How to craft the 60-second story of your idea

If you’ve been following along in this “how-to” series, you’ve now found all the pieces of your Red Thread. To find the first piece of your Red Thread, click here. To go to the previous post, click here. To go to the final post in the series, click here.

Now it’s time to put all the pieces together.

It’s time to build the Storyline of your idea.

WHAT IS THE RED THREAD STORYLINE™?

The Red Thread Storyline consists of all the pieces of your Red Thread®, now strung together in (a very short!) story form. As such, it’s the minimum viable case for your idea.

It combines all the previous statements into this paragraph:

We can all agree we want to know… [GOAL]. While there are barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [TWO-PART PROBLEM]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [TRUTH]. That’s why, to achieve the goal, we need to… [CHANGE]. Here’s how:… [ACTIONS]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [GOAL, REVISITED]

It should also meet the following criteria:

• It includes all your previous Red Thread Statements and their content
• It should make a case for your idea that your Audience would understand intuitively (even if the various pieces need a bit more explanation for your Audience to agree and act)
• It should contain no unexplained jargon or similar language (if you need to include a phrase or term your Audience wouldn’t understand intuitively, include an explanation within the Storyline itself)

Examples:

• Life science startup client UrSure; project — investor pitch:
• We can all agree we want to know… [how we can keep patients on critical medications longer]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [having to rely more on what patients recall than what tests reveal]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [“seeing is believing”]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [make the invisible, visible, instantly — we need to turn the effects people can’t feel into results they can see]. Here’s how:… [Create simple urine tests that providers administer during their patient’s visits]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [Empowers patients and providers to create personalized treatment plans and better outcomes].
• Client Tricia Wang‘s TED talk:
• We can all agree we want to know… [how we can reduce the risk of business decision-making]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [Big Data doesn’t just create more knowledge, it creates more unknowns]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [the greatest risk comes from the unknown]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [pair Big Data with ‘Thick’ Data — data and insights drawn from what Big Data doesn’t (and can’t) track]. Here’s how:… [use people like ethnographers and user researchers to collect and interpret data that can’t be quantified, like stories, emotions, and interactions]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [gives companies ownable insights that could potentially improve their business and transform their industries].
• Nonprofit media company client; project — persuasive messaging coaching to get funding to create a new newsletter:
• We can all agree we want to know… [how we can best deliver on our mission]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [the relationship between ‘content output” (what and how much we produce) and ‘content exposure’ (who sees it, and how many)]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [the more people who see our content, the more impact it will have]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [adopt this project as a way to both increase who sees our content, and through the revenue it generates, increase our capacity for content output]. Here’s how:… [create a new editorial position of Newsletter Editor]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [creates a new potential revenue stream that would support both the editorial and financial missions of our organization].
• Client Linda Ugelow; project — drafting keynote:
• We can all agree we want to know… [how we can feel more comfortable on stage and on camera]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [seeing fear as one big thing, rather than as a collection of many things]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [experiences leave imprints — fear leaves physical traces in our bodies]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [address the imprints from our past experiences that are still lodged as fear in our bodies]. Here’s how:… [There are four steps: 1. Identify and deactivate past experiences. 2. Change the language we use in the stories we tell ourselves about what’s happening. 3. Reconnect with the enjoyment of being the center of attention. 4. Build capacity to tolerate new, more positive feelings.]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [Opens up a way for you to ‘delight in the limelight’ and be unapologetically you].
• Client Tracy Timm; project — diversifying message to a new audience:
• We can all agree we want to know… [what incentives will keep millennial employees from leaving]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [focusing on positions more than the people in them]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [people are what make positions work]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [personalize incentives to the people in positions]. Here’s how:… [Offer options associated with different functions or job levels. For example, someone at a more junior level could choose between one day of remote work every month or one additional day of personal time off. Someone at a higher level could choose between three days]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [Drives the best and brightest performers — from any generation — to you as the new industry standard for a great place to work].
• DeBeers — not a client, just one of my favorite examples!:
• We can all agree we want to know… [the best symbol of our commitment we can give to each other]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [a ring is a symbol, but the kind of ring can be a symbol, too]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [a diamond is forever]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [see the stone as the symbol]. Here’s how:… [buy a diamond engagement ring]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [leaves a legacy of your love that will last for generations].
• Client Judi Holler; project — revising keynote:
• We can all agree we want to know… [how to manage our fear]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [we think the answer lies in being ‘fearless,’ more than fearing fear itself less]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [you’re an everyday improviser — every day you have to figure out how to handle something you didn’t plan for]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [do scary stuff on purpose, every day]. Here’s how:… [conduct Fear Experiments™, which have these components: Focus, Energy, Action, Repeat]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [means you can live a life of no regrets].
• Client Ted Ma; project — differentiating core message:
• We can all agree we want to know… [how to get people to perform to their potential]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [we hope for leaders while training followers, however unintentionally]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [leadership is learned]. That’s why, to achieve the Goal, we need to… [develop Multilevel Leadership™ — leadership at every level]. Here’s how:… [to help your team progress through each of four levels: Contributor, Mentor, Developer, Visionary]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [helps you create a culture of leadership].

HOW TO BUILD YOUR RED THREAD STORYLINE

In many ways, building your Red Thread Storyline is the easiest step of all. Why? Because you’ve already been building it, piece by piece up, as you found each of your individual Red Thread Statements.

To build the Storyline itself, all you have to do is string those other statements together in one big session of copy and paste (or message “Mad Libs,” if you grew up with that game as I did!).

• DO THIS: Gather all your other Red Thread Statements from the previous chapters.
• DO THIS: Copy and paste those statements into the Storyline template:
• We can all agree we want to know… [GOAL]. Despite the barriers we all know exist, the real problem is… [TWO-PART PROBLEM]. Yet we can agree it’s true that… [TRUTH]. That’s why, to achieve the goal, we need to… [CHANGE]. Here’s how:… [ACTIONS]. Not only does that achieve the Goal, it also… [GOAL, REVISITED]
• DO THIS: Adjust the language of the template or your Statements as needed to get a paragraph that reads smoothly and logically.
• DO THIS: If there’s an issue with one of the individual Red Thread Statements, go back and adjust it. Make sure it meets both the criteria for that kind of Statement and the logical flow of your Storyline.
• DO THIS: Adjust the following Statements and overall Storyline as needed.

FROM MINIMUM VIABLE CASE TO MINIMUM VIABLE MESSAGE

With your Storyline, you now have the minimum viable case for your message — the shortest, and strongest, articulation of your idea and why it’s important.

Sometimes, though, you need something that’s even shorter, whether because you need something that starts a larger conversation… or because even 60 seconds is more time than you have.

For that, you need a minimum viable message — something that allows you to finally answer the TEDx Test I mentioned way back in the Introduction.

For that, you need a summary version of your Red Thread®. While I’ve talked about that before, I’ll include all the details for how to build your own in one final, bonus (free prize!) installment in this series.

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#marketing #messaging #persuasion #startup #entrepreneurship #psychology