The Power of A Story - United States Tennis...
Transcript of The Power of A Story - United States Tennis...
The Power of A Story
CDW October 12, 2013
“Every great love starts
with a great story...”
Nicholas Sparks
“If history were
taught in the form
of stories, it would
never be forgotten.” Rudyard Kipling
The Basics
Have strong written and verbal
communications
Understand your Emotional Intelligence
Be self-aware and constantly seeking
improvement
Learn how to take feedback READ:
Passion
Discover what you are passionate about
Make a plan to have a positive impact
Know what others are passionate about
and encourage them
Share Your Passion
Be an expert!
Website
Professional email
Blog
Interviews
Read:
Relationships
Relationships will outlast jobs, businesses, locations
and more
“To Serve is to Lead”
Help others fulfill their dreams
Mentor and share your life lessons
Seek out smart, creative, driven people and spend
as much time as possible with them
Get ‘a reputation’… in a good way!
“I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event…” Stephen King
Elevator Speech
Bad
Too casual
No clear goals
Focus on the what and not the why
Too long
Not engaging
Generic
Lack of passion
Good
Clear and concise
Know what you hope to accomplish by telling it
Encourage follow-up questions
Targeted to the audience
Inspiring
More than your
organization’s mission
statement or purpose…
We promote tennis in our community.
OR…
We develop life-long sportsmanship skills,
enhance communities through
relationship building, and encourage
health and wellness by promoting and
supporting tennis in our community.
OR…
We represent over 1,000 people in our
community that believe in the power of
tennis. We help make tennis accessible to
all, encourage competition, and ensure
quality facilities are available.
OR…
I have seen first-hand the influence and impact that our tennis association can have on individuals, organizations, and our city. Tennis has given me wonderful friendships, business opportunities, and health and wellness. Our tennis association supports thousands of us trying to make tennis accessible to all and ensuring we have the resources we need to play the game we love.
OR…
This year our goal is to support our 1,000 members, introduce tennis to 5,000 kids for the first time ever, work with city officials to enhance facilities, and host 5 events to help build relationships, promote our sponsors, and encourage competition. Last year, one of the kids we have been working with for the last 5 years received a scholarship and is headed to college – he/she will be the first in their family to attend a university!
Audiences Donors
How the money is being used
Create a sense of urgency
What is the impact of their gift
Donor stories of engagement
Sponsors
Your community
Information they can’t learn online
Opportunities for branding and engagement
Other sponsors
Partners/Schools
Why tennis over other opportunities?
What will be the impact (time, people, financial, etc.)?
Proven model
Know Your Numbers
Membership
Annual operating budget
Cost of your future goals
Number of youth impacted
Hours of instruction
Statistics for impact of sports-based mentoring
Benchmark your community
Long-term value
Consider an economic-impact study
Message Map :30 second pitch
Pitch by audience (2-3 key audiences)
Supporting proof points for each
Example:
(elevator speech)
(Sponsor) As I mentioned, we host 5 signature
events each year along with the 5000 hours our
members are on the courts. We are proud that we
have a 100% retention rate for our sponsors.
(Proof Points)
We have a sponsor that has been with us for 20 years.
One of our sponsors was able to attribute a 50% increase in foot traffic to their stores to us.
Our member survey reports that they are extremely loyal to
our sponsors (90% say they will pick a sponsors product over an alternative.)
Engagement What questions can you ask to engage
people more? What sport had the most influence over your
life?
Did you have a sports mentor growing up? If so, tell me about them and how they impacted you?
Do you know we only have X courts in the community but really need Y to support the interest in the sport.
What do you know about us already? What questions do you have?
Key Takeaways Always be ready to make your 30 sec pitch
and PRACTICE IT, REFINE IT….
Create a FAQ so you are prepared for the questions that will come after your initial pitch
Create your message map and SHARE IT!
Know your numbers
Tell a story they won’t forget
Be passionate… they can tell when you aren’t
Scream it from the rooftops!
Rules I Live By… If a venture capitalist or angel investor wants to give you
money – take it!
Never re-hire
Send handwritten thank you notes
Sign up for Google Alerts
Be concise and don’t waste time – you won’t get it back!
Don’t allow one aspect of your life to define you!
Know your long-term goals and make sure what you are doing
today will matter
Every time you say yes to something you are saying no to
something else… be careful!
Know how to read financials but have a good accountant
Have a lawyer write your contracts
Know your value!
72 Hour Challenge
What will you do in the next 72 hours with
the information you have learned during
this session?
Keep
Change Lose
Contact Me!
Rachel Armbruster
512-944-3417
www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkarmbruster
@rarmbruster
THANK YOU!
“The world is shaped by two things — stories told and the memories they leave behind.” Vera Nazarian