Society for Technical Communications November 1, 2012.

Society for Technical CommunicationsNovember 1, 2012

Success Story: Yours!

Set yourself apart with stories and achieve greater success.

Lynda McDanielAssociation for Creative Business Writing

The Book Catalysts

Success Story: Yours!

Set yourself apart with stories and achieve greater success.

Lynda McDanielAssociation for Creative Business Writing

The Book Catalysts

TMISuccess Story—Yours!

“People don’t want more information. They are up to their eyeballs in information. They want faith—faith in you, your goals, your success, in the story you tell.”

- Annette Simmons, The Story Factor

Success Story—Yours!

EMOTIONS


“[A story] takes people out of their critical left brain and switches them into their emotionally engaged right brain. They are no longer on the outside judging your idea; they are inside experiencing it. That’s the essence of buy-in.”

- Sam Horn, POP, (Pg. 174.)


Stories to the rescue

Power Words

Stories activate your brain in ways far

more creative than lectures.

Stories to the rescue!

Stickier messages

Set you apart

Trigger emotions

The challenge of the written wordThe challenge of the written word

Storyteller’s Toolkit

Integrate storiesSix structural stages

Creative techniques Story inventory

Build your confidence

1. Turn to a partner.2. Tell about your name, e.g., - How you got it. - What you like about it. - What you hate about it.

Where can you use stories?

Training

Blogs

White Papers

Speeches

Presentations

Articles

Newsletters

Meetings

Books

Proposals

Coaching

Reports Elevator Speech

STORIES SHOW (NOT TELL) US HOW TO ACT.


Telling

Jackson Real Estate Firm recently unveiled a new thirty-story office project for XYZ Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio. Clients and visitors to the grand opening were enthusiastic about this addition to the skyline.


Showing (with a story)!

At Jackson Real Estate Firm, we’ve earned a lot of pats on the back over the years. Recently we unveiled a new thirty-story office project in Cleveland. At the grand opening, we were shaking hands with everyone from the tenants to visitors at the building’s café. A few were even, as one tenant from Texas put it, “hugging our necks.” Our clients later told us…


Know your Know your audienceaudience

Write Write toto them, them, not not atat them them

Answer WIIFMAnswer WIIFM

Offer solutionsOffer solutions

Story, not bullets

We need to:

Work closely with your staff Show more empathy Encourage their participation Get results


Six steps to successful stories

1. Hook

2. Scene

3. Complications

4. Development

5. Resolution

6. Conclusions/action


Pains

Solutions

What ifs

Benefits

Questions

Forecasts

Foreshadowing

Set the scene

1. Take your readers there

2. Use senses

3. Add description


Let’s write!

1. Think of a story:- Memorable action by a boss (good or bad)- Kindness of strangers- Amazing serendipity- Family history

2. Write the hook and set the scene.


Explore conflict/complications

Complications

1. Inner conflict

2. Interpersonal conflict

3. External/universal conflict


Development

Tie into abigger message

Development

1. Simple and clear

2. Brief

3. Concrete

4. Fresh, yet credible

5. Relevant


Find resolution:

- Brisk- Compelling- Clear

Offer conclusions/action

1. Make the conclusion the logical next step.

2. Inform and inspire.

3. Incite action.

4. Put message to work.


Tap into storytellers’ creative toolkit

1. Foreshadowing

2. Alliteration

3. Vivid Verbs

4. Senses

5. Rhythm & rhyme


Foreshadowing

1. When we started our reorganization process, we had no idea it would play out the way it did. We followed four key steps and got a lot more than we bargained for.

2. We didn’t know at the time what effect our actions would have on the company’s bottom line. I’ll go over each step so this won’t happen to you.


Tell stories in stagesEncourage readers to keep reading

Tie it all together at the end.

Thread story throughout

Alliteration

Lyrical repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables

- wild and woolly

- threatening throngs

- Better Business Bureau

- Words that make you wealthy.

- Grammar Girl


Vivid verbs

Sometimes, "to be" verbs get the job done right. But too many “is,” “are,” = an audience that'sz-z-z-z.

(To be) She is very generous.

(Vivid) She shares with everyone.

(To be) The group is getting rowdy.

(Vivid) The group clamored for attention.


SensesPut yourself in the situation and imagine it fully—the feelings, smells, tastes, sounds, and sights.

- The water gently lapped against the boat, but to me, it sounded like a storm about to take me under.

- The cafeteria reeked of school lunches.

- The staff welcomed his laughter, loud and deep.


Rhythm & rhyme Rhyming phrases = easier to remember. As we read, we hear words, so rhythm is

important. Rhyming adds to flow.

- From boring to soaring.

- Have fun, even when you’re under the gun to get the job done.

- Living rough is tough.

Stuck for a rhyme? Go to www.rhymezone.com


Let’s write!

Add some creative techniques to that

story you were working on:

1. Foreshadowing

2. Alliteration

3. Vivid Verbs

4. Senses

5. Rhythm & rhyme

Success Story – Yours!

Bright ideas: Observe & interviewBright ideas: Observe & interview

Take out the ear budsTake out the ear buds

Pay attentionPay attention

Start eavesdroppingStart eavesdropping

Interview bosses, Interview bosses, colleagues, clients colleagues, clients

Don’t trust your memory!

- Index cards- Small journals- Recorders- Cell phones

Story Inventory

- Snorkeling in Key West- Waitress @ Waffle House- Boeing contract - Dreadful first drafts - Janitor brainstorming- Dressing Junior

A dozen more story ideas

1. Myths 2. Fables

2. Parables 4. Historical stories

5. Colleagues’ stories 6. Current events

7. Books 8. Movies

9. Fictional clients 10. Scenarios

11. What ifs 12. Case stories


Let’s write!

Jot down as many of your favorite

stories as you can in the next couple of minutes.


Practice & test

1. Turn to a partner2. Share your favorite new idea3. Explain how you’ll use more stories at work

Homework: Go to the movies!

Teamwork

Leadership

Courage

Trust

Teamwork

“Shawshank Redemption”“Stand By Me” “Finding Forrester” “My Dog Skip”

Courage

“Erin Brockovich”“To Kill a Mockingbird”“Chariots of Fire”“Cider House Rules”

Trust

“You Can Count on Me”“Spitfire Grill”“The Winslow Boy”

Leadership

“Gandhi”“Star Wars”“Star Trek”“Schindler's List”

Thanks!

Let me know if questions come up for you:

Lynda McDaniel

[email protected]

and

[email protected]


Society for Technical Communications November 1, 2012.

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