People relate to stories. Details may be lost, but the tale remains.  Think of your favorite films. You may not remember the names of the characters or the places or the exact words, but when we find stories that are meaningful, we project ourselves into them.  Strategic stories acknowledge some larger truth about who we are as humans. Strategic stories provide a window into decision-making, problem solving and the human condition.

People are grabbed by stories they can relate to on the big screen.  Storytelling in business has a similar power.  Employees, customers and investors can be persuaded by characters, situations and values they relate to. Here are a few points to keep in mind when developing a good story.   

PROVIDE CONTEXT

Set the stage

In a business setting, storytellers need to show an understanding of key challenges their audience are wrestling with. The audience needs to understand and relate to characters, obstacles, location, and decisions in the story. 

BOOTS ON THE GROUND

The curiosity of an investigative reporter

Great storytellers are like investigative reporters: they have an insatiable curiosity and drive to uncover stories. They understand how to find and work with sources and prepare a line of questioning to understand key characters, obstacles, and human truths. 

A WELL CHOSEN AND DESIGNED STORY

Begin with the end in mind

Forward-thinking businesses use storytelling as a means to communicate vision, decision making, and shared values. The right story at the right time can create a shared sense of clarity, pride, and inspiration.  This requires developing the architecture of the message, visuals and scripting. Stories have a beginning, middle and end. 

STORYTELLING

Maximizing Effectiveness on Game Day

Everything is transformed in performance, and business is performed on many different stages.  The stage could be a sales meeting in a conference room, a chance encounter in the hallway, a one-on-one coffee break or a gathering of hundreds of leaders in a ballroom. Small things make a difference. Eye contact, the intonation of a voice, body language, props, visuals, and audio can either enhance or detract from your performance.

Storytelling can help achieve multiple purposes including-  rallying the troops, building confidence, communicating who you are, sharing knowledge, and leading into the future.