How can I tell an effective story?
While a clear structure is the building block of any strong message, tailoring
the story to the audience and your goals can make the difference between
success and failure.
Use the following questions as guidelines when you are refining your story:
- Call to action – What action do you want the group to take based on
the information you will be sharing with them? If there is no action, what
other goal do you have?
- Structure, Part 1 – Which type does your data suggest?
- A grouping (a direct story that answers one question) or
- An argument (a deductive story that drives the group to one
conclusion)
- Structure, Part 2 – Which type of structure accomplishes your goals? Is
the client is skeptical or open minded? Will a presentation that answers
the question “How” be effective or would a structure that answers “Why”
be preferable?
- Creativity – Are you using topics for the meeting rather than thinking
through a story? Topics and agendas can be appropriate, but often we
just use these to avoid spending the time creating a more compelling
story.
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