You want to trigger action.

That's why you're here.

You want to trigger their action with your words.

Are people even thinking about you, let alone talking about you? What are they saying? What stories are they telling? Are they even true?

Inertia is the most powerful force in business, politics and life. The status quo, the easy option, the "stay in bed" choice always wins... unless the status quo is sooooo bad and the cost and energy required for action make change worth the price tag of time and energy.

Imagine slowly waking up in your comfy warm bed. You choose daily between pushing snooze and the action of getting up. An easy choice of action - the price of leaving your cosy bed is too high. Now, imagine there is a water leak above you and your ceiling suddenly collapses. You and your bed are soaked. Suddenly you are delighted to pay the price of action and you jump out of bed. 

Getting people to move and act is hard. Getting them to move and act, AND do what you want them to do, is much harder.

A delightful, polymath CIO client grinned when he whispered to me: "Technology is EASY. People are hard."   

Action starts every business, every news item, every thing. But...

Simply having a story doesn't mean every business succeeds (or survives), every speech triggers action or every advert sells. As a former client, now a great friend and high profile Angel Investor, amusingly but VERY sincerely) tells me when we see young startups: WATFO? (Where are the f***ing outcomes)

You wouldn't get in a vehicle that was thrown together. Why trust your the future of your business or your career with a crappy story? 

How I help people identify, articulate and deliver their stories: 

  1. First you have to decide on your purpose, your why. 
  2. Then comes the science of storytelling: compelling stories are engineered, crafted and designed. There are rules to them and those rules always apply. Always. 
  3. Then comes the art of storytelling: choosing your words and deciding how to combine them. 
  4. Finally, you have to tell your story, and tell it well. 

Imagine how you could change your world. If you could just make them care.... 

Over the last three decades, my clients have grown and transformed* businesses, disrupted industries, changed politics, introduced legislation and many are improving or saving lives. They have changed their parts of the world and sometimes changed the world. Others have developed and built their careers or changed career totally. 

I am beyond proud to have helped them transform to get what they want and achieve their results. But they deserve all the credit for their success: they are the heroines and heroes with the ambition and the drive and the mind-blowing work ethic.

They dealt with their frustration at not getting what they wanted and being where they wanted to be and recognised they needed a guide and a coach who is totally on their side - their own Obi-Wan Kenibo or Rubeus Hagrid. I am delighted they chose me to be an often-secret part of their leadership journey. (This is probably a good place to point out that discretion is my default and I am usually a trusted and invisible inner-circle asset rather than the Mont Blanc that you brag about.)

Importantly, they also understood the role of a tough and honest coach, who is merely a supporting actor. They did the work.

They understood:

  1. Your why matters. Clarity of purpose and thought: distilling your why - your purpose - is your starting point, your North Star.
  2. Your words matter. Which words you choose, for which audience. How you orchestrate your words. What you say. 
  3. Which stories you tell for which occasions. How the stories are crafted. What you say.
  4. Your delivery matters. How you deliver your stories is the music that moves people. Lyrics without music often look...weird.

The MessageCraft® Process 

The Art and Science of getting what you want with words


Why + Words + Stories + Delivery

Feeling frustrated? Undersold? Undervalued? Held back?

Are people not listening to you? Not taking you or your ideas seriously? 

Imagine what you could achieve...
 ...if ONLY you could persuade the people around you?

You want to trigger action. Remember? That's why you are here. You want to trigger action with your words.

Why aren't you getting what you want? Let's assume your offer is good and of value... why don't "they" get it? Is it them? Or is it you?

Where are you meant to be? What are you meant to be? Who are you meant to be? What stories are you telling?

Wherever, whatever and whoever you are... I bet you're meant to be more. 

You cannot lead, or aspire to lead, until you (start to) understand your purpose and can tell your story.  

Everyone key to your success has a story about you in their head.

A shorthand. A code. 

Whether you like it or not.

You should shape it!

Your success depends on your story

Do you know your story? Do you know what you want? Do you want the tools to get what you want?

Imagine ...What you could achieve, what you could do... if only people "got" you and your idea, your plan, your vision, your business and valued your experience and your ability... 

Persuading people is tough. But... if you get these 4 things right, you have a far better chance at persuading people, changing behaviour, triggering action and changing your life, career, business, industry. I can help you create the (storytelling) tools you need to do this. And you get to keep them to use throughout your career and within your business. 

Your why or your purpose, the words and language you use, the stories you tell and how you deliver these stories.  

You could change your world. If you could just make them care.... 

The New MessageCraft® Storytelling Process

MessageCraft® has never been one of the many quick and dirty “Cut and Paste” one-size-fits-all solutions. Now it is even better. 

MessageCraft® is a rigorous, proven and comprehensive bespoke 10-step spatial awareness preparation process that identifies and limits the danger of variables, eliminates surprises and is engineered to maximise your preparation and your content. I have designed and developed the MessageCraft® storytelling process during my 30+ years in the communications industry. It is still evolving and improving.  

MessageCraft® now includes the DARCK+©️ storybook, storyboard and storytelling system (an upgrade from and expansion on the Squares, Circles and Stripes©️ process) which is where my clients do most of their homework and develop their storybook, and is underpinned by the AARFA©️framework. While the storytelling rules and process remain the same (all cars have 4 wheels) - my coaching is bespoke and tailored specifically for young your circumstances and stories - like a Morgan Motor Car or a Saville Row suit.

The DARCK+©️ storybook, storyboard and storytelling system (which includes the Squares, Circles and Stripes©️ process) identifies, distills, focuses and audits potential stories and boosts your storytelling skills in your quest to change your world. It will also help you speak confidently and without notes and without learning off by heart. 

The AARFA©️framework guides the construction of the story from awareness to action. This framework was fundamental to the success of the work raising awareness of the presence and prevalence of Modern Day Slavery in the United Kingdom. Our immediate tiny team (we could all fit in a car) was lead by Conservative MP Anthony Steen, and introduced Anthony's Private Member's Bill into Parliament and saw it passed. Private Member's Bills hardly ever become law. Anti-Slavery Day is now the 18th October every year. AARFA©️ was part of that. 

MessageCraft® coaching is always bespoke and tailored to your needs and abilities and far more flexible and wide-ranging than standard off-the-shelf coaching which focus only certain aspects like delivery or StageCraft skills. Standard courses merely put the speaker in front of a video camera and clumsily criticise the negatives – blindly accepting the content and totally ignoring the style, personality and circumstances of the deliverer.

Working with me through the MessageCraft® process has been likened to working with Simon Cowell or Gordon Ramsay – audit, then deconstruction, then reconstruction. Robust and constructive feedback is standard. You're looking for a coach, not a groupie. 

My storytelling and speaker coaching is blunt, informal and friendly and conducted either online or in comfortable surroundings in Sussex or London or at your home or business. The coaching is always 1-2-1 as discretion and trust are essential for us to achieve the results you want. The process is demanding, intense and direct and robustly assesses and rebuilds you as a messenger and your message.

Whether you are already a confident, proven leader or a shy novice, I adjust my coaching to suit you. I will always tell you the truth - then work with you to improve the truth. Whatever your level, we all have (factual and perceived) positives and negatives. We will identify and minimise (or completely neutralise or reframe) your negatives and maximise your positives. 

In all multi-stage interview processes - but also in big important events like a speech to the UN, an AGM, an unhappy Boardroom - there is a double requisite of simultaneously fitting and standing out.  Differentiation without scaring the horses. Cause a revolution without appearing to be a revolutionary. Create change and trigger action without capsizing the boat. Some of the best revolutionaries smile sweetly and wear business suits. 

The Focus: What action should the message trigger? How do you want your world to change?

If you have no identified action that you want to trigger – why are you speaking? If you don't want to change your world - stay home and stay quiet. Our entire focus is on changing your world by triggering the actions needed. Because you don't want to continue with the status quo.

I take the time to understand you, your message and your audience. Do you remember the famous line in the old Ogilvy & Mather advert?

“At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.”

David Ogilvy spent over 2 weeks reading about the Rolls Royce in question before he came up with that classic. He took the time to understand the client. He also helped them sell a lot of very expensive, painted metal. I have always been a fan of his approach – it is the way to find the killer line and the deciding argument. The MessageCraft® storytelling process formalises and accelerates that approach. 

DARCK+©️ – The Outcome Focused Storytelling Toolbox

Storytelling is key to getting what we want in life. Storytelling is as old as tribes huddled around campfires. It joins up the dots and makes sense of random information. It turns data into information. It is compelling and memorable. We are hardwired to tell and absorb stories. But we are out of practice and often not very good at it.

Many people put their faith and careers in the primitive STAR system that their parents or grandparents used. I used to use it for my clients, but I was dissatisfied with its lack of focus, so I developed DARCK+©️ to help my clients stand out and win interviews. Which they do. DARCK+©️ is storytelling focused and builds on proven Squares, Circles and Stripes©️method

DARCK+©️ is a story bank identification, articulation and focusing tool that helps my clients harness and tell vivid, persuasive and compelling stories that help their careers and organisations succeed.

Storytelling in Business

Are you in business? Storytelling doesn’t belong in marketing – it belongs on the boss’s desk.*

CEOs and business leaders face significant storytelling challenges, including managing and leading a company, making and communicating strategic business decisions, dealing with a competitive market, managing financial resources, and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. They must also motivate and support their employees, build and maintain relationships with customers and partners, and adapt to changing market conditions and technology. CEOs are often under pressure to meet financial goals and shareholder expectations. The ability to tell compelling stories is key to all of these activities.

*Storytelling does belong in marketing. And on the boss’s desk. But it should not be limited to marketing and the CEO.

Interview Storytelling to get your Promotion or your Dream Job

Are you thinking of changing your career? Or starting your career?

Storytelling is important at every stage in your career too. It doesn’t matter whether you are a fresh-faced graduate or a seasoned executive, your ability to tell your story well will determine your success when interviewing for your next promotion or job.

In which situation are you? How can I help you get what you want? Click here to find some of the ways I can help you. https://peterbotting.co.uk/coaching-services/

storytelling speaker coach peterbotting
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filteredoutworkbook
TED storytelling

Marcus Webb

Chief Storytelling Officer

tedmed

"Peter is one of the best practitioners of “tough love” I’ve ever seen. He’s direct and uncompromising. He “gives it to you with the bark off,” as they say – but you’ll love every minute of working with him."

siemes nixdorf

Rainer Hettinger

Siemens Nixdorf


"Thanks a million Peter – or should I say $400 million?" - after winning a large contract. 

vp marketing csc

Angela Bowland

VP Strategy &
Marketing CSC


"An excellent coach for top level presentations. Great results, expert, high integrity.

Partner

Magic Circle Law Firm


“I was invited to join the partnership! Which of course I accepted! It was an incredible feeling, with a flood of relief and excitement....The partners who interviewed me said how strong my interview had been.”

Head of Public Affairs

FTSE 100 Company


"The interview. For THAT job. Investing in Peter’s coaching obviously worked because I was successful and am absolutely over the moon with my new role. He also guided me through the process of negotiating my salary up which saw an increase of over 35%."

General Counsel

U.K. National Regulatory Agency


“Very pleased to say that I have this afternoon been offered the job. Thanks for your help, it really was invaluable!”

Applications of the MessageCraft® Process

Born and developed during more than three decades of storytelling and presentation coaching, the original 10-step MessageCraft® storytelling toolbox and process now includes my Squares, Circles and Stripes©️ storytelling workbook (now upgraded to the DARCK+©️ storybook, storyboard and storytelling system), and the AARFA©️ framework. It has always been designed and developed with function at its core. 

Politically, I have used my MessageCraft® storytelling principles and tools to help a Prime Minister with his peace speech to the United Nations and to ensure the United Kingdom's NOtoAV national referendum campaign overturned losing 30/70 polls to win a tsunami-like 69% of the national vote. I have helped over 175 people get approved by the Conservative Party, then get selected and then get elected as Members of Parliament. This includes getting past the PAB, Getting Selected and Getting Elected.  

I have helped business leaders around the world, from ambitious StartUp to established PLC tell their stories better, including in the purchase and sale of businesses including a UK contractor to Rolls Royce and an iconic British Football Club.

I have helped serious people including C-suite and C minus1, 2 and 3 tell their stories better when looking for promotion or moving sideways or into new or second careers.  

The most fun of all is helping graduates get their first "proper" job. 

"It's MUCH better than STAR." 

The 10-step MessageCraft® process is a spatial awareness storytelling preparation process that  identifies and limits the danger of variables, eliminates surprises and is engineered to focus your preparation and maximise your impact. 

Messagecraft

The Client Coach Relationship

1-2-1 coaching is up close and personal. I am your coach - you can't delegate the work to me. I coach you and guide you in your work.  

Anybody who claims they own and are selling a magic bullet to giving brilliant presentations and speeches without any hard work or input on your part is a liar. MessageCraft® and DARCK+©️, Squares, Circles and Stripes©️ and AARFA©️are incredibly effective storytelling and communication tools tools. But they are just tools and I am just a storytelling and speaker coach. You have to turn up and do your bit.

Robust and discreet

Honest, disinterested, feedback is a rare commodity for high level executives and politicians. Direct, honest feedback is needed for you to progress and that only works if it is just the two of us. That is why I only coach 1-2-,  although I do offer corporate storytelling workshops.

Manufactured magic isn’t cool. Being a naturally talented public speaker is often part of the persona, the allure, the charisma of high level people. Acknowledging someone else’s role in a performance can tarnish the magic and diminish the speaker.

My clients are the story – I am not. We have all become aware of advisors becoming the story and compromising their client or principal. Some have even had films made about them. My job is to promote YOU and YOUR message and remain an invisible backroom resource.

Paxman-Proof and Paper-Free

Being able to speak without notes and with passion and fluency will set you apart. It is generally expected and very seldom delivered. I call this being Paper-Free.

Being able to handle the most robust questioning is where true professionalism completes the package. I call this being Paxman-Proof.

Homework is extensive and standard. If you do your homework you will be both Paper-Free and Paxman-Proof and closer to getting what you want with words.

Listen to Dr Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech with and without the delivery.

Listen to Winston Churchill's 'Fight them on the beaches' with and without the delivery.