Craft Better Pitches with Pixar’s 6-Sentence Framework

Who can resist a story with a happily ever after?

Photo by Nong on Unsplash

I used to work in a cozy little office space at WeWork.

One day, curiosity piqued, I dropped in on the Sales team’s “storytelling” training session.

I had my mind blown.

I discovered Pixar’s six-sentence storytelling framework — an eye-opening tool that I’ve since used to dissect product features, understand customer needs, and refine my speeches.

Let’s explore how to leverage this framework to become better storytellers!

The Framework

Created by author using Canva

Breaking it down:

1. “Once upon a time” creates a character and a world that people can relate to and root for.
2. “Every day” describes the normal routine or situation before the conflict arises. This sets the stage and provides context.
3. “Until one day” introduces the inciting incident or the problem that disrupts the status quo.
4. “Because of that” describes the action in response to the incident.
5. “Because of that” shows the consequences or challenges that arise from the protagonist’s actions
6. “Until finally” describes the resolution or how success is achieved

Summarizing a story 🎬

What’s your all-time favorite movie? What is it about that film that sticks with you, drawing you in time and time again?

Try summarizing the movie in just six sentences, following Pixar’s framework.

For instance, let’s take “Finding Nemo:”

Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash

1. Once upon a time, there was a timid clownfish named Marlin who lives with his son, Nemo, in the Great Barrier Reef.
2. Every day, Marlin is overprotective of Nemo, who yearns for independence and adventure.
3. Until one day, during Nemo’s first day of school, he defies his father’s warnings and swims out into open water, where he is captured by a diver.
4. Because of that, Marlin embarks on a perilous journey across the ocean to find his son, encountering various obstacles and unlikely allies along the way.
5. Because of that, Nemo finds himself trapped in a fish tank in a dentist’s office, where he forms a plan with the other tank inhabitants to escape.
6. Until finally, Marlin and Nemo are reunited, having both grown and learned valuable lessons about courage, friendship, and the power of love and determination.

You’ll notice that even though we’re condensing the plot, you still get a solid grasp of the protagonist, the hurdles they face, and how they triumph against the odds. Remember, it’s all about capturing the essence of the story without getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty details.

Describing a product

What’s your favorite product, and what itch does it scratch for you?

Let’s use Bumble as our example 🐝:

1. Once upon a time, there existed a vast sea of individuals yearning for romantic connections and meaningful relationships, yet struggling to find them in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
2. Every day, people across the globe turned to various online platforms in hopes of forging genuine bonds, only to encounter common obstacles like harassment and unwelcome advances.
3. Until one day, Bumble emerged, offering a revolutionary platform where women made the first move, fostering a more respectful and equitable online dating experience.
4. Because of that innovative approach, millions of users flocked to Bumble, eager to cultivate connections in a safe and empowering space.
5. Because of that overwhelming success, Bumble expanded its horizons beyond traditional dating, introducing features for making friends and professional networking.
6. Until finally, individuals — especially women — found themselves empowered to engage more authentically and confidently online, resulting in a higher rate of success in forming meaningful connections

We got a crystal-clear picture of who Bumble’s customers are, what kind of world they lived in (the world pre-Bumble), the hurdles Bumble helps them overcome, and the transformation they experienced (the world post-Bumble).

Can you think of another product that we can easily apply this framework to?

Honing your pitch

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

Try this next time you are pitching to someone:

Picture the product you’re crafting or the problem you’re tackling. Imagine them as the protagonist of their own story, navigating through life’s ups and downs until your solution swoops in to save the day, transforming their world for the better.

By framing your pitch as a captivating tale of problem-solving and transformation, you’ll create a narrative that truly resonates and, ultimately, sells itself.

After all, who can resist a story with a happily ever after? ✨

Killer Structure to Describe Yourself in One Sentence