20 years of storytelling for business by international trainers and storytellers Speakers' Corner
International trainers and storytellers

Stories help people to make your case for you.

We have a saying “Every presentation is a story well told”.  We have heard many thousands of presentations but can only remember the stories.

 

Here’s one told by a Strategy Director in Moscow which we’ll never forget.

 

The setting was a pitch to a Japanese car manufacturer who was entering the Russian car market but did not have a showroom or any plans for one.

 

The story starts:

 

“A friend of mine Ivan goes to church every Sunday and one day his neighbour Misha asked Ivan to pray for him. “What do you want me to ask God for?”

 

Misha replied: “Please ask God if he can help me to win the lottery.”

 

So Ivan at church on Sunday asked God to help Misha win the lottery. But nothing happened. After a number of occasions trying, Ivan decided that he would make one last big effort after everybody had left the church.

 

“Dear God I have asked many times for you to help Misha win the lottery but you have not answered me.”

 

At that moment a shaft of piercing light shone through the window above the altar and a booming voice said: “Ivan, please tell Misha to meet me half way and buy a lottery ticket.”

 

Ladies and gentleman, if you’re not in it, you can’t win it – so we recommend you open a showroom as a first step.

 

Interestingly, we would never have remembered this presentation if it had not been for this story – and if we can remember it after all these years we’re certain her client was able to go back to their office and make her case the following day.

 

Stories make presentations memorable.

 

sallyclare

Posted by Sally Clare on Tuesday, April 9th, 2019 in FeaturesNews
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