Storytelling is a powerful communication tool. The wisdom of the ages has been preserved because it was handed down the generations through myths, legends, fables and parables. If it can survive thousands of years, then imagine what it can, right now, do for your business.
Neurologically we’re wired for narratives; it’s how our brains work. Stories connect people to each other because of the resonance they create – we identify with stories and think “yes, that sounds like me too”.
There are five key areas where storytelling can work well to enhance the success of your business communications:
1 Every brand needs a lapel-grabbing narrative
There is a hunger for real stories that has been fuelled by a decade of news coverage showing that all is not what it seems. There is a dearth of trust between consumers and the corporate enterprises that sell to them. To close that trust gap businesses need to tell the real stories behind their brands.
Authentic brand stories not only need to tell the truth they must also adhere to the spirit of the truth. Consumers are inspired to hear stories such as the company’s passion for their brands, their concern for consumers’ wellbeing, their sustainability and social responsibility initiatives.
2 Effective teams comprise individuals with integrated stories
Teams are made up of individuals each with their unique set of stories. The art of storytelling can be used to identify sources of discontent and then to create a new empowering team story that aligns people. That in turn builds the energy, motivation and determination that ultimately fuels success.
3 Company culture reflects the harvest of stories on its grapevine
Large scale mergers, de-mergers or other changes to business structures are commonplace. When these occur it isn’t enough simply to integrate business systems – people also need to be integrated. We are storytelling creatures and everyone has a story about every situation that they are in.
People’s stories are windows into their belief systems. In any organisation there are as many stories about what’s going on as there are people. When there is an aligned culture within the organisation the stories that people inside the organisation believe and tell are coherent and that creates a powerful synergy to catapult the business forward.
4 Storytelling is the torch that illuminates a leader’s vision
Studies have shown that a well-told story, with a traditional narrative arc, takes people on a journey, stimulates their emotions, causes the release of neurotransmitters in their brain and makes it more likely that they will take action.
The story or stories that are told might be true personal stories, anecdotes from industry or markets, traditional myths or legends that extol the message, or a myth that you craft yourself to engage and stimulate your audience.
5 Personal stories resonate universally
The most powerful use of storytelling by far is to tell a personal tale with a moral or a learning that communicates your message. The phenomenal popularity of the brand TED is a testament to the power of personal storytelling to spread ideas.
The more personal a story you tell the more it is likely to resonate universally. That’s because our personal stories usually tap into fundamental life themes. So while you might balk at the idea of sharing a story from your personal life it may enable you to connect with your audience and communicate in a deep and memorable way.
Every business problem has at its heart a communication conundrum. Well used, storytelling is mind-bogglingly powerful at bringing clarity to every area of business communications whether they are customer-facing, such as in branding and corporate communications, or internal such as in leadership, cultural change, team dynamics and innovation.
Completely agree with everything you’ve said here Claire! I get annoyed when people are flippant about marketers wanting to be storytellers too, but I say that you can be both. Who doesn’t market themselves when telling stories? If you rescue a cat from a tree and tell somebody about it: You’re marketing yourself as a hero-type.
We need to embrace the art of storytelling if we want people to listen to us. Businesses need to let down their guards and become open to the world, and storytelling is a great way to achieve this.
Interesting post! I think that Storytelling has the power to connect people to a business in ways that no other method can. Of course, it’s hard. It means thinking in abstract terms, it mean taking chances, it means being vulnerable – but it’s exactly all of these things that people are looking for. People want to feel a connection with a business, to know that there are good people, real people, behind it and that the world isn’t all cold, harsh data and finance.
I recently wrote a blog on the art of storytelling in marketing, and I scoured the internet for examples too. I haven’t been so thoroughly moved by marketing since I started working in this industry.
I wrote something very similar to this recently, and I had the pleasure of searching the internet for examples of stories in marketing and I have to say: I’ve never been moved by marketing so much in all my life. Each and every example made me like the company more and more. It made me want to actually engage with them. THAT’S our jobs as marketers. That’s our jobs as storytellers.
Here’s the blog: http://www.getspokal.com/the-art-of-storytelling-in-content-marketing/#more-6540
Anyways, thanks for the great read!