Ep. 189 Is Your Character's Transformation Clear?

Hey there, Mark Brown. We've talked about storytelling a lot, but I don't know that we've nailed this part, which is the crucial part. If you want to tell unforgettable stories and you want to influence your audience to book you again, to buy your services, to get coaching from you, to rebook you, you just have to understand this one aspect of unforgettable storytelling, which is your character's transformation.

That's right. We all know the story is less effective if at least one character isn't transformed. How do we do that? Let's talk about it.

Anyone can give a presentation. Few deliver unforgettable presentations. What's the difference? You're about to find out. Welcome to the Unforgettable Presentations podcasts with your hosts, world champion speakers and coaches, Mark Brown. Mark Brown.

Your life tells a story, and there's someone out there who needs to hear it.

And Darren Lacroix. And Darren Lacroix.

Stage time. Stage time. Stage time.

Ready for some powerful presentation? AHAs. Let's dive right in.

Hey there, Mark Brown. So this comes right out of our event, Better stories, Better business, where you're using stories to sell an idea, sell a concept, sell your services, telling your founder story, the reason you got in business, the reason people should do business with you, whether it's on video or in your presentation itself, literally, we got to take the story and use it properly. And we see this all the time. People tell it. It might even be a good story. But unless the person sitting in your audience whom you choose to influence, who you're working on, selling your idea, your topic, your coaching, whatever that is, it has to relate to them. And I think I love what you and I have developed over the years teaching this. By the way, you can check out stagetimeworkshops.com if you want to join us for this event or any of our other events, we love what we do and we want to help you. And when we can work with you one on one, one on many, it's just. It's. It's fun for us.

It's fun. Yeah, it's fun. We enjoy it. Definitely do. Yeah.

So, Mark, let's focus this time on the character, like the one main character. Michael Hague calls it the hero. So we're talking about the main character, not the Superman that flies in. That's the guy.

Oh, no. A different kind of hero. It's not a superhero, just your regular hero.

And I think what a lot of people miss when they're trying to tell a story to influence, like this, they miss the fact that up front, we want the relatable character, whether it's the situation or the emotion, that the person sitting listening to you tell this story can relate to where they're at or the circumstance they're in or what they're feeling.

Yeah, exactly. And I'm glad you mentioned what they're feeling, because we will not always find characters whose exact circumstance matches what the audience faces. But we had the same six basic emotions. If we can relate to the emotion they're having at that time, be it a loss of some kind, whatever it may be, if our audience can in some way identify with the hero in the story, that's the win. If, when we first begin our story, the audience has no reason to identify with the character or to relate to the character, you have lost that audience. And the whole idea of telling the story to build the intrigue to come to the conclusion is lost. Because before you know it, the audience says, hey, I can't relate to that. Why listen to this. So the key is to make sure your audience has a connection with that character, that they can relate to the emotion through the circumstance, the situation. And then they have buy in to hear what you have to say.

And let's give you a couple scenarios. One, it could be you're telling a client story, a story of a client or a company that you worked with, that here's where they were at. Let's just for simplicity, I don't want to confuse people by going into our storytelling model, the then, now, and how model. So let's just say before and after, simplify it for the sake of this podcast, the before and after. So your character before that, we can relate to them, we can feel what they're feeling, where maybe they're stuck, maybe they're trying to build their business and they just, they're working hard, but nothing's changing, nothing's paying off. They're wasting their time. They're spinning their wheels. Well, if someone in your audience is saying, well, that's where I'm at exactly, I'm wasting my time, I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I. I know I have good value, but I don't know how to get to that next breakthrough or that next level. So I think what a lot of people miss is that we have to frame the character so they can be relatable to that person in the audience. Again, whether it's you telling your quote unquote, your founder's story, the reason you're in business, or do you or A client story, like they it, we got to step back, and there's probably a lot that you could tell about you or about your client. But what are the relatable factors?

Right.

So I can see or feel myself in that position or in that character.

If an audience member says, wow, that's me, or, wow, does he know me? Oh, my goodness, he's talking about my business. It's exactly where I am right now. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. You have someone who needs what you're going to provide. So we need to be very careful upfront, knowing our audience, our demographic, their circumstance. How can I make sure the stories I select from my story folder? We've talked about collecting stories and making them relatable. When I choose my story selectively, I need a fair amount of confidence that my audience will relate to that particular story and the hero in that story. You want your audience to say, man, they're singing my song. They're telling my story. He's talking, or she's talking, or they're talking about me. I'm going to lean in. I want to know their solution.

Yeah, they lean in. What. What's going to happen? What is that? What's the change going to be? What's going to happen next? Perfect. Perfect. And I think when people just think stories, they don't go back and take the time to look at their characters. And is this relatable? Is this the part of the story? Are these the facts of the circumstance that they could relate to emotionally? I know I'm going. I'm saying the same thing in a slightly different angle, but I really want to make sure you take the time to step back from your stories and examine. Are you using the right facts? Does the dialogue that the character uses, could I feel that emotion too? Like, I just don't know what to do. I can't. Mmm, I'm working too long. I'm working too hard. Do we feel the emotion of the character and think, yeah, that's. That's me.

Yeah, with that, too. I'm glad you mentioned that point, because very often we can have characters who have many layers and dimensions to them. And I use the word selectively. Before we have to select carefully, we must take time, invest time. I just say step back and look at it. What parts of the story, what emotions are they facing? What significant details are the best to deliver in this particular story rendition that may not be appropriate under a different circumstance? And here's the tricky part. We may think telling a story is easy, and yes, verbalizing words and recounting a story is easy, but when you think about why the story is being told, particularly in the context of using it to influence people and to give them perspective, we have to be selective what parts of the story we tell. We must decide, do I need to mention Uncle Jack here, even those in the story? Or if I take Uncle Jack out of the story and focus on this particular area of the story, what would be more effective? Knowing in some circumstances, if I want to entertain you, I'll bring Uncle Jack. And it's funny, it's great. But to get the audience to feel the pain of the character, I may not need the Uncle Jack piece. I need the piece that relates directly to my audience, to your company, to their organization and what they're dealing with, how they can relate to the character or the hero in our story. So bear in mind, we also have to be selective to of how much detail we give. To give the best picture the audience needs to see and to which they can relate on a personal and emotional level.

Yeah, we've got to relate to the picture that we paint. So we have to paint the right picture. As I tell in the Mark Brown story, six foot two, heart of gold, native of Jamaica and he's got this beautiful booming laugh like the guy from the 7up commercial. So I specifically used the right details because I am the character that needs the transformation in that one. But I want people to know about the guide, Mark Brown and that he has a great heart and I know that, I know his intentions are good because that helps. The direct advice that Mark gives the main character, which is me. And I tell a story like I'm a little bit full of my. Well, I'm a lot a bit full of myself. But I was the king of my club, my toastmaster club. So I go in cocky, I go in a little arrogant and my ego is in the way. And so I'm trying to get people to relate to, you know, you got that confidence. And we think we know what we're doing, we think we know what we're doing. And I'm trying to get that across. So when people go, oh, maybe I don't know what I'm doing later on in the story, maybe I, I'm that Darren character.

And the thing is what I like about your comment here is when people think, oh, maybe I am that person. And the beauty is we need to tell a story like this, you kind of won't see all your members eyes light up, you can see the aha. You can See, their faces go, ooh. And once in a while, they'll poke their neighbors. See? Yeah. But that response tells you that the audience is connecting. So here's a sidebar for everyone. We recommend certainly, you work on your stories, on how you tell them. Choose your words carefully and rehearse them with family, friends, even coworkers don't know you're telling a story that are you rehearsing with them. But part of what you want to do is you want to gauge their response. You want to see can they relate to this character, as I believe they will. We are huge proponents of testing, testing, testing. And when you have your coworkers at lunch, your coworkers or your family at some family gathering, and you see the response they give you, they are telling you, either, I don't get it, I don't relate, or wow, man, that's awesome. You know what? I know how that feels. So please avail yourself of every opportunity. Perhaps you are in a Toastmasters Club. That's a great place to go and see exactly how an audience responds to the way you tell a story. Because, trust me, great stories are told, retold, tweaked, and tweaked again. We have said countless times on this podcast, the great comedians are testing a story or a routine. They'll go to a comedy club and they'll try it out several different ways from Sunday until they find the right way to tell the story or live of the line to tell the humorous anecdote to get the audience reaction they need for the punchline to work or for the moral story to come through. We should do no less, because we owe it to our audiences to give them value and to connect with them so what we have to offer, they can use it. It'll transform them because the goal is, in the end, to see some transformation.

The after. So we talked about the before. They want to relate. You want the before relatable. You want the after desirable. Is this what your character wants? So the character in the story, is that ending? Is that transformation what your audience wants? So they're relatable to the before, but they want or they desire the after. The old When Harry Met Sally, I'll have what she's having.

Well, I was right there.

Yeah, I was here. That's a different transformation. I was here. I want that. I was here. I want that. And we're asking you to take inventory on especially your most important stories, to step back and say, well, how could I make the character more relatable at the beginning? And how Could I paint the picture of after in a way that gets the person to want what that character wants? How do I paint that? And if we're truly showing the transformation, we have to see them in a different circumstance, feeling a different feeling.

See.

Them in a different circumstance, feeling a different feeling.

And I hate to throw a wrench into the works here, Darren, but that very, that last thought you made, seeing them in a different circumstance and feeling a different feeling, you'll probably have that in the majority of your stories. But be aware, once in a while you may find the character, the hero, may not have a massive change in their circumstance, but is a transformation in their response to their circumstance. There's a transformation in their behavior, is there is a transformation in their attitude and there's also a transformation in the process they adopt to handle that situation. So the keys, at times the circumstance may not change, but the character does. And that's also equally as powerful because the transformation takes place within them and begins to manifest in how they think, how they speak, how they behave, and how they respond to whatever that circumstance may be. That's also transformation.

And consider this like what we use in the Better Stories, Better Business workshop that we walk you through is what's the before? Let's say self doubt, what's the after? Confidence, what's the before? Scared, what's the after? Joy, what's the before? Losing money, what's the after? Many clients, what's the before? Aimless, what's the after? A proven process that they went through. So ask yourself, what's the before and after of this character? And that just might help you identify where. Maybe I'm missing part of the story. And it might be the same story, but maybe there's just one aspect I need to make it clearer that they had self doubt and now their confidence. You know, they were, they had their head on their desk, just wondering what's going to happen? Are they going to take my house? And at the end their feet are propped up on their desk and they take a heavy sigh. Finally.

Yeah.

So how can you paint that? How can you make it clear to the audience that a transformation has happened? Maybe it's physical, maybe it's emotional, maybe it's a combination of both. Maybe it's. The setting is different.

In some cases it could be physical. Maybe they've been struggling with their weight for a while. You know, I just blissful. Some tired and for some reason they engage in some kind of fitness program or regimen or they find an inspiration in someone else who inspires them. And though their circumstance may not be much different because the attitude has changed when they speak, when they smile more, when they talk, they are more confident. You also mentioned lack of confidence. It was, you know, uncertainty to confidence. It could very well be at the beginning. They find they have to give a corporate presentation, and they're terrified of doing it. I don't want to speak. I can't do this. And they go through this process, maybe a process you provide as your service, and you tell the story at the end of it, they're delivering their presentation with confidence. Nothing changed as far as circumstance. You must still deliver a talk to the corporation. But having gone through the process of learning, perhaps from you and rehearsing and learning the tools, the skills, techniques, now they come to give a talk, and they're confident, shoulders are up, good eye contact. Their voice displays confidence. They're smiling. You can even hear them smiling in their voice. These are significant transformations that you can talk about, especially if you're going to share with your audience. I can help you to get from then to now. So think about the way the character portrays the now, the after. So the audience can almost witness themselves in person and say, yes, you know what? That is what I want. And this particular individual can help me to get there. I'm all in.

Yeah, we. You and I say, mark, when we teach our storytelling webinar, we say, witness the change. The audience must witness. Witness the change. And that's what we're talking about, the transformation, the before, after. But what we're trying to say, too, is your before and after, Are they diametrically opposed?

Ooh.

Diametrically opposed. In my Mark Brown story, I walk in overconfident and full of joy. At the end, I'm humbled, and I'm now opened to coaching. So before, I just wanted a couple little tips, but I was really. I really wanted the pat of the back. I wanted Mark to say, don't change a thing. And then I realized I needed a humbling, which you delivered so eloquently.

Well, I appreciate that, but the idea of contrast, and I trust everyone saw the power of what Darren just said, or if you're listening to all you're hearing this, the contrast, the diametric opposition. We are at a particular point, which could be the nadir, the low point, and we want to get to the high point. Diametrically opposed, the opposite end of the spectrum. And through the story, we see through the story, the process the character goes through to get to that transformation. That's where desire should come in. The audience will be leading and saying, yes, I want that. So think about as you craft your story, and don't discount what Darren said earlier. Sometimes the power of the transformation comes out in the dialogue the character has with someone else, perhaps the guru in the story. But you can see the character begin to change. You see the aha moment. You see a decision to change something. You see a transformation in their attitude, their mindset, their behavior, the responses to what they face in life. All of that has to be very carefully mapped out. So here's a challenge for you right right now. I mean, think of perhaps your favorite story you want to tell about a favorite character. It could be you. It could be someone else. But ask yourself, is the story arc clear? Can I see where the character was? Can I see what they went through, how they handled it, how they found help and guidance for the guru? And can I see a clear transformation in the character in some way that verifies the journey they have taken? Some call it the hero's journey, but one to which my audience can relate. What might you need to adjust, to alter, or to change to give the audience the experience you want them to have at similar to the journey that your hero has taken? Think about that. Revisit your story, look at it and ask yourself, should I remove my Uncle Jack? Why need that character there? What will be the best way for the audience to see value in this process? This takes time. This takes work. But trust us, this pays off. Nice.

Well said. And by the way, another idea is another character could notice the transformation. Wow, you're sitting up a little straighter there, young man. When I was here last month, you were whatever that is, so you could have another character notice the change if that character might not notice it themselves. So what we're asking you to do is take inventory, look at your characters before and after. And is there truly a diametrically opposed difference in the character? Because sometimes the end might be really clear. Well, maybe we need to retell the beginning so the beginning is different. That shows the transformation. So you might have some great elements. It might be a great story. But make no mistake, if you're trying to get rebooked, get more clients. You want to be unforgettable, Let the character's transformation be be simple and easy to witness.

And when that does happen, is a character's transformation is easy to see because it's so different. In contrast, chances are your audience will remember the story. More importantly, as they relate to the character, they have a desire to work with you because they see themselves in the character and trust me, that'll make your story and your character unforgettable.

We'll see you next week. Join us at the event stagetownworkshops.com and thanks for listening. Please pass this on to your friends who are presenters so not only can you be unforgettable but they can too. Mark Brown take us home.

We'll see you next week. Be unforgettable. Tell better stories, build better business and remember the character's transformation can transform your audience.

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