What’s the best approach?
What’s the best structure?
How do you organize your stories in a way that truly resonates with your audience and moves them to action?
These are questions that many of us grapple with. Because storytelling isn’t just about sharing events—it’s about connecting with people on a deeper level. Recently, we’ve talked a lot about the power of storytelling and how it can dramatically enhance our ability to reach our audience.
And it’s not just a theory. It’s backed by some of the best communicators out there.
Dr. Nick Morgan, one of the nation’s most prominent communications coaches, offers us some profound insights on this subject in his book Power Cues. His advice on how to tell great stories can be a game-changer for anyone looking to make a lasting impact. Let’s dive into some of his key strategies.
Start with a Need
Before anything else, you need to establish a sense of need with your audience.
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a familiar concept, and it’s no surprise that stories connecting to basic needs—like safety—are often the most compelling. What does the future hold? Is there something that should genuinely concern us?
Ludwig von Mises suggested that human action is driven by a felt sense of unease. This means that your story should tap into a problem or threat that makes your audience’s hearts beat just a little faster. That’s your starting point.
Tap into the Power of Archetypal Stories
Once you’ve established the need or concern, it’s time to connect it to one of the five basic human archetypal stories. These are deeply embedded in our collective psyche, and they resonate with us on a fundamental level.
Here are the five archetypes:
- Setting Off on a Quest:
- The idea of a journey is universally compelling. We all want to champion the hero who is trying to overcome a challenge and right some injustice. But here’s the key—you, as the storyteller, shouldn’t be the hero. If possible, make your audience the hero.
- Stranger in a Strange Land:
- This archetype speaks to those times when we feel lost or out of place, perhaps as society is rapidly changing. It taps into feelings of nostalgia and the sense that old norms and values are slipping away.
- The Love Story:
- Love stories are timeless, and they’re particularly effective when you’re trying to convey the importance of harmony and connection. Whether it’s a tale of two people learning to understand each other or a narrative about sticking together through thick and thin, this archetype is always relatable.
- Rags to Riches:
- The classic underdog story. An ordinary person overcomes hardship and obstacles to achieve tremendous success. This story type gives us hope and reminds us that improvement and fulfillment are within reach.
- Revenge:
- This one taps into our desire for justice. The villain is put in his place, and balance is restored. It’s a powerful narrative that appeals to our sense of right and wrong.
Organize Your Story into Three Acts
With your archetype chosen, the next step is to organize your story in a way that’s easy for your audience to follow. Nick Morgan suggests a three-act structure, which is as effective as it is straightforward:
- First Act: Introduce the Problem or Threat
- Lay out the challenge. Tie it to something new, interesting, and relevant to your audience. This is where you grab their attention.
- Second Act: Raise the Stakes
- Intensify the situation. What happens if the problem isn’t addressed? This is where you build urgency.
- Third Act: Resolve with Audience Involvement
- Pose a question that demands an answer. Invite your audience to be part of the solution. When your audience feels involved in the resolution, they’re much more likely to take action.
The Power of Audience Involvement
So, how does this work in practice?
It’s all about audience involvement. When you invite your audience to participate in solving the problem you’ve presented, you’re not just telling a story—you’re creating a shared experience. This approach can be transformational. It’s no longer just your story; it becomes their story too.
Imagine how this can be applied to your fundraising and marketing work. When your donors and supporters feel like they are part of the journey, they are more invested in the outcome. They want to see the story through to its conclusion because they have a role in it.
