As a creative, one of the hardest things to do is to share our ideas with others. We have a picture in our heads of our creation, be it a book, recording, or possibly a painting or an invention. We can see it clearly, but we need to share our ideas with others to bring the item to fruition.
If we have a book idea, we need to communicate that to a publisher. If we have a song, we need to get it recorded. If we have an invention, we need investors to get behind the idea.
We need to sell others on our creation.
The easiest way to get started is to collect facts and figures about our product or idea. We put these on paper, arrange them in a logical fashion, and add bullet points for emphasis. We now have a logical appeal for our product.
Many people stop here. They are the Joe Friday’s of the world… Just the facts ma’am.
A spreadsheet, outline, or bullet point presentation can be helpful, but facts alone can be boring and lifeless. If you stop here in the process, you stand a good chance of rejection. Your proposal, resume, or presentation will look like everyone else’s.
So how do you differentiate your creation from the rest of the pack?
In a word…you need to add emotion.
You need to give people a reason to look past your data and choose your product or service.
The easiest way to do this is to tell a story.
Bring your prospects into a word of emotion by painting a vivid painting in their minds of your creation making a difference in the world.
Tell a story… Make a point.
Presentation guru, Nancy Duarte, talks about this in her new book, Resonate. She says you need to go past facts and give people a reason to take action. She advocates telling a story and adding contrast. Contrast what is with what could be. Contrast the status quo without your product, with a changed world with your product.
Take your prospects into the pain of the present and offer them relief.
Tell them the triumph of someone using your product and overcoming a problem.
Take them into a world of sights, sounds, smells and feelings. Make the story vivid and appealing. Immerse your prospects into the conflict and bring them out triumphant.
Here is an example of a simple change that made all the difference.
Just the facts….
Add Emotion…
Question: How have you used emotion to promote your creative work?
