How to use storytelling in your business pitch/presentation

Storytelling is ‘hot’, but why? It is more than just a hype.

But why do we even need storytelling? Is it just because of the hype? Or is there something more to it? Everybody is talking about it, so it must be something good, right?

Well, only if you do it right. And to do it right, you need to understand the reasoning behind storytelling. In this section we will talk about what storytelling can do for you and what it does to those you tell a a story to. You’ll find lessons about the Why of Storytelling and how to use storytelling in business and you’ll find links to relevant articles and pages outside of this class.

What makes storytelling so interesting for businesses? And how can you use the power of storytelling as a business? In this lesson we’ll dive into the benefits of Storytelling for businesses.

To craft the perfect story, you need to prepare. There are some things you need to get together. In this section, we’ll look at what information you need gather. We also look into finding a story. Sometimes the stories are already out there, you just need to find them!

To create a story that not just resonates, but has impact as well, you need to prepare.

What information do you need to assemble before you can produce a great story? You’ll learn in this lesson!

In this lesson we will dive into the things you need to get together.

Sometimes you don’t need to create a story. You can find one, and then adapt or re-use it for your own purposes. How to find and use the right story for you is what we’ll be looking at in this lesson.

Stories are used to make a point. To teach a lesson or to warm the audience for your ideas. The one thing you always have to keep in mind is the target of the story: your audience.

You are looking for a connection, you want to get close to your audience. To do so, you need to understand your audience first.

How do you get closer to your audience? What steps can you take to make sure you and your audience connect? In this lesson we will look at ways and means to get your story closer to your audience.

To get closer, you need to research your audience. But how do you do that? You’ll learn in this lesson!

People need to ‘warm up’ to a story. You need to make them hooked. To do so, you need to take a few steps. In this section you’ll learn how to start your story. You’ll learn how to make people feel at ease. And then get hooked!

The where and when of the story

An audience needs to understand where and where the story takes place to prevent them from getting ‘lost’.

Describing the situation in detail

The more information you give your audience about the situation, the more they will ‘get into’ the story and get hooked!

Let's start with the where and when of the story!

An audience needs to understand where and where the story takes place to prevent them from getting ‘lost’.

The more information you give your audience about the situation, the more they will ‘get into’ the story and get hooked!

There is one element your story cannot go without: a character. The character is crucial, because it is what your audience can relate to. They need to identify with the character.

In this section, we will dive into the character. What is important, how to determine your character and how to create the character.

Let's start with a short lesson in which we will look at things that are important to know about your character.

In this lesson, we will look at the character’s world. What does it look like? Where does he or she live? And what happens in that world?

Your character goes on a journey. But what type of journey? Learn how to look at the journey of your hero.

Is your hero real? Or is it fake? And is he or she good or bad? Learn different ways to look at the hero.

Let’s start creating your character! Learn where to start and build up your character.

A character has a personality and thus strengths and weaknesses. Learn how to use them.

Let’s create your character! In this lesson you’ll learn what to do to create the perfect character.

The “Core Action Part” is where it all happens in the story. This is where the character runs into obstacles. This is where the audience can see the story unfold. It is a big chunk of the work to create this part.

In this section we discuss the conflicts that the characters will face. We look at growth opportunity, obstacles and stakes.

Why you need conflict and the growth opportunity

We start with conflict and a growth opportunity. They are crucial for any story. You’ll learn why in this lesson.

The growth opportunity needs attention, because it determines the outcome. Let’s look closer.

Your goal is to create tension so the audience will keep on listening. For that you need a dramatic question or incident.

To keep the tension alive, you need to build out the big conflict. In this lesson you’ll learn what it takes to do that.

OK, so an obstacle is important. But how do you create these obstacles? You’ll learn here!

To make your audience root for your character, you will need stakes. Learn why and how.

One of the hardest things to do is to end a story. You want to end on a high. You want to send the audience away feeling good and remembering your message. In this section you’ll learn exactly how to do that.

At the end of the story, you need a final turning point. One that changes everything. Learn how to create that turning point.

But how to really end a story? In this lesson you’ll learn how to craft and ending that your audience can take home.