Tell a Story with emotion about what you need

In a previous post, I discussed that geeks want to learn something new. Often I see business people explain what they want with specific lists.

• “I want a tool to broadcast message to my customers.”
• “I want this piece of information downloaded into excel.”
• “I want…I want…I want.”

Sometimes the business person gets it…sometimes he/she doesn’t.

Lists or “wants” are often forgotten. Sure, tools have been developed that keep track of each request. They are cumbersome and often tossed to the side. Lists are analytical. To do items that can be forgotten or delayed. What is missing from a request is the emotional attachment.

You are asking for something because of a current frustration or annoyance or delight of the possibility. That is an emotional attachment. Every time you think of the request, the emotion returns. Emotion strengthens your desire for action. If you want action from your geeks, they need to understand and FEEL that emotional connection.

Tell a story that reflects the frustration, annoyance or delight. Once the geek understands and FEELS the emotion, a stronger commitment occurs. All decisions the geek makes will have that emotional connection. The geek will FEEL the frustration or excitement with a stronger desire to take action.

The best way to have what you need remembered, is to describe your request in terms of a story with emotion.   Think in terms of a presentation as described by Garr Reynolds. Each slide or scene has emotion. Describe the character’s (ie: customer)  frustration or delight in terms of before and after state on the appropriate slide. The series of slides/scenes will describe the character’s emotional state, the condition that caused the reaction, the comparison of the situation today and what it will be after the request is satisfied.

The master storyteller, Walt Disney, would express a story with descriptive scenes. Each scene explained the charaters emotional state. Each scene illustrated the before and after action. Each scene, in a simple illustration, conveyed the request of what was to appear in the movie. Do the same with your request. Watch, learn, and start describing your request in terms of a story that conveys emotion. The geeks will remember and understand and be more committed than a list of to do’s.