4 Questions for the Perfect Story
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Today we are going to talk about four questions to help you come up with the perfect story. I present and speak on storytelling a lot. The most common question I get is: How do I choose the right story? Tough question. It can be surprisingly challenging to conjure the right story at the right moment. A lot of us expect the stories to show up perfectly whether or not we have practiced them. Some of us worry that sharing our vulnerability may harm our authority and credibility rather than enhance it so we avoid telling stories.
No matter what the hold-up is for telling your story, at the root is usually a misunderstanding of how or when to share a story. Today I am going to walk you through four simple questions you can ask to help inspire the stories you need in your work.
We discuss:
- [00:42] Today we are going to talk about four questions to help you come up with the perfect story.
- [01:46] Kyle shares his own story of getting his car fixed up to head back to the big island of Hawaii.
- [02:46] Kyle is heading out on a road trip to Reno, then continuing on to Oakland, and then finally attending a festival.
- [05:10] You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. Connect and network with people who can see your vision, what you are doing, and really appreciate it, encourage it, and speak light into what you are doing.
- [07:10] No matter what the hold-up is for your telling your story, at the root is usually a misunderstanding of how or when to share a story.
- [07:39] Even though we are intelligent creatures with big brains we still rely on emotions and instincts to help us make the right decisions. Stories create this emotional experience that helps us make those decisions. It gives us an opportunity to walk in your shoes to that decision.
- [08:19] Stories can create an emotional experience that immerses us in just the right moment.
- [08:59] There are four P’s for each question. The four P’s are person, problem, purpose, and present.
- [09:14] First question - Who is this story for? The more clear we can be on who we are speaking to the easier it will be to come up with the stories that resonate with them.
- [10:48] Question Two - What is the problem they are experiencing right now? How do they describe the problem in their own words? You must focus on a specific problem in their life. One that is driving them to seek out a solution, like the one you provide.
- [12:42] Once we have our problem question answered the closer we can get to describing that problem in their language and this will cause your audience to lean in when listening to your stories and they will resonate when we share.
- [14:30] With the moments from our own lives, we can now create a story that resonates with that specific moment with our ideal customer and use the language that they use to describe it to tell our story.
- [15:41] Question Three - What is the goal of this story? Different stories serve different purposes. There is a time and a place for different kinds of stories.
- [16:10] The first goal of a story is to create a human connection. Your listeners will not be open to learning from you until you show them through the right story that you really understand them. A good story shows that you understand them.
- [17:05] The second purpose of a story is to teach an idea. Focus your teaching on the big objections and roadblocks that your audience is facing.
- [18:08] The third purpose of a story is to make a powerful statement.
- [20:08] Question Four: When have I felt the same way? When have I worked with someone just like them?
- [22:01] Start brainstorming these stories that you can use from your own life or your own experiences with your clients to start building a repertoire of these stories. Practice and experiment with these stories.
- [22:50] Practice thinking about and feeling these stories. Practice being in the emotions and feels that happen in these stories and really bring them across to your customers.
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