If you really distill stories down to their core elements, it’s often surprising how many of our favorites really share the same foundational pieces. We call these archetypes, and they can be really useful to understand during the presentation outlining process.
One of the most common archetypes we come across is what author Steven Pressfield calls “the Jesus Concept”. The basic idea is that the majority of stories have a guy who is too good or pure for this world (Jesus), a villain (take your pick from Judas, the Romans, the Pharisees or all of the above), and then a main cast of characters (disciples, Mary and Martha, the peasants and others who encounter Jesus) who, most often, serve as relatable anchors for those of us experiencing the story.
It’s an effective story structure because we identify with the struggle between good and evil and, in particular, the constant struggle of ordinary people to understand their lives in the context of those challenges. So we’re not hearing the story identifying with Jesus; nor do we identify with the Pharisees necessarily. We know, upon hearing the disciples’ reactions to events in the story and Jesus’ reactions to circumstances, that this is where our struggle is born.
Presenters can use this basic story structure to create real resonance with the audience. Whether you’re presenting an educational concept, a business solution, an investment opportunity or something else entirely, it’s useful to create the dichotomy between the ideal and the very not ideal, the “good” and “evil” in the decision, and to utilize the understandably conflicted thoughts in between the two to cultivate that sense of identification and real-world applicability of how the audience should ultimately find their way to the good side.
It’s always good to remember that people like for stories to have an ending, and they like for the good guy to win. What winning really is, though, is winning the middle. In the Bible, Jesus wins because the disciples carry on his precepts and teachings and start the church. In your story, the protagonist, the good guy wins when the audience sides with him.
The great thing about all of this is that unlike the Bible, you get to craft the story to support your personal objective. That’s what storytelling really is, anyway: one artist or side positioning the facts in such a way as to achieve their own aim. So the next time you’re writing a presentation, try the Jesus Concept on for size and see if it doesn’t make for a more resonant, impactful story.
Question: How do you create a strong storyline for your audience to attach to?
