This is an episode from Storyteller Tactics' marketing launch campaign - it was brought to you by Metaphor Engine and Thoughtful Mistakes
“Allan, I’ve realised something: a good designer is constantly gardening...
...there aren’t any quick fixes. You can’t just throw seeds on the soil, walk away and expect a beautiful garden to emerge overnight. The solutions our clients need, the systems we want to build, they’re just way more complex than that. I want to be a Landscape Gardener, but right now I feel like a Cowboy Builder. And it’s just not enough. It’s been a lot of fun working with you, but I feel like it’s time to move on.”
Yeah, that’s what I should’ve said at the end of the presentation, thinks Cassie. That’d show him.
Meanwhile, time to brush up my LinkedIn profile. And reply to that headhunter who messaged me last week. At least my little chat-botch fiasco means I’ve got a good answer to that interview question “why did you leave your last job?”
This week’s Storyteller Tactics
Metaphor Engine
“We don't think in the abstract. We think in specific images” - Lisa Cron, Wired for Story.
We use the visual centre of our brain to understand the meaning of words. So when you say there are "storm clouds gathering" we actually SEE what you mean. Metaphors and similes improve your story because they create specific images in our minds. These are always easier to remember than abstract concepts.
(note: this Tactic didn't make the final cut, but keep an eye out for it in a future expansion pack!)
Thoughtful Mistakes
Mistakes are lessons-learned, which is why they make such good stories.
If I can learn from your mistake, maybe I can avoid making it myself. This tactic helps you unpack as many lessons as you can from mistakes - and turn these into stories that other people want to hear.
See the Thoughtful Mistakes tactic ➔Next episode: Ravi’s story - herding cats, in the fog, on a deadline.
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