The Power of A Story

CDW October 12, 2013

“Every great love starts

with a great story...”

Nicholas Sparks

“If history were

taught in the form

of stories, it would

never be forgotten.” Rudyard Kipling

The Basics

Have strong written and verbal

communications

Understand your Emotional Intelligence

Be self-aware and constantly seeking

improvement

Learn how to take feedback READ:

Passion

Discover what you are passionate about

Make a plan to have a positive impact

Know what others are passionate about

and encourage them

Share Your Passion

Be an expert!

Twitter

Website

LinkedIn

Professional email

Blog

Interviews

Read:

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!

“I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event…” Stephen King

Elevator Speech

Bad

Too casual

No clear goals

Focus on the what and not the why

Too long

Not engaging

Generic

Lack of passion

Good

Clear and concise

Know what you hope to accomplish by telling it

Encourage follow-up questions

Targeted to the audience

Inspiring

More than your

organization’s mission

statement or purpose…

We promote tennis in our community.

OR…

We develop life-long sportsmanship skills,

enhance communities through

relationship building, and encourage

health and wellness by promoting and

supporting tennis in our community.

OR…

We represent over 1,000 people in our

community that believe in the power of

tennis. We help make tennis accessible to

all, encourage competition, and ensure

quality facilities are available.

OR…

I have seen first-hand the influence and impact that our tennis association can have on individuals, organizations, and our city. Tennis has given me wonderful friendships, business opportunities, and health and wellness. Our tennis association supports thousands of us trying to make tennis accessible to all and ensuring we have the resources we need to play the game we love.

OR…

This year our goal is to support our 1,000 members, introduce tennis to 5,000 kids for the first time ever, work with city officials to enhance facilities, and host 5 events to help build relationships, promote our sponsors, and encourage competition. Last year, one of the kids we have been working with for the last 5 years received a scholarship and is headed to college – he/she will be the first in their family to attend a university!

Audiences Donors

How the money is being used

Create a sense of urgency

What is the impact of their gift

Donor stories of engagement

Sponsors

Your community

Information they can’t learn online

Opportunities for branding and engagement

Other sponsors

Partners/Schools

Why tennis over other opportunities?

What will be the impact (time, people, financial, etc.)?

Proven model

Know Your Numbers

Membership

Annual operating budget

Cost of your future goals

Number of youth impacted

Hours of instruction

Statistics for impact of sports-based mentoring

Benchmark your community

Long-term value

Consider an economic-impact study

Message Map :30 second pitch

Pitch by audience (2-3 key audiences)

Supporting proof points for each

Example:

(elevator speech)

(Sponsor) As I mentioned, we host 5 signature

events each year along with the 5000 hours our

members are on the courts. We are proud that we

have a 100% retention rate for our sponsors.

(Proof Points)

We have a sponsor that has been with us for 20 years.

One of our sponsors was able to attribute a 50% increase in foot traffic to their stores to us.

Our member survey reports that they are extremely loyal to

our sponsors (90% say they will pick a sponsors product over an alternative.)

Engagement What questions can you ask to engage

people more? What sport had the most influence over your

life?

Did you have a sports mentor growing up? If so, tell me about them and how they impacted you?

Do you know we only have X courts in the community but really need Y to support the interest in the sport.

What do you know about us already? What questions do you have?

Key Takeaways Always be ready to make your 30 sec pitch

and PRACTICE IT, REFINE IT….

Create a FAQ so you are prepared for the questions that will come after your initial pitch

Create your message map and SHARE IT!

Know your numbers

Tell a story they won’t forget

Be passionate… they can tell when you aren’t

Scream it from the rooftops!

Rules I Live By… If a venture capitalist or angel investor wants to give you

money – take it!

Never re-hire

Send handwritten thank you notes

Sign up for Google Alerts

Be concise and don’t waste time – you won’t get it back!

Don’t allow one aspect of your life to define you!

Know your long-term goals and make sure what you are doing

today will matter

Every time you say yes to something you are saying no to

something else… be careful!

Know how to read financials but have a good accountant

Have a lawyer write your contracts

Know your value!

72 Hour Challenge

What will you do in the next 72 hours with

the information you have learned during

this session?

Keep

Change Lose

Contact Me!

Rachel Armbruster

rachel@armbrusterconsulting.com

512-944-3417

www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkarmbruster

@rarmbruster

THANK YOU!

“The world is shaped by two things — stories told and the memories they leave behind.” Vera Nazarian