Storytelling for business

{{whyLabel}}: In business storytelling, your brand or product is not the hero; your customer is. If you position yourself as the hero, the audience remains distant.

{{howLabel}}:

• Identify one specific 'Hero' persona for your next pitch.
• List their primary external problem (tangible), internal problem (frustration), and philosophical problem (why it's just plain wrong).
• Write down what the hero wants most in relation to your offer.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have a one-page 'Hero Profile' detailing their needs and frustrations.

{{whyLabel}}: Every hero needs a guide (like Yoda or Obi-Wan) to help them overcome obstacles. Your role is to provide empathy and authority.

{{howLabel}}:

• Draft two sentences of empathy: 'We understand how frustrating it is to [Problem]...'
• Draft two sentences of authority: Mention a brief statistic or a past success that proves you can solve the problem.
• Ensure these are ready to be integrated into your presentation intro.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have a written 'Guide Statement' that balances empathy and authority.

{{whyLabel}}: A presentation without a central theme is forgettable. You need a single, clear message that anchors everything.

{{howLabel}}:

• Use the Duarte 'Big Idea' formula: [Your Point of View] + [What's at Stake].
• Example: 'Switching to decentralized servers (POV) will prevent the $2M annual loss from downtime (Stakes).'
• Keep it under 140 characters.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: Your 'Big Idea' is written in a single, punchy sentence.

{{whyLabel}}: The 'And, But, Therefore' (ABT) framework is the DNA of story. It creates immediate tension and resolution.

{{howLabel}}:

• And: State a shared context (e.g., 'We want to scale AND maintain quality').
• But: Introduce the conflict (e.g., 'BUT our current tools are too slow').
• Therefore: Offer the solution (e.g., 'THEREFORE, we developed X').
• Practice saying this in under 30 seconds.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have a 3-sentence ABT pitch that you can recite from memory.

{{whyLabel}}: Great presentations alternate between 'What is' (the current reality) and 'What could be' (the future vision) to build emotional tension.

{{howLabel}}:

• Draw a horizontal line. The bottom is 'What is' (pain points), the top is 'What could be' (solutions).
• Map your slides to jump between these two states at least 3-4 times.
• End with the 'New Bliss'—the final state of success for your hero.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have a visual storyboard showing the 'What is' vs. 'What could be' transitions.

{{whyLabel}}: Starting in the middle of the action (In Medias Res) hooks the audience instantly compared to a boring 'About Us' slide.

{{howLabel}}:

• Identify the moment of highest tension in your hero's journey.
• Start your presentation with: 'It was 2 AM on a Tuesday when the servers finally gave up...'
• Skip the introductions until after this hook.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: Your presentation script starts with a high-stakes opening scene.

{{whyLabel}}: You shouldn't have to invent stories every time. A story bank is a vault of anecdotes ready for use.

{{howLabel}}:

• Create a database with columns: Title, Theme (e.g., Failure, Innovation), and The Lesson.
• Add 5 stories: 1 Origin story, 2 Customer success stories, 1 'Failure' story, and 1 'Aha!' moment.
• Keep them brief—just the core facts and the emotional 'turn'.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have a digital database with at least 5 categorized stories.

{{whyLabel}}: Abstract facts are boring; sensory details are memorable.

{{howLabel}}:

• Take a customer success story from your bank.
• Instead of 'They were happy,' describe the 'sigh of relief' or the 'silence in the room' when the problem was solved.
• Use specific numbers (e.g., '14 missed calls' instead of 'many calls').

{{doneWhenLabel}}: One key anecdote is rewritten with at least three specific sensory details.

{{whyLabel}}: Slides should be visual aids, not teleprompters. Too much text kills the story.

{{howLabel}}:

• Limit each slide to ONE idea, ONE image, and less than 10 words.
• Use high-quality, generic imagery that evokes the emotion of the current 'Sparkline' state.
• Remove all bullet points; tell the story verbally instead.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: Your slide deck is minimalist, with no more than 10 words per slide.

{{whyLabel}}: Silence is a storytelling tool. It allows the audience to process the 'But' (conflict) or the 'Therefore' (resolution).

{{howLabel}}:

• Identify three moments in your script where you introduce a major conflict or a solution.
• Mark these with a [PAUSE] tag.
• Practice standing still and remaining silent for a full 3 seconds at these marks.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You can deliver your pitch with intentional 3-second pauses at key moments.

{{whyLabel}}: You cannot improve what you cannot see. Watching yourself reveals filler words and flat energy.

{{howLabel}}:

• Set up your phone or webcam.
• Deliver your ABT-structured pitch with your 'In Medias Res' opening.
• Watch it back once to check for 'ums' and once to check for facial expressions.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have a video recording of your pitch and a list of 3 areas for improvement.

{{whyLabel}}: A story without a clear ending leaves the audience hanging. They need to know exactly what to do next to avoid failure.

{{howLabel}}:

• Define one clear action (e.g., 'Schedule a 15-min demo').
• Remind them of the stakes: 'Don't let another quarter pass with [Problem].'
• Make the CTA button or slide the most visually distinct part of the deck.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: Your final slide has a single, clear, and urgent Call to Action.

{{whyLabel}}: External feedback catches logic gaps that you are too close to see.

{{howLabel}}:

• Schedule a 15-minute call with a colleague or friend this Friday.
• Present your pitch without slides first to see if the story holds up on its own.
• Ask them: 'What was the conflict?' and 'What is the one thing I want you to do?'

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have received and documented feedback from at least one person.

{{whyLabel}}: Confidence comes from repetition. A final run-through ensures you stay within time limits.

{{howLabel}}:

• Wear what you plan to wear for the actual pitch.
• Use a clicker or keyboard to advance slides.
• Time the presentation to ensure it is 10% shorter than your allotted slot (to allow for Q&A).

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have completed a full rehearsal that meets the time requirements.