpotter e-newsletter