Contents at a Glance Introduction... 1 Part I: Getting Started with Business Storytelling... 7 Chapter 1: The Scoop on Business Storytelling...9 Chapter 2: The Why, What, How, and Who of Business Storytelling...19 Chapter 3: What Makes a Story a Story...29 Chapter 4: Stories to Have in Your Hip Pocket...51 Chapter 5: Listening: Hearing What Others Have to Say and Capturing It...77 Part II: Moving People to Action: Creating Compelling Stories... 97 Chapter 6: Crafting a Story...99 Chapter 7: Polishing a Story: Structure and Embellishments...119 Chapter 8: What to Do About Data...141 Chapter 9: Expanding and Contracting Your Story...159 Part III: Sharing Stories for Maximum Value... 177 Chapter 10: Getting Comfortable Telling Stories...179 Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Moving Stories into Multiple Media...197 Chapter 12: Incorporate Story in Your Organization...213 Part IV: Tailoring Storytelling to Special Circumstances... 233 Chapter 13: Storytelling to Fund Your Passion...235 Chapter 14: Storytelling in Marketing...255 Chapter 15: Selling With Stories...275 Chapter 16: Using Stories to Spark Change...295 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Part V: The Part of Tens... 315 Chapter 17: Ten Things You Should Never, Ever Do...317 Chapter 18: Ten Storytelling Tips for Speakers...323 Chapter 19: Ten (or so) Ways to Measure the Results of a Story Project...331 Appendix: Real-Life Stories and a Template... 335 Index... 355
Table of Contents Introduction... 1 About This Book...1 Icons Used in This Book...4 Beyond the Book...4 Where to Go from Here...5 Part I: Getting Started with Business Storytelling... 7 Chapter 1: The Scoop on Business Storytelling....................9 Storytelling s Role in Business...9 Getting in on the storytelling action...10 How storytelling can help your business...11 Nutritious stories versus junk food stories...11 How We Define Story...12 How Stories Impact People...14 The physical impact...14 The mental impact...14 The emotional impact...15 The human spirit impact...17 Dispelling the Myths of Storytelling...17 Chapter 2: The Why, What, How, and Who of Business Storytelling.........................................19 It s a Proven Fact: Storytelling Works...20 What Makes Business Storytelling Different?...23 Hollywood: What to take and toss...23 Move people to action: The ultimate goal...24 Using Stories at Work...25 Know when not to tell a story...26 Pull people versus push messages...26 Everyone is born a storyteller...27 Storytelling Principles in Business...27 Chapter 3: What Makes a Story a Story..........................29 Recognizing a Story Based on Its Core Elements...30 Making Her Mark...30 Flesh out the plot/conflict...32 Describing isn t telling...40
Table of Contents v Defining Different Types of Narrative...42 Anecdotes...42 Case studies...43 Descriptions...45 Examples...45 News reports...46 Profiles...47 Scenarios...48 Testimonials...49 Vignettes...50 Putting It All Together...50 Chapter 4: Stories to Have in Your Hip Pocket....................51 Having Stories Ready to Go...51 Founding Stories...53 Your founding stories...53 The organization s founding story...54 What We Stand For Stories...56 Stories about what you stand for...56 What the organization stands for stories...57 What We Do Stories...59 Stories about what you do...59 Stories about what the enterprise does...60 Future Stories...61 Personal vision stories...62 Personal scenario stories...63 Your organization s future stories...64 Success Stories...67 Your personal success stories...67 Your organization s success stories...69 Overcoming Barriers Stories...70 Your stories of overcoming barriers...70 Your organization s stories of overcoming barriers...72 Memorable Customer Stories...73 Your customer stories...73 Your organization s customer stories...74 Stories to Avoid...76 Chapter 5: Listening: Hearing What Others Have to Say and Capturing It..............................................77 Improving Storytelling by Listening...78 Be in service to the story and storyteller...78 Reveal what s in people s hearts...79 Uncover market, customer, and employee intelligence...80 Discover new ideas for products/services...80
vi Business Storytelling For Dummies Deciding on Perspective...81 Identify who has story and perspective...81 Identify the myriad uses of the story...82 Evoking a Story...82 Stay away from questions...83 Spark the story you want: Story prompts...84 Prime the pump: Story modeling...86 Evoke a story with memories, props, and more: Story triggers...87 Apply these approaches in everyday work...88 Listening to Stories...88 Stay away from disrupting the story...88 Listen delightedly...89 Respond after you ve finished listening...89 Maximize meaning and value...90 Listen to stories deliberately in groups...92 Capturing and Preserving the Raw Story...93 Attend to legal/ethical issues...94 Create and transcribe an audio recording...94 Bullet the flow of the story...95 Write out the raw version...96 Create a video recording...96 Part II: Moving People to Action: Creating Compelling Stories... 97 Chapter 6: Crafting a Story.....................................99 Driving Home the Story s Key Message...100 Determine the themes...100 Figure out the key message...102 Tease apart the layers of meaning...103 Starting a Story...104 Clarifying the Core Conflict...106 Describe the conflict or problem...107 Unfold the plot...109 Lay out the story arc...109 Ending the Story: This Isn t Disney...111 Creating a Detailed Story Outline...113 Step 1: Get an idea...113 Step 2: Gather your notes...113 Step 3: Create a mock-up...113 Step 4: Tighten and toss extraneous details...114 Step 5: Try it out...116 Step 6: Save it...116 Differences Between Oral and Print...116
Table of Contents vii Chapter 7: Polishing a Story: Structure and Embellishments......119 Choosing a Story Structure...120 Hollywood-focused story structures...120 Business-focused story structures...122 Apply structure to a story...124 Getting a Story to Pop...126 Bring characters to life...126 Enhance sensory imagery and contrast...127 Use figures of speech...128 Grab people s attention...132 Use humor to lighten the mood...134 Making the Story Memorable...136 Fix the key message and action...136 Identify tag lines...138 Putting All This Together for Pam s Story...139 Chapter 8: What to Do About Data..............................141 Engaging the Brain...142 Distinguishing Data and Information...143 Making Sense versus Making Meaning...145 Including Data Is a Must: What to Do...148 Create frames for the data...149 Massaging Complex Data...151 Break data into bite-size chunks...152 Display complex data so it tells a story...152 Crafting a Great Story with Data...154 Create compelling visuals...154 Find the key message: Data into meaning...156 Move to action when data s involved...157 Structuring a Data-Rich Presentation...158 Chapter 9: Expanding and Contracting Your Story................159 Shortening a Story...160 Analyze and rewrite...160 Build in empathy...161 Edit to emphasize themes...161 Look at the results so far...162 Ask questions and edit for structure...164 Look at the results again...166 Weave in the action steps...167 Appraise the final story...168 Time the story out loud...169 Rebuild the story...169
viii Business Storytelling For Dummies Lengthening a Story...169 Map the story s structure...170 Identify the key message...171 Add details to support the key message...171 Drive home the key message...173 The final story...174 Changing It Up: Stories Are Flexible...176 Part III: Sharing Stories for Maximum Value... 177 Chapter 10: Getting Comfortable Telling Stories.................179 Playing Out the Telling-Listening Cycle...180 Act as the center of exposure...180 Acknowledge the gifts you bring as a teller...181 Tell: Transformational or transactional?...181 Enhancing Your Telling Skills...182 Recognize what s happening to listeners...182 Know when to speed up and slow down...185 Identify characters: Gestures and voice...185 Practicing Your Story...187 Story Lab: Practice with others...187 Get the most from your rehearsals...189 Don t rely on mirrors and video...190 Ready, Get Set......190 Begin your story...191 Stay away from these words...192 Telling Stories: More Considerations...192 Make the most of your personal stories...192 Communicate really tough stories...193 Share stories that aren t your own...195 Know when not to tell the whole story...195 Chapter 11: Moving Stories into Multiple Media.................197 Criteria for Deciding on Media...198 Oral: Storytelling in Person...198 Digital: Visual Storytelling...200 Audio: The Sound of Storytelling...201 Written: Old School Stories...202 Graphic: Sharing via Graphic Works...203 Photo novellas and graphic novellas...204 Posters, infographics, photomontages, and collages...205 Icons: Sharing Iconic Stories...207
Table of Contents ix Deciding Which Medium Fits Your Needs...208 Find the purpose of sharing...209 Determine what s desirable...209 Choosing a medium using story length...210 Creating Stories That Go Viral...211 Recognizing the art, science, and mystery...212 Chapter 12: Incorporating Story in Your Organization.............213 Overcoming Resistance...214 Assessing Storytelling Competence...215 Taking Personal Ownership of Story...216 Getting Story into an Enterprise s DNA...219 Provide training and coaching...219 Hitch story efforts to work processes...221 Link story into project work...223 Propose a small story initiative...224 Bank and access stories...226 Build storied work environments...228 Attach story to organizational strategy...228 Reward the practice of storytelling...230 Avoiding Ethical Problems...231 Part IV: Tailoring Storytelling to Special Circumstances... 233 Chapter 13: Storytelling to Fund Your Passion...................235 Getting People to Open Their Wallets...235 Four Things to Keep at the Forefront...237 Spark desired emotions in others...237 Highlight the challenge...239 Lead with respect...240 Build co-created worlds and story fields...240 Help supporters tell their stories...242 Structuring Storied Presentations...243 Get people committed and on board...244 Go after external venture capital...246 Raise money by tugging on heart strings...247 Change stories as organizations mature...250 Using Funding Stories in Other Ways...251 Put stories into corporate communications...251 Fuse stories into the grant process...251 Meld stories into advocacy campaigns...252
x Business Storytelling For Dummies Chapter 14: Storytelling in Marketing..........................255 Telling Consumers About the Enterprise...256 Give consumers sharable stories...256 Provide insider stories...257 Close the gap between inside and out...258 Providing Stories About What You Offer...259 Tell the story behind your offering...259 Speak to the why...260 Sharing Stories About Consumers...261 Develop personas and archetypes...261 Build stories in which others are the hero...262 Leverage the underdog...263 Return to back stories from consumers...264 Getting Consumers to Tell Their Stories...264 Pull stories from your community...264 Inspire: A new way of engaging others...266 Storifying Marketing Materials...267 Integrate story into websites...267 Create dynamic e-mail campaigns...270 Storytelling and Social Media...271 Building a Storytelling Strategy...271 Storytelling in Branding...272 Chapter 15: Selling With Stories...............................275 Shifting the Sales Cycle...275 Create deep affinity and chemistry...277 Before Prospecting...278 Identify awareness level...278 Know the market segments you serve...280 Storytelling While Prospecting...281 Use story when meeting face-to-face...281 Capitalize on online opportunities...282 Calling on a Prospect...282 Dig deeper through prompts, not questions...282 Get prospects to open up with triggers...284 Relay a variety of stories...284 Story: Soup s On!...285 Overcome objections through story...288 Asking for the Sale...289 Incorporate story into the proposal...289 Create a story-based presentation...290 Using Story Post-Sale...292
Table of Contents xi Chapter 16: Using Stories to Spark Change......................295 Story Sharing versus Storytelling...295 Creating the Need for the Change...297 Get to know stakeholders through story...297 Find stories of pain and urgency...298 Demonstrate that change is possible...300 Apply story structures to launch a change...301 Communicating the Vision of the Change...302 Structure a dream story based on the past...304 Follow King s I Have a Dream approach...305 Process for developing a future story...307 Future story: Try present-future structure...307 Embody the future story...308 Initiating the Change...309 Identify what needs to get done...310 Pinpoint and mitigate risks...310 Implementing the Change...310 Obtain the resources you need...311 Overcome all kinds of obstacles...311 Build skills...312 Adapt as you go...312 Closing Out the Change...313 Capture best practices...313 Celebrate results...314 Part V: The Part of Tens... 315 Chapter 17: Ten Things You Should Never, Ever Do..............317 Focusing Exclusively on Telling Stories...317 Assuming There s a Formula for Crafting...318 Neglecting the Beginning and the End...319 Telling On-the-Fly in High-Risk Situations...319 Getting Lost in Digressions...320 Skipping the Meaning-Making...320 Playing with Emotions...321 Using a Story Without Knowing Its Origin...321 Telling Someone Else s Story as Yours...322 Assuming You re Doing No Harm...322 Chapter 18: Ten Storytelling Tips for Speakers..................323 Identifying Your Signature Stories...324 Refashioning a Tale...325 Opening with a Story...326
xii Business Storytelling For Dummies Using a Story in a Short Presentation...326 Crafting a Keynote Solely Based on Story...326 You Sure You Want to Use PowerPoint?...327 Using Memory Devices...328 Co-creating a Story with the Audience...329 What to Do if You Screw Up the Story...329 Preparing for After the Presentation...330 Chapter 19: Ten (or so) Ways to Measure the Results of a Story Project............................................331 Collecting Evidence...331 Gaining Return on Investment (ROI)...332 Validate that the message was heard...332 Capture changes in behavior...332 Track engagement...332 Document financial results...333 Measure emotions...333 Track relationships...334 Innovate and be creative...334 Applying Story Tools to Daily Work...334 Appendix: Real Life Stories and a Template... 335 The Price We Pay to Get Results...335 It s Not About Shelters: Raw Version 1...337 It s Not About Shelters: Version 2...342 When Failing Isn t an Option: Go For It...346 What s It Going to Take?...348 Story Template...351 Title of story...351 Perspective...351 Layers of meaning: Themes, key message...351 Alert listeners before you launch the story...351 Start the story...352 Get clear on the core conflict...352 What to do about data...352 Get a story to pop!...353 End the story...353 Determining story structure...354 Tag line...354 Index... 355