PLAN YOUR APPROACH CONSTRUCT YOUR STORY SHARE ...
Telling stories to build connection
PLAN YOUR APPROACH
1
What’s really going on here?
Situation and Context
Relationship Maturity
CONSTRUCT YOUR STORY
What simple truth do I need to convey?
2
Identify the Simple Truth
Identify Simple Truth Determine the your...
Do I have relationship permission to discuss this?
...Takeoff
SHARE YOUR STORY
The main point / the moral of the story. Your point distilled to one simple sentence.
Th eS to
Story
, Will I be in person? , Does my client want details or ideas? , What visuals should I use?
...Turbulence c Ar y r
Begin with a specific time and place. Describe the main character and his/her goal.
What is Right for My Meeting?
Map
... Touchdown Describe the unexpected ups and downs of the journey.
Tell how obstacles were overcome and share lessons learned. Make the outcome relevant to the client.
Roadmap/Timeline
Art of the
STORY
Unity STORY HEAVY DATA LIGHT
STORY LIGHT DATA HEAVY
What approach will my client respond to? What story will I tell?
Key Word AVOID No Man’s Land
For Pre-Read or Leave-Behinds
Business Chemistry
Sketch
For In-Person Meeting or Formal Presentation Title
Placemat
Chart/Graph
3
Add Drama, Detail & Dialogue to make your story memorable
N
! Drama
Detail “”
Dialogue
Emotional moments reveal people’s thoughts and feelings and invite listeners to empathize with the main character. Relevant descriptions (of time/place, or painting a picture of what things looked like) add credibility and give the listener “hooks” to remember the story later. Actual statements allow the characters to speak for themselves and make the story more authentic.
Data Table
Drama We arrived at the meeting with the CFO, only to discover the room was double-booked.
Dialogue My client said, “This was the best planning call I’ve had in a while. Thank you for making it a success.”
Text & Bullet Points
Pictures
Detail It was early January, three feet of snow on the ground, and five of us were squeezed into a Ford Focus, rushing to a 5:00 p.m. meeting with the Project Controller.
Words vs. Visuals The visual cortex is 25% of the human brain — larger than any other functional area. That means we process images more quickly than words and remember them longer.
STORY
RELATIONSHIP MASTERY IN THE C-SUITE
TIPS ART OF
What Story Will I Share With My Client?
EMPATHY
ART OF
INQUIRY
ART OF THE
Turbulence
Trust Continuum
Build Credibility
STORY
Openness, Trust and Risk Increases GAIN insight
3 Share a personal simple truth — talk about WHY you do what you do, instead of what you do.
PIONEER
DRIVER
QUICK FIXING
3 Focus on what is unique to you, rather than listing points from your resume that others could also claim.
STEAMROLLING
I LIKE
3 Provide more than the routine – share something significant that happened in your life and lessons learned.
INTEGRATOR
.
IT
GUARDIAN
BOX CHECKING
Business Chemistry
CHERRY-PICKING
Empathy Mistakes
INVESTIGATOR 1 Facts 2 Motive 3 Accuracy & Relevance
PHYSICIAN 1 Symptoms 2 Root Cause 3 Treatment Options
GIVE insight
PROFESSOR
Touchdown
Takeoff
1 Assumptions 2 Logic 3 Interpretation
THERAPIST 1 Core Beliefs 2 Opportunities & Limitations 3 Implications
!
“”
Drama
Detail
Dialogue
Share an Idea 3 Choose a main character who shares a similar state of mind as your client. 3 Be vulnerable – share the bumps and bruises, and any events that go counter to expectations. Nobody believes a story where everything is perfect.
In Preparation:
Determine your intent and choose a Line of Inquiry.
Clarify your Simple Truth.
“Hunch” your client’s Business Chemistry style.
Start the conversation with a question that indicates to the client you understand him or her.
Choose a story relevant to the client’s interests.
In the Moment:
3 Use empathy and inquiry to understand your client’s existing narrative – build a path to the future from that foundation. 3 Invite your client to put himself into your story using language like Imagine if…, I wonder…, and What would happen if… 3 Make the client care about the results of taking the action – decisions are made on emotions, not facts.
In Preparation:
Start by stepping in your client’s shoes.
3 Use a metaphor or analogy – compare your idea to concepts or situations that are familiar to the client.
Spark Action
In Preparation:
Be aware of your client’s nonverbal cues and adjust your tone and cadence. Avoid Empathy Mistakes. Say “yes, and ...” or “I am sorry...”
In the Moment:
In the Moment:
Listen for a crack to open up the conversation.
Keep your story short and to the point.
Show genuine interest by listening and using the client’s words – “I heard you say…”
Paint a picture to draw your client into the story -- describe how things looked and felt.
Be ready to flex and change your question based on the client’s responses.
Stop talking when you reach the Touchdown.
PLAN YOUR APPROACH
1
What’s really going on here?
Situation and Context
Relationship Maturity
CONSTRUCT YOUR STORY
What simple truth do I need to convey?
2
Identify the Simple Truth
Identify Simple Truth Determine the your...
Do I have relationship permission to discuss this?
...Takeoff
SHARE YOUR STORY
The main point / the moral of the story. Your point distilled to one simple sentence.
Th eS to
Story
, Will I be in person? , Does my client want details or ideas? , What visuals should I use?
...Turbulence c Ar y r
Begin with a specific time and place. Describe the main character and his/her goal.
What is Right for My Meeting?
Map
... Touchdown Describe the unexpected ups and downs of the journey.
Tell how obstacles were overcome and share lessons learned. Make the outcome relevant to the client.
Roadmap/Timeline
Art of the
STORY
Unity STORY HEAVY DATA LIGHT
STORY LIGHT DATA HEAVY
What approach will my client respond to? What story will I tell?
Key Word AVOID No Man’s Land
For Pre-Read or Leave-Behinds
Business Chemistry
Sketch
For In-Person Meeting or Formal Presentation Title
Placemat
Chart/Graph
3
Add Drama, Detail & Dialogue to make your story memorable
N
! Drama
Detail “”
Dialogue
Emotional moments reveal people’s thoughts and feelings and invite listeners to empathize with the main character. Relevant descriptions (of time/place, or painting a picture of what things looked like) add credibility and give the listener “hooks” to remember the story later. Actual statements allow the characters to speak for themselves and make the story more authentic.
Data Table
Drama We arrived at the meeting with the CFO, only to discover the room was double-booked.
Dialogue My client said, “This was the best planning call I’ve had in a while. Thank you for making it a success.”
Text & Bullet Points
Pictures
Detail It was early January, three feet of snow on the ground, and five of us were squeezed into a Ford Focus, rushing to a 5:00 p.m. meeting with the Project Controller.
Words vs. Visuals The visual cortex is 25% of the human brain — larger than any other functional area. That means we process images more quickly than words and remember them longer.
STORY
RELATIONSHIP MASTERY IN THE C-SUITE
TIPS ART OF
What Story Will I Share With My Client?
EMPATHY
ART OF
INQUIRY
ART OF THE
Turbulence
Trust Continuum
Build Credibility
STORY
Openness, Trust and Risk Increases GAIN insight
3 Share a personal simple truth — talk about WHY you do what you do, instead of what you do.
PIONEER
DRIVER
QUICK FIXING
3 Focus on what is unique to you, rather than listing points from your resume that others could also claim.
STEAMROLLING
I LIKE
3 Provide more than the routine – share something significant that happened in your life and lessons learned.
INTEGRATOR
.
IT
GUARDIAN
BOX CHECKING
Business Chemistry
CHERRY-PICKING
Empathy Mistakes
INVESTIGATOR 1 Facts 2 Motive 3 Accuracy & Relevance
PHYSICIAN 1 Symptoms 2 Root Cause 3 Treatment Options
GIVE insight
PROFESSOR
Touchdown
Takeoff
1 Assumptions 2 Logic 3 Interpretation
THERAPIST 1 Core Beliefs 2 Opportunities & Limitations 3 Implications
!
“”
Drama
Detail
Dialogue
Share an Idea 3 Choose a main character who shares a similar state of mind as your client. 3 Be vulnerable – share the bumps and bruises, and any events that go counter to expectations. Nobody believes a story where everything is perfect.
In Preparation:
Determine your intent and choose a Line of Inquiry.
Clarify your Simple Truth.
“Hunch” your client’s Business Chemistry style.
Start the conversation with a question that indicates to the client you understand him or her.
Choose a story relevant to the client’s interests.
In the Moment:
3 Use empathy and inquiry to understand your client’s existing narrative – build a path to the future from that foundation. 3 Invite your client to put himself into your story using language like Imagine if…, I wonder…, and What would happen if… 3 Make the client care about the results of taking the action – decisions are made on emotions, not facts.
In Preparation:
Start by stepping in your client’s shoes.
3 Use a metaphor or analogy – compare your idea to concepts or situations that are familiar to the client.
Spark Action
In Preparation:
Be aware of your client’s nonverbal cues and adjust your tone and cadence. Avoid Empathy Mistakes. Say “yes, and ...” or “I am sorry...”
In the Moment:
In the Moment:
Listen for a crack to open up the conversation.
Keep your story short and to the point.
Show genuine interest by listening and using the client’s words – “I heard you say…”
Paint a picture to draw your client into the story -- describe how things looked and felt.
Be ready to flex and change your question based on the client’s responses.
Stop talking when you reach the Touchdown.
