Story before statistics
Updated: Dec 9, 2022
Stats are impressive, but can you tell the story?
I paused thinking carefully about what to say:
“Those stats about who you help are really impressive-
Can you tell me a story about a few of them?”
And then her voice changed, and her face lit up,
as she told me stories about people:
their loved ones and the addictions,
their successes and their struggles,
and most of all their hopes of a brighter future.
I had chills: If I had money to give, I would have given…
Instead, I offered this advice:
“Start with a few of those stories and just work the statistics into the stories or give us the statistics after to detail the impact; whichever, just be sure to let the story be the lead.”
Then we spent some time and re-arranged the talk together. I heard back a month or so later—an excited message detailing how they had been awarded nearly $1million to continue helping more people just like the ones whose stories they had shared with the foundation.
So remember-
don’t use story as example after,
do it the other way around:
Story before Statistics.
Day 7 of 25 days with presents for the presenter in you.
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Happy holidays,
Santa Andy