Don’t Convince. Inspire! Lessons on storytelling and product evangelizing.

Most product people know that storytelling and product evangelizing skills are essential in their roles. But many PMs struggle to build that muscle, especially if their inner critic is telling them that they are not a great storyteller. Sound familiar? Join this session if you want to mute your inner critic and learn more about the power of stories.

Petra will talk about the evolutionary advantage of telling good stories and why everybody has the power and ability to create them. Plus, she will share some hands-on tips and proven frameworks to help you improve your storytelling capabilities.

Transcript

1. Petra Wille | @loomista Lessons on storytelling and product evangelizing. Petra Wille | @loomista Don’t convince. Inspire!
2. Petra Wille | @loomista Petra Wille | @loomista Petra Wille is an independent product leadership coach and author of STRONG Product People
3. Petra Wille | @loomista No professional storytelling skills
4. Petra Wille | @loomista What is your favorite fiction book/novel? What is your favorite character in that story? How did you feel while reading it?
5. Petra Wille | @loomista Have you once felt the same excitement after an actual event, like someone giving a talk, sharing a vision? What was the occasion? Who was the person talking/inspiring you?
6. Petra Wille | @loomista Would you like to be as inspiring as the person you just noted?
7. Petra Wille | @loomista You struggle to picture yourself as a great story teller.
8. Petra Wille | @loomista Let me help you re-frame storytelling to mute your inner critic* *Shout out to Denise Jacobs here ☺
9. Petra Wille | @loomista Why stories are important - especially if you are working in product Why I call them a design tool Why it´s easy to improve your storytelling • Structures and ingredients of compelling stories • Some great resources to learn more I will share:
10. Petra Wille | @loomista Why stories are important
11. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Austin Pacheco on Unsplash
12. Petra Wille | @loomista
13. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by quokkabottles on Unsplash
14. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Halacious on Unsplash
15. Petra Wille | @loomista Oxytocin which causes us to build trust, generosity, and a personal connection Endorphins which can make someone laugh or help them deal with fear, pain, or uncertainty Dopamine which leads to a desire to know what happens next when you tell a story with peaks and cliffhangers
16. Petra Wille | @loomista “We think in stories, remember in stories, and turn just about everything we experience into a story.” Carl Alviani (October 11, 2018). The Science Behind Storytelling. Retrieved from https://medium.com/the-protagonist/the-science-behind-storytelling-51169758b22c
17. Petra Wille | @loomista
18. Petra Wille | @loomista What Stories Do
19. Petra Wille | @loomista #deathtostock
20. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Nelson Ndongala on Unsplash
21. Petra Wille | @loomista https://guykawasaki.com/
22. Petra Wille | @loomista Uninspired Divided Stakeholders were not convinced to support the effort
23. Petra Wille | @loomista
24. Petra Wille | @loomista
25. Petra Wille | @loomista Become better at product evangelizing & storytelling 2008-Marty to Petra:
26. Petra Wille | @loomista Guy Kawasaki, Selling the Dream, Harper Business (1992)
27. Petra Wille | @loomista Stories are a perfect design tool Everyone has the ability to create one, they’re easy to iterate on, and they help you gain more clarity.
28. Petra Wille | @loomista The idea is to inspire your team, stakeholders and management, and users—not to convince them.
29. Petra Wille | @loomista Creating and telling a Good Story
30. Petra Wille | @loomista • It paints a picture of a desirable future • It makes it clear why you should become part of this future • It acknowledges the current situation while describing the potential difficulties that may arise and why it’s worth overcoming them • It suggests a common goal with just enough information to make next steps clear for listeners
31. Petra Wille | @loomista
32. Petra Wille | @loomista We are called to adventure by the promise of a new product #deathtostock
33. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Sonja Langford on Unsplash A good story will save you hours of meetings convincing people that the things you are doing are the right ones to do
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36. Petra Wille | @loomista It’s good for you It’s good for us It’s good for all
37. Petra Wille | @loomista See their world Appreciate them as human beings Communicate understanding
38. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
39. Petra Wille | @loomista Create a sense of urgency and present information that enables action
40. Petra Wille | @loomista Making Your Message Stick
41. Petra Wille | @loomista The Tennis Court Oath in Versailles by Jacques-Louis David. Photograph: De Agostini/Getty
42. Petra Wille | @loomista written spoken illustrated Your message, your story
43. Petra Wille | @loomista written spoken illustrated short medium long Your message, your story
44. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash
45. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash
46. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Melyna Valle on Unsplash #deathtostock
47. Petra Wille | @loomista
48. Petra Wille | @loomista Sketch Noting ftw
49. Petra Wille | @loomista Getting ready to tell your story.
50. Petra Wille | @loomista Be picky about the words you use! Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash
51. Petra Wille | @loomista Pete Souza | Credit: The White House Relevant Important True https://strongpp.link/davidaxelrod
52. Petra Wille | @loomista Beware of Manipulation Photo by Agni B on Unsplash
53. Petra Wille | @loomista #deathtostock
54. Petra Wille | @loomista Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash
55. Petra Wille | @loomista
56. Petra Wille | @loomista Recap How about your inner critic?
57. Petra Wille | @loomista Humans automatically think in stories. When we hear good stories they trigger something in us. Stories help to facilitate group work by inspiring people to become part of a movement. Everyone can tell stories. It is worth investing in this skill. It takes a few simple ingredients and structures to get started.
58. Petra Wille | @loomista • Think about the audience and what they want to achieve (What`s in for them?) • Use a proven storytelling structure to ensure nothing is missing (e.g., the hero, the journey, the destination) • Make sure there are a variety of ways to tell this one story: short, medium, and long, as well as written, spoken, and illustrated. • Make it your story. (able to tell the story without lengthy preparation ) Only a few Ingredients…
59. Petra Wille | @loomista Links to these talks will be included in the final slide deck I will share online: https://www.petra-wille.com/storytelling
60. Petra Wille | @loomista A perfect example of how powerful it is to use words that light up other people’s brains. Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter Do you think storytelling based on a lot of data is boring? Not if you are listening to Hans Rosling: https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_let_my_dataset_cha nge_your_mindset Complex topic explained well: Al Gore: The Case for Optimism on Climate Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7E1v24Dllk A great speaker telling stories that matter to you Simon Sinek on why good leaders make you feel safe: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe
61. Petra Wille | @loomista Matthew McConaughey winning Best Actor at the Oscars. Pay attention to the simple, powerful structure: Something to look up, something to look forward, something to chase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD2cVhC-63I&t=127s One of the best product demos ever: Steve Jobs iPhone 2007 Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN4U5FqrOdQ Not possible to not listen to him! We need to talk about an injustice: Bryan Stevenson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cKfCmSqZ5s&t=1270s Nancy Duarte: The Secret Structure of Great Talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structur e_of_great_talks?language=en
62. Petra Wille | @loomista No professional storytelling skills The new you
63. Petra Wille | @loomista Thanks #strongproductpeople https://www.petra-wille.com/storytelling Twitter: @loomista Blog: https://petra-wille.com/blog
64. Petra Wille | @loomista Further Reading How Stories Change the Brain: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_stories_change_brain Strategic Storytelling Is Product Management: https://www.thisisproductmanagement.com/episodes/strategic-storytelling/ My product management toolkit: Storytelling: https://medium.theuxblog.com/my-product-management-toolkit-15-storytelling-46e65d7f061b Why We Need Storytellers at the Heart of Product Development: https://uxmag.com/articles/why-we-need-storytellers-at-the-heart-of-product-development Storytelling for Product Managers: https://medium.com/pminsider/storytelling-for-product-managers-fc1a758eb303 72 Rules of Commercial Storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/72-rules-commercial-storytelling-jeremy-waite/
65. Petra Wille | @loomista
66. Petra Wille | @loomista
67. Petra Wille | @loomista Further Reading for Product Leads Petra Wille | @loomista https://www.petra-wille.com/blog https://www.amazon.com/dp/3982235103 https://strongpp.link/nl
68. Petra Wille | @loomista Petra Wille | @loomista | petra-wille.com