Data suggests that, after a presentation, 63% of attendees will remember a story you tell. Only 5% will remember your statistics. Let that sink in for a moment. Only 1 in 20 will remember the data you present in a meeting. (Trust me, I fully recognize the audacity of starting a post about avoiding statistics by hammering you with statistics. But I wanted to get it out of the way.)
Last week, I shared some initial thoughts on how to position yourself to most effectively communicate your advocacy agenda through a story framework. If you didn’t get a chance to read that piece, check it out here.
In that post, I covered the importance of highlighting a point of friction. In all the great stories, the key characters face an obstacle. Without those points of friction, we are doing little more than relaying a series of events. Where’s the fun – the drama – in that?
But just as in all good stories, simply leaning into the friction isn’t enough. Those listening to our stories eventually need to be called to action. How do we do that?
Position Your Target As The Hero
Every great story needs a hero. In the world of advocacy, those who can take action and advance your cause need to see themselves in that role. After you’ve established a clear, definable point of friction, you must demonstrate the gap in your own ability to overcome that friction.
When elected officials are confronted with the challenges of their constituents, they understand on a limbic level that those same challenges could befall them and those they care about most. It’s perfectly human. Let’s go back to the example I used in last week’s post:
“Representative – I’m a parent just like you. I have all the same dreams for my daughter as you do for your children: good health, a great education, a career, maybe starting her own family down the road. But when she was diagnosed with XXXX, my family realized she may never make it to those milestones. We came here today because HR 1234 would provide critical funding on this disease. We’re on the brink of a technological breakthrough on treatment and this next round of funding could turn this disease into a chronic condition. You could be critical in making that happen.“
Underlined above are the two critical pieces of the story to position the target as a hero in the story. 1 – a problem that’s insurmountable for the advocate by themselves; and 2 – a direct statement acknowledging the hero’s place. But what else is included?
Define the Hero’s Impact
When the fictional advocate above asks for support on the fake legislation, they state a simple, understandable outcome for the decision-maker: “We’re on the brink of a technological breakthrough on treatment and this next round of funding could turn this disease into a chronic condition.”
Are we asking the hero to cure the disease? No. The legislator in this scenario is being asked to act within their existing power in a way that the advocate can’t: vote for this bill. And when the legislator does vote for the bill, they have a tangible outcome they can expect: an advance in research. In that moment, a positive and lasting impact on their district, their community, is achievable.
The advocate in this scenario can’t be the hero – as much as we’d like them to be. When we are storytelling, we are asking the listener (in this case the legislator) to envision themselves in the plot. We all want to be the hero. As you’re building your advocacy story show how that decision-maker is positioned to be the hero, and what it means for them.
If you’re up for it, and can comment through your WordPress account I’d ask you to chime in on this topic. What heroic actions are you or your team asking decision-makers to take? How are you relaying the impact? How are you encouraging to put on their cape today?
Part of the Possible 
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