Learn how to use stories and visuals to make top–notch presentations
It′s called CAST (Content, Audience, Story, & Tell) and it′s been a quiet success, until now. Developed over a twelve year period as a presentation method to help Enterprise Architects, it was adopted by Microsoft Enterprise Architecture teams and filtered from IT managers to Sales, and beyond to major organizations around the world. Now, thanks to this unique book from an expert author team that includes two Microsoft presentation experts, you can learn how to use this amazing process to create and make high–impact presentations in your own organization.
The book helps you build complete visual stories, step by step, by using the CAST method to first create a Story Map and from there, a compelling presentation. It includes sample Story Maps, templates, practical success stories, and more. You′ll discover how to go beyond PowerPoint slides to create presentations that influence your peers and effect change.
- Explains the secrets of making presentations and effecting change using CAST to create Story Maps and from there, high–impact and visual presentations that tell a story
- Covers how to apply a range of techniques and what the results look like, using screenshots of presentations, one page hand outs, and basic delivery with whiteboards
- Coauthored by Microsoft experts and a visual design guru who have years of experience training professionals in these methods
- Includes sample Story Maps, templates, practical success stories, and more
Learn how to sell your ideas and trigger change in your company with Stories That Move Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for Persuasive Presentations.
Table of Contents:
1 The Power of Stories 2
Visual Stories 5
Should We Blame the Tools? 6
Finding the Right Tool for the Job 6
To Be Effective, You Have to Affect People 7
Convincing Evidence 10
2 Cast and the Visual Story Map 12
The Visual Story Map 12
3 Using Cast to Tell Stories 22
Use the Visual Story Map 23
Learn From Our Experience 24
Examples of Using CAST 25
Build Your Own Example 25
Example 1: Personal Trainer. 26
Example 2: City University Hospital 27
Tell the Right Story 29
Tell the Story Right 29
4 Why 34
The Three Big Whys 35
Focusing First on “Why” 36
All Motivation is Personal 37
Techniques for Discovering Whys 37
Five Whys 38
Pain Chain 40
Outcome Mapping 41
5 What 48
Elements of Change. 50
Brainstorming the Changes 52
Filter and Focus 53
6 How 62
Traceability and Milestones 64
Finding the “How” 65
Understanding the Dependencies 68
Cum hoc ergo propter hoc 70
7 What if 76
Walking Backward Through the Story 78
Alternative Scenarios 80
Final Thoughts on the Story Content 89
8 Who 92
Finding the Common Ground 96
Creating a Power Map 98
9 Learning and Decision Styles 108
Categorizing Your Audience. 109
Preferences, Not Prescriptions 109
Learning Styles 110
Decision Styles 112
10 Structure 122
Plot Structure 123
Nesting and Embedding (or How to Tell Many Stories at the Same Time) 139
Using Reality and Fiction 139
Hope’s Story 141
Putting All the Parts Together 141
In a Hurry? 143
11 Character 148
The Hero and the Villain 150
Character Associations 152
Believability 153
The Cast of Characters 154
Personification 154
12 Sense of Urgency 164
The Enemies of Change: Complacency and Distraction 165
Common Factors Creating a Sense of Urgency 166
Success Is a Decision 168
Success Is a Commitment 168
13 Delivery Plan 174
Decisions Take Time 176
Planning for Scale 178
Hook, Line, and Sinker 179
City University Hospital 180
Delivery Tips 186
14 Design 192
Intentional Design 193
Many Formats, One Root 196
The Infographic 197
Ideation 198
Composition 200
Content Coding 209
Writing 214
15 Test 222
Testing and Rehearsals 223
Opening, Closing, and Timing 224
Repetition 225
Retention 225
The Six Key Tests 226
16 Cast Example: What a Difference A Day Can Make 232
17 Afterword: Improving Your Visual Storytelling 242
Practice Makes Perfect 242
Use Your Tools 243
References 246
Index 252
