Prove value with narratives that connect problems, proof, and outcomes. Practice structures and evidence that make stakeholders believe and act.
In value proof, the core arc that persuades stakeholders is ______.
problem → action → quantified outcome
persona → color palette → CTA
brand origin → awards → tagline
feature list → roadmap → pricing tiers only
For executive audiences, the most credible ‘hero’ of the story is usually ______.
your own CEO
an anonymous quote with no specifics
a peer customer with comparable context
a fictional character used for humor
To avoid ‘feature dumping,’ anchor the story to ______.
your internal OKRs
a history of company rebrands
the longest list of specs
the audience’s desired outcomes and decision criteria
A practical structure for a one‑slide value story is ______.
eleven screenshots of the UI
a timeline without results
before (baseline) / after (improvement) with 1–3 metrics
a glossary of acronyms
The most persuasive metrics are ______.
buyer‑centric (e.g., time‑to‑value, cost saved, risk reduced) with sourcing noted
only vanity (likes, impressions) with no link to outcomes
internal awards count
presentation slide count
Strong stories balance emotion with ______ to prevent skepticism.
mystery reveals
animated transitions
long backstory
evidence (benchmarks, third‑party data, or audited results)
To make numbers stick, pair them with ______.
a stock photo only
fine‑print legalese on every slide
a vivid concrete moment from the customer’s world
three layers of buzzwords
When stakeholders are multi‑functional, tailor the same story by ______.
adding every possible metric to one slide
keeping the narrative constant but swapping evidence slices per function
changing the core problem for each person
removing outcomes to be ‘neutral’
A warning sign your story is weak is ______.
using two colors only
brief meetings
slides without animations
no clear baseline for the claimed improvement
For repeatability, teams should maintain a ______ library.
pile of unused logos
collection of unvetted mockups
folder of unsourced quotes
case‑story library with vetted metrics and sourcing notes
Starter
Good start—review fundamentals and examples, then apply them on a small project.
Solid
Strong grasp—tighten edge cases and instrument results with better evidence.
Expert!
Excellent—your judgment balances narrative, proof, and product experience.
