Talk given at SANDCamp

1. Every project is a story:
Applying storytelling to your client interactions

2. Pantheon.io
Agency and Community Success Manager At
Pantheon Since 2014 - dwayne@pantheon.io
San Francisco Based Improv Actor And
Producer Since Beginning of 2010
mcdwayne.com
@mcdwayne on Twitter
Some things I enjoy, aside from tech and improv:
● Comic books
● Karaoke!!!
Hi, I’m Dwayne

3. Pantheon.io
Poll time

4. Tale Of Two Projects
Shop A Shop B

5. ● Client never satisfied and
constantly question
everything
● Clients afraid of spending
money to really fix
problems, results in
band-aids that cause more
issues
● No end in sight of fire drills
Shop A

6. ● Client reassured whenever
doubts arise
● Budgets are understood
and approved ahead of any
work
● Milestones are hit and
planning cycles are very
successful
Shop B

7. What is the difference?
Shop A Shop B
Before After

8. Why Storytelling?

9. Why storytelling?

10. Opposable thumbs help us hold on,
But stories tell us what to hold on to.
– Lisa Cron

11. Tortoise and the Hare

12. Eris and Heracles

13. Scooby-Doo

14. Story Spine

15. Story Spine
Once Upon A Time...
And Everyday...
But One Day...
And Because Of That...
And Because Of That...
And Because Of That...
Until Finally,
And Ever Since Then

16. Expandable

17. Recursive

19. Project Funnel

● Leads
● Qualified Leads
● Proposals
● Growth goal ($$$)
● Outreach and Networking
● Qualification
● Discovery
● Procurement
● Profit!!!

20. A dream written down with a date becomes a goal.
A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan.
A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.
– Greg S. Reid

21. Story Spine
Once Upon A Time...
And Everyday...
But One Day...
And Because Of That...
And Because Of That...
And Because Of That...
Until Finally,
And Ever Since Then

22. Framework for
Client dreams
Before state
Desired After State
What will happen
along the way

23. Story Spine Points
≈≈
Mile Markers

24. Project Description
Once Upon A Time
there was a company
that sold shoes
And Everyday their
online order system
chugged along at a
certain rate
But One Day they
realized they were
going to hit capacity
and system would fail
And Because Of That
they had to find a
budget and select a
vendor
And Because Of That
they realized they didn’t
have in house expertise
and put out an RFP
And Because Of That
they need a new or
updated system
Until Finally, the contract was
signed and the work delivered as
described
And Ever Since Then
they have been able to
take on 100x the order
volume and keep
growing

25. Project Description
Once Upon A Time
there was a company
that sold shoes
And Everyday their
online order system
chugged along at a
certain rate
But One Day they
realized they were
going to hit capacity
and system would fail
And Because Of That
they had to find a
budget and select a
vendor
And Because Of That
they realized they didn’t
have in house expertise
and put out an RFP
And Because Of That
they need a new or
updated system
Until Finally, the contract
was signed and the work
delivered as described And Ever Since Then
they have been able to
take on 100x the order
volume and keep
growing

26. Budget Process
Once Upon A Time
there was a project lead
who managed a number
of competing projects
And Everyday they
worked within preset
parameters without
issue
But One Day they
realized they needed
more budget than
they could access to
hire a vendor
And Because Of That
they presented to upper
management
And Because Of That
they put together their
research from possible
vendors to accomplish
the task
Until Finally, the CFO and CEO
signed off on the budget
And Ever Since Then
they were able to
engage the best vendor
for the job and keep
everyone happy
And Because Of That
they realized the CFO
and CEO would need to
be involved

27. Research for Budget
Once Upon A Time
there was a project lead
who worked with
vendors
And Everyday they
would see proposals
and bids on active
projects
But One Day they
realized they needed
specific data points
for research general
price range
And Because Of That
they wrote emails to
reps from all those
vendors
And Because Of That
they realized they would
need more options and
researched other
vendors
And Because Of That
they looked up past
vendors who advertised
this capability
Until Finally, they had enough
ballpark estimates to feel confident
around pricing
And Ever Since Then
they were able to make
decisions about the best
vendor within their price
range

28. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nyQd0yvLTdFdhH6EckGVshIAZoEKmXOw5G_DxRZv0GY

29. Pantheon.io
Agency and Community Success Manager At
Pantheon Since Start Of 2014
San Francisco Based Improv Actor And
Producer Since Beginning of 2010
dwayne@pantheon.io
@mcdwayne on Twitter
Some things I enjoy, aside from tech and improv:
● Comic books
● Karaoke!!!
Thanks, I was...

30. Pantheon.io

31. Thanks