The 8 Steps Storytelling Structure

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Getting Started

  • Start hunting for stories.
  • Maintain your story wish list.
  • Refer to the cheat sheet.
  • Create your own story database.
  • Start telling your stories.

Storytelling Structure

  • 1. The Hook
    • "I think the best example of that I’ve seen was when…"
    • "The best lesson I ever learned about that was when…"
    • "That’s a tough problem. Let me tell you what I did..."
    • "When I ran into the same problem last year…"
  • 2. The Context A
    • Creditable - "Where and when?"
  • 3. The Context B
    • Relatable - "Who’s the main character?"
      • A real person.
        • If you have a company/team, select one person with his or her role as the main character of your story.
      • A fictional person.
        • Let the audience know you are making it up.
      • You.
        • Try not to use yourself as the main character.
        • It might be seen as arrogant.
  • 4. The Challenge
    • Worthy - "What do they want?"
    • The complication or catalyst in the story.
    • Where the hero meets the villain.
      • Test: If you remove this part, nothing of interest would happen in the story.
  • 5. The Conflict or Struggle
    • The hero does battle with the villain.
    • The honest struggle – can’t be too easy.
    • The struggle could be internal.
    • 50% - 60% of the story.
  • 6. The Resolution
    • Did the hero win or lose?
    • Did the plan work? 
    • How were things forever changed as a result of the ordeal?
      • Test: Does the audience know how to feel about what happened?
  • 7. The Lessons
    • The risk is that the audience might not draw the right conclusion.
    • Pick a transition-out phrase
      • "I think what I learned from that was…"
      • "That’s when I realized…"
      • "So, that explains why…"
      • "What I think we should have done was…"
      • "What I’ve since come to realize is…"
    • Explain the lesson(s)
      • Your reflection on or assessment of the whole experience.
      • Should tie directly to your Objective in telling the story.
  • 8. The Action
    • Find out what your audience plans to do now they have heard the story.
      • If they answer what you want to hear, you are done.
    • If needed, explain the recommendation.
      • What do you want your audience to do now?
      • Should tie directly to your Objective in telling the story.
  • If you chose the right story to tell, you should never been answering questions 7 and 8.

Techniques for Emotion

Identify the points in your story with the most potential for emotional engagement. Identify 1-3 points with the highest potential. Jot down the name of the emotion the characters are experiencing. Brainstorm ideas to add to your story using one or more of the following techniques.

  • Tell me (simplest) - Name the emotion the character is experiencing.
    • "He was scared out of the weeds", "He was so exciting"
  • Show me (more powerful) - Describe physical manifestations of the emotions of the character and let the audience infer the emotion.
    • Instead of "He was angry" say "He started yelling at...",
    • Instead of "He was sad" say "He was crying"
  • Avoid the "Stormtrooper effect" - nameless, faceless, crumps.
    • Let the audience get to know your characters before something happens to them.
      • Name and describe your character, and how the person is and relates to others.
  • Dialogue - Outer and inner, let the audience hear it directly from your character
    • Instead of "She was exhausted and sleepy for your presentation" say "She leaned into the microphone and said, 'I am really excited to be here but inside she was thinking, oh my god I am going to fall asleep in the middle of the next sentence'"

Elements of Surprise

  • In the beginning, gets the audience to pay attention.
    • Lead with the most unusual event (then flashback to the beginning).
      • "The first time I met the CEO of the company was the day she fired me. Here's what happened…"
    • Set expectations, then violate them. Explain to your audience how great things were going before they fell apart, or how lousy a day it was before you got the promotion. 
      • Contrast creates surprise. 
  • No natural surprise, create one.
    • Skip one element in context and let the audience figure it out.
  • Create a surprise ending - Helping your audience remember the lesson they learned.
    • Take one or two details that belong at the beginning of your story and don't give them to your audience until the end of the story. (
      • "…and I know this story so well because the guy in that story who got fired – that was me. I'll never make that mistake again."

Using Details

  • Only add details that explain the main character's motivations.
  • Replace generic words with specific words.
    • Instead of "he was really tall" say "he was 6'4""
  • Referer to characters by name not by job title.
    • Instead of "account payable clerk"  say "July from accounting"
  • Use metaphors to explain complex ideas. 
    • It uses fewer words to explain something complex.
    • Instead of trying to describe the complex set of thoughts and emotions that your character was having about their impending deadline, you might just describe it was like "a dark cloud following her around"

Accuracy

  • Telling a fictional story is okay as long the audience knows about it. 
    • Come along with a plausible realistic story
      • "Let's suppose..."
      • "Imagine..."
      • "Okay, I'm totally making this up, I think it will help to understand..."
  • Balance too careless vs too cautious.
  • Litmus Test: Imagine someone who listened to your story was actually there when it originally happened.
    • Would they be offended?
    • Would you be embarrassed?

Delivery

  • Oral
    • Use the story structure template.
    • Outline the 7 steps stories
  • Written
    • Write the way you speak
    • ~15 words per sentence.
    • <10% words greater than two syllables.
    • <10% passive voice - use active voice instead.
      • Instead "the proposal was rejected by the committee" say "the committee rejected our proposal"
    • Flesch-Kincaid level checker
      • WSJ ~ 8-10
      • John Grisham ~7-8

Length 

  • An average adult speaks 150 words per minute.
  • Average 600 words (4 minutes)
  • Most range from 450-750 (3-5 minutes)

How to Shorten a Story

  • Start with the Story Structure Template.
  • Delete content but leave some answers in each section.
    • Otherwise, the story is incomplete.

How to Find a Story

  • Create a wish list.
  • Capture stories that happen to you.
  • Remember stories you heard others tell.
  • Search your past, ask people, and interview them (use your wish list)
    • "Your greatest success?"
    • "Most miserable failure?"
    • "What job do you love the most?"
    • "Most difficult experience?"
    • "Best working relationship?"
    • "Did you feel the greatest team spirit?"
    • "Who do you admire most? Why?"
    • "What time you were most inspired?"
    • "Toughest problem ever solved?"
    • "The most creative thing you’ve done?"
    • "Best customer success you’ve seen?"
    • "Most compelling sales story you’ve heard?"
    • "Tough feedback that helped your performance?"
  • Create venues for sharing stories.

Leadership Stories

  1. Where we came from (founding)
  2. Why we can’t stay here (case-for-change)
  3. Where we’re going (vision)
  4. How we’re going to get there (strategy)
  5. What we believe (corporate values)
  6. Who we serve (customer)
  7. What we do for our customers (sales)
  8. How we differ from competitors (marketing)
  9. Why I lead the way I do (leadership philosophy)
  10. Why you should want to work here (recruiting)

Story Data

References

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How to Use the Visual Decoder

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The Visual Decoder is a drawing framework to visualize the key elements of your Pop-up Pitch.

  • Take 2 minutes for each section.
  • Filling up the format takes 12 minutes.
  • Don't overthink, just write.

1 - Title (00:00 - 02:00)

  • What's your title? 
    • In a few words, write down a title for the idea. 
      • A brief description of your presentation. 
      • The name of the thing you want to sell, the fact that you're asking for, etc.
    • There are no right or wrong titles.
      • Your title gives you something to aim toward
  • If you have time left, 
      • Write down why you're telling this particular story and who might benefit from hearing it.

2. Who + What (02:00 - 04:00)

  • Sketch in three or more main characters involved in your story.
    • This might include you, your target audience.
      • The people most impacted by your idea.
      • Those experiencing a problem cause them grief. 
    • Include individual characters and general groups as well.
      • Be specific as you can.
      • Try to capture a detail or shape that illustrates that particular person or group. 
      • Place your characters anywhere in the panel you want. 
      • Don't worry about showing relationships, influences, or mutual overlaps. 
    • For now, just get as many circles and names as you can. 
  • In the last 30 seconds.
    • Draw an icon, symbol, or shape representing one or two things all those people have in common.
    • All want or all might benefit from having. It could be anything. Money, love, happiness, a car, your product. 
    • But whatever it is, it should play a role in the story you're telling. When you're done, put your pen down. 

3. Where (04:00 - 06:00)

  • These are the spatial considerations of the visual pathways. 
    • For this first map, start a simple sketch in a few overlapping circles with arrows connecting them, and then add your characters sitting in their appropriate zones.
    • Over time, as you draw more visual decoders, more map options will emerge from your own mind as you advance. 
    • You might even draw two maps:
      • The first shows the disjointed connections between people and things in the present state. 
      • The second shows them relocated into more thoughtful, efficient, or comfortable positions.

4. How Many (06:00 - 08:00)

  • Is there something important in your story that you could meaningfully show in a simple chart? 
    • Could you show measurable improvement from the old way of doing things to the new way you're proposing? 
      • More money, more time, more customers, or safety, or ease or comfort. 
      • What about less of something? 
      • Can you measure and show that too? 
      • Less friction, less time, less cost, less pain, and less confusion. 
      • Those also feel good to quantify and draw this time with the arrows going down. 
    • Seeing one arrow go up while another goes down triggers a whole new set of intriguing storytelling options. 
    • As you sketch your chart, think of the options available to you apart. 
    • Start a pie chart and up and down the stock ticker line. 

5. When (08:00 - 10:00)

  • Provide a basic step-by-step illustration of what happened and what happens next. 
    • Sketch out a basic timeline. 
      • The main series of key events is connected by arrows that lead from beginning to middle to end. You need to keep things high level. 
    • As you start, consider what is the main sequence of events you'd most like to share.
      • What key events trigger what important outcomes, and how do things conclude. 
    • See if you can summarize things in 5-6 or seven steps. 
      • Usually, that's plenty to carry the story and a reasonable number for the intentionally short time you have. 

6. Lessons Learned (10:00 - 12:00)

  • Take a quick second to scan over the sketches you just made of all that you've drawn. 
    • The characters, Their locations, Their numbers, Their interactions, the results of those interactions. 
    • What feels to you like the most important thing you'd like to remember? 
    • What might be the most important thing for them to remember? 

References

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