Page 273 - ConvinceThemFlip

the secrets of the great communicators
to address the merits of determination, innovation, and
pushing boundaries.
How to Tell a Story:
Stepping-Stones
Telling a good story is like picking your way across a
fast-flowing stream on stepping-stones. The stream
is the problem, and the stones are the path to a solution.
Three stones are usually sufficient. You open the presen-
tation on one bank, step onto the different stones on the
way across the stream, and close as you step onto the
opposite bank.
At the start, standing at the river’s edge, you set up
the story and state the point. It’s here that you introduce
the character(s) (the who), the setting or location (the
where), and the time (the when). Stepping onto the first
stone you explain the problem, dilemma, or predica-
ment. Moving out onto the second stone in the middle
of the fast-flowing stream, you describe one or two failed
attempts to resolve the problem before leaping onto the
third stone and revealing the successful solution. As you
step onto the far bank, you deliver your emotional close
and restate your point. As you point to the future, you can
invite your listeners to imagine themselves in the same
situation, and use what they learned from your story to
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