Powerful Storytelling to

Drive Business Outcomes

Scope of Work Submitted to IBM

January 14, 2011

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Learning to Use
Brain Velcro to
Craft Powerful,
Infectious Stories
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Overview

Why are some people, companies or brands so

dull? Why do their stories bore you senseless?
Why do others electrify you, haunt you and
generate word-of-mouth value?

We now know from recent neuroscience

research a bit about what fires up the brain and
what doesn't when it comes to persuading,
shaping opinions and getting people to fall in
love with your brand.

This proposed three-phase Storytelling

Workshop will take IBM employees through the
techniques and narrative structures that will
awaken the storyteller in everyone and
transform their communications about the brand
into powerful, neuron-tickling brain-velcro.  

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Objectives

The IBM Storytelling Workshop program will:

– Introduce an approach to telling IBM’s stories in a surprising and stimulating
way, that is adaptable to various audiences, markets and business divisions.
– Awaken the skills of internal champions so they are equipped
to craft IBM narratives that persuade others, engage
stakeholders and trigger emotional responses that
drive attitude and behavior change.
– Amplify the new storytelling
method among IBM’s global
community to deliver those
powerful narratives that drive
business outcomes and create
a sense of community among
employees and customers.

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Participants

The workshop program will involve specific

members of the IBM community, including:
– Marketing and Communications
– Senior Leaders and Spokespersons
– Sales Force

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Proposed Approach

• In order to amplify the power of IBM’s stories and mobilize

the global network, we propose a three-phased approach:
1. Step One - Pilot Program: A storytelling pilot workshop will bring the core team members
together in one location for a full-day session customized to IBM story outcomes. Estimating 50 to
200 attendees.
2. Step Two - Facilitator Training: This special session will deconstruct the pilot workshop,
educate IBM facilitators on each step of the process and enable attendees to conduct individual
workshops at local offices. To be conducted day after pilot program. Estimated number of
facilitators to be determined by IBM.
3. Step Three - Satellite Training: After reviewing and
altering the pilot based on feedback, we will create a
workshop for a broader number of participants that
includes satellite offices connected live with trained
facilitators at the local locations as needed.
Can be conducted throughout the year.
Estimated number of local trainings
to be determined by IBM.

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Sample Agenda for the Pilot Storytelling Session

• Overview of brain research connecting experience

and decision making to emotion

• Learning the secret of “showing” not “telling” in

creating effective narratives

• The “confirmation bias” and why using more

“evidence” to persuade can backfire

• What Hollywood can teach us about storytelling

• Impediments to great storytelling

• Great beginnings—learning from the best opening

lines in history.

• Simplicity: the 6-word story

• The power of details in building credibility

• Using analogies to bring your story to life

• Making the abstract concrete

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Sample Agenda for the Pilot Storytelling Session
(continued)
• Learning from the masters: the world’s greatest storytellers

• Participant storytelling exercise using the “Storyteller Idol”

approach

• Case studies of great corporate stories and storytellers

• Crafting stories for IBM—what can we say and how can we

say it?

• IBM Storytelling exercise

• “Greatest Hits” of IBM Storytelling

• Case studies of great corporate

stories and storytellers

• Crafting stories for IBM—what can

we say and how can we say it?

• IBM Storytelling exercise

• “Greatest Hits” of IBM Storytelling

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Budget

The budget for executing the three-phased

Storytelling Workshop is:
Step One – Day-Long Pilot Program: $25,000*

Step Two – Day-Long Facilitator Training: $25,000*

Step Three – Satellite Training: $25,000 plus

$5,000 per office*

*Includes all fees and out-of-pockets.

Timing for all sessions to be determined.

©2011 Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide 9

About Christopher Graves
Global CEO, Ogilvy PR

Christopher Graves heads one of the world’s leading public relations firms and serves on the board of its parent company, Ogilvy
& Mather. Prior to being named Global CEO, He served as CEO of Ogilvy PR in Asia Pacific, where it is the largest, most award
winning public relations network.
 
Chris joined Ogilvy PR after 23 years in business news including 18 years with Dow Jones & The Wall Street Journal. He was one
of the founders of the Wall Street Journal Report (a broadcast now celebrating its 23rd year), Vice President in charge of news
and programming for CNBC Asia, Vice President in charge of news and programming for CNBC Europe, Managing Director of
Business Development (EMEA & Asia) for Wall Street Journal Online (WSJ.com), and Managing Director of Far Eastern Economic
Review magazine which won magazine of the year twice in Asia during his tenure.
 
Chris is a frequent public speaker and moderator, appearing as a guest host
on CNBC Squawkbox and at such events as the Clinton Global Initiative,
World Economic Forum, Global Entrepolis @ Singapore, ADASIA, 3G World
Congress, World Islamic Economic Forum, Boao (China’s most influential forum),
serves as chairman of the Asia Marketing Effectiveness Festival, and many more.
He has hosted, debated with, or interviewed such heads of state as Tony Blair,
Lee Kuan Yew, Gloria Macapagal‐Arroyo, Goh Chok Tong, and many of the
ministers of China, India and other countries.

Graves is a contributing author of the McKinsey book “Korea 2020.”

In 2010, Graves was elected to the Council on Foreign Relations, the most
influential foreign policy think tank in the US. He serves on the board of directors
of Caring for Cambodia, which builds and runs schools there.
 
Awards include Asia Pacific PR Professional of the Year (2007),
Asia Pacific Consultancy of the Year 2008, an EMMY nomination and
more than a dozen awards from The New York Film and Television
Festivals and the Asian Television Awards.

To date, Chris has led more than 4,000 executives around the world, from
CEOs of major corporations, to marketing and communications executives,
sales people, high-tech engineers, lawyers, bankers, and non-profits and
charities through this workshop. Companies from HSBC, to Intel, to Microsoft
©2011 Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
have repeatedly gathered their executives experience this workshop. 10