Storytelling and communication
Stories that land.
We build messages, stories and presentations from the goal backwards. What you say sticks, and the audience acts on it.
Seven steps from goal to call to action.
Goal first
We write the last sentences before the first one. We define what should change after the talk.
Clarify the audience
We check prior knowledge, common ground and likely criticism. We separate who wants numbers from who needs images.
Start with why
We begin with the motivation, then the way, and the offer last. The why comes from two questions: away from what, toward what.
Sharpen the core message
Everything must fit into one to three sentences. If it does not, the message is not finished yet.
Spark curiosity
The opening wins attention, for example with a question whose answer comes later. An open loop keeps the tension.
Tell the story
A character, a situation, a conflict with obstacles, help, a better ending. We turn important numbers into everyday images.
End with a call to action
The close says clearly what the listeners should do now. We check that the opening and the middle fit this ending.
One message, four sides.
We check every message from your brand on all four sides before it goes out. The receiver can hear any of them, not just the intended one.
Every message has four sides.
Facts
The plain information in the sentence.
Self-revelation
What the sender reveals about themselves.
Relationship
What the sentence says about how the two relate.
Appeal
What the sender wishes the other person to do.
What a good message is made of.
01
Four-sides model
Every message carries facts, relationship, appeal and self-revelation. The sender sends four signals, the receiver often hears only one.
02
Iceberg model
Only the tip is visible, attitude and values sit below. If words and body do not match, the audience believes the body.
03
Golden circle
Why first, then how, then what. The why creates more pull than the factual level.
04
Story pattern
Character, starting point, conflict, help, resolution. On the homepage the stations are called starting point, conflict, turning point, resolution and impact.
05
Vivid language
We tie numbers, data and facts to something familiar from daily life. The brain stores images better than bare values.
06
Open loops
A story is deliberately interrupted at one point. The audience wants to hear the rest. Emotional loops work stronger than factual ones.
What you get.
- A pitch deck structure built on why, way and offer, ending with a clear ask.
- A keynote dramaturgy: opening with curiosity, story in the middle, tension before the close, call to action at the end.
- A core message in one to three sentences, checked on all four sides of a message.
- Website copy we build with the same method: starting point, conflict and resolution for your audience.
- Data stories in which important numbers become everyday images and stay in mind.
- A conversation guide for negotiation and objections with goal, room to move and questions.
Where it usually goes wrong.
- 01
The presentation only reports instead of changing something.
- 02
The talk opens with the offer and wastes the power of the why.
- 03
Numbers come without an image and fly past.
- 04
The story has no obstacle, so the tension is missing.
- 05
Only the factual level is served, although relationship, appeal and self-revelation always play a part.
Your checklist.
Use it to check where you stand. Every open point is a good start for our conversation.
- The goal fits in one or two sentences before the opening is written.
- Audience, prior knowledge and likely criticism are clarified.
- The core message fits into three sentences at most.
- The why comes before the what.
- The opening sparks curiosity, and the open question is resolved later.
- The story has character, starting point, conflict, help and resolution.
- Important numbers are translated into everyday images.
- The close contains a clear call to action, and opening, middle and end fit together.
Frequently asked questions.
Why do you start with the ending?
Every presentation has a goal, which is an action by the audience. Whoever fixes the ending first can aim the opening and the middle at it.
Do stories fit serious business topics?
Yes. They are rarely used in business, but they help people remember facts. A story you lived also carries you through the thread.
How do you handle many numbers?
We keep only the essential ones. Every important number gets a comparison from daily life, the more unusual the easier to remember.
Does the message have to fit me?
Yes. The person is the core of the talk. Someone who says what matters to them convinces even with small slips.
How do you handle a mixed audience?
We mix the elements. Number-minded listeners get clear values, image-minded listeners get stories and comparisons.
What happens with objections?
A concrete objection shows interest and gets an answer. With a blanket refusal we keep asking until the real objection shows.
Let’s talk about your project.
The first conversation is free and takes half an hour.