64 Resonate
It helps to split an audience into segments—but humans
are more complex than that. In order to connect person-
ally, you have to bond with what makes people human.
Take time to analyze their lives, and valuable insights
will appear. After all, it’s tough to influence people
you don’t know.
At the beginning of a movie, the hero’s likability is estab-
lished. The same applies to a presentation. Successful
Hollywood screenwriter Blake Snyder coined the phrase
“save the cat” to describe a hero’s likability. Snyder says
that a “save the cat” scene is “where we meet the hero
and he or she does something—like saving a cat—that
defines who he is and makes the audience like him.”
6
By answering the questions on the right, you’ll uncover
what makes your hero likable.
Liking your audience members is the first step in being
genuine with them. Study them. What would a walk in
their shoes be like? What keeps them up at night? What
are they called to do that will make a difference on this
earth? Imagine their lives by the day, hour, and minute.
Remember, because they are human, their lives are
messy. They might have a sick child at home, might not
Meet the Hero
have slept well on the hotel pillow, might not be making
ends meet financially, or just might not feel on top of
their game. Look for insights into how your idea will
alleviate pressure on them if they take action.
It’s easy to focus on what they do for their career; these
questions help you think about who they are. There’s a
difference. Knowing their titles isn’t enough. Let’s say
you’ll be speaking at a Human Resources event and the
bulk of attendees are directors of human resources. Go
online and figure out how much money they make. Is
it enough to get by based on where they live? How do
you imagine they would spend their paychecks? What
are the typical temperaments of people in their role?
Are they spontaneous or methodical?
Keep answering the questions until you move away
from what your audience members do for a job and
begin to acquaint yourself with who they are as people.
You can imagine their childhood. What games did they
play? What was home life like? What TV shows shaped
their psyche? Anything that will generate a connection.
Your goal is to figure out what your audience cares
about and link it to your idea.
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Get to Know the Hero 65
LIFESTYLE
What’s likable and special
about them? What does
a walk in their shoes
look like? Where do they
hang out (in life and on
the Web)? What’s their
lifestyle like?
KNOWLEDGE
What do they already
know about your topic?
What sources do they
get their knowledge
from? What biases do
they have (good or bad)?
MOTIVATION AND DESIRE
What do they need or
desire? What is lacking
in their lives? What gets
them out of bed and
turns their crank?
VALUES
What’s important to
them? How do they
spend their time and
money? What are their
priorities? What unites
them or incites them?
INFLUENCE
Who or what influ-
ences their behavior?
What experiences
have influenced their
thoughts? How do they
make decisions?
RESPECT
How do they give and
receive respect? What
can you do to make
them feel respected?
Who They Are
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