Understand the science of storytelling… of really being able use stories, not just tell them.
You’ll learn how to up your game for your presentations, your marketing and even just being cool in the bar afterwards.
Why does storytelling matter?
Scientists (and politicians!) have known for a very long time that we can’t change people’s minds with facts. Every one of us, no matter how sophisticated we are, makes our choices because of how we feel and then justifies that choice with facts. It’s called motivational reasoning.
And stories are your best chance to influence people’s motivational reasoning.
Or to put it another way, sharing stories shape outcomes more than describing data.
Which means that if you want to change things, you need to start sharing stories.
What will you learn?
Storytelling is all the rage at the moment, but just telling stories is about as sensible as closing your eyes in an archery competition. You might hit the target, but the chances aren’t in your favour.
I’ve done a lot of cool things, but I’m a research scientist at heart (a PhD in medical geography and 24 years as a research scientist) so that kind of thing goes against the grain. I can’t promise you a bullseye every time, but I can certainly increase your chances of hitting the target by exploring with you the science of telling stories.
We’ll look at how to:
- “size” your stories to tell to have different effects
- find the right size stories
- save the stories and know which ones to tell
- pick the hero for your story
- target your stories for different audiences
- tell your stories (live and online) to have the most impact (and the least stress).
In short, everything you need to set yourself up as an expert storyteller.
Who’s leading the StoryMaking session?
Well the rest of this site gives you a lot of info, so all I’ll I say here is that I spent two and a half decades as a research scientist. What that means for you is that I don’t do the fluffy “this is what worked for me” stuff. I do stuff which is more like “The research says this works for most people most of the time by X%… so try this first”.
I’ve also been paid as:
- a lighting designer for dance companies
- a trainer
- a fire-eater
- an actor
- a playwright
- a professional speaker
- an author.
I should point out that I’ve not done all of these at the same time!
FAQs
If there’s something you need to know that I’ve not included – simon [at] presentationgenius [dot] info“>just ask!
Are there any freebies?
Yes! Everyone who comes to a live StoryMaking Session gets a free copy of the StoryMaking – the book (see it on Amazon here). You’ll also get an short A4 workbook to use during the session, so that all you need to bring is a pen 😉
You also get access to Simon’s (over the top) StoryMaking Library system on Notion. (Note that this sells separately as part of his 69Stories challenge at £169)
Oh, and the refreshments are included: does that count as a freebie?
What if I don't like it? What if I change my mind before the event?
If you don’t like it, I’ll be mortified!
But of course you can have your money back. All I ask is that you tell me what didn’t work for you so that I can figure things out, even better!
Cancellations aren’t fair to anyone else who wanted to come to a StoryMaking Session Live, so our policy is that you can have a refund up to a month before the event, but after that it’s up to you to find someone to swap with to give everyone a fair chance. We’ll help to find a replacement if we can but we make no promises.
I've got an additional need - are the session and venue suitable?
Honestly, the answer is “probably” but it would be presumptuous of me to think that I’ve covered everything. If you’re in any doubt at all, just ask me. I’ve covered as much of this as I can but there’s always the chance I’ve not thought of something. I’ll not take offence if you want to check up!
Will it be filmed or recorded in some way?
No.
This is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, this is mainly a teaching workshop. There’s lots to cover, so there won’t be much time to do anything worth recording. You’ll be doing practical exercises but they don’t look good on camera 😉
Secondly, people behave differently if there are cameras and things involved. We don’t open up as much and we aren’t as honest. This isn’t in any way a ‘self-disclosure’ workshop, but it’s still a good idea for us to be able to say what we’re thinking without the feeling of a camera down our necks.
I've got an additional need - are the session and venue suitable?
Honestly, the answer is “probably” but it would be arrogant of me to think that I’ve covered everything. If you’re in any doubt at all, just ask me. I’ve covered as much of this as I can but there’s always the chance I’ve not thought of something. I’ll not take offence if you want to check up!
Where will StoryMaking - the live session be held?
TBC – I’m researching the best value venues in the northeast of England at the moment
Access information to follow etc
Understand the science of storytelling…