Happy New Year!
Hopefully one of your new year’s resolutions was to put in that time to focus on future-proofing your business. If you are not one for resolutions, then maybe January is a time to reflect on the positive messages about your business you can send your customers in 2025. But how do you tell your story?
This update is a reminder of the lessons from world-renowned applied futurist and growth expert, Tom Cheesewright, around why stories matter and how we can craft them.
Storytelling
We wanted to take this opportunity to re-focus your mind on Workshop 2, which covered storytelling for business leaders who need to communicate with their clients and target audiences. Futurists have always used stories to explore their business environment and compel their audiences.
Step 1: Your Audience
You have many audiences, but each one needs to hear a different story. Tom asked you to think about an audience that you need to influence. What is their profile?
- Who are they?
- What do they need to believe?
- What do they want?
- What do they fear?
- Who do they trust?
“Stories do what facts don’t. A clear vision of the future has no value unless it can be shared… and used to compel others to take action.”
Tom Cheesewright
Before you draft your story consider
- How familiar are they with jargon/terms?
- How formal should you be?
- How much do you need to set the scene?
- How much new information can they absorb?
- How open are they to challenging ideas?
- Are there existing beliefs you need to address?
- What cultural references make sense to them?
- How portable is your story?
Then test your assumptions about your audience
- Do they really know as much as you think?
- Are they really the demographic you believe?
- How much has your own expectation coloured your beliefs?
Step 2: Your objective
For the audience you created, Tom asked you to think about your objective in telling them stories about the future. If you can sell people the story, they are invested.
What do you want your audience to do at the end of the story?
- Is it an ACTION? If so, what do you want them to DO?
- Is it a QUESTION? If so, how do you want them to participate?
Actions and questions
- Change in their behavior.
- Invest in innovation.
- Accept changing market.
- Be patient.
- How should we respond in this scenario?
- What can we do today to optimise our chances in these scenarios?
Step 3: The narrative arc
This is the "recipe" for a powerful story.
Context
Tom told you to view this section as “the view from your window”, where you get to:
- Set the scene – capture attention.
- Establish credibility and trust – tell people what they already know/believe.
Remember
- What do they know/believe?
- Use their language.
- Who do they trust?
Leverage that...
Jeopardy
Tom told you to view this section as “the view through your binoculars”, where you get to acknowledge the:
- What are their fears?
- What have you experienced?
- Pressures & Trends
- What have you foreseen?
Resolution
Tom told you to view this section as “the view from the future”, where you get to revisit your objective
Your call to action:
- What do you want them to change/do? (Recipients)
- What questions do you need them to consider? (Participants)
EXTRA TIP: Rule of Thirds
People won't trust you if everything you tell them is new or surprising.
- Failings
- Fears
- Criticims
- Macro trends
- Adjacent industries
- Sharing
- Stories
- Predictions & possibilities
Plotting your story
Use this plot sheet to complete the journey for each audience
Exercise and recap
Tom asked you to plot out the arc for your chosen audience and action.
Context: How will you gain trust; show you understand the view from their window?
Jeopardy: How do you connect this scenario to their fears/wants?
Resolution: What will you ask of your audience?
Step 4: Story Formats
Tom discussed the various ways that you could present your story. Think about your audience and your objective. What might be the right format for your story?
Consider:
- How many people do you need to reach?
- How much of their time can you consume?
- How knowledgeable are they
- What can you afford to invest in production?
Match format to objective & audience
How many people does your story need to touch?
How much information do you need to convey?
How much of your audience's time can you consume?
How literate is your audience in the relevant ideas/terminology?
How much can you invest in producing this story?
How will this story be distributed?
Next steps
Refamiliarise yourself with the key concepts in Tom’s Workshop on Storytelling for Business.
- Work out your different audiences
- Set your specific objectives
- Create your ARC
- Define your format
Next time!
We provide you with our Horizon Scanner for 2025. Focused on areas of interest to commercial businesses, including the high-level impacts.
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