Communicating your BRAND today is best done by stories. An effective way for people to understand your uniqueness thru VISUAL Stories. From why stories to using "PAR" as a way to communicate.

1. BUSINESS
STORY TELLING
John R. Choate
PMI – VP Membership
Phoenix AZ Chapter

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Impacting the Brain
Can You Identify?
Why Stories?
Powerful Communication
Common Challenges Today
Eight types of Stories
Tips
PAR & Examples (2) + What is Yours?
Understand the Difference
Benefits
Business Value
Take Away
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3. IMPACTING THE BRAIN
Our neural activity increases 5X when listening to a story
Storytelling lights up the sensory cortex in the brain, allowing the listener to feel, hear, taste, and even smell the story
Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text by the human brain.
90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.

4. CAN YOU IDENTIFY?

5. WHY STORIES?
Telling stories is one of the most powerful
means to influence, teach, and inspire.
 What makes storytelling so effective for learning?
 Storytelling forges connections among people, and between
people and ideas.
 Stories convey the culture, history, and values that unite people.
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6. POWERFUL COMMUNICATION TOOL
Stories make a point - simplest and most direct reason why stories are
so powerful.
Stories make it memorable - will help people remember your message.
Stories make it meaningful - make us feel a part of the situation.
Stories create and reveal emotions - helps to influence or persuade.
Stories build connections - create a bond between the teller and the
receiver.

7. COMMON BUSINESS CHALLENGES TODAY
UNCERTAINTY
7
GLOBALIZATION INNOVATION GOVERNMENT
POLICIES/REGS
Uncertainty leads to
short term focus,
plan your long
range vision
Understand
International markets
and their impact
Become more
innovative while
maintaining control
Understand and its
impact to your
business/resources

8. COMMON BUSINESS CHALLENGES TODAY
TECHNOLOGY
8
DIVERSITY COMPLEXITY INFO OVERLOAD
Develop long term
strategy while
remaining flexible
Embrace the inputs
of “5 active
generations” in the
workplace and how
they can help the
company/team
Develop ways to
streamline your
Business – Agile /
Lean
In world of Big Data,
determine what
information adds
value to run your
business

9. COMMON BUSINESS CHALLENGES TODAY
SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIC THINKING &
PROBLEM SOLVING
9
Strategy on minimum risk, lower costs, and higher
Value
Key to success – develop capabilities at all levels

10. STORY TOPICS
WHO “WE” ARE
10
WHY US OUR VISION GOOD
BUSINESS

11. STORY TOPICS
WHAT WE HAVE
LEARNED
11
HOW WE
DESIGN IT
HOW WE DO IT MEET OUR
CUSTOMER(S)

12. TIPS FOR BUSINESS STORYTELLING
Understand your
audience
Know your message
Ensure your story has a
structure
Be authentic
Use a conversational
tone
Remember the audience
is the hero
Be visual.
Make human and
emotional connections
Sell your story, not your
product
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13. PAR APPROACH TO STORYTELLING
P
PROBLEM – Is the
core issue the hero
must tackle.
A
ACTION – Is the
small steps the hero
must take to resolve
the problem.
R
RESULT (VALUE!) –
Is the end
accomplishment(s).
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14. COST OF QUALITY
P
PROBLEM: Market price of product too high
and need to drop costs 12% (COGS) to be
competitive in marketplace ( Highest Costs in
material BOM).
Only two departments to be solicited;
1. Product Engineering (Redesign)
2. Materials (SCM)
Must be implemented within 2 quarters
(Current FY).
Although SBU, expand Corporate SCM due
overlapping commodities.
A
New Quality Cost reduction model based
three weighted elements;
1. Just In Time (JIT) Delivery
2. 1st pass quality
3. 2nd pass quality
Obtain CFO funding for 3rd party to build
new IT SCM Cost model.
Train SCM and Supplier teams on how to
submit proposal for off cycle cost reduction
(Spend) RFQ.
Train SCM team to determine price vs.
COQ for contract re-negotiations with
Supplier POC (CEO <> SCM Mgr.).
R
Overall cost reductions were 23% to target
of 12%.
One commodity group was highest reduced
in world – 90%+. Documented in new SCM
Book on Supplier Quality.
Reductions were new 40 year record for
Corporation.
Over $10M dropped to bottom line and
became highly competitive in marketplace
for cancer killing products.
14

15. Business Story #2
REPLACING
QUALITY LEGACY SYSTEM
PROBLEM(S)
Outdated software
Difficulties accessing vital information
Impaired scalability and growth
Inability to integrate with newer
systems
Timely input from Suppliers
Compliance with regulations (FDA)
ACTION
Research market for best bridge
product – Infrastructure/ERP
Incremental Approach vs BIG BANG
Cost Justification for Business
Co Innovation Approach
New User & Supplier Training
Technical & Business Go Live
RESULT
New Customer focused system
Retirement of Legacy System - $
Real time exchange of information –
Fact based decisions!
Increased Collaboration between
Company & Suppliers – EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
Path for Continual Improvement by
upgrading - Roadmap

16. BENEFIT - solving a
problem or dealing with a
difficult situation
17
VALUE - the importance,
worth, or usefulness.
SOLUTION - constructing a
course of action that will
transform your current
situation into one where
your objective has been
achieved.
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE

17. VOCABULARY, COMPREHENSION, SEQUENCING,
MEMORY AND CREATIVE WRITING ALL BENEFIT FROM
STORYTELLING.
STORYTELLING IMPROVES LISTENING SKILLS THAT ARE
ESSENTIAL IN LEARNING AND IN RELATIONSHIPS.
STORYTELLING ENCOURAGES CREATIVE WRITING,
CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING.
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18. STORIES HELP TO REMOVE THE CLUTTER AND FOCUS
ON WHAT MATTERS MOST.
STORIES HELP MAKING INFORMATION
UNDERSTANDABLE SO IT CREATES IMPACT.
STORIES ENGAGE PEOPLE NEEDED TO CREATE IMPACT.
STORIES MAKE SOMETHING ACTIONABLE.
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19. KEY TAKE AWAY’S
WHY
One of the most
powerful means to
influence, teach, and
inspire.
PAR
P = Problem
A = Action
R = Result (VALUE)
VALUE
Stories help you to
remove the clutter
and focus on what
matters most.
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20. QUESTIONS
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21. John Choate
John has over 30+ years’ Global Business and SCM-Quality and Data
Systems experience in multi Industries as a top Story teller. His beginning
was in the USAF as a Logistics/Transportation and Data Systems Officer
where he was taught to relate projects, verbal & written, to DOD/USAF
personnel on the “6th grade level”. In the business world he refined his
Story Telling approach and techniques by using a “ PAR “ approach. John
currently works at SAP Ariba as a Business Processes/SCM PM and
outlines to their Customers how their products/services increase company
profitability, business-functional process efficiency and team productivity.
He is an active volunteer in professional societies as VP Membership
PMI-Phoenix and Leader Publicity/Outreach in ASQ 0704.
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22. THANK YOU
John Choate
VP Membership
vp.membership@pmiphx.org
650-390-3251 (Mobile)