Gideon F. For-mukwai presented at a Business Conference in Singapore on using storytelling to promote a business. Storytelling is an effective way to introduce ideas and persuade new supporters to join a cause. A good story should identify the founder's origins and goals, highlight defining moments that shaped their values, and convey lessons of humility. Stories should realign with the audience through an engaging opening and memorable closing. Crafting stories with rhetorical devices makes the message more appealing and impactful.

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Presented at a
Business Conference in Singapore
Presented by!
Gideon F. For-mukwai, MA!
XtraMile Solutions
XtraMile Solutions www.1xtramile.com T 65 9674 1088 E admin@1xtramile.com

2. As the founder, manager, leader or executive director of an enterprise,
you have to regularly promote your business to get new customers
Introduction
supporters and associates. Story telling is one of the most effective ways to introduce and persuade new
supporters to join your cause. If you do it right, you ‘ll inspire, influence and earn their trust.
Legendary screenwriting instructor, Robert McKee says, “Stories are by far the most effective way to introduce
ideas into the world today.” By using storytelling, you can disseminate your ideas, without coming across as pushy
or abrasive. Story telling is thus very effective, because stories are the “currency of human contact.”
# 1 Who are you? (What is Purpose in life? What are your Goals)
It is important to identify the founder ’s story: his or her origin, current situation, and future aspirations. In
promoting your business, your destination is as fascinating as your origin.
If your destination (vision) resonates well with people, and they are inspired, they will come to support your cause.
So you must be very concise in stating what issue or incident got your founder “fired up” to create a better world.
Ideas:
Who are you? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Who are you in 6 words? ...................................................................................................................................................................
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3. # 2
What Defining Moments Have You Faced? (What Values Inspire You Today?)
Think back to the events that have shaped your life. Can you remember why you started the journey that led you
to your current job? That is the igniting incident! Perhaps it started from a painful experience. Pain clarifies . Pain
teaches. It makes for a compelling story worth-sharing to let your clients. It tells us why you do what you do.
Beyond the pain, new values emerge to empower, energize and inspire us to do things differently. Love, freedom,
peace, justice, association, and happiness are powerful human values that motivate us to do things differently. New
values help us take the highroad that takes us beyond the crossroads. Identify 2 core values that inspire you!
! Ideas:
New Value 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
New Value 2…………………………………….…………………………………………………………………..
Who are you in 27 Words?…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
# 3
Lessons from Defining Events (Lessons that Teach Humility)
For every defining event that has shaken you, there is a key lesson you can take away. Some of the lessons help us
to be more humble and human in our approach of new problems.
By sharing our humanity and our willingness to learn and listen to others, we draw them closer to us because they
can relate to our own pitfalls and common humanity. In storytelling when you show humility, you humanize.
! Ideas:
Self-deprecate 1.....................................................................................................................................................................................
Be vulnerable 2 .....................................................................................................................................................................................
Avoid puffery 3 .....................................................................................................................................................................................
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4. # 4
Craft Messages that Realign with Audience
The human brain tends to remember what it said first and last. It is called the primacy and recency effect. For this
reason, craft your opening and closing very carefully to gain an optimum impact. In the opening, use an element of
N __ __ __ __ ___ __to capture the attention. In the closing give them a memorable pay- ___ ___ ___.
! Ideas:
Less ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
You-focused ..........................................................................................................................................................................................
Don’t the __ e __ __ ………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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# 5
Edutain for Impact
When you craft your story, make use of rhetorical devices. These devices magnify the quality of your story. As far
as possible, incorporate metaphors, humor, antithesis or hyperbole to give your story a stronger appeal and impact.
These devices will sharpen and heighten your message. Above all, they will make your message memorable.
! Ideas:
Metaphor ..................................................................................................................................................................................................
Anaphora ..................................................................................................................................................................................................
Hyperbole ................................................................................................................................................................................................
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5. In conclusion, story telling can make or break your business because stories are an integral part of your brand.
Stories are part of your social currency. If your stories inspire others, you would get more followers, fans and
fanatics as stakeholders who espouse your social vision for the world.
For this to happen, the enterprise must embody universal values to uplift or improve the customers and
stakeholders. To do this effectively, tell stories that seek to serve; not you or your brand. Your brand is just a
facilitator or an enabler.
A compelling story is one that appeals to the stakeholders (fans, follower fanatics) needs. It gets attention and
inspires action. It follows through with a compelling narrative that shows how an unlikely hero is able to
potentially resolve a broken world issue, thanks to the stakeholders.
Additional Notes:
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Conclusion

6. About the Presenter
Gideon F. For-mukwai, MA, CEM
Gideon is an award-winning speaker with over a decade of international experience from Asia, Middle East, Africa,
Europe and North America. He has presented training programmes to executives from organisations such as
Oracle, Siemens, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Dell Computers, Shell Eastern Petroleum, National
University of Singapore, DBS Bank, Gillette and more.
He is the founder of XtraMile Solutions, founded in 2004 in Singapore. It is dedicated
training services provider. XtraMile and its associates have directly trained over 15,550
professionals and executives around the world.
Gideon ‘s forte lies in is his ability to communicate complex issues with simple practical and metaphorical
narratives that keep audiences engaged. He combines his journalistic research know-how, compelling storytelling,
and academic curiosity in finding and sharing new ideas that participants worldwide.
He a former Senior Officer and Instructor with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Gideon is a graduate
from MA programme in Journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism, University of Nevada, Reno.
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7. List of References:
1. Story Wars by Jonah Sachs
2. Story Theatre Method by Doug Stephenson
3. Around the Corporate Campfire by Evelyn Clark
4. Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
5. Word Painting by Rebecca Maclanahan
6. Tell me about yourself by Catherine Hansen
7. Lead with Story by Paul Smith
8. The Power of Storytelling by Harriet Mason
9. Metaphorically Selling by Anne Miller
10. Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff
11. Mastering and Marketing your Performance by Judy Buch
12. Presenting to Win by Jerry Weissman
13. The Power Presenter by Jerry Weissman
14. Tell to Win by Peter Gruber
15. What Great Sales People Do by Michael Bosworth and Ben Zoldan
16. How to Write a Dawm Good Novel by James N. Frey
17. The Non-Profit Narrative by Dan Portnoy
18. Using Myth to Power Your Story by Christopher Vogler
19. Contagious by Jonah Berger
20. Fascinate by Sally Hogshead
21. The Power of Storytelling by Jim Holtje
22. The Art of Story Telling by Marsh Cassady
23. A Leader ‘s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning
24. Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
25. The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
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