When you and your people are experiencing the same problems and want to achieve the same goals, a simple shared story is all you need. But what do you do when you and your people are experiencing different challenges and have different goals? Dean lays out a SagePresence tool that helps you figure it out.
In many conversations — negotiations, sales discussions, client conversations — you and the other person don’t have exactly the same goals.
You want something.
They want something.
And the challenge is finding the win-win.
When I’m navigating that kind of situation, I use a simple tool:
The Story Compass.
A compass doesn’t walk the path for you.
It just helps you find direction.
That’s exactly what the Story Compass does.
It helps you orient yourself in a conversation so you can move toward a solution that works for both sides.
In business development coaching, sales pitch coaching, and leadership presence coaching, having that kind of clarity is invaluable.
The foundation of the Story Compass is simple:
Every person in a conversation is living inside their own story.
And every story has three parts:
So in any conversation, there are two stories happening at once:
In business speaking and executive presentation coaching, understanding both stories is key to influencing effectively.
To use the Story Compass, map both sides:
Their story:
Your story:
Once you’re clear on both, the goal is simple:
Find one action that moves both stories forward.
I worked with an office manager who wanted to transition into business development.
At the same time, their boss wanted to grow into the healthcare market — but lacked relationships and traction.
Two different goals.
Two different problems.
Here’s the action they aligned on:
“Give me six months to build relationships and generate opportunities in healthcare.”
That single action served both stories.
In the end, they both got where they wanted to go.
The Story Compass works because it shifts the focus.
Instead of arguing positions, you’re aligning outcomes.
Instead of competing, you’re collaborating.
In business development communication training and networking coaching, this approach creates stronger, more productive conversations.
The next time you’re trying to find a win-win:
This is especially powerful in AEC interview preparation, client negotiations, and leadership conversations where alignment matters.
At the end of the day, every successful outcome is a story.
A beginning, a middle, and an end.
The Story Compass helps you build that story together.
Because when both sides move forward, that’s when real progress happens.
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