What exactly is business storytelling?

The Who, What, Where, Why and How of Business Storytelling

Business storytelling still feels like a faraway concept to many decision-makers, and why wouldn’t it? It’s something we associate so heavily with fiction and film. I had one client tell me recently he didn’t want any of that ‘character-based stuff.’  No Disney Princess, then I asked.

Absolutely not.

But Disney Princess or not, fiction and non-fiction, communication and content all share a few elements.

Firstly, their purpose is to communicate with an audience; secondly, they all contain characters, even if Princesses are a bit passé; thirdly, but not finally, they both benefit from a set of story-crafting tools.

What Is Business Storytelling?

An approach to communication that aims to connect emotionally with its audience. When applied as an ethos, it changes the shape of the stories you tell and the opportunities for new connections.

Why Use Business Storytelling?

Did you know that emotion is linked to decision-making? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio discovered the link when he studied patients who had damaged the emotional part of the brain. But you don’t need science to tell you this; you can think about the thing that draws you towards people, brands or businesses. Before we can influence people, we need to connect with them; business storytelling is an excellent way to do this.

Where Do You Keep Your Business Stories?

Once you’ve applied the storytelling school of thought to your business, there are plenty of places to keep your content. Your tagline can convey your emotional value: your website or a landing page, a spoken account on YouTube or a podcast. Or you can share them via Social Media. Sharing is the easy bit that comes after the creation!

Your tagline can contain the promise of a story, your home or landing page or the about us page. You can serialise your stories across social media and turn them into your own YouTube videos – there should be no limits on your imagination.

If you’re a brave soul who likes an actual audience, you can use them at live networking or pitch events too.

Who Wants To Read Your Stories?

People who are interested in your products or services – your number one fan, ideal client, perfect collaborator, human being, mentee, etc. Think about the kinds of stories you like to consume? Ones with heart and with emotion.

How Do You Do Business Storytelling?

Okay, this is the tricky bit. Good storytelling is difficult, but it is a craft, so it gets better with deliberate practice. You could start now with the definitions above – what is going to get an emotional reaction from your audience.

Or you could take a look at one of my blogs on writing.

Or you could even get in touch to see how my storytelling could help your business.