Whether it's your own personal bio, a summary for your company's "about" page, or a pitch to a major client, fitting everything important into a concise yet engaging narrative is a challenging task. So we turned to performer, comedian, and storytelling guru David Crabb to share his storytelling framework. It's called the Five Beats of Storytelling, and you can use it to make any story more interesting, engaging, and memorable.

For example, let's say you’re a business major-turned-illustrator who’s jumped from finance to freelance and is now seeking an in-house position. When the interviewer asks about your work history, you’ll want to convey how your background is relevant, your excellent work ethic, and your passion for the position. The five beats can help you hit your mark AND keep your audience engaged. Here's how it breaks down:

Beat 1: The introduction

Where you set the scene and tell your readers everything they need to know to understand why what you’re about to say is important. According to Crabb, this is the only beat that should include any summary.

Beat 2: The inciting incident

The question that your story is asking OR when the protagonist (you or your company) is faced with a challenge. This is a great place to show vulnerability; people are often wary of doing this in professional scenarios, but it makes a big impact when it's done well. If you share struggles or failures in the beginning, the accomplishments that you describe later will resonate even more with your audience since they will be rooting for you to succeed.

Beat 3: Raising the stakes

A series of moments that give weight and context to the inciting incident. This is a great place to get specific and provide details that will make your story more memorable. People glaze over when you focus too much on broad strokes; details give your story a local habitation and a name. Crabb says, “This can be as simple as the difference between, “I went to Art College in Detroit” versus "I went to college in Detroit – you know, Motor City – but I opted for Art School instead of a job at GM.” At this point your audience should understand the inciting incident and be intrigued as to how your story will end.

Beat 4: The main event

This is where we see the inciting incident come to a head (aka the climax). This is either the answer to the question we asked in the second beat or where the protagonist solves his or her dilemma — a pivot or a change (even if it’s just a shift in attitude) should occur.

Beat 5: The resolution

In the fifth beat, you have an opportunity to highlight what makes the story unique. If you’ve just described a failure or challenge, this would be the time to reflect on what you learned. This is also where you could try to sell something — if you’re using storytelling as part of a pitch — or recap your competency if applying for a job.

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What’s your experience?

Do you have any tips or tricks to make your stories more memorable?