By Ken Ingram – Storytelling as a strategy. Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. Plato
We are all challenged today not only because of global competition and the war for talent, but also because the pandemic has made it harder and costlier to do business. This means we need to up our game and change our business strategy.
Storytelling as a Strategy
One strategy is to learn how to tell stories about what makes you and your business special. It can be a great way to increase engagement with your audience. A way to attract more employees, more clients, more investment. My grandfather was a great businessman, in part because he could share his thoughts and ideas in such an inspiring way. He was a superb storyteller in his personal and professional relationships.
My mentor Wayne Vanwyck taught me that people do business with those they like, trust and respect. He believes it is more about the emotional connection than logic. In business we spend thousands of hours and dollars perfecting our processes. That being said, in order to build that emotional connection, there is a need to focus some of those hours perfecting the real secret ingredient in your business: You.
Developing New Habits
Mastering story telling as a business strategy requires practice and acquiring new habits and behaviours. A client approached me about a year ago. He was attending a high-stakes, Dragon’s Den type competition in Florida. The winner would walk away with $20,000 USD for their business.
We decided to craft a 3.5-minute story that would set him apart from the competition. We shared a couple of fun-filled hours preparing. While it doesn’t take long to learn the basics of storytelling, you do need to practice, practice, practice! Repetition being the key to success.
Charlie incorporated the advice from our training and coaching session, practiced diligently and executed his story as planned. He took precisely 3.5 minutes. Other participants spoke for much longer but failed to paint as inspiring a picture. The judges awarded him the $20,000 USD prize!
Imagine how you would feel if you achieved a similar feat for your business?
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