Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools any communicator can use. Stories help people remember new ideas and connect with each other. They also help people make decisions around who to trust, what action they’ll take, and who they work with!

That’s important not just in everyday working environments, but even more so when you’re going after your next dream job or dream client, and you need to make yourself undeniable. Stories show how you will add value to your next employer or client, and provide real-life examples of your excellence in action.

But where to start? We’ve come up with a five-step story framework called RISMA that will help you organise the story in a logical flow, and make sure the story really sells you. 

RISMA stands for Results, Issue, Solution, Methodology, and Alignment - and here’s how it works:

Results

Unlike other methods you may have heard of, our framework starts at the end of the story - what you achieved for a business, person, or stakeholder. The positive impact you had. Why start here? Because that’s the headline! And it’s much more important than any other element of the story. If people remember or read only one thing from your story, we want this to be it.

Issue

Now we backtrack - what was the issue you were facing, the problem you were trying to solve, or even the opportunity you saw that needed to be addressed? This provides the context and shows how adept you are at identifying opportunities for improving an organisation.

Solution

Here’s where you talk about the solution you (and your team, if applicable) came up with to help address the issue, and achieve the result. It’s a very simple statement, like: “So we decided to implement new technology that would consolidate five of the existing platforms.”

Methodology

Now you can talk about exactly how you implemented that solution. It’s a great way to demonstrate your leadership or strengths in action - and if there was anything novel or unique to your methodology, mention it! It shows innovative thinking.

Alignment

At the end of the day, a prospective client or employer needs to know that your expertise and skills will actually help them. So here is where you show a link between your story, and the employer or client’s needs - how you can help them achieve their strategic goals or tackle their own challenges. For example, you can say something like: “I can see how your company is facing a similar situation, and I know my experience with X can help you manage that.” Or, “I know your vision is to put customers at the heart of your business, which is very similar to what we were aiming to achieve with this project.” 

By following this framework, you’ll be able to build up a bank of stories that demonstrates your brand and values in action, and will make you memorable for all the right reasons with your audience! This means that at your end-of-year review, you’ll have a variety of key callouts to make to your leader that could exemplify what you’ve done for the year, how you’ve developed and even, what you think could help you get that desired bonus.

You could also use our FREE personal brand narrative mini-workbook here to really identify, articulate and strengthen your personal brand for success.