Everyone has a story because everyone has a struggle. Ron Green, executive director of the KCdigiSTORY Center, drove home this point during his keynote address at the ASBPE Kansas City Chapter’s Boot Camp, which took place on Wednesday, October 21 at the Google Fiber Space in Kansas City, Mo.
A former Hallmark Cards executive, Green’s began his presentation by explaining how that company responded to its struggle to appeal to a broader audience by developing a model that focused on four areas of motivation:
- Self-expression – ME
- The occasion – IT
- Other person – YOU
- Nurturing relationship – US
According to Green, “When writing a story, most people instinctually focus on ‘it,’ just as in marketing the tendency is to focus on ‘me.’ Don’t fall into that trap.”
To avoid this trap, Green says to ask yourself what and where the struggle is, and then develop a relationship with the reader to build loyalty.
“Story is data — with heart,” he says. “Go beyond appealing to readers’ logic; try going straight for the heart. “
In other words, data is the push, but the story is the pull. You must know not just your reader but also your sources.
“They’re looking to you – the storyteller – to give them what they need,” Green says. “Story is a gift to others. People read a story and apply it to their on context, even if it’s just one part that resonates with them.”