Burn the Deck
John Brunswick

How Storytellers Win When Everyone Else Sounds the Same

Workbook Collection

All workbooks from the book in one place for easy reference

15 m read

This chapter brings together all the workbooks from throughout the book. Each workbook is designed to help you apply the concepts from its source chapter. Use this collection as a quick reference before meetings, presentations, or discovery calls.

From Chapter

What Will They Say?

Workbook: The Retellability Test

Before any presentation, ask yourself these questions to ensure your message will spread:

Ask Yourself

1

Can I predict what they will say about us when we leave the room?

If no:

Define your "remarkable moment" before the meeting

2

Is there something from my session worth discussing with others?

If no:

Add a surprising insight, stark contrast, or memorable transformation

3

Could my champion retell the core message in 30 seconds?

If no:

Simplify until the transformation is crystal clear

4

Would their stakeholders understand and care without context?

If no:

Frame for the CFO hallway conversation, not the technical deep-dive

5

Is my message remarkable (worthy of being remarked upon)?

If no:

Find what makes this distinctive from every other vendor conversation

6

Have I reverse-engineered from the outcome I want?

If no:

Start with what you want them to say, then build backward

From Chapter

Know Your Buyer

Workbook: The Relevancy Audit

Before any meeting, run through this checklist to ensure you have done the research that makes your conversation relevant:

Ask Yourself

1

Can I name a macro trend affecting their industry right now?

If no:

Research ecosystem forces from World Economic Forum, Gartner, or industry reports

2

Have I reviewed industry-specific goals and challenges from consulting research?

If no:

Check McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or Accenture public analyses for their vertical

3

Do I know their company's stated priorities from earnings calls or 10K?

If no:

Find CEO/leadership statements on YouTube, podcasts, or annual reports

4

Can I describe their business unit's specific KPIs and current projects?

If no:

Research or ask in prior conversations what metrics they are measured on

5

Have I researched the individual backgrounds of people I am meeting?

If no:

Review LinkedIn profiles, recent posts, and role responsibilities

6

Do I have social proof from a similar company, use case, or industry?

If no:

Identify relevant customer stories that mirror their situation

From Chapter

Discovery in the Age of AI

Workbook: The Pre-Call Audit

Before your next discovery call, run each question through this filter to ensure you are asking buyer-focused questions:

Ask Yourself

1

Could the buyer answer my question with a 5-second Google search?

If no:

Rephrase as a hypothesis that proves you researched them

2

Does this question prove I did my homework, or expose that I did not?

If no:

Add specific context from their company, industry, or role

3

Am I asking for my benefit or for theirs?

If no:

Reframe to validate or expand on what they already know

4

Would I be annoyed if someone asked me this question?

If no:

Transform it into an insight they have not considered

5

Have I asked what they have already learned about solutions like ours?

If no:

Respect their AI research and build on it

6

Do I have a hypothesis to test rather than a blank slate to fill?

If no:

Prepare a point of view based on similar companies

From Chapter

Building Trust Through Presence

Workbook: The Trust Audit

Before any presentation, assess your trust-building readiness:

Ask Yourself

1

Do I have a genuine personal connection to this message?

If no:

Find intersection between your passion and their success

2

Am I being transparent about limitations and tradeoffs?

If no:

Add candid discussion of what you do not do well

3

Have I considered how this impacts them personally (not just their company)?

If no:

Connect to their stress, career, and daily experience

4

Am I reading and responding to their emotional state?

If no:

Pause to check: are they excited, concerned, or anxious?

5

Would I trust someone who presented this way to me?

If no:

Apply the "mirror test" to your own delivery

6

Is my presence (body language, tone, energy) aligned with my message?

If no:

Remember: 55% nonverbal, 38% vocal, 7% words

From Chapter

Engineering Memorable Moments

Workbook: The Peak Moment Planner

Before any demonstration, ensure you have engineered moments that will be remembered:

Ask Yourself

1

Do I have at least one "Wait, it can DO that?" moment?

If no:

Engineer a surprise that violates their expectations

2

Am I building anticipation before my reveal (not giving it away upfront)?

If no:

Create buildup with tension before delivering the payoff

3

Do I have a specific customer story with a named person?

If no:

Replace generic logos with one detailed, relatable narrative

4

Have I planned callbacks that reference earlier moments?

If no:

Connect later demonstrations to earlier data or context

5

Will they remember this moment tomorrow?

If no:

Test for emotional impact and distinctiveness

6

Does my demo feel like a unified story or a feature tour?

If no:

Add narrative cohesion through callbacks and transformation arcs

From Chapter

Boost Engagement with Interaction

Workbook: The Interaction Planner

Before any presentation, plan your interactive elements to transform passive watching into active participation:

Ask Yourself

1

Is there a moment where my audience actively participates?

If no:

Add a click, choice, question, or hands-on element

2

Have I planned a medium change to reset attention?

If no:

Include a video, whiteboard drawing, or physical handout

3

Will they feel ownership of what we create together?

If no:

Let them contribute data or make choices that shape the demo

4

Do I have a physical or digital leave-behind?

If no:

Create a placemat or summary they can reference later

5

Am I presenting "at" them or creating "with" them?

If no:

Shift from monologue to dialogue with participation moments

6

Have I planned for attention span resets every 10-15 minutes?

If no:

Add interactive segments to prevent passive zone-out

From Chapter

Story Fundamentals

Workbook: The Anchoring Checklist

Before any presentation, pitch, or conversation, run through this checklist:

Ask Yourself

1

Can I name a specific person (or role) this story is about?

If no:

Add a protagonist who mirrors your buyer

2

Have I described their situation before the change?

If no:

Paint the 'before' picture with specific pain points

3

Is there an obstacle that makes the transformation meaningful?

If no:

Identify what was preventing success

4

Did I show the change, not just describe the product?

If no:

Reframe features as transformations

5

Is the outcome concrete and measurable?

If no:

Add specific metrics, time saved, or qualitative improvements

6

Could my champion retell this in 30 seconds?

If no:

Simplify until the core transformation is crystal clear

From Chapter

Weaving Metrics Into Story

Workbook: The Metrics Anchor

Before sharing any metric, run through this checklist to ensure your numbers land with impact:

Ask Yourself

1

Is every metric anchored to a specific person, not a population?

If no:

Name someone whose life changed before citing the number

2

Have I described the felt experience before attaching the number?

If no:

Show stress reduced, time freed, or confidence gained first

3

Am I leading with concrete change, not abstract percentages?

If no:

Translate "60% faster" into "goes home on time"

4

Am I saving detailed analytics for my closing summary?

If no:

Lead with one person's story, prove with aggregate data later

5

Does my audience need to do mental math to understand the impact?

If no:

Remove the translation burden by showing the human reality

6

Will they remember the transformation, or just the number?

If no:

Make the person memorable; the metric becomes proof of their change

From Chapter

Buyer Story Templates

Workbook: The Story Readiness Check

Before delivering any story, ensure you have these six ingredients ready:

Ask Yourself

1

Am I telling a story, not listing features or giving advice?

If no:

Wrap your message in a transformation narrative

2

Does my story follow a transformation arc (before, challenge, after)?

If no:

Add a clear before state, obstacle, and outcome

3

Does my opening hook grab attention with "How I/they + achievement"?

If no:

Reframe your opening to lead with the result

4

Am I using simple language a friend would understand?

If no:

Remove jargon and shorten sentences

5

Does my story end with a question that invites conversation?

If no:

Replace closing statements with an open question

6

Could my audience retell this story to their team?

If no:

Simplify until the core is repeatable in 30 seconds

Next
Storytelling Inspiration