"Story Sprinting" at the GACEP Spring Conference

“Story Sprints” will help start the GACEP Spring Conference with lots of energy by featuring our amazing community members as you share short stories about anything Customer Engagement – teams making triumph from trial, meaningful moments, trends you’re seeing, or even silly things like singing your story!

We look forward to hearing your ideas and supporting you as you develop an energizing and thought-provoking talk that shares your ideas, passions, and new visions. 

Format
The “Story Sprint” format is very specific. Here is the gist of it:

You get 20 slides. No more, no less.

Slides automatically advance every 15 seconds. No more, no less (get the pattern? :))

This format is not flexible, but don’t worry – you can read your story – you don’t have to memorize it! It might feel like you want to tweak the number of slides or the length of a slide here and there, so it flows better, but sticking with the format is part of the fun. Time is our most precious commodity, and hundreds of people will give you five minutes of attention. Make it count!

Every one of your slides matters. Every word you say matters. It’s a tall order, but each of you have lived rich, complicated lives that have informed your perspectives on life, work, cultural institutions, society, our shared futures, and histories. You each already have everything you need. 

Research
We are borrowing this idea from a community called MCN where our own Brad Baer is an active member and has done several of what they call “Ignite” Talks. Brad brought the idea to the GACEP Spring Conference Committee, and the committee was really excited to bring it to our community.

Here are a couple of examples of the format including a “Why and how to give a “Ignite” talk”…in the format!:

Why and how to give an Ignite Talk by Scott Berkun
From Portable Bathtubs to AI by Brad Baer

How to Start
We suggest you focus on what you'll say first and worry about the slides later. As the above video mentions, plan to make at most five significant points in your talk. To start, define these major points, then write a script for your talk. Use a timer to figure out how much you can say in 15 seconds and start writing up your talk as one paragraph per slide.

Think about your pace, too. Don't plan on speaking fast to squeeze in as many words as you can in 15 seconds. Talk slowly and allow for pauses after important or thought-provoking points. Brad tells us he estimated about two sentences or 30 words per slide. As he was developing his text, it looked like this:

[Slide 1]
Hello, MCN friends, and welcome to the city of Brother Love and Sister Affection. I’m here tonight to hopefully ease your concerns about innovation and to tell you why I believe that the easiest way to understand -and be hopeful- about the future is to actually look to the past.
 
[Slide 2]
You see, while modern technology might be disrupting the world at a speed we’ve never seen, I’d like to posit that today’s advancements closely mirror the progress that was witnessed nearly 150 years ago at the Centennial Exhibition just 3 miles away from here.
 
[Slide 3]
It was the country’s first official World Fair and brought us lasting contributions such as popcorn, bananas, the band-aid, root beer, ketchup, and a glimpse of what the empowerment of women outside of the home could and should look like thanks to Ben Franklin’s great-grand-daughter.
 
[Slide 4]
The exhibit was a version of a “metaverse” for Americans who couldn’t afford a trip to Europe. It was multi-sensory and provided a mix of curation and exploration - all for 50 cents- $14 dollars in today’s world. Much cheaper than a $3,500 Apple headset.

Each slide is precious! Make sure your words for each slide aren’t filler but move your story forward. It's okay to write out your talk word-for-word, and it's also okay to read your talk word-for-word on stage! When you watch other talks, you'll notice some speakers do their talks this way. The trick is to practice speaking your talk in a way that sounds natural, and no one will notice.

Make it Personal
Be sure to add a personal story or hook to your talk. Talks that stick with people or leave a lasting impression are often those where the speaker has the bravery to show vulnerability and share why the topic is personal to them. The GACEP Community is one of the most supportive audiences you could have. They not only want to hear your ideas, but they always want to get to know YOU a little more. We encourage you to share why your talk is personal!

Also, end your talk with a call to action. Now that you’ve shared your soul with the audience, what can they do now?

Schedule
We will fully support you as you prepare. Here's our expected schedule:

By Friday, February 13: Submit your interest and your idea for your “Story Sprint”. We have time for 6 stories during this segment of the General Session, and we ask you to submit a few sentences about the story you want to share so we have a variety of story topics.

Week of March 2: Story Sprinters Orientation Call. We’ll set up a time that works for everyone (or at least most) to get on a call to meet each other, ask questions, etc. Then, you'll begin work on your rough draft.

Week of March 23: Our General Session Committee will be available to listen and coach each of you as you talk through the rough draft of your Story Sprint. The GACEP Team is also happy to meet as much as you'd like. Just email us and we’ll set something up!

Week of April 6: Virtual run-through. We'll get on a call for a dress rehearsal. Exact time and date will be based on the availability of all presenters and we’ll try to book that early.

April 20: We’ll meet before the general session begins on site to have a live practice run, and then at the general session itself, you’ll have a blast sharing and sprinting (new meaning for this verb) your story!

Questions? Email info@gacep.com

We're excited to hear your "Story Sprints" and have fun with you as you share them!
The Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals (GACEP) Team