Unlock Your Storytelling Superpower | Robbie Crabtree (Coach)
Unlock Your Storytelling Superpower | Robbie Crabtree (Coach)
The U-shaped approach to tell a great story, 5 steps to structure a story, and more
Dear subscribers,
Today, I want to share a new episode with Robbie Crabtree.
Robbie is a top coach who has helped hundreds of founders raise $750M+ through storytelling (website). Before that, he perfected his craft as a trial lawyer who oversaw 100+ criminal cases.
Watch now on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.
Robbie and I talked about:
(00:00) The U-shaped approach to tell a great story
(01:29) The essence of a great story in one line
(03:56) Why impromptu storytelling is a myth
(05:26) The five-part storytelling framework
(05:52) Defending a murder case example
(10:44) Crafting a story in 10 words
(22:17) The two essential stories every leader needs
(28:09) How to deliver a story people will never forget
(32:12) Closing advice to tell better stories
Keep reading for the interview takeaways.
How to craft a great story
Welcome Robbie! What makes a great story in one line?
A great story makes people feel something and take action.
Great storytellers can transport the audience into the world that they’re describing.
Can you tell us more about your U-shaped process for creating great stories?
We often get in our way when writing a story from scratch.
We write, read it back, decide we don't like it, and stop. You can't create a good story like this. Instead, here’s how the U-shaped process works:
Begin with what's in your head. Every story begins with a natural and sloppy rendition. Just talk it out loud and transcribe it while walking outside or sitting on your couch. It's about brain dumping to get the raw material out.
Write it down and edit it. Take that transcription and highlight the most relevant, helpful, and essential points. Delete everything else to have the core pieces needed for your story. Start editing it to make it flow better.
Practice it and tailor it to your audience. Once you have the script, try to commit it to memory by reading it out loud. This sounds robotic, but you must practice getting out of the U-shape.
As you practice more, it becomes internalized. You shoot up to the top right of the U, sounding both natural and polished. The best "impromptu" speaking is not impromptu - those stories have been told dozens or hundreds of times.
When editing your raw transcript into a coherent story, what’s the best way to structure it?
I have this 5-point framework for structuring a great story: