Presented at the Professional Women in Advocacy Chicago Workshop on June 2, 2015. #PWIAChicago. Speaker: Marianna Swallow. Info: mariannaswallow.com

1. MAKE YOUR
MESSAGE
STAND OUT
Marianna Swallow mariannaswallow.com

2. “How will use this in my

3. SPECIFICITY
STORIES
“SPEAK MY
LANGUAGE”

4. PART
1:SPECI
FICITY

5. When do you talk about
your organization?
Why do you talk about it?
What do you say now?

6. Think about…
WHY are you a part of this
organization or cause, and why
this
ONE SPECIFICALLY?

7. YOUR LISTENER ALWAYS HAS A
SECRET QUESTION IN HER
HEAD.

8. SPECIFICITY
IS
YOUR
FRIEND.

9. WHAT IS
IMPORTANT,
AND
WHY?

10. Which is stronger?
“This organization is great and I have so
much fun being a part of it.”
“As part of the women’s prison quilt ministry,
I saw first-hand how we were able to help
connect imprisoned women to humanity, and
how grateful they were for the quilts.”

11. PART
2:STOR
Y

12. STORIE
S

13. When do we tell stories?
at work, when we come home, to our kids, parents,
partners, loved ones, friends; to give examples,
when we sell something, to persuade, to brag, to
vent frustration, to share excitement; at the Women
in Advocacy Conference; to get the customer
service agent to take that extra charge off the bill, to
make a point, to make a comparison, to have fun, to
make someone laugh, to rile someone up, to support
a cause, to share joy, to get sympathy, to get
attention, when we’re at a party, at Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Hannukah, Rosh Hashanah, Pagan
Dance Rituals, at the Doctor, Acupuncturist, or
Podiatrist’s, or Dentist’s office…

14. Data is good,
but a story is
compelling.

15. LET’S TALK
ABOUT
USING
STORIES

16. Which is stronger?
“Data showed 15% of our clients traveled
from out of state.”
“A man who traveled from South Dakota for
our workshop told our Board President that
he was so grateful for our services, and our
workshop helped him find employment in his
field.”

17. STORY
BASICS

18. Storytelling Triangle

19. Beginning/Middle/End
• Beginning:
Set up – set the scene
• Middle:
“Meat”
• End:
What it’s all about.
What was the outcome?
What is important and why?

20. YOUR
STORY MUST
HAVE A
POINT.

21. Make the
connection for
your listener.
We need to
make the “whys”
clear.
What is
important, and
why?
Do not worry
about being
“obvious” or
heavy handed.

22. PART
3:SPEAK MY
LANGUAGE

23. List 1-2 potential audiences.
What’s their lingo?
What’s important to them?

24. REWRITE &
REHEARSE

25. ONE LAST
NOTE…

26. LET’S HEAR
FROM
YOU…

27. Thank You!
Marianna Swallow
mariannaswallow.com