We’re sitting around a table with people we don’t know.
There’s tension in the air because everyone knows what’s about to happen.
One by one, we’ll be asked to introduce ourselves, setting off a chain of mumbled names and job titles.
Not that anyone is listening, because we’re all consumed with working out what we’ll say when it's our turn.
…
Introductions are necessary, important, and for the most part, poorly done.
So, to get people to pay attention AND build your confidence in what you’re about to share, here’s a story arc structure you might like to follow.
This is how I use this with my workshop attendees to get them engaged in their own and other people's experiences.
- Setting: It was (year, place)/I was working at/I'd just been to...
- Complication: Things changed when/I wasn't enjoying it because/Things weren't great because...
- Turning point: I realised/I joined/I decided/I started...
- Resolution: That's why I now...
Here's an example...
(1) Hi, I'm Bri Williams. Back when I was working as a product manager, (2) I was getting frustrated that traditional research couldn't give me accurate answers about customer behaviour. (3) Thankfully, I came across behavioural economics, the missing link, and realised this was opportunity for all businesses, but just the one I was in. (4) That's why I founded my business, People Patterns in 2011, one of the first in Australia to apply behavioural science to business, and I've been showing clients how to get better results ever since.
👉 Can you see yourself using this as away to introduce yourself?
📕 Ref: I first read about this story structure in Mike Adams' very helpful "Seven Stories Every Salespeson Must Tell".
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