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Once Upon A Time…
Telling Your Story and The Importance of Storytelling
Armbruster
Consulting
Group
Change What
Is Possible.We are problem solvers, opportunity seekers and innovators.
We provide strategy, program execution, and everything in between.
It’s not just what we do, it’s who we are.
Agenda
• Importance of Storytelling
• The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
• How to Build Your Story– Components of a Great Story
– Story Commandments
• What’s Your Story?
• Make an Impact!
• Questions & Answers
• Resources
There are no magic wands, no hidden tricks,
and no secret handshakes that can bring you
immediate success, but with time, energy, and
determination you can get there.
Darren Rowse
Founder Problogger
The Importance of Storytelling
• Make a connection
• Inspires action
• Create change
• Anticipation
• Desire to get involved
• Makes us feel _____________
• Be heard
• Stand out
Stories engage people at every level – not just in their minds but in their emotions, values and
imaginations, which are the drivers of real change. So if we want to transform society, we must learn to tell – and listen to – a new set of
stories about the world we want to create.Simon Hodges
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The BadThe Economist posted an article about the lack of sanitation and bathroom facilities in India, citing such facts like:• 130 million households in India lacking
toilets • 600 million people in India who have no
toiletsThe article continues also refers to India's goals of ending the problem by 2019.
The entire tone of the article is determined by its first two paragraphs, and it feels impersonal and academic. It is a great source of information if you were looking for large numbers and as a consumer, did not want to get emotionally involved in the problem.
The UglyAn NPR article--posted 10 days before TheEconomist article--led with the story of two Indian girls who were assaulted and killed.
They lacked access to toilets and had to go to a field at night to relieve themselves.
The article then follows with quotes from people involved with the girls as well as an anecdote of a blossoming entrepreneur who is trying to solve the problem by installing toilets all over the country.
The Good
• Merge the two stories
• After starting the story with the two young girls, reference some of the statistics and large numbers referenced in The Economist article
• Establish the tone early on
• Provide perspective and a sense that something can be done to create change
• Encourage action and emotional investment
HOW TO BUILD YOUR STORY
Components of a Great Story
• Central theme
• Strong three dimensional characters who change over time
• Confined space
• Protagonist on a quest
• Antagonist bent on stopping the hero
• An arch – it’s getting better or worse
• Conflict
Story Commandments
• Know the punchline
• Affirm that lives have meaning
• Make the story worth their time
• Give them something to fill in
• Pay attention to the order of your story
• Build anticipation
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Let’s Give ‘Em Something to Talk About
• One sentence describing your organization
– Name of organization
– Who we impact
– What we do
14
Burden of Proof
• For each statement you make, have a minimum of 2 proof points• Ex: Since 1958
1. We launched the first-ever hospital mercy ship in partnership with the military and the US government
2. Since 1958 we have provided health resources and training in over 125 countries
• Ex: … to the world’s most vulnerable men, women and children1. Each year, nearly 7 million children under 5 years of age die from diseases,
while over 500,000 women die in childbirth annually; yet most of these deaths are preventable. Our programs focus on teaching mothers and caregivers on proper prenatal care, how to keep infants and children healthy, and when to seek care at a health facility.
2. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti in January 2010, Project HOPE sent more than 100 medical volunteers – many aboard USNS Comfort, the U.S. Navy hospital ship – and delivered more than $60 million of donated medicines and medical supplies.
Communicate Your Vision
• Explain plans for the future
• Prove ability to fulfill plans and deliver changes
• Share what you hope to raise and how you came to that number
• Share why you NEED the money
• Ask for advice and input!
Know Your ROI/SROI
• What are the outcomes you will use to measure success
• How many people will be directly AND indirectly impacted
• Show results to date
• Facts, figures, stories
Tell Me Something I Don’t Know
• What can you tell people that they couldn’t learn anywhere else?
– Intimate knowledge of your cause
– Insights into your community
YOUR TURN
Remember…
• What is your theme?
• Who is your main character/the protagonist?
• Who or what is the antagonist?
• Where does the story take place?
• What information should be left out to help build anticipation and interest?
• What is the arch… better or worse?
• Where is the pain point, the need, the conflict?
Workshop
1. Write your story
2. Share stories with your table
3. Provide feedback, exchange ideas, and learn
4. Revise your story
5. Select one story from each table to present to the room
30 MINUTES
SHARE YOUR STORY
Final Deliverable
• Create a Message Map
– Our Vision, Mission, and Goals
– Our Priorities and Strategies
–Our Story– Key Talking Points
– Proof Points
– Target Audiences (messaging by audience)
MAKE AN IMPACT!
Share Your Story
• Make an emotional connection and stay top of mind
• Tell three people your story and ask for feedback
• Ask three people familiar with the organization to tell their story – How is it different? What works or doesn’t work?
• Review your marketing collateral, email templates, and website to see if they tell your story
• Create opportunities to share your story– Networking events, donor meetings, corporate
presentations, staff meetings, advocacy outreach, etc.
Relationships
• Relationships will outlast jobs, businesses, locations and more
• “To Serve is to Lead”
– Help others fulfill their dreams
– Mentor and share your life lessons
• Seek out smart, creative, driven people and spend as much time as possible with them
• Get ‘a reputation’… in a good way!
The Basics
• Have strong written and verbal communications
• Understand your Emotional Intelligence
• Be self-aware and constantly seeking improvement
• Learn how to take feedback
29
…as you’ve noticed, people don’t want to be
sold.
What people do want is news and information
about things they care about.
Larry Weber
Author Marketing to the Social Web
72 Hour Challenge
• What will you do in the next 72 hours with the information you have learned this morning?
ChangeLoseKeep
Questions and Answers
32
Do all the good you can. By all the means you
can. In all the ways you can. In all the places
you can. At all the times you can. To all the
people you can. As long as ever you can.
John Wesley
Resources
• Ted.com
• Referral of a Lifetime (Tim Templeton)
• Emotional Intelligence (Daniel Coleman)
• Winning the Story Wars ( Jonah Sachs)
• Wired for Story (Lisa Cron)
Contact me:
Rachel Armbruster
President
Armbruster Consulting Group, Inc.
512.944.3417
www.linkedin.com/rachelkarmbruster
@rarmbruster
THANK YOU!
