Aizuchi Playbook:

Brand Your Business with Story

Andrew Nemiccolo

Table of Contents

Intro

Goal Setting

41

What the Heck is Aizuchi?

33 Motivations

43

Who Should Use Stories?

Goal Planner

44

How to Use the Aizuchi Playbook

10

Audit: Whats Your StoryBank Account Balance?

45

No Tall Tales, Please!

12

StoryMining

46

My Story

14

Case Story: The Challenge of Story Humility

52

Myths About Story

16

Flow

55

Whats The Cost of Not Making Your Point?

20

Failure

57

Wired for Story

22

Forks in the Road

59

Case Story: George Washington & Vulnerability

26

About Us: The Second Most Important Web Page

63

Decision Making: Emotion vs. Logic

29

Friends

65

Data Arguments Can Backfire

30

The Case for Success Stories

66

Information Inflation Makes Stories More Valuable

32

Funny

70

Distilling Data into the Wisdom of Big Ideas

33

Found

72

Story Science: Stories Meld Minds

38

Future

75

49 Brand Attributes

80

Aizuchi Playbook

Table of Contents

ii

StoryBanking

81

Go Ahead!

104

Story Banking Advice

82

About the Artist

105

Story Bank Example

84

About the Author

106

Story Bank Planner

85

Legal

107

CHAPTER

87

Endnotes

108

Conflict

90

Bonus: Five Friends Exercise

109

Hero

93

101 Transferrable Skills

110

Story Science: Underdog Appeal

95

More

111

Anticipation

97

Story Science: Can You Feel a Metaphor?

99

Peak

100

Transform & Explain

101

Relate

102

Aizuchi Playbook

Brand

Your brand is the sum of your stories.

Aizuchi Playbook

This Playbook is Written for You

Are you looking for a way to convey how youre different from the
competition? Would you like more people to understand the great work you
do? Are thoughts of building your brand and growing your business forever
on your mind?
I believe that most business leaders have amazing stories that would build
their brand distinctly, if only they could share those stories with purpose.

There are several reasons Ive seen that they may hold back from using
stories in business. Some business leaders havent prioritized the time.
Others see the value of stories, but dont have a process to gather, organize
and share stories.
And then there are those who havent given themselves permission to use
stories. (Denying permission is the excuse that frustrates me the most when
I see it, because it used to be my problem, too.) This playbook will give you
a toolkit to address these obstacles.

Aizuchi Playbook

Stories are one of the most under-used

communications resources that business
leaders have. With the right planning, stories
can make some (not all) of your sales &
marketing headaches dissipate.
There are a lot of experts out there telling
business leaders to go ahead and use stories,
but they dont necessarily show you how. This
playbook walks you through the steps to
develop a story strategy that is tailored for
your business.
Your brand is the sum of your stories - isnt it
time to take control?

Aizuchi Playbook

What the Heck is Aizuchi?

If youve ever seen a Japanese person nodding in conversation and saying
aah soou? or is that so? then youve already witnessed aizuchi.
Aizuchi, or ,is the Japanese word for these brief but important
responses which demonstrate that the listener is active and engaged in the
conversation. Linguists call it back-channeling. Aizuchi is common in face to
face Japanese communication, but there's no direct equivalent in American
culture.
Of course, I didn't know any of this as a young university exchange student
in my first month in Japan when I asked my host mother one afternoon, "Is
our phone working okay?"

"Yes, I think it works fine, why do you ask?" she responded with curiosity as
she briskly walked to check the house phone (probably to make sure that
the new American kid hadn't broken it). Luckily, the phone was in perfect
working order!
"Oh, the other person just couldn't hear me that well, I explained haltingly,
knowing that wasn't the reason. My language skills werent up to explain the
nuance. I think that my host mother and I both ended that conversation a
bit mystified.

Aizuchi Playbook

What I didn't want to have to explain was that

for the second time that week in October, I'd
been speaking on the phone with a Japanese
person to take care of some business, and
they each had asked me a couple of times,
are you still there, are you still there?
This was in the ancient landline days, so
connections were usually clear. The whole
thing was puzzling.
A few weeks later, I laughed out loud at my
mistake when I learned about aizuchi and
realized that my attentive American-style silent
listening (and lack of aizuchi) were what had
thrown off my callers.
I decided then and there to start using phrases
like "aah soou? and that mindset in my own
conversations going forward.

Aizuchi is a beautiful idea. The two characters

literally mean together and hammer,
indicating the back and forth motion and
metallic ring as a pair of blacksmiths hammer
a steel sword on an anvil.
With the sight and sound of the two
cooperating hammers in mind, Aizuchi is an
apt metaphor for todays businesses eager to
communicate collaboratively. Moving from oneway broadcasting to two-way conversations in
the age of social media, organizations and
individuals alike are eagerly looking for ways
to connect authentically with clients, partners,
investors and employees. Everyone is tired of
being talked at. We want to create a story
together.
Aizuchi was a behavior I had to learn. Giving
aizuchi doesnt mean that you necessarily
agree with the other person, but you are
indicating, Yes, I hear you. I believe that
brands that can demonstrate, Yes, I hear
you, to their customers will have gain
competitive advantage.

Aizuchi Playbook

Old-fashioned concepts like stories and

listening can play a positive role in this
change. While this playbook talks a lot about
stories for business, you wont hear me use
the word storytelling very much. Telling
implies one-way communication. Telling
without being a listener is a bit presumptuous.
Storytelling is one piece of a larger picture.
All things equal, I believe that businesses that
trigger stories from their customers and listen
closely to them will surpass businesses that
remain in broadcast mode. In the spirit of
aizuchi, my goal for this playbook is to talk a
little more about StoryLearning and a little less
about storytelling.
I hope that this Aizuchi Playbook will spark a
conversation between you and me, too. In the
spirit of improving this resource, Id love to
listen to your comments, questions, successes
and even your complaints regarding the
Aizuchi Playbook.

Yes, I hear you. If you have something to

share, please write me at
[email protected]
Let's get started!

Aizuchi Playbook

Who Should Use Stories? And Who Shouldnt?

Stories can be helpful for organizations that:
Want to build trust and engagement with employees, customers and investors.
Need to differentiate their products and services from the competition.
Are pioneering novel products and services for launch.
Seek brand awareness and the premium it offers.
Are in a relationship business, instead of a one-time transaction model.
Would like to embed values, behaviors and norms within the organization.
Want to connect the origins of the group with its future direction.
Stories may not be helpful or necessary if:
Your product or service is a true commodity with no chance of differentiation.
You hold a complete monopoly or unassailable competitive advantage in your field.
Your product or service competes solely on price.
Your organization cannot communicate with employees, customers, partners, and
investors.

Aizuchi Playbook

10

How to Use the Aizuchi Playbook

The Aizuchi Playbook is built on concepts from scientific research studies,
and has been vetted through real-life experiences and feedback from
participants in the Seven Story Learning workshops, webinars, coaching, and
sales & marketing projects.
For clarity of expression, Ive framed the concepts and exercises by speaking
to business leaders. However, the steps in this playbook have proven
equally useful for other organizations like non-profits, as well as
solopreneurs and individuals refining their own professional brand.
In other words, the term brand can refer to the entire organization, the
product line you lead, or your own identity. If you have a message to share,
this playbook can help!
Well be talking about stories a lot, so dont get too hung up on the format
or definition, (though later in the playbook I do share a structure that seems
to work very well). Many, many, many Ph.D. dissertations have been written
on the definition of story with no single answer in sight.

Aizuchi Playbook

Lets just use the widest possible definition of

story for this business discussion. A story can
be an oral story, presentation, video, print
piece, or any other medium that
communicates the brand of your business and
starts conversations.
Youll learn a little by skimming through the
guide and getting some new ideas. Youll gain
a lot by spending time on StoryMining and
StoryBanking.
In addition, Case Studies and Story Science
pages in grey provide background context for
those who want to go deeper. Read them at
your leisure. If youre raring to go, you can
skip all of this and jump straight to Goal
Setting.

11

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12

No Tall Tales, Please!

A word about stories. Authenticity matters. If you follow the exercises in the
Aizuchi Playbook, youll develop story superpowers. If you wanted, youd be
able to use stories to control peoples minds, triple your business overnight,
and commit villainous deeds. Okay, Im exaggerating. You may not gain
bona fide superpowers after all. I apologize for exaggerating should not
have done that. Do you still trust me? Now look what Ive done!
Seriously, stories are an extremely effective way to communicate, so dont
abuse the gift. Use your story powers for good and not evil. Its the right
thing to do. Besides, most people can detect bullshit eventually, and you
dont want bad karma for yourself and your business. Remember Pinocchio,
the Boy Who Cried Wolf, and the Emperors New Clothes? You get the idea
Take the Story Responsibility pledge. Raise your right hand and repeat:

Ill use stories for good and not evil.

My stories will be honest and authentic.
I promise to listen to others stories more than I tell my own stories.
Great! If we all abide by these three rules, things should go nicely.

Aizuchi Playbook

13

Authenticity

The story is told because you care for the hearer. 1

Jeff Brunson
Founder, Basic Approach

Aizuchi Playbook

14

My Story
As a kid growing up in New England, I heard and told stories all the time.
Stories were in the air in our family home. I was a voracious reader, a writer,
a joker. For serious matters I shared stories, too. In fact, stories have been
key to every successful university admission and job interview I have ever
had.
In my very first real job as a high school Japanese language teacher, I
used stories to teach language in context. Years later, some of my former
students have told me that the only phrases they still remember in Japanese
are from the daily skits Id ask them to memorize and perform from the
textbook and video series we used.
And when I took my first job in sales, all the stories came to a grinding halt.
Suddenly, I believed that my task was to persuade and influence, and that
best way to do this was with lots of data. I was good with numbers and told
myself that facts and figures had the gravitas that stories lacked. Stories
took too long to tell, and were a detour. I threw graphs, charts, statistics and
formulas at my clients. Five percent of clients loved it. The rest hated it. I
was sentencing them to death by presentation. And I was getting nowhere.

Aizuchi Playbook

Despite having a superior product, I was losing

to my competition. Customers couldnt hear
me. After several months of watching me spin
my wheels with flat sales results, two kind
sales colleagues sat me down in a coffee shop
one autumn morning in Kansas City. They tried
to redirect me down a new sales path that
wasnt paved solely with numbers, but I told
myself that they were wrong.
It was an uncomfortable conversation for me.
I think it was a little uncomfortable for them
too, but they were brave and helpful. I wish I
could tell you that I changed my ways the very
next day. But I didnt. Ironically, I think that I
had become emotionally attached to the
numbers. Try and figure that one out!
Several months went by with no uptick in
sales. I was frustrated and wondered if I had a
future in sales. One desperate day, I finally
relented and told a story about my product. I
really didnt expect it to work, but it actually
prompted a customer to tell me about an
experience of his.

15

Wow, what a feeling to have an actual

conversation! It seems foolish to say as I write
these words now, but it was only when I
viscerally experienced the breakthrough
moment of using a story that I formally gave
myself permission to use stories more often.
I began using story more systematically and
sales really started moving. I was becoming a
top performer. As I was promoted in the
company, I was fortunate to have the
opportunity to play a role on the team that
rolled out story-based selling programs to all
of our sales teams across the nation. It was a
great step, but I wanted to dive deeper. After
corporate downsizing in 2010, I started Seven
Story Learning to help business leaders
develop story-based sales and marketing
programs. Now I give talks, facilitate
workshops, develop strategy, and produce
client success stories.
The Aizuchi Playbook is the another step in
that journey, and I hope that it will help you to
brand and grow your business, too.

Aizuchi Playbook

16

7 Myths About Stories

The power of stories is exciting. However, the recent hype of business
storytelling has also revived some myths. If a persistent belief in one of
these myths has been keeping you from using the power of story, I hope the
ideas on the next three pages help you get past the obstacle! Stories are
simply too effective a communication method to ignore any longer.
Myth #1: Stories are just for children.
Yes, as a child, you sat around the campfire or in circle time because your
teachers knew the power of stories to embed cultural values, simplify the
complex, and make learning enjoyable. Adults can gain those benefits,
too. Thats why leading organizations are using stories for learning, culture
development, and to grow faster. Theres a lot of serious scholarship about
stories for communication, and the latent nerd in me will share a few of
those studies with you in the Aizuchi Playbook. If you are still a doubter and
need more proof, check out Storyproof. In this wonderful book, author
Kendall Haven shows hundreds of studies demonstrating the power of story
in communication.

Aizuchi Playbook

Myth #2: Its inauthentic. Dont tell me

a story, tell me the truth!
The word storytelling may suggest
embellishment or even falsehood, but that
really depends on whos telling. Authentic,
genuine stories remain one of the best ways to
share your brand. Please dont give up on
story just because of a few bad apples! If you
took the No Tall Tales pledge, just move on.
Myth #3: Stories are solely a
performance or entertainment device.
Gifted storytellers like Bill Cosby, Garrison
Keillor, Chelsea Handler and that guy in
overalls at the country fair enthrall us. We can
learn a lot from their story style, but the
mountaintop setting is just one place for
stories. You dont have to be up on stage to
use stories. Most of us share our stories best
in smaller campfire or watering hole settings.

17

In this context, stories are more about sharing

our true selves than entertaining a large
group. This isnt drama class. You dont need
an acting coach or a Ph.D. in literature.
Just share stories about topics that youre
knowledgeable and enthusiastic about, and
ask good questions. People will respond.

Myth #4: Its all about the telling

Branding yourself and your company is vital to
stand out from the crowd in a memorable
way. Every person and organization should
have stories about themselves to share. That
being said, awareness is not enough;
engagement is the new barometer. The point
of telling a story is to prompt a story in
response, and to listen. This is how customer
conversations begin, and its one reason that
social media networks have grown so quickly.

Aizuchi Playbook

Myth #5: Stories are detours; a waste of

time in a busy world.
Stories are one of the quickest ways to open
someones mind and illustrate a point. Our
brains arent wired to recall facts, figures and
slides very easily, but stories are highly
efficient.

If youre pressed for time, all the more reason

to use a story. Stories can be disarming. The
best salespeople and marketers recognize the
need to move beyond feature/benefit
statements to stories that engage and inspire
action. Thats how business grows.
Myth #6: I dont have any stories that
anybody would want to hear!
I promise that your brand has some great
stories. You just may not have discovered
them yet. StoryMining is a process for
systematically discovering great story ideas. It
just takes a little time. Ill show you how, step
by step, in the playbook.

18

Myth #7: Story skills cant be learned.

First, telling the right story for the situation is
more important than being a smooth and
suave communicator.
Second, you may not be a feel like a gifted
orator or genius marketer, but story skills
represent a communication style that is
extremely close to the way you naturally think,
speak, write and create.
Ive never worked with any individual or team
who didnt feel dramatically more confident
after even an hour or two of structured story
practice.
Its rhetoric, logic, and complex argument
skills that require copious preparation time to
master, not stories!

Aizuchi Playbook

19

The Age of Narrative

"Forget traditional positioning and brand-centric

approaches to marketing. We're now in the 'Age of
the Narrative' where the biggest challenge facing
companies is how to communicate their story in the
most compelling, consistent and credible way
possible -- both internally and externally. 2
William Ryan
Founding Partner, Portola Strategies

Aizuchi Playbook

20

Whats the Cost of Not Making Your Point?

Think for a moment about the next important business communication youll
be having. This communication has the potential to move your organization
forward.
It might be a financial plan for your board to approve, a new marketing
campaign for satisfy investors and donors, or an emergency customer
service call to salvage an important client relationship.

Youve prepared yourself well with resources like financial reports,

demonstration products, talking points, handouts, videos and power point
slides. But wait, do you have a story planned?
For most professionals in todays information economy, words are a primary
tool. In their paper titled, One Quarter of GDP is Persuasion, 3 Economists
Deirdre McCloskey and Arjo Klamer point out that business leaders spend a
lot their time convincing other people to act in a certain way. Motivating
employees, selling to customers, negotiating with partners, and more. The
26% figure they calculated is a back of the envelope estimate for our entire
economy, but I would guess that many individual businesses are probably
similar. Would you say that at least one quarter of you professional success
is directly related to your ability to persuade others?

Aizuchi Playbook

Communication is a key business skill. And as

the information economy transforms into the
knowledge economy, the trend will continue.
Economists McCloseky and Klamer tell us that
role of persuasion in, our economy, will be
larger in the future. The silent labor required
to make a radio, a window pane, or an
automobile is disappearing. 4
You have customers to satisfy, employees to
lead, and vendors to manage. The cost of not
making your point continues to rise. Keep
stories handy in your communications toolkit.

21

Aizuchi Playbook

22

Wired for Story

Lets talk about the story of writing. Writing is a fairly recent technology in
terms of human development. The timing may help explain why were still so
deeply wired to respond to the elements that originated in the oral story
tradition, such as a brave hero facing a conflict, with lots of emotion and
sensory details.
Human speech appeared roughly 100,000 years ago. Lets take those one
thousand centuries and represent them as one calendar year to wrap our
heads around this.
January 1
We gathered around the campfire and at some point began handing down
important tribal lore to the next generation. Practical skills like where to
catch the best fish. Meaningful things like our tribes creation and our place
in the world. Cautionary tales about mistakes ancestors had made.
Remember, writing had not been developed yet. So if you wanted to send a
time-traveling message into the future to your grandchildrens
grandchildrens grandchildren, it had to be launched in the most reliable
packaging. In other words, a compelling, memorable, easily repeated story.*
For most of our experience as a species, weve communicated exclusively
through stories, and I think that much of our communications work today
has the intent of recreating that campfire experience.

Aizuchi Playbook

December 14
Then, about five thousand years ago, near the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now
Iraq, people began making indentations into
lumps of clay to represent ideas. Other
societies followed suit over time, either
adapting cuneiform writing, or creating their
own writing systems independently. Literacy
spread slowly, but was the exception, not the
rule.
December 28
Four days before New Years Eve, metal-type
printing started in China, then it really took off
in Europe with Gutenbergs printing press
(1436), which had the advantage of fewer
characters to represent. Still, only the wealthy
and elite learned to read and write. Broad
literacy across society doesnt become an
expectation until December 31st.

23

Today
What this all means is that our recent leap to
literacy hasnt disconnected the human brains
affinity for stories. Suspenseful twists and
turns, the timing and tone in a human voice,
and compelling heroes whom we can relate these elements still matter.

We tend to fall into stories naturally; they offer

a path of least communication resistance.
Psychologist Susan Engle points out, Children
learn storytelling many years before they
master logic, persuasion, writing, and other
forms of information delivery. 5
New York Times science reporter Benedict
Carey adds, People tend to remember facts
more accurately if they encounter them in a
story rather than in a list, studies find; and
they rate legal arguments as more convincing
when built into narrative tales rather than on
legal precedent. 6

Aizuchi Playbook

Stories certainly arent the only communication

choice you have as a business leader. But by
recognizing just how strongly the human
species is pre-disposed to story, you give your
business a significant strategic advantage
over the list makers and technical mavens.
Maybe youre very persuasive with logic and
rhetoric. But for every graph, slide, statistic
and bullet point youre planning to share in
your next important communication, you
might ask, Would a story work better
instead?

24

Aizuchi Playbook

25

Stories Make Us Human

Heres something I believe in: stories are what

make us human. Opposable thumbs? Other animals
have those. Ability to use tools? Ditto. Even
language, in and of itself, is not exclusive to human
beings. 7

Andrew Hinton
Principal User Experience Architect at Macquarium

Aizuchi Playbook

26

Case Story: George Washington & Vulnerability

On Presidents Day, American school children
often hear about George Washingtons wooden
teeth, but his eyeglasses probably played a
bigger role in the founding of the country

On March 15th 1783, the mutinous officers met

in Newburgh to debate next steps. General
George Washington entered the meeting hall
suddenly, to the surprise of everyone.

In the winter of 1783, the Continental Army

was on the brink of collapse. Though the
revolutionaries had effectively nullified the
British forces several years ago, a peace treaty
had not yet been signed, and the British Army
still controlled New York City.

The floor was yielded to him to speak, but the

crowd was obstinate. Officers whom
Washington had known for years openly glared
back at him in anger.

After several years without pay, another

rebellion was forming; this one led by a
several officers eager to march on Congress
for money owed them. The young nation had
no federal funds to pay its army.
If the British sensed any discord in the
Continental Army, gathered sixty miles north in
Newburgh, New York, it might encourage them
to wage attacks again to regain control over
their former colonies.

He made a short speech reading from a list of

reasons the men should wait a bit longer to be
paid their salaries. The conspiring officers
were unmoved.
Washington had planned to next read a letter
written by member of the Continental
Congress to the rebellious officers, but sensing
the crowds growing hostility, he changed his
mind.

Aizuchi Playbook

Journals of those who were present that day

tell us that General Washington fidgeted with
the congressmans letter for several seconds,
and then reached for his eyeglasses, which
most of the men had not seen him wear
before. He said,

Gentlemen, you will permit me to put

on my spectacles, for I have not only
grown gray but almost blind in the
service of my country. 8
In that moment, hearing these unguarded
words and sensing Washingtons raw
emotions, the officers again began to listen to
their commander as an ally, not an adversary.
They saw that Washington, too, had sacrificed
much in his years of military service. Recalling
long campaigns together under Washingtons
leadership, some men began to openly weep.
Major Samuel Shaw wrote in his journal about
the experience that day,

27

There was something so natural, so

unaffected, in this appeal, as rendered it
superior to the most studied oratory; it forced
its way to the heart, and you might see
sensibility moisten every eye. The General,
having finished, took leave of the assembly,
and the business of the day was conducted in
the manner which is related in the account of
the proceedings. 9
By the time Washington had finished reading
the congressmans letter (to which nobody was
now listening), the Newburgh Conspiracy was
deflated. The story of George Washingtons
spectacles shows us the power of vulnerability
in communication. Facts dont move people;
but feelings can.
Apply the Concept

How can you demonstrate your brands

leadership through vulnerability?

Aizuchi Playbook

John Kotter on Leadership Stories

The change leadership guru says,

the best leaders that Ive known over the years

and certainly those that have been able to help
organizations make the big changes that we
increasingly need today - somehow learn over their
careers the power of stories. And they start to
learn and tell them better and better. 10

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Aizuchi Playbook

29

Decision Making: Emotion vs. Logic

Hold the features, please!
You may be justifiably proud of the new gizmos and latest technical
specifications of your upgraded product and service. But your customers
dont care so much about your widgets. Theyre looking to increase sales,
avoid painful losses, look smart to their boss, and leave work in time to
cheer at their kids soccer game.

Throwing lots of data at people puts their minds in an analytical mode.

Youre saying to them, Hey, numbers coming! Analyze, evaluate and
challenge the figures. Poke some holes in this argument!
Psychologist Deborah Small, professor of Marketing at the Wharton School of
Business at UPENN, has researched the effect of emotions in non-profit
communications.
She says, "It's easy to override people's feelings by giving them statistical
information, but it's not so easy to add feelings where feelings aren't
naturally there to begin with. It's hard for humans to generate feelings
toward statistics.11

Aizuchi Playbook

30

Data Arguments Can Be Backfire

Please Allow Me to Change Your Mind Right Now
Depending solely on data is not only less effective than an emotional appeal.
It may actually harm your cause!
Focus your mind for a moment on a strongly held belief that you have. It
could be political, social, or anything else. Take a minute to sense it in your
gut.

Now, let me ask you a question. If I could show you facts and data that
showed without a doubt that your belief were wrong, would you change
your mind?
When I poll audiences at conferences, most people acknowledge that they
still wouldnt change their stance, even in the face of overwhelming proof.
Amazingly stubborn creatures, arent we?
Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias is the term researchers use to describe why we are
attracted to information that supports our existing viewpoints, while ignoring
or minimizing facts that contradict our perspective. Its satisfying to feel that
were right.

Aizuchi Playbook

Remember that peoples pre-conceived stories

will beat your facts every time! And for the
staunchest opponents, your attempt to
persuade them with evidence may make them
dig their heels in even harder.
Beware the Backfire Effect
Professor Brendan Nyhan from the University
of Michigan and Jason Reifler from Georgia
State called this the backfire effect in their
study of political beliefs.
The researchers asked university students to
identify their political affiliation and then read
mock online newspaper articles containing a
statement from a political figure that
reinforced a widespread misperception on
controversial topics like the war in Iraq or stem
cell research.
After distracting the students with a
meaningless task, the researchers then
presented real-world counter-evidence that
clearly corrected the original misperception.

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The corrections didnt have a significant effect

on changing the students beliefs about the
controversial topics, though. And the authors
observed the backfire effect in a set of their
results, noting that in several cases, we find
that corrections actually strengthened
misperceptions among the most strongly
committed subjects.
What does this mean for your brand? People
usually have their minds set, and theres not
much that facts and figures can do to change
that.

While data is important for good decisionmaking, ask yourself if your business is driving
folks away by overemphasizing the numbers at
the expense of a compelling and disarming
story.

Aizuchi Playbook

32

Information Inflation Makes Stories More Valuable

We are awash in a torrent of data. Ten years ago, I checked email and
voicemail each morning to start my day. Today, I check multiple email,
twitter, facebook and voicemail accounts, plus text, postal mail and more.
Your life is surely just as busy.
From our inboxes to the wealth of data available on the web, we are rich
with information. A child today has access to more books than kings and
queens did several hundred years ago. But the overwhelming amount of
information has come at a cost. We struggle to pay attention and interpret
all the inputs.
Whether you call it a wealth of data or a data glut, the need for stories is
becoming even more valuable. Experts who can analyze all that information
and explain the patterns to the rest of us are in high demand.
How can you transform all that information into wisdom and meaning for
your clients?
Does your business have a unique viewpoint in your industry that would
benefit your customers?

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33

Distilling Data into the Wisdom of Big Ideas

Who is an Expert?
Today, many business leaders brand themselves as experts in their fields,
but how can you tell the difference between the pseudo-experts and the real
deal?
In his book, How People Learn, John Bransford notes characteristics that
distinguish a true expert in a given topic.

He says that true experts possess more than a mere list of jargon, acronyms
and formulas, on which pseudo-experts often rely. True experts keep all
their deep subject matter organized by a few fundamental concepts, or Big
Ideas unique to their field.
Bransford says:

Experts notice features and meaningful patterns of information

that are not noticed by novices.

Experts have acquired a great deal of content knowledge that is

organized in ways that reflect a deep understanding of their
subject matter.

Aizuchi Playbook

Can you see it? The real value is extracted by

organizing all the data into patterns that have
meaning. We all want to know which
information should we pay most attention
to. What can we safely ignore?
This kind of expertise will become even more
valuable in the digital age. As access to
information grows through digital and human
networks, the need for experts to help us
make sense of all the data increases, too.
What are the Big Ideas in your field? Is there
an opportunity to brand your business,
contribute to your field, and frame the industry
conversation around these Big Ideas?
Well touch on this theme of organizing Big
Ideas when we talk about StoryBanks for your
brand identity.
Stories can play a role. But its not just the
telling that matters. Listening counts, too

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Keep Asking Questions

My greatest strength as a consultant is to be

ignorant and ask a few questions. 12
Peter Drucker
Business thinker and author

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36

StoryLearning
Sharing a story can prompt a story.
[StoryTelling + StoryListening] = StoryLearning

Telling

Listening

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Stop Telling

If youre talking more than 35 percent of the time

youre with a customer, then youre not listening,
which is the best way to sell. 13
Charlie Clifford
Founder of Tumi Luggage

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38

Story Science: Stories Meld Minds

Husband: Have you ever had one of
those conversations
Wife: when you felt like you could
finish each others thoughts?

(By the way, the prom story is quite

entertaining, involving a scuba diving trip, two
boyfriends, one fist fight and a car crash, all in
the same day!) Next, listeners took a test on
story comprehension and recall ability.

Two Brains Lighting up in Unison

Listening Ability Linked to fMRI Brain

Activity

Princeton researchers Greg Stephens, Lauren

Silbert and Uri Hasson have shown that during
effective oral communication a speakers brain
activity can actually be replicated in the
listeners mind. Similar locations in each
persons brain fire in unison in a phenomenon
called neural coupling.

After the listeners fMRI data was mapped to

the storytellers own fMRI, those listeners who
scored highest on story comprehension also
showed the closest neural coupling to the
speaker.

In the study, volunteers listened to a 15

minute audio recording of Silbert telling a story
about her high school prom while their brains
were imaged by fMRI (functional magnetic
resonance imaging).

There was a strong positive correlation (r =

0.55, P < 0.07) between story comprehension
and neural coupling. Coupling was absent
when comprehension was nil, such as when a
control story was played in Russian language.

Aizuchi Playbook

Top Listeners Synchronize with the

Speaker and Even Anticipate Thoughts
Generally, each listeners brain activity
mirrored the speakers activity with a slight
delay. Higher scorers on the story
comprehension test had less delay in brain
mirroring.
And amazingly, the top scorers on the listening
comprehension test had moments when their
brain activity preceded that of the storyteller!

It appears that exceptional listeners were so

tuned in that they experienced the storytellers
thoughts even before she did. Now that
sounds like an example of StoryListening!
Neural coupling may be a factor when we
enter a flow state of communication. Time
passes quickly and we just click!

39

Rather than a back and forth volley of

individual exchanges, effective communication
at its finest seems to be a single flowing
cognitive process that happens to be shared
by two brains.
Apply the Concept

When was the last time you listened

deeply to an employee or a customer?
What additional steps could be taken to
ensure that your sales and marketing
teams are listening closely to customers,
whether face to face or through other
channels and systems?

Aizuchi Playbook

3 Step Process

Goal Setting
StoryMining
StoryBanking

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41

Goal Setting
Roll up your sleeves! The more specific you are in setting business
communication goals, the more productive you can be. Set a goal in writing.

Who
Who would you like to communicate with?
Is it customers, investors, donors, employees, partners, board members,
vendors, legislators, regulators or some other group?
Imagine that your business serves the construction industry with
environmentally friendly building materials and software solutions. One
super specific goal might be to communicate with:

Purchasing managers and owners at privately held construction

firms in Texas with $50M annual revenue and up.
You can visualize this person and who they are. Because its a specific
customer type, your content development work can be highly tailored and
effective. Generic communication plans dont work well.

Aizuchi Playbook

Action
What you want them to do; a verb. Beware
the be awares. Being aware isnt sufficient.
Your goal is to get them behave a certain way;
to make a decision. Think SMART goals:
Specific, Measurable, Action, Results, Timely.

Take a seat with us on this years

Industry Green Council Initiative and
also agree to try one of our new GreenClean inventory audits for at least one of
their major construction site within six
months.

Motivation
How you imagine they might feel about acting.

Feel pride about joining the council and

sense of fiscal and environmental
responsibility about trying one of the
audits.

42

What will motivate the action youre looking

for?

This goal might be adjusted based on the

market, the specific individuals youre
targeting, and other factors. Can you see how
naming a specific goal instantly gives direction
and momentum?
Get some paper and write down goals for the
primary groups youd like to reach.
The communication goal for this group can be
referenced later when you build a StoryBank.

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43

33 Motivations
To jump start your goal setting, here is a list of 33 motivations.
They range across Maslows hierarchy from basic needs like safety to aspirational
motivations like fulfillment. Some we are motivated to achieve, like creativity. Others we
wish to avoid, such as embarrassment.
Acceptance
Accomplishment
Adventure
Altruism
Ambition
Belonging
Contentment
Control
Creativity
Doubt
Embarrassment

Fairness
Exclusivity
Fame
Fear
Freedom
Fulfillment
Growth
Health
Hope
Humor
Indulgence

Integrity
Longevity
Love
Pride
Productivity
Safety
Schadenfreude
Sex
Trust
Vanity
Wonder

Aizuchi Playbook

Goal Planner
Who
Who would you like to communicate with?
Is it customers, investors, donors, employees, partners, board members, vendors,
legislators, regulators or some other group?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Action
What you want them to do; a verb. Think SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable,
Results-oriented, Timely.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Motivation
How you imagine they might feel about doing the action.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

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Audit: Your Existing StoryBank Account Balance

Before beginning active StoryMining, take an
inventory of existing stories that might help
you accomplish the goal you just set for your
business, or that will help you brand your
business in other positive ways.

Marketing collateral
Promotional Materials
Product Portfolio
Posters
Books
Trade publications
Consider any stories that might already be
posted, published, or at some other point of Games
completion. Make a list of existing materials Contests
that you think contain a usable story:
Reports
More
Press coverage
Videos
If youve been in business for more than a
Blog posting
couple of years, you probably have quite a
few of these items. Some of them may have
Website content
relevant stories and others may not.
Customer review forums
Customer Testimonials
Keep the list handy, because youll include it
Audio recordings
during the active StoryMining process, next.
Training materials
Product demonstration content

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46

StoryMining
Everyone has valuable stories

Weve been in this business for fifteen years, yet we dont seem to have
any great story ideas that people would want to hear!
With a little digging, Ive found that every person and organization has
fascinating stories. Most business leaders are just too busy day-to-day to
stop and think about this stuff. As the name suggests, StoryMining is a
method to systematically sift through personal and professional experiences
for content that can be polished and refined into complete stories.
Sometimes your best stories are hiding in plain sight. Youre so immersed in
your business, that you just dont see your strengths. Whats commonplace
and unnoticed inside your organization might delight and amaze outsiders, if
only they could hear about it.

Aizuchi Playbook

Bottoms Up Branding
No, this isnt about drinking! Rather than
listing the latest trendy values and trying to
build a brand around those ideas, StoryMining
works from the ground up. It shines a light on
areas that are already authentic,
demonstrable strengths.
Its an exercise in deep self-evaluation, not
unlike intensive coaching or organizational
reviews at annual retreats. Your stories are
your brand DNA, revealing your real identity.
For example, if the StoryMining process
uncovers a consistent pattern of many
innovation and communication stories,
chances are you have some brand equity
there.
No matter whether your current mission
statement actually contains the words
communication and innovation or not

47

Give Independent Thinking Time

Call for ideas via email, phone or in person.
Ive discovered that a one week deadline
works about right. Shorter than that, and your
team may not have sufficient time to let ideas
bubble up. Longer than a week, and people
just delay anyway.

Send a message explaining why you want to

gather ideas to brand the organization. Give
some of the questions that are listed in the
7Fs section ahead and ask for a reply.
Choose a mix of questions from the 7Fs that
fits your goals theres certainly no need to
ask all the questions that Ive given you. Let
people know that anything goes, and youll be
meeting live or virtually in a week to talk about
the ideas in groups or sub-groups.

Aizuchi Playbook

Ask about the Seven Fs

1.
Flow
2.
Failure
3.
Forks
4.
Friends
5.
Funny
6.
Found
7.
Future
Dont Look for Stories
When you first ask your team for ideas, dont
ask them to bring you Stories. Ironically, Ive
learned that asking organizations to go look
for stories is not very helpful.
If you go looking for Stories with a capital S,
chances are that youll find a couple of obvious
stories and miss many good nuggets in the
process. It sets too high a hurdle in many
peoples minds. They may hesitate to send you
anything thats not a fully developed, brightly
polished epic wrapped in the attractive bow of
a moral teaching lesson.

48

People may not even realize yet how many of

their work experiences could be stories. Be
patient. They may need to build trust that
youll use their ideas properly before they start
sharing more freely.
Keep An Open Mind
For now, accept any and all ideas that come
in. Some may eventually be developed into
stories. Others may not.
Consider using a third party to help collate the
ideas youll be receiving, or figuring out a way
for ideas to be submitted anonymously. Your
customer facing salespeople, service reps, and
account managers often have a closer view of
customer stories and daily operations than do
C-suite executives

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49

Overlap is Okay
The 7Fs arent mutually exclusive. For
example, the same anecdote may pop up in
response to Flow questions as well as Funny
questions. Thats okay. Patterns tell you that
story likely has a great deal of meaning for
your brand. Stay curious!

Look Sideways
What else do you notice? Our minds tend to
focus on easily identifiable patterns like client
industry, product set, or geography. Were

Organize, Organize
A few days before the gathering, review the
ideas and look for patterns. If you like paper,
index cards and sticky notes are handy. If you
want to work electronically, a spreadsheet or
even wordle is surprisingly handy for a quick
first pass view.

But also look laterally for things like emotional

signposts and deeper business issues that
transcend any specific product or region. Look
at the language, the specific wording. Are
there any trends in what excites your team?
What are they jazzed about?

Youll probably have a couple of obvious

knockout stories, a number of potential ideas,
and a bunch of random stuff. Right now, all of
it is valuable. Its surely tempting, but dont
rush to anoint your top stories just yet.

doing really well with large West Coast

retailers who use our new gamma service.
Great, note that down.

I observed that a tech client had a pattern of

positive customer service stories across all
divisions. Creative problem solving to help
clients was in their brand DNA, and their
customers recognized it. The organization
hadnt been emphasizing this brand attribute
enough in their marketing, so the customer
service success stories represented a new
attribute we were able to introduce.

Aizuchi Playbook

Get Together, Somehow

If its feasible, schedule a few hours for people
to gather. If a face-to-face gathering is
impractical, the next steps can still be done
virtually.
Share some of the examples that have already
been submitted in writing, and then give small
group time for people to talk out responses to
the 7Fs. Rotating triads work well. Have a
larger list of questions for people to pick from,
and encourage the triads to follow up with
deeper questions.

Create an Open Environment

Theres no critiquing allowed. People love this
experience. Have you ever felt somebody
really pay attention to you in a positive way? It
can never happen enough. The questions they
ask and the way they listen makes you realize
that your experiences are really interesting

50

Search for the Goodness

If humility, shyness, or reluctance is a
challenge, ask people to share positive stories
about others. A well-run story gathering
sparks cross-company conversations and
reminds people of the positive things
happening in your organization.

Have a Director
Consider a facilitator to help plan and guide
the process. Knowing when to follow up and
keeping an eye out for patterns is critical. Save
time at the end to bring it all together, connect
the dots and plan next steps.
You can capitalize on energy that develops in
the room by spending some time at the end
discussing Future stories; developing a
common vision for the brand. Whatever you
do, be sure to save some record of all the
promising story ideas that have arisen for your
StoryBank.

Aizuchi Playbook

Gain Quick Wins

After the first round, show people that process
works by producing at least some of the story
ideas from this first round of StoryMining. Do
this sooner than later.
Commit to a Habit
StoryMining is not a one time event; its an
operational mindset. Like any exercise, it
becomes more fluid and natural with practice.
Plan a way to continue with a monthly email,
quarterly meeting, or the old-fashioned
suggestion box. Develop easy ways to submit
ideas on the fly, and a designate a specific
individual responsible for ongoing gathering
and organizing of story ideas.

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52

Case Story: The Challenge of Story Humility

One of the biggest hurdles to sharing stories
professionally is self-imposed. Im going to call
it Story Humility for lack of a better term.
Some of the most engaging and inspiring
stories remain unheard, because the story
owner believes that no one else would be
interested.
There certainly may be other reasons that
great stories arent retold, such as privacy and
confidentiality. But this is all about plain oldfashioned humility. Ironically, some of the
most heroic people I know have very modest
personalities. Isnt it in the nature of a hero to
be humble?
While guest speaking at a recent Kauffman
Foundation Growth Venture class, I mentioned
to the business owners the benefits of sharing
the story of how they started.

Whether its called the About Page, the

Founders Bio, or something else, the birth of
an organization is compelling. We want to read
about it. We want to hear the founder tell the
story.
Carol, one of the workshop participants,
stopped me cold by asking, Really? But why
would anyone want to hear my story? I mean,
does anyone really care about that kind of
stuff?
Pausing, I asked, Well, can you tell us how
you got started in your business? Carol
shared the story of her start. She told about
the afternoon nine years ago that she and her
family barely made it down to the basement in
time to survive the tornado that demolished
their home. Everyone in class leaned forward a
bit in their chairs.

Aizuchi Playbook

She described more family adversity piling on

that same month, followed by a decision to
leave her corporate job. She was thinking
deeply about next steps in her life.
When the general contractor who was
rebuilding her home offered to pay Carol for
some clean-up work for her own house, she
discovered how much she enjoyed the work.
She soon began receiving offers to do
additional jobs, and from that experience, her
commercial cleaning business was born. Carol
finished by mentioning that these days she
loves running her business and employs more
than a dozen people.
When she finished speaking, the entire room
was silent for several moments. Does anyone
here think Carol has an engaging story that
relates to her business? I asked.

53

Yes! came a chorus of support. Carol, weve

been in this class with you for three weeks
now, why havent you told anyone this yet?
one man asked. He was half-demanding, halfsupporting!
She hemmed and hawed, because shes
modest by nature. Practically talking over one
another, the other business owners in the class
began pointing out all the different ways that
Carols story demonstrated traits like
determination and creativity.
Carols story changed the atmosphere in that
conference room. We all experienced a
moment from that summer nine years ago,
and learned about Carols character, too. She
hadnt thought much about the significance of
her founding story until she was asked to
process it.

Aizuchi Playbook

Questions Create Space

Questions are places in your mind where answers

fit. If you havent asked the question, the answer
has no place to go. It hits your mind and bounces
right off. 14
Clayton Christensen
Author, The Innovators Dilemma.

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55

StoryMining Questions: Flow 1

Questions about your business at its best. Spend a lot of time here!

Tell about a situations in which we have been in the zone.

When have you been most proud?
Describe your best moment here.
When have our clients been happiest with us?
When have our people been at their best?

When have our employees truly made a difference?

How is this team different from all other teams?
Whats an example of something that wouldnt be accomplished if we did not
exist?

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56

StoryMining Questions: Flow 2

What are some organizational legends and lore about going above and
beyond?
Tell about the time when you have been most emotional about this
organization.
Is there something you remember but havent yet shared about what makes
us special?
What is an example of a time, experience, or project that shows our values
in action?
Talk about the most motivating moment youve had here.
Whats the biggest conflict weve overcome?
Tell about a fellow employee who did something that inspires you?
Tell about a client who is a hero to you.

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57

StoryMining Questions: Flow 3

When have you felt most alive and engaged?
What would you tell a newcomer to help them understand what were really
all about here?
What are the stories that tend to get shared the most around here?
What is the project or moment that you remember most fondly?
Has this organization or any individual in this organization been recognized
for a noteworthy achievement?
Whats an example of something weve done well that other organizations
could not have done?

Aizuchi Playbook

StoryMining Responses: Flow

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__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________
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59

StoryMining Questions: Failure

Demonstrating vulnerability and how you may have struggled as a business
leader can be one of the most powerful lessons you can communicate. This
stuff isnt always fun to talk about. You might not necessarily use these
answers on your front door, but they can be very useful for internal
communications, onboarding, and culture building.

Mistakes can lead to experience and wisdom. Whats a mistake that has
given us a lot of experience and wisdom?
When have we not been at our best?
What is a time when we let ourselves and our brand down?

Tell about a defeat that we turned around and learned from.

Describe some customer service failures that were learning opportunities.

Aizuchi Playbook

StoryMining Responses: Failure

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__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________
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61

StoryMining Questions: Forks in the Road 1

Forks in the road reveal character and approach to decisions. Key milestones
usually have an engaging story and dramatic tension. The founding of your
business is one of many forks youve crossed. People want to know how did
the organization start? What are the origins of the brand and who leads it
now? The first place they go looking is your About Us page.

How did this organization get started?

What was the key moment that began this journey?

What have been the major milestones and decision points in this
organization?

Describe any crisis or threat that the organization has survived.

Have we taken a strong moral or ethical pledge that defines our path more
clearly in terms of who we are and who we are not?

Talk about times when the organization has redefined who we are and what
we do.

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62

StoryMining Questions: Forks in the Road 2

Has the group made any recommitments to purpose?
Tell about significant changes in the brand. How and why did they happen?
Has this organization ever pivoted in a meaningful way?
Has the group stepped up and expanded its goals, scope and service?
Have we ever had to go against the grain to get things done?

Aizuchi Playbook

StoryMining Responses: Forks in the Road

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________
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64

About Us: The Second Most Important Web Page

The About Us Page is one of the most
commonly viewed webpages for most
businesses. According to my own website
analytics, 80% of all visitors to Seven Story
Learning visit About Andrew first or second.
I know that when Im researching other
businesses, I gravitate to the About Page. Pay
attention the next time youre browsing the
web. Do you do it too? Whether its an S&P
500 company or a small start-up, I think were
curious to learn more about the stories of the
people behind the brand. Who is running the
show? How did the business get started?
A well-written About Page can develop
credibility and brand your business distinctly
from the competition.

Stories will certainly be more memorable to

visitors than boilerplate phrases about
synergy, world class customer service, and
shareholder value.
In technology, the founders story is practically
a pre-requisite. Many Silicon Valley firms
emphasize their humble roots in dorm rooms
and garages. In fact, HP has preserved the
original garage (and the corporate legend it
represents) where Bill Hewlett and Dave
Packard started in Palo Alto, California.
Do you have an About Us page? Does it
accurately reflect your brand as it stands
today? As you reflect on the Fork in the Road
StoryMining questions, connect with the
background, decisions, and beliefs that define
your business brand today.
By the way, whats the most important
webpage? Its any page that results in revenue
or a call to action, of course!

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65

StoryMining Questions: Friends

This is a large category because there are so many parties you can speak
with. Reach outside the organization. Think about customers, partners,
vendors, contractors, volunteers, board members, the press, analysts, the
competition, industry thought leaders and other key stakeholders.
The Friends questions are especially valuable in identifying potential client
success stories to develop. In addition to asking variations on some of the
Flow questions from before, you can ask clients:

Can you share a memory of our organization that stands out in your mind?
Talk about your decision to work with us. What made you do that?

Are there things that our organization does that have changed how you act?
What was the most recent thing you said about us to somebody else?
Tell about any experience you had with us that sums us up in your mind.
How have we changed how you run your business?

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66

StoryMining Questions: Friends 2

The story that currently frames the conversation about our organization is
What are the best compliments weve received?
Who are the clients or partners who have sent us testimonials unrequested?

Aizuchi Playbook

StoryMining Responses: Friends

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68

The Case for Success Stories

Case studies, client success stories, or
whatever you choose to call them, can be very
powerful. Prospective clients want to know
how others are using your products.
How did you solve a problem?
While everyone is preaching innovation,
innovation, few customers want to actually be
the very first to use your product. They want
to reduce their risk with the knowledge that
youve walked another customer down a
similar path already. Everyone wants to make
smart decisions.
Case stories, as I like to call them, can allay
the concerns of sales prospects by addressing
their objections. They feature the real words of
your clients speaking about the results they
achieve with your products and services.

You can capture the client interview in audio,

video and print and produce stories in a
variety of media formats.
Case stories are the sophisticated cousins to
the client testimonial. One reason is that
excessively positive references from wellintending clients get tuned out. The Enterprise
Council on Small Business found this in a 2011
report titled Cheerleaders Make Bad
Advocates.
The ECSB surveyed business owners to find
which type of recommendations from peers
were most influential on purchasing decisions.
They found that that stories were the most
effective of four types:
Cheerleading: These were from owners who
gave overwhelmingly positive reviews about all
aspects of the product/service to their peers.

Aizuchi Playbook

Fair & Balanced: These were from owners

who called it right down the middle. They
gave a detailed assessment of the positive and
negative aspects about products or services to
their fellow owners.
Specs: These were from owners who focused
on the product features in their reviews to
other owners.
Stories: These were from owners who framed
their reviews/recommendations in a story
about what happened to them, which included
both problems and the resolutions
encountered throughout their experience with
the supplier/vendor.

69

Apply the Concept

Connect with your cheerleaders and net

promoters to thank them and start
deeper conversations to understand and
spread their advocacy.
The next time you post a brief, glowing
testimonial on your website or
marketing collateral, ask, Would
exploring the full arc of this clients
experience with us be more effective
toward our branding goals?

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70

StoryMining Questions: Funny

Dont forget the humorous side of your brand. Lifes too short!

Are there silly traditions at this organization that have significance and
meaning?
When have you goofed up?
What do we laugh about around here?
Has there been a time that weve been so devoted to our goals that weve
overdone it?
Whats an example of our values in action, but with the volume up to 11?
What makes you smile the most here?

Aizuchi Playbook

StoryMining Responses: Funny

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72

StoryMining Questions: Found 1

Found stories reference thought leaders whose guidance you follow. The
thought leader may not be a current member of your organization, but by
understanding the thought leaders philosophy, people perceive your brand
more clearly. For example, St. Francis doesnt work at your organization, but
your environmental work could align closely with his teachings.
Celebrated investor Warren Buffet invokes Benjamin Grahams influence on
Berkshire Hathaways business strategy through his books and famously
folksy annual investor letter. If you understand Graham, you understand
Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway a little better, too.

Whose actions and example do we consider inspiring?

Is there an outside thought leader whom we seek to emulate?

Are there posters, statues, and quotations around the office that guide us?
Name somebody outside the brand whose life gives us energy and purpose.

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StoryMining Questions: Found 2

Whose books do we quote and read around here?
Is there a parable that sums up what its like to do the work we do?
Is there a historic figure who symbolizes our brand?
When we have a difficult decision, do we ask What would (name) do?

Aizuchi Playbook

StoryMining Responses: Found

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

74

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75

StoryMining Questions: Future

I saved the best for last. The first six Fs of StoryMining were retrospective
stories that had a sense of completion. The final question area is for the
future. Choosing a purpose for the future stories that you have yet to write
is one the most empowering things you can do for your business.
About his book, The Redemptive Self, Northwestern University psychology
professor Dan McAdams says, When we first started studying life stories,
people thought it was just idle curiosity - stories, isnt that cool? Well, we
find that these narratives guide behavior in every moment, and frame not
only how we see the past but how we see ourselves in the future. 15
Businesses that understand their history can better chart their future, too.

How is this organization changing what will happen next?

Where do you see our group going forward?
What is the most important single thing we could do next?
What would you like to see this organization do to truly fulfill its purpose?

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StoryMining Questions: Future

What gets you out of bed in the morning to work here?
Whats the next project that really excites you?
What could we achieve that would astonish our competition and our
customers?

Aizuchi Playbook

StoryMining Responses: Future

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

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Learning

I never learn anything talking. I only learn things

when I ask questions. 16
Lou Holtz
Notre Dame football coach

78

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79

Look for Patterns

Now comb through the existing stories from the audit and the StoryMining
ideas. What strengths did were displayed in the stories?
Are there any patterns in the values demonstrated? The 49 brand attributes
on the next page are certainly not an exhaustive list, but may be a good
starting point.
Pay special attention to themes that seem to be important to the community
you named in your goal setting.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

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80

49 Brand Attributes
Adventure
Balance
Bravery
Calm
Change
Communication
Community
Confidence
Consciousness
Consistency
Creativity
Curiosity
Duty
Efficiency
Elegance
Excitement
Expression
Faith
Family

Freedom
Friendship
Fun
Growth
Health
Honesty
Honor
Hospitality
Innovation
Inspiration
Intelligence
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Logic
Luxury
Meaning
Morality
Philanthropy

Privacy
Productivity
Relevance
Security
Service
Speed
Teamwork
Thrifty
Trust
Value
Warmth

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81

StoryBanking
Do you wish that your sales and marketing teams would consistently use the right story in
the right situation? Cognitive Psychologist Roger Schank points out that sharing stories
effectively requires a massively indexed memory, reflecting nuances of difference between
stories. If your personal or organizational memory isnt massively indexed, a StoryBanking
strategy can help your communication efforts.

My claim is that storytelling strongly reflects

intelligence. Telling a good story at the right time is
the hallmark of intelligence. 17

Roger Schank
Cognitive Psychologist

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82

StoryBank Advice
As the name suggests, StoryBanking is a
systematic way to organize and house the
stories youd like to share. Stories need a place
to live when theyre not being actively shared.
Otherwise, they may die of disuse and neglect.

There might be a recent deluge of positive

stories from the international division, or
across a certain product line or client segment.
Why is that? Understanding these connections
helps leaders to use stories purposefully rather
than randomly.

StoryBanks can be on whiteboards, paper files,

or spreadsheets. Increasingly, cloud computing
databases, CRM systems, blogs and apps like
Evernote are being repurposed as StoryBanks,
because of the ease of input, access, search
and storage.

Plan Your StoryBank

For now, lets just start building a simple
StoryBank on paper. Make a grid with one axis
representing groups youd like to communicate
with, such as customers. Use an example from
your goal setting worksheet.

Search & Share

A central, searchable database where anyone
in the organization can easily input and view
stories by tags and keywords is core to
knowledge management.

Along the other axis, list key brand attributes

discovered through the StoryMining process.
The goal is to fill each box with appropriate
stories. The grid makes it easy to spot gaps
and strengths visually, as you fill in story ideas.
Some boxes wont need to be populated,
because that brand attribute may not matter
for that group. Thats okay. The StoryBank grid
makes it less likely youll be caught off guard,
though.

Analyzing patterns allows leadership to see

trends, strengths, and opportunities that could
otherwise be missed.

Aizuchi Playbook

Make Connections
You dont need to write out the whole story
yet, just jot a reminder, like Pine Valley
inventory fix. From your market research,
note the formats that might be effective for
each group.
Content can be repurposed and delivered in
the format is most engaging for that group.
For example, consturction company owners
could get face-to-face sales calls and written
case studies. Purchasing agents might
experience a webinar and a trade show event.

Connect every story idea with:

Who youll share it with
Brand attribute
Story name
Format

83

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84

StoryBank Example

Attributes

Construction Co
Purchasing Agents

Construction Co
Owners

Communication

Pine Valley: Webinar,

Trade Show

Pine Valley: F2F, Case

Study

Innovation

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85

StoryBank Planner
Fill in the planner with customers, attributes, stories, and formats.
Then well build a sample story.

Attributes

Who

Who

Aizuchi Playbook

Information Transfer

Storytelling is a form of information transfer.

Stories have a message that is essential to convey,
a presentation that makes them appealing, a
structure that makes sense to the listener. 18
Marianne Sweeny
Information Design Expert

86

Aizuchi Playbook

Story Arc

87

Aizuchi Playbook

Dont Connect All the Dots

Stories illustrate points better than simply stating

the points themselves because, if a story is good
enough, you usually dont have to state your point
at all; the hearer thinks about what you have said
and figures out the point independently. The more
work the hearer does, the more he or she will get
out of the story. 19
Roger Schank
Cognitive Psychologist

88

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89

CHAPTER
Lets build a story together as an example. First, we have to pick a structure; any structure.
There are many story structures out there to choose from. Just choose one that works for
you. Ive developed the CHAPTER method, an acronym which I like because its easy to
remember, and each of the letters follows the timeless heros journey model.
Yes, there are other story archetypes besides the heros journey, but this is the big kahuna
story that classic literature, Hollywood blockbusters and charismatic preachers all follow.
Once you recognize the basic building blocks of CHAPTER, youll start seeing it everywhere
you go, to the constant annoyance of everyone else who is watching TV or movies with you.
Dont obsess about creating structurally perfect stories. These are just elements I like to
keep in mind when conducting interviews and developing client success story strategy.
CHAPTER is not a recipe to be followed robotically, but it should keep you on the right track
as you develop some of the most promising ideas generated from StoryMining.

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90

Conflict
Conflict is at the heart of story. A princess is kidnapped, a family is lost in
the woods, a man battles his personal demons. When it comes to stories,
conflict is a good thing, and lack of conflict is boring!
If theres no clear conflict to surmount, dramatic tension never builds. Have
you ever walked out of the cinema early? Chances are the film didnt capture
and sustain your interest in the conflict.

Conflict is about people overcoming challenges. Conflict is so central to the

power of story that I named my business, Seven Story Learning, LLC after
the concept. You see, all the stories in the world fit into just seven basic
conflicts. I still recall this lesson from high school English class, and was
reminded of it again when Christopher Booker published The Seven Basic
Plots: Why We Tell Stories in 2006.
I prefer a slightly different list to Bookers but the intent is similar. Keep in
mind that a conflict doesnt have to be outright battle and strife. It simply
refers to any situation that could be better for a person than it as at the
moment.

Aizuchi Playbook

Get to the Heart of Conflict

Ive found that identifying the exact conflict is
the single most important step in developing a
raw idea into a completed story. Once a
conflict has been specifically called out, the
rest flows rather easily.
Peel the onion by digging deep below the
surface of the business conflict. Get down to
the root cause, the fundamental human issue,
by asking curious questions.
Keep asking questions until you cant go any
farther. Why? Peeling the onion puts you in
touch with something that makes your story
more relatable and emotionally meaningful to
everyone who will hear it.
Pine Valley
For example, lets continue by introducing
Sam, the fictional purchasing manager at Pine
Valley Construction in Texas.

91

Last fall, your business solved Sams

companys inventory issue with your new
software system. Thats a fairly specific
business issue.
It could be tempting to stop the discovery
process there and start building a nuts and
bolts story about how you reduced inventory,
freed up capital, and saved a ton of money for
Pine Valley.
Thats good stuff, right? Lots of white papers
do this. Lets make a note of the business
operations gains, but keep going.
As you dig a little more into the issue, you may
find that the purchasing manager, Sam, had
never realized the extent of the inventory
issue, because nobody had ever asked him or
helped him to think about it in a different way.
Previous vendors didnt approach the business
that way, and simply didnt communicate with
Sam in that regard.

Aizuchi Playbook

In fact, they rarely spoke to Sam at all, and

had never visited his facility in person. But
when your technical people and sales team
came on the scene and began earnestly trying
to understand his operations, they discovered
the inventory issue and partnered with Sam to
create a fix in the process. Come to find out,
the heart of the conflict was in communication,
and it just happened to play out in
overstocking inventory.
The Second Layer
Now, instead of another boring business
process white paper with lots of charts and an
overdone testimonial, youve reframed it with
another layer into a mini detective story.
Maybe its a suspenseful mini-mystery with a
few twists and turns and funny characters. Its
certainly not a Sherlock Holmes classic, but
now youve got your hands on a story that
feels fairly natural the sort of thing that
actual people would talk about over a cup of
coffee.

92

Adding the second layer to the story offers

another entry point to engage people who
hear it.
A few people know inventory management,
but everybody recognizes communication as a
competence. Doesnt it make sense for your
business to illustrate this broader brand
attribute, too?
When developing stories, keep looking beyond
jargon, technical topics and business concepts
and include the human challenge, too. Its not
mutually exclusive. You can have both.
Do you see what else happened here as I
broke down this example? In the process of
asking questions in order to name the specific
human conflict, I had no choice but to jump
ahead and start developing the Pine Valley
story. It was almost automatic. The framework
is there, now we just have to flesh it out!

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93

Hero
Stories are about people becoming heroes in the act of overcoming conflict.
Yes, you want to brand your business, but try to resist the urge to make your
business the hero. It can feel forced and inauthentic. Stories seem to work
best when the hero is a human, not a brand. Whenever possible, look for a
hero similar to the group youll be sharing the story with. People relate most
to a person like me.

For example, if you were using the Pine Valley success story for an internal
employee culture-building and training program, then the employees who
helped discover and fix the inventory issue would be ideal heroes. You could
highlight the creativity and teamwork they showed. Stories can be
repurposed for different groups and in different formats.
For external promotion to other construction firms as a client success story,
Sam the purchasing manager is an obvious hero. But theres still a role for
your business and employees as allies. The ally is in the background, helping
the hero, but not overshadowing.

Aizuchi Playbook

Casting Sam as the hero frames the entire

story from the vantage point of a purchasing
manager one of the key groups you want to
have a conversation with as listed in your goal
setting. This puts you squarely in Sams
mindset.
He may have taken professional risk by
bringing your business in as a new vendor to
talk. Perhaps he helped you discover the
inventory issue by answering your questions
and eagerly communicating with you. And Sam
solved the inventory problem by partnering
with you to build a creative solution.
This approach brands your business as the
type that helps people like Sam and his
organization.
Dont forget. Sam solved the problem. Hes the
hero. Sam is. Youre the ally. Okay, Ill stop
now that Ive hammered the point.

94

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95

Story Science: Underdog Appeal

From ancient narratives about David and
Goliath to the hapless Chicago Cubs baseball
team, the appeal of the underdog is well
known. Why do we favor the unfavored, and
how can business organizations use underdog
branding strategies?
In order to better understand the psychology
of the underdog effect, University of South
Florida psychology professor Josepth Vandello
conducted a series of four experiments with
competitive scenarios from politics and sports.
20

Hard Working Underdogs

Consistently, people rated underdogs to be
harder working. No matter how the
researchers altered the scenarios, observers
support for a particular competitor always
increased when it was framed an underdog.

Vandello and his colleagues propose that a

commitment to fairness and the value of hard
work are potential reasons for the appeal of
the underdog.
Dont slack off, though. Vandello found that
even underdogs had to give sweat to earn this
support. In situations in which the underdog
clearly did not put in the effort, the support
and goodwill evaporated.
A Powerful Adversary
In another study published in the Journal of
Consumer Research, researchers from three
universities in the Boston area found that
consumer affinity is highest with challenger
brands. 21
Study participants performed some tasks and
were given a choice of two different chocolate
bars as a thank you gift.

Aizuchi Playbook

One chocolate brand had the top dog

pedigree, with experienced leaders and plenty
of marketing dollars.
The other chocolate was an underdog brand
with a story about being, small and new,
competing against powerhouses like Lindt and
Godiva.
71% of all participants chose the underdog
chocolate! And authors found that study
participants with the strongest underdog
personal story being scrappy and
overcoming adversity themselves had the
highest affinity for the underdog brand.
The researchers noted that, Underdog brand
biographies contain two important narrative
components: a disadvantaged position versus
an adversary and passion and determination to
beat the odds.

96

Apply the Concept

Does an underdog brand story make

sense for your business?
Nantucket Nectars label says the
company started with only a blender
and a dream. Humble start, big
aspirations! How about you?
Develop a compelling About Us page
and related content explaining your
history.
Can you frame your current underdog
status against powerful adversaries?

Avis did this with their Were #2,

we try harder campaign.

Non-profits can share vivid individual

stories about the need or issue they
are addressing, such as polio.

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97

Anticipation
Once youve established the conflict, youve created some tension by virtue
of the gap between what is and what could be. Dont release all that energy
yet by solving the conflict too soon.
White papers traditionally use the abrupt and clunky Situation, Action,
Result format, as if the steps just happened lickety-split in 1-2-3 order. This
story-by-numbers approach misses the opportunity for a little emotional
engagement.
In the real life business world where I live, the Situation has sometimes
has existed for months or years before any Action is taken! Is that your
experience as well? You could probably rattle off a dozen situations in need
of some attention right now.
One really fascinating follow-up question concerns the cause of the action.
After all this time, why now? Who decided that enough is enough, and made
things happen? Somebody, somewhere, made a phone call or a decision.
There may be a fascinating aspect of the story waiting to be discovered by
those who are curious.

Aizuchi Playbook

You dont need to pen an Icelandic saga, but

provide a quick view into Sam the purchasing
managers head by narrating his internal and
external struggles. An effective interview will
produce quotes and non-verbal cues that give
more insight about Sam, his challenge, and his
relationship with your brand.
As veteran screenwriting coach Robert McKee
points out, Something must be at stake that

convinces the audience that a great deal will

be lost if the hero doesnt obtain his goal.
Explore anticipation by painting a colorful
picture, in the heros own words, of why
obtaining the goal matters.

98

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99

Story Science: Can You Feel a Metaphor?

Smooth as silk, a grating voice, a bubbly
personality.
Our minds connect words about texture to the
areas of the brain associated with sense of
touch, instead of language centers.
Research published in the journal Brain &
Language in February 2012 reveals that the
parietal operculum, responsible for sensing
texture and touch, is also activated when
someone listens to a sentence with a textural
metaphor like gritty. The parietal operculum
is not activated by a similar, non-textured
phrase, like she is fearless or he is impolite.

We see that metaphors are engaging the

areas of the cerebral cortex involved in
sensory responses even though the metaphors
are quite familiar, says senior author Krish
Sathian, MD, PhD, professor of neurology,
rehabilitation medicine and psychology at
Emory University. This result illustrates how
we draw upon sensory experiences to achieve
understanding of metaphorical language.
Seven college students who volunteered for
the study were asked to listen to sentences
containing textural metaphors as well as
sentences that were matched for meaning and
structure, and to press a button as soon as
they understood each sentence. Blood flow in
their brains was monitored by functional
magnetic resonance imaging.
Dont omit the gritty details. Language with
rich sensory details can elevate a story and the
way your brand is experienced.

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100

Peak
Signpost a clear climactic turning point as the hero taps hidden strengths
and overcomes the conflict. Your business victory may not be grandiose as a
final battle scene from Hollywood, but take a moment to pause at the peak
and enjoy the view.
For our friend Sam at Pine Valley Construction, a peak moment could be
when he first decided to take a closer look at his inventory issues. Or it
might be his pride when the new solution went live. Theres no single
formula let the emotions of the people in the story be your guide.
Whatever point Sam is most enthusiastic about is likely the peak.

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101

Transform & Explain

Endings are difficult. Whats the best way to start wrapping up a story?
Kieran Egan has said, The crucial feature of stories is that they end. In life,
we are always in the midst and so cannot determine and ascribe meaning
to event. 22
We know we have reached the end of the story when we know how to feel
about the events that make it up, continues Egan. Well stated! I cant think
of more succinct way to describe story endings.
Stories are a bit like before and after photos. The hero has transformed,
and the world is a little different. In the Pine Valley story, Sam may not have
developed superpowers as a result of the inventory project, but he is wiser
from the experience.
Talking about what has changed helps Sam and the people who read the
Pine Valley story make sense of it all. Interview Sam and ask him to
comment. How has his viewpoint changed? What has he learned? What
advice does he have for others facing similar conflicts? Hes the hero in the
client success story, and your business is the ally, so his success reflects well
on your brand, too!

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102

Relate
The goal of story telling is to get the listener to take over your story.
Steve Denning
Author of The Leaders Guide to Storytelling
Relating
First, ask if the story matters to the listener. (A single working mom from a small rural town
might have trouble relating to a wealthy investment bankers financial sacrifice story.)
In the Pine Valley story, weve created multiple entry points for engagement by layering the
story. Readers can connect with the business process numbers story or the emotional story
of Sams challenge. More layers means more opportunities for customers to engage when
they like.

Aizuchi Playbook

Sharing
Second, does the story inspire others to tell
you their stories? And will your business listen?
This is the single best test to distinguish oneway broadcast storytelling from StoryLearning.

103

How would you make it easy for customer and

others to take over a story like Pine Valley?
Take a look at a story youre developing.

Success here depends on salespeople who can

listen and marketers who allow for interaction.
Social media and user-generated content are
skyrocketing right now for brands that
integrate two-way conversation into their
marketing plans.

Do you see the story sparking a

dialogue in sales, marketing and media
channels?
Are there avenues where they can
reply, contribute to the original story,
or share similar experiences?
Is it easy for them to repurpose your
story and retell it to others?

The loss of control may make you nervous, but

happy customers can share your brand story
beter than you ever could without them.

Telling a story will make you remembered, but

listening to someone elses story will make you
loved!

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104

Go Ahead!
Time to jump in. You have the tools to build your brand on a foundation of
stories. I hope the Aizuchi Playbook has been as thought-provoking for you
to read as it was for me to research and write.
Are your business communications goals clear? Do you have a list of next
steps for your business in StoryMining and StoryBanking?
Maybe youve already landed on some story ideas to produce a video, share
in an email campaign, or develop a client success story. In the spirit of
aizuchi, start a meaningful business conversation today!
Yes, story strategy is a little bit of work up front, but most businesses wont
invest the time to brand themselves. The ones who do it will stand out in
customers minds.
If you feel that the this playbook would be helpful to the people in your
network, please share with them. Thank you!

Best wishes,
Andrew

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105

About the Artist

Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig is founder of Hiking Artist. His work combines
drawings, digital media, storytelling and hiking.
Frits is a full member of the Danish Journalist Union, and works out of
Copenhagen. Trailfinder and eco-freak, Frits is working to better understand
life, us, the environment, ecology, technology and the challenges and trails
ahead.

Background: Architect from the Royal Danish Academy of Art - industrial

design, building and landscape 1991-2000. (Left for IT university)
Cand.IT degree in Digital Design, Communication and Media from the Danish
IT University (2006)
You can connect with Frits here:

Aizuchi Playbook

106

About the Author

Andrew Nemiccolo helps professionals communicate better through stories.
In his career as a high school Japanese language teacher, a successful sales
person, and a business owner, Andrew realized that people who could
communicate through a story (and listen, too), were usually among the
most successful in their professions.
Andrew started Seven Story Learning, LLC, to help businesses develop
story-based strategies that work. Contact [email protected]
today to discuss how the power of story can benefit your organization.
Story-based marketing strategy
Keynote talks & workshops
Client success story production
Andrew has a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Colby College in Waterville,
Maine. He has an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Kellogg School at
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He lives in the San Francisco
Bay Area, and loves live music.

Aizuchi Playbook

107

Legal
Disclaimer: The author and artist of this Aizuchi Playbook cannot be held responsible for any losses
incurred by following the advice in this book. But you dont have to share any of your gains, either!

This version 1.0 of the Aizuchi Playbook is published on November 4, 2012 and distributed free of charge
by Andrew Nemiccolo to subscribers of the Seven Story Learning, LLC email newsletter.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
In plain language:
Yes, you can email the Aizuchi Playbook to as many friends as you like. (Id be flattered, so let me know!)
No, you cant sell copies or charge for the content in any way. (Im not charging, so why would you?)
Yes, you must clearly attribute concepts such as CHAPTER and the 7Fs to Andrew Nemiccolo as the author.
No, you cant modify, shorten or lengthen the book. If you share this e-book with a friend, send as is.
And if youre not sure, just ask [email protected]
You are free to Share, copy, distribute and transmit the work.
Under the following conditions:
Attribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in
any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
Noncommercial You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

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108

Endnotes
1. Brunson, Jeff. Basic Approach. Strategic Story and the Storytelling Leader. Posted October 5, 2012 at http://linked2leadership.com/2012/10/05/strategic-story-and-the-storytelling-leader/
2. Ryan, William. Why Narrative Marketing? Posted December 7, 2003 in Tech Transform. http://www.techtransform.com/id359.htm
3. McCloskey, Donald; Klamer, Arjo The American Economic Review; May 1995; 85, 2; page 193.
4. McCloskey, Donald; Klamer, Arjo The American Economic Review; May 1995; 85, 2; page 193.

*Id like to thank Tim Livengood, Ph.D. at University of Maryland, College Park, for clarifying my thinking on the idea of campfire story as a time traveling message.
5. Engle, S. 1995. The Stories Children Tell: Making Sense of the Narratives of Childhood. New York, Freeman.
6. Carey, Benedict. This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It) published in New York Times, May 22, 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/health/psychology/22narr.html?scp=1&sq=this%20is%20your%20life%20and%20how%20you%20tell%20it&st=cse&_r=0
7. Hinton, Andrew UX Storytellers: Connecting the Dots http://uxstorytellers.blogspot.com/2009/01/ux-storytellers-connecting-dots.html
8. Marshall, George L, Jr. The Rise and Fall of the Newburgh Conspiracy: How General Washington and his Spectacles Saved the Republic posted at
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/fall97/wshngton.html/
9. Shaw, Samuel. The Journals of Major Samuel Shaw. Public Domain.
10. Small, Deborah. Quoted in To Increase Charitable Donations, Appeal to the Heart -- Not the Head Posted: June 27, 2007 in Knowledge Wharton
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1767
11. Kotter, John. Video posted at Kotter International. http://www.kotterinternational.com/
12. Drucker, Peter. Peters Quotations: Ideas for our times. Page 38.
13. Clifford, Chalrlie. Quoted in Inc. Magazine, May 2011.
14. Christensen, Clayton. Quoted in Inc. Magazine October 2012, page 35.
15. McAdams, Dan, as quoted by Carey, Benedict. This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It) published in New York Times, May 22, 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/health/psychology/22narr.html?scp=1&sq=this%20is%20your%20life%20and%20how%20you%20tell%20it&st=cse&_r=0
16. Holtz, Lou. Quoteed by Ed Bagley at http://www.buildyourcontent.com/articles/Article/Famous-Quotes-by-Lou-Holtz-During-Football-s-Annual-Bowl-Season/22776
17. Schank, Roger. Tell Me a Story: A New Look at Real and Artificial Memory Charles Scribners Sons, New York. 1990 page 112.
18. Sweeny, Marianne. UX Storytellers: Connecting the Dots http://uxstorytellers.blogspot.com/2009/01/ux-storytellers-connecting-dots.html
19. Schank, Roger. Tell Me a Story: A New Look at Real and Artificial Memory Charles Scribners Sons, New York. 1990 pages 11-12.

20. Joseph A. Vandello, Nadav P. Goldschmied, and David A. R. Richards of the University of South Florida Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. The Appeal of the Underdog Pers Soc

Psychol Bull December 2007 33: 1603-1616.

21. The Underdog Effect: The Marketing of Disadvantage and Determination through Brand Biography. By: PAHARIA, NEERU; KEINAN, ANAT; AVERY, JILL; SCHOR, JULIET B. Journal of
Consumer Research, Feb2011, Vol. 37 Issue 5, p775-790.
22. Egan, Kieran. The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997. Referenced in Storyproof by Kendall Haven, page 78.

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Bonus: Five Friends Exercise for Individuals

If youre a solopreneur or a career professional who simply wants to focus on your own brand, here are some StoryMining resources
specifically for individuals that past coaching clients have found to be extremely helpful. I hope you find them useful too.
Five Friends StoryMining Exercise
Heres an example of how individuals might phrase a StoryMining request to friends and co-workers. The intent is to pick up any potential
story material or perspectives that you may have missed when doing the individual brainstorming exercises. Keep it short and sweet. It should
be written to encourage the recipient to reply back to you quickly, and youll be pleasantly surprised at the supportive responses you get. Most
people want to help you and see you succeed! Adjust the wording to fit your personal style and the situation. Remember, this is not the same
as a request for a written reference (although some of the best examples you receive could develop into actual references).
Subject: A Quick Request
Dear Donna,
As part of my career development, Im working with a coach who is helping me to tell my story more
effectively at networking events, job interviews, and other professional opportunities. Ive been
reflecting and writing down examples of challenges Ive overcome and other accomplishments. To be more
comprehensive, my coach has asked me to also reach out to a few friends and colleagues in case Ive
overlooked any good examples.
You are someone who knows me well from our work together, and it would mean a lot to me to hear your
perspective. Could you take 5 minutes to help me out? My question is:
When you think back, what are the first three specific examples of my work achievements that stand out in
your mind and why?
Please dont spend too much time on this; I know youre busy. If you could note down the first three
anecdotes that pop up, and get back to me within two days, Id really appreciate your insight! Thanks so
much.
Best wishes,
Ned Networker

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101 Transferrable Skills: Verbs for Individual Branding

Achieve
Adapt
Advise
Analyze
Assemble
Assess
Audit
Budget
Calculate
Care
Chart
Compare
Compute
Confront
Construct
Control
Convey
Cooperate
Counsel
Counting
Craft
Create
Decide
Define
Delegate
Design
Determine

Diagnose
Draw
Drive
Edit
Encourage
Entertain
Envision
Estimate
Evaluate
Exhibit
Expedite
Experiment
Explain
Explore
Facilitate
Filing
Follow Directions
Forecast
Gather
Gesture
Guide
Heal
Hypothesize
Illustrate
Imagine
Implement
Improvise

Inform
Initiate
Interview
Invent
Lead
Learn
Listen
Locate
Maintain
Mediate
Meet Deadlines
Memorize
Mentor
Monitor
Motivate
Negotiate
Observe
Operate
Organize
Perform
Persuade
Plan
Read
Remember
Repair
Replace
Report

Research
Review
Sculpt
Search
Sell
Serve
Shape
Signal
Sing
Solve
Sort
Supervise
Support
Teach
Test
Translate
Troubleshoot
Verbalize
Visualize
Write

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