Trump mastered a “central truth of persuasion” … Hillary didn’t.
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In my courses, I emphasize that pitches (think: Powerpoint decks) should be organized around storylines with smooth-flowing logic that is sufficiently compelling to lead the audience to an inescapable conclusion.
For many students, that notion doesn’t come naturally, especially since we typically think about stories in a cultural frame (movies, books, music) … not business communications..
Not only are storylines important in business communications, they are critical in political campaigns.
Just ask Mark McKinnon.
He’s a former Bush marketing adviser who followed around all of the candidates for a Showtime series called (appropriately) “The Circus”.
After 18 months on the campaign trail, McKinnon concluded:
More specifically, McKinnon says:
Voters are attracted to candidates who lay out a storyline.
Losing campaigns communicate unconnected streams of information, ideas, and speeches.
Winning campaigns create a narrative architecture that ties it all together into something meaningful and coherent.
Trump told a story.
Hillary didn’t.
So, how to tell a good story?
The Homa Files 