The art of storytelling today is increasingly used in management and leadership presentations, customer meetings, for stakeholder engagement, above the line activation and even in political circles.
This age-old tradition of passing on information has become THE approach of choice in the busy world of business. Today teams and individuals are using storytelling to get project approval, convince boards on investments, engage employees and excite customers.
So now that storytelling is increasingly hip, more people "get it", and marketeers have finally figured out that PR people were right from the go (smile)... how do you tell a good story?
Surprisingly enough, it seems to be a skill fewer people than expected really possess (and those that have it should be paid more). Perhaps all the talent has already been hired by Hollywood or Disney, where storytelling is at its absolute best!
To support, I've laid out a few tips and tricks to help you tell a great story!
Here are 7 musts that I have found help first time storytellers on their way:
1. Storytelling is NOT about the tools or channels Most companies that are looking to tell a story almost immediately start talking tools and channels. Sorry, but the channel (e.g. social media) or tool (e.g. a press release) does not define the story. You define the story you want to tell to your audiences first, then define the channels and tools that will DELIVER your story.
So... work out a story FIRST and then identify your target audiences (who you want to tell the story to). Once you have achieved that, the "where and how you will post" (ie what the relevant media you should use is) will become evident.
Don’t try to be hip, be relevant.
2. Bringing the kitchen sink to work People don't care and will not listen to your story unless it makes sense to them. It's that simple.
Many companies and political entities fail miserably with storytelling because they look at it from the inside out - its should never about the "we" but always about "them" (those you are adressing). As part of this section I'd like to refer to the first 10 minutes of Simon Sinek's "WHY not what presentation" - I still find it inspiring today and is very easy for people to "get".
For those of you who don’t have time to watch it now...in a nutshell, he makes the point that people don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it. It's the magic ingredient of a good story!
Think about it...Little Red Riding Hood went to see her Grandmother because she was sick (the why). The fact that she had a basket of food with her (the what) only becomes important when you understand the why - the hot soup or cookies are part of making grandma feel better.
If we would focus on the "what" only, Little Red Riding Hood's story would simply be about some kid in a red hoodie delivering food from A to B. Its boring, uninspiring, pointless and nobody cares.
So what does that have to do with the kitchen sink? When you develop a story, put yourself in the shoes of who you are talking to, be down to earth (like you would be at home)... what does your audience want, why would they listen or even care?
To achieve that you need to remove your company hat and step into the body of the people you are communicating to. Be in THEIR world, stand at their proverbial kitchen sink, and look at how your solutions, services and beliefs help them. You will tell a much more relevant, accurate and impactful story. It's why the story of Little Red Riding Hood never goes out of fashion.
3. Create excitement and wonder The look of wonder and amazement on children's faces when they are being read an exciting story by their teacher speaks a thousand words.
And storytelling in corporate environments is no different. We never lose our inner child and stories that deliver a sense of excitement and wonder always work. Again it’s all about stepping out of that internal box and looking at how you can make the story relevant, but also exciting to your audience.
4. Heroes, villains AND benefactors This is an important rule even many people overlook in their storytelling.
Every good story has heroes, villains AND benefactors in it. In the case of Little Red Riding Hood the villain is obviously the wolf, the hero is the Woodsman that comes to save her and grandma (the benefactors) from that wolf.
Think about it. If you were presenting a new product to a customer you would
Explain what the problem (the villain) is - i.e. the big bad wolf is blocking food from getting through
Clarify that you are the solution (in this case you are the woodsman, saving the day!)
And to whose benefit? Well, your customer of course (grandma & Little Red)
I've seen a lot of presentation stop at point 2, assuming that the customer will simply connect the dots on how your company can help his business. Well... no not really. So when you tell your story, ensure that the benefactor is clearly understanding the benefit to them!
5. Keep it simple! You have heard this before, I know, but it's still one of the single biggest mistakes many people who tell a story make.
Look for the essence of your story (the key message) and the proof that you will deliver to make your point - and deliver only that!
Simple analogy: If you bring a whole big cake to a meeting with one person as a gift, he will most likely eat only one slice before he's full.
It's the same reality with information. Tell your story simply by being clear about the message you want to leave behind - one slice of the cake at a time. The more you cram into your story, the more complex it gets. If the customer bites and likes it, you can then offer him another slice with a simple message, building on the previous one. It's simply easier to digest.
6. Connecting into endorsers Never underestimate the impact that endorsement has on your story.
Credibility is not something a lot of companies can get on their own, and to be honest, should not. Bring credibility to your story by quoting a customer, teaming up with other suppliers to complete your story or support initiatives that re-enforce your commitment.
7. Keep it consistent!
Stick to your story! You don't see most major corporations taking a 360 degree turn on why they exist, who they are and what they deliver - and when they do the risk of leaving a majority of their audience confused is high.
Yes, stories evolve over time, which is fine and necessary to keep up with an ever changing world, but your baseline story - why your company exists, what it does and how it will make a difference should not.
Of course you can personalize your story to specific audiences, but I've seen people change their company baseline story to achieve sales. The result... the customer will be disappointed in you when they discover that the story you told them does not match what they pay for.
Don't be shy to get help from your marketing team here, you can adapt by personalizing, but you cannot change the essence of the story.
I could probably put down ten more tips, but will leave that for a future post. In the meantime - go out there and tell your story! Good luck!
#storytelling #strategy #communications #leadership #change #presentations #publicrelations #internalcomms
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