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Liz Brown

How To Use Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling in Product Design to Pitch UX

Have you ever struggled to get buy-in for User Experience (UX) design? Or a specific UX idea?

Struggled to convince decision-makers to allow you to do UX for a project, and give you the support, time, and money to actually get the job done well?

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How To Use Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling in Product Design to Pitch UX

Have you ever struggled to get buy-in for User Experience (UX) design? Or a specific UX idea?

Struggled to convince decision-makers to allow you to do UX for a project, and give you the support, time, and money to actually get the job done well?

Whether you’re casually talking to someone (a developer, junior designer, project lead) about the value UX brings to a project, or you’re presenting a UX proposal to a potential client, or you’re nervously pitching UX or a UX idea to leadership, in any of those cases you can significantly increase the likelihood that these people will pay attention to you by doing one thing.

This tactic works by setting up the conditions for your audience to lean-in and give you all-ears — well before you share, or ask for, anything.

This tactic is about creating a bit of mystery by sharing something at the beginning or during your conversation that encourages people to stay with you until you decide your audience is ready for the reveal.

If you're still reading, perhaps you're proof that this tactic works.

This course teaches you about this tactic and how to use it yourself to help you get buy-in for UX. In this course you'll learn:

  1. What this tactic is, and why it matters.

  2. How to hook and hold attention when getting buy-in for UX, with several real-world examples.

  3. The formula to use this tactic in your own conversations, meetings, presentations, or pitches. And we will look at each piece of the formula side-by-side with an example so you can see the real-world application.

  4. How to build out your own version of this solution, and answers to the common questions I get.

  5. Lastly, we will end with an action summary. So you have a nice concise list of action items and takeaways from this course.

There will be activities, downloadable PDFs, and you will have me to answer any questions.

One of the big problems we have is not knowing what to say when either:

(1) the conversation goes off on a tangent (like someone starts listing all the reasons why UX wouldn't be feasible), or

(2) when our audience’s attention starts to drift.

The solution taught in this course allows you to recapture and redirect attention. This tactic WORKS and is PROVEN.

It’s based on neuroscience and research about how the human brain receives and processes messages and ideas, like those about UX.

Once you’ve mastered this tactic, you will be able to... confidently pitch UX knowing that at any point, if someone starts to derail you or say that UX is not actually needed, you can gracefully redirect the conversation without them even realizing what you did. Or if your audience starts to space out, this tactic also works for recapturing their attention, snapping their brains back to your main point about UX.

There is a lot to know to become an expert at pitching UX, but this course teaches you that first skill. Allowing you to control attention. It’s not too much to overwhelm you. Just one core tactic to get you started and on the track to success :)

I designed this course for people who... have ever found themselves needing to advocate for UX to leaders, clients, or decision-makers. People who need support for UX so they can create USER-friendly experiences, but struggle to get decision-makers to take them or UX seriously.

This course comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, you can get your money back, no questions asked.

I invite you to watch some of the free preview videos, where I also reveal what this tactic is.

If you're ready, I'm going to teach you the first skill to help you get buy-in for UX. I can't wait to see you in the course.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • A key tactic to help you get buy-in for ux or your ux idea
  • The formula to use this tactic in your own conversations, meetings, presentations, or pitches
  • How to hook and hold attention when you're a "nobody" talking to "big wigs"
  • When to recapture or redirect attention back to your "ask" (your request for ux buy-in)
  • How to gracefully segue into using this tactic
  • What to say immediately afterward to seal the deal
  • What to say to solidify your authority to advocate for ux

Syllabus

Getting Started
What You Will Get Out Of This Course
Introduction: Who Am I?
Origins of This Course
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Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

Career center

Learners who complete Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Product Manager
A Product Manager guides the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for a product throughout its lifecycle. This demanding role requires constant interplay with diverse stakeholders, from engineering to sales and executive leadership, to align on product vision and secure resources. The course "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" is exceptionally relevant for this career. It equips a Product Manager with a proven tactic to seize attention and build intrigue when explaining complex product concepts or pitching new initiatives. By mastering the art of the persuasive cliffhanger, one can ensure that internal teams and external partners remain engaged, understand the value, and eagerly anticipate the "reveal" of a product's potential, thereby significantly increasing the likelihood of successful project approvals and strategic alignment.
User Experience Designer
A User Experience Designer meticulously crafts intuitive and enjoyable interactions for digital products and services. While the core of this role involves research, prototyping, and testing, a crucial aspect for career advancement is effectively communicating and gaining approval for design decisions and proposals. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course directly addresses this challenge, teaching powerful persuasive storytelling techniques. Learners acquire a formula to hook and hold attention, gracefully redirect conversations, and solidify their authority when advocating for UX solutions to leaders, clients, or decision-makers. This enables a User Experience Designer to confidently pitch their ideas, ensuring their user-centric designs receive the necessary support, time, and resources to be implemented successfully, directly impacting product quality and user satisfaction.
Consultant
A Consultant advises organizations on various strategic, operational, or technical challenges, providing expert insights and recommending solutions. A core part of this role involves presenting findings and persuading clients to adopt proposed strategies or changes, often to "big wigs" who are busy and skeptical. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course is profoundly relevant for a Consultant. It teaches a formula to structure pitches and presentations that seizes attention from the outset, cultivates intrigue, and maintains engagement throughout a complex discussion. By mastering this tactic, consultants can more effectively advocate for their recommendations, confidently navigate challenging conversations, and ensure their expert advice is not only heard but also acted upon, leading to impactful client outcomes. This role often requires an advanced degree.
Change Management Specialist
A Change Management Specialist guides organizations through significant transitions, helping employees and leadership adopt new processes, technologies, or structures. This role demands exceptional abilities in communication, influence, and winning over skeptical individuals or groups. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course offers highly relevant skills for a Change Management Specialist. It provides a proven tactic to seize attention and build immense intrigue around the rationale and benefits of proposed changes. By applying the formula for persuasive storytelling, these professionals can more effectively articulate the "why" behind transitions, gracefully redirect resistance, and ultimately secure the crucial support and understanding needed from all decision-makers and employees to successfully implement and sustain organizational change.
Sales Executive
A Sales Executive focuses on generating revenue by identifying prospective clients, understanding their needs, and presenting compelling solutions. Success in this role hinges on the ability to capture and maintain a potential client's interest and guide them toward a purchasing decision. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course offers invaluable techniques that a Sales Executive may find helpful. It teaches how to use strategic narrative structure to hook attention, create intrigue, and keep an audience engaged until the critical moment of the "ask." This approach helps sales professionals to differentiate their pitches, overcome objections by gracefully redirecting conversations, and ensure their message resonates, thereby building stronger connections and closing more deals.
Business Development Manager
A Business Development Manager identifies new growth opportunities, cultivates partnerships, and secures contracts to expand an organization's reach and revenue. This career path necessitates exceptional interpersonal skills, particularly in pitching proposals and negotiating with potential collaborators or clients. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course is highly applicable for this role. It provides a powerful tactic to structure conversations and presentations to hook and hold attention, creating immense intrigue around a proposed partnership or project. This ability to articulate value persuasively and control the narrative flow helps a Business Development Manager to confidently advocate for new ventures, gracefully manage discussions, and secure the crucial buy-in needed to transform potential opportunities into successful collaborations.
Communications Director
A Communications Director oversees an organization's internal and external communications, shaping its narrative and ensuring consistent messaging across all channels. This senior role demands exceptional abilities in strategic storytelling, persuasive advocacy, and influencing diverse audiences, from employees to media and executive leadership. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course is highly relevant for a Communications Director. It provides a powerful framework for creating messages that seize attention, build immense intrigue, and effectively persuade stakeholders on critical communication strategies or initiatives. By mastering this tactic, a Communications Director can more confidently advocate for their vision, gracefully manage sensitive discussions, and ensure their organization's stories are heard, understood, and acted upon, strengthening reputation and engagement. This role often requires an advanced degree.
Public Relations Specialist
A Public Relations Specialist is responsible for managing an organization's public image, crafting compelling narratives, and communicating key messages to various stakeholders including media, customers, and the general public. Success in PR relies on the ability to capture attention and shape perceptions through compelling storytelling. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for a Public Relations Specialist to refine their persuasive communication. It offers a powerful tactic for structuring messages to create intrigue, hook and hold attention, and control the narrative, whether pitching to journalists or presenting to internal leadership. This ability allows a Public Relations Specialist to more effectively advocate for their communication strategies and ensure their messages resonate powerfully and achieve desired visibility and reputation outcomes.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and executing strategies to promote products, services, or brands to target audiences. This involves crafting compelling messages that resonate both externally with customers and internally with stakeholders who need to approve campaigns. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for a Marketing Manager by refining their persuasive communication skills. It provides a structured approach to storytelling, enabling them to present marketing proposals, campaign concepts, or brand strategies with a captivating narrative arc. By learning to seize attention, build intrigue, and deliver information strategically, they can more effectively advocate for their vision, engage internal teams, and ultimately create more impactful and memorable marketing communications that connect with audiences and drive desired outcomes.
Project Manager
A Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects, ensuring they meet objectives within scope, time, and budget. This often requires securing resources, aligning diverse teams, and getting approval from various stakeholders. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for a Project Manager in enhancing their persuasive communication. The course's focus on hooking and holding attention, and gracefully redirecting conversations when they drift or face opposition, can be particularly beneficial. By learning the tactic of persuasive cliffhanger storytelling, a Project Manager can more effectively present project proposals, update stakeholders, and advocate for specific approaches, empowering them to secure the necessary buy-in and cooperation to keep projects on track and achieve successful outcomes.
User Researcher
A User Researcher investigates user behaviors, needs, and motivations to inform product design and strategy. While their primary focus is data collection and analysis, a critical part of the role involves presenting findings to product teams, designers, and leadership, and advocating for user-centered solutions. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for a User Researcher. It equips them with a tactic to make their research findings more compelling and actionable. By applying persuasive cliffhanger storytelling, a User Researcher can present complex data in an engaging way, hook stakeholders' attention, and gracefully redirect discussions that might challenge user needs. This ensures that valuable insights are not only heard but also understood and translate into impactful design and product decisions, securing the necessary buy-in for user advocacy.
Content Strategist
A Content Strategist plans, develops, and manages content initiatives across various platforms to meet business objectives and engage target audiences. This role involves not only creating impactful content but also gaining internal buy-in for content strategies and approaches. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for a Content Strategist in sharpening their persuasive communication. The course's techniques for seizing attention and building intrigue are directly applicable to crafting compelling content narratives and pitching content strategies to stakeholders. By using persuasive cliffhanger storytelling, a Content Strategist can more effectively advocate for their content vision, ensuring that their proposed stories and campaigns resonate with decision-makers and ultimately captivate audiences, leading to greater content effectiveness and strategic impact.
Learning and Development Specialist
A Learning and Development Specialist designs and delivers training programs and initiatives to enhance employee skills and organizational performance. A key aspect of this role is engaging learners and securing organizational support for training investments. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for a Learning and Development Specialist. It offers tactics for capturing and maintaining attention, which is crucial for effective instruction and for convincing leadership to invest in development programs. By applying persuasive cliffhanger storytelling, these professionals can make their training materials more engaging and present their program proposals to stakeholders with greater impact, ensuring that learning initiatives receive the necessary buy-in and resonate deeply with both learners and decision-makers.
Grant Writer
A Grant Writer researches, writes, and submits proposals to secure funding from foundations, corporations, or government agencies. This role requires the ability to articulate needs and proposed solutions compellingly and persuasively to potential funders. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for a Grant Writer. While not directly about grant writing mechanics, the course's emphasis on persuasive storytelling and creating intrigue can significantly enhance a proposal's impact. By learning to strategically hook attention and build anticipation for the "reveal" of needs and solutions, a Grant Writer can craft more captivating narratives that resonate with review committees, increasing the likelihood of securing crucial funding to support vital projects and initiatives.
Academic Researcher or Professor
An Academic Researcher or Professor conducts research, publishes findings, and teaches students in a specialized field. While deep expertise is paramount, effectively communicating research to peers, securing grant funding, and engaging students requires strong presentation and persuasive skills. The "Get UX Design Buy-In: Persuasive Cliffhanger Storytelling" course may be helpful for an Academic Researcher or Professor. It offers valuable insights into hooking and holding attention using persuasive storytelling, which is directly applicable to pitching research proposals, presenting at conferences, or delivering engaging lectures. By learning to structure information to build intrigue and gracefully manage audience attention, they can make their complex work more accessible and impactful, fostering greater understanding and securing crucial support for their academic endeavors. This role typically requires an advanced degree.

Reading list

We haven't picked any books for this reading list yet.
Presents a set of fundamental design principles that can be applied to any type of design, including UX design.
Explores the broader field of interaction design, including the design of physical products and services.
Discusses the role of emotions in UX design and how to create products that evoke positive emotional responses.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the UX design process, from user research to information architecture.
This handbook provides practical advice on how to develop effective persuasive messages.
This foundational text in the field of persuasion, outlining six key principles that influence compliance. It's essential for gaining a broad understanding and is often used as a core text in academic settings. provides the basic building blocks for understanding why people say 'yes'.
Building on the principles in 'Influence', this book explores what happens *before* the persuasion attempt to make it more successful. It's highly relevant for contemporary applications and deepens the understanding of the psychological processes at play. Useful for both students and professionals seeking an edge in ethical influence.
This classic work on rhetoric explores the principles of persuasion and how they can be used to achieve desired outcomes.
Collection of essays that explore the psychology of persuasion.

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