Sign of the Times

Reader's Digest has built its empire on condensed books, brief articles and short quips. I'd say they are staying with the times as I see more and more people are trying to say more with less, hence the 140 character popular Twitter and my concentration on the micro business story.

It seems no one has time for long narrative but when I read about "Life" the book that Reader's Digest is publishing I had to shake my head. This is what they are requesting "We are celebrating the release of our new book with a nationwide search for the best life stories. Share yours in 150 words or fewer for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be published and win $25,000."

Crafting a story in 150 words or less is a real challenge. With a little down time I just might try it because although the story length has shrunk, the prize money hasn't. Think it's easy, try it and then let me know how you did.

Stories according to Kurt Vonnegut

Check out this short video of Kurt Vonnegut. He explains humorously, the basic story structure. http://tinyurl.com/7g2c9dl

Business Stories: spinning Yarns

Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Expert Copywriting Strategist, wrote a blog "Spinning Your Copy with Storytelling". She says "Nothing pulls us in psychologically more than a good story. Like a spider weaving it’s attractive net drawing you deeper, spin your own story...." That line made me think about some ways we talk about storytelling, spinning a yarn, spin a tale, weave a story.

Spinning a yarn had me envisioning the listener being wrapped by yarn as an expert weaver turns the spinning wheel. Good stories told well do indeed envelope the listener by involving the imagination, emotion and intellect. After a good story it sometimes luxuriates in the brain for awhile giving an after glow feeling to the listener.

Maybe that intense of a feeling isn't present in all business stories but listeners should be captured by the spinning and transported to a better world, one where your product or service improves life. Weave a beautiful tale and grab your customer's business.

Allusions in Stories

Peter Guber demonstrates the power and proper use of allusions in chapter 6 of Tell to Win when he tells the story of how Bill Clinton persuaded him to help with his campaign.

Clinton chose to use the movie High Noon in his discussion with Guber. Clinton did not have to tell the whole story, he knew his audience was familiar with the story line and would get the connection he was drawing to his own campaign needs. Guber says "And because I had personally experienced the emotional dram, urgency, and ultimate exhilaration of Kane's struggle through the movie, this familiar story immediately triggered my empathy for Clinton's experience in the his campaign. I was moved emotionally to support the man we'd all come to call the Comeback Kid."

Allusions can be powerful and efficient, making your point with few words because of prior knowledge. Where can you use allusions in your business stories?

Tell to Win Book Thoughts

Tell to Win by Peter Guber is a must read for anyone who uses stories in business. And if you are in business you should be using stories so it really is a must read for anyone in business.

Each chapter in Tell to Win demonstrates an important story point. Guber first states the point and then tells several stories to reinforce his message. Then at the end of each chapter he lists several ahha bullets from the chapter.

While these summaries can aid research after reading the book I find my highlighting and chapter notes more useful. Is it because we see and need different things from each chapter? Or is it his summaries don't tie to the stories close enough for me and the way I interpreted the story? No matter, by giving the bullets and statements AND the stories Guber has covered different teaching methods thereby speaking to a wider audience then a single method would. Using the different types of stories does the same thing.

As you put together your next presentation or marketing story think about that - use different stories or methods of teaching to convey your message.

Business Storytelling: The Customer Speaks

Best selling business author Jeffrey Gitomer included this comment in his book on customer service and on his blog "Customers don't make up stories about your business - it is you who creates them. The customer simply retells them. How the story is told, and what the content is, is up to you."

So what about your customer service is worth re-telling? Humans love the drama of a bad story and will tell it over and over. Not what you want so make sure the story you leave with your customers is just as dramatic but positive. Courteous, friendly service is expected do what is unexpected.

Your customer should be the main character in the story, make him or her feel special and solve the problem/need so that "they lived happily ever after." It is odd to look at customer service as though you are the author of a story but you are the one who can control the situation and make it memorable for the customer so take charge of the storyline and make it a good one.

Business Storytelling: Stories for Interviews

Stories are powerful tools for interviewing. They convey information while allowing the teller to be authentic and hopefully the interviewer to be engaged. Recently Michael Lynch, Marketing and Sales Process Expert, posted in a re-employment group on LinkedIn reasons to become a storyteller. With his permission they are below.

Here are the top 10 reasons to become a compelling storyteller...

1. You will be better prepared for interviews.
2. You will be able to answer the "tell me about yourself" question.
3. You are giving your network info that can open doors for you.
4. You will gain public speaking experience.
5. You will make a strong first impression.
6. You will be perceived as a source of information.
7. You can use stories in cover letters.
8. You will become more interesting.
9. You can accentuate why you are unique.
10. You will gain personal confidence.

Posted By Michael Lynch

I couldn't have said it better so I won't. If you are job seeking take Michael's tips to heart and hone your storytelling skills.

Business Storytelling: Ultimate in Micro

There is a group on LinkedIn that has challenged members to write a story in 6 words. There have been some inspiring words, most reflect the life philosophy of the author.

That got me thinking about the use of micro stories in business. Generally, micro stories would be defined as 500 words or less. In today's fast paced environment everything seems to be abbreviated, sped up. It seems like the micro story is a new invention but then I thought of the best 6 word story I have ever heard and in its native language technically it's only 3 words.

Veni, Vidi, Vici!
I came, I saw, I Conquered!

This micro story purportedly said by Julius Caesar in 47 BC says it all and follows the traditional 3 part story format. The scene setter or opening. The conflict, he saw what he wanted. And of course the resolution. Many times people think stories need to be long and involved, not so. Sometimes shorter is better and in business where distractions are common the micro story is perfect.

Not all your stories need to be only 6 words long but a couple thousand years later we are still quoting Caesar, wouldn't it be great if your corporate story is that memorable and repeatable? Imagine 2000 thousand years from now that people are still telling your story. Keep it short, just do it!

Oral Histories

In the author's note of David Baldacci's Wish You Well he says "Oral histories are a dying art, which is sad indeed, for they show appropriate respect for the lives and experience for those who come before." The book is not his typical suspense novel but more a reflection of life in the early 40's in the harsh environment of the Virginia mountains. He "mined" his own family history for the story idea.

Obviously, for professional writer's family history can be a treasure trove of ideas but what about for the regular folk? Oral histories not only show respect for ancestors they ground younger generations giving them a sense of who they are. Society has become more mobile and it is not unusual for families to live thousands of miles apart seeing each other infrequently. Facebook and other online mechanisms have made staying in touch easier but it doesn't always make it easy to know where we came from, why our relatives act the way they do.

Not everyone has the means to investigate family history as they do on the show "Who Do You Think You Are". Every family does have the means to share stories of their lives. The history doesn't have to be about long ago relatives, although those would be great, your life and your parents lives can be the starting point for your children. The stories also don't have to be long and involved, snippets of life can be fun and easy to remember. Stories create a closeness.

Don't let oral histories die out, tell your family stories and listen to the stories of others in your family.

Why Write Stories Down?

I've recently done some work for couples documenting "How we met" and "How we got engaged". They are fun stories and generally are short, quick reads. In the process I've asked numerous people if they know how their parents met and very few people can tell me those stories although they are all interested to know. Several have headed off to ask their parents that question. I usually ask wouldn't it be nice if along with a wedding album a story was included on "How we met". Everyone agrees.

Then usually someone says, but now it is so easy you can have it recorded and copied to DVD just like all the wedding videos. Yeah, not like the wedding videos because if you were married in the early 80's and have a VHS tape you probably can no longer watch the video. Even early DVD technology has been replaced and not all DVD's will play in all players. Of course we now have blu-ray making inroads. Will you once again have to pay to have your video updated or will you never again look at that video?

That is the beauty of the written word, it will still be here 50 years from now. Sure the language changes a bit and book pages may yellow but if taken care of books will last a long, long time. This thought was running around in my head when I received an e-newsletter from a videographer. He was lamenting the latest update to Apple's Final Cut Pro. Apparently he installed it and now "8 years worth of projects can no longer be imported into Final Cut Pro X."

How frustrating. Maybe it makes more sense to hire a story writer for your wedding than it does to hire a videographer. Chapter 1 How We Met......

Business Storytelling: What if you can't write?

I just finished reading a blog post by Marie-Claire Ross titled "Corporate Story-telling Improves Company Performance." Ms Ross makes gives some excellent examples of how stories are used in business but it left me thinking about how much writing needs to be done. Stories come in many forms, prose and oral amongst other choices but not everyone is comfortable with all formats.

If a company supports writing great customer service stories are some stories missed because writing is too laborious for some? It is possible that some people do not have the skill necessary to write and therefore stories go untold. Likewise there might be some people who are not willing to tell a story in front of a group so staff meetings may not be the best place to capture stories either.

A company that offers its employees several options for sharing narrative will capture more. Allow employees to write, tell, use a scribe, dictate, create a song, the list could go on but you get the idea. One method does not fit all and the more freedom one has to express oneself the more likely it is that untold stories will be shared to the benefit of all.

Business Stories: Lessons from Tell to Win

I've been reading Peter Guber's "Tell To Win" book and recommend it to anyone who needs to persuade others. That includes sales, marketing, pitching ideas, getting your spouse to agree to your vacation idea......

Not surprisingly he uses stories to illustrate all his points about the power of story in business. He also uses several examples which is nice and reinforces the fact that different stories speak to different people.

What I especially like is that he proves the point that stories do no need to be lengthy to be powerful. He tells some very short stories, which in business are usually the best.

Too frequently people feel you cannot tell a story in three lines, yes you can but you do need to craft it well. Peter masterfully summarizes movie length stories so the reader understands the references. These are full length movies he summarizes in just a few lines. When you read the book pay attention to what and how he condenses the plot to reinforce the point he is making. And I do recommend you read the book, there is nothing tedious about it, just great examples and directions on using stories purposefully and powerfully.

Business Stories: Capture an Audience

From the blog 53 Mind-Blowing, Psychology-Proven Facts You Should Know About Yourself I found the following post "People Process Information Best in Story Form". Short and informative, give it a read.

Suan Weinschenk, of course, starts with a story about when she first realized the power of telling a good story to engage a rather reluctant audience. She then gives tips on story structure and lists several motifs.

Her first motif listed is The Great Journey. I sat in a Donald Davis workshop when he said ALL stories are about the journey. When you look at the other motifs you can see that indeed they all involve a journey of some kind, physical, emotional, or intellectual. Stories are powerful because they show a transformation giving hope that we too can change, improve, survive.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/100-things-you-should-know-about-people-part-2#people-process-information-best-in-story-form-9#ixzz1LNy75aj4
http://read.bi/iImfCE

Business Stories: Stories in Leadership

President Obama was on the Oprah show. When Oprah asked him how he thought he was doing so far his answer included "Part of leadership is telling a story of where we are going." He said he understood that during the campaign and thinks he did a good job of telling a future story then but he has not been doing such a good job of telling the story since the election.

It doesn't matter whether you agree with his politics or not he gets the power of story for leaders. People want to follow someone who has an idea of where they are going, stories communicate that vision. Stories make it easy for people to see the possibilities of a future world and inspire them to work towards that goal. It is hard to feel inspired or passionate for a goal when you have no idea what that goal is. A well told story will ignite the passion.

If your organization is facing changes (which ones aren't?) then think about what your vision is for the changes and create a narrative to share with your staff so they see your vision in your story.

Business Stories: Fact of Fiction

I just finished reading an article in the Hartford Business Journal of April 4th. The title of the article, "Does your marketing program pass the test?" intrigued me. The opening line "All marketers are liars.", really intrigued me. As a Corporate Storyteller frequently I am asked about the truth in stories.

The thesaurus lists liar as a synonym for storyteller and according to this article by John Graham, marketers tell stories to make sales and therefore are liars. He ends the article with "In the end, we're all marketers and, therefore, all liars. At the same time, some of our stories have a clear ring of truth."

And that is what I try to convey to clients. The story should be as accurate as possible allowing for some poetic licensing to move the story along or complete the story structure, however, one cannot exaggerate the usefulness of the product or service in the story. That myth will be uncovered and since stories are powerful communication tools the intended affect of the story could have just the opposite effect.

Keep it truthful, if your product or service is good the story will carry that message for you.

Stories for Non-Profits

The following link has a brief article about the importance of stories in the non-profit world. Andy Goodman is the author and he not only discusses why stories but gives a brief overview on how to create a story and what type of story.


http://tinyurl.com/6xcl966

Business Stories: Tell to Win

Peter Guber is a hollywood giant who has written a book, Tell to Win. He was interviewed recently for Fast Company and said "I realized that the secret sauce to success is the ability to take facts, bullet points, and data and orchestrate them into an emotional offering so that your audience metabolizes them and then the information becomes resonant, memorable, and actionable."

Some where along the line people starting putting together presentations with fancy computer graphics, graphs, and charts thinking that numbers, ROI, would be enough to sell their ideas. Peter is right the ROI will never convince people, because let's face it it comes back to what's in it for them, that's a bit more emotional then just the numbers. Yeah, profit is for them but not the only motivating factor.

I especially like his commentary on stories in social media read on:

"Narratives that work in social networks are the exchange of stories that are told well. They get paid forward and go viral. And if you only have 140 characters, you have to be elegant in creating that emotion. And when emotion is bonded with information, it becomes more resonant and memorable. That's the way our brains work."

Read the whole piece here:http://www.fastcompany.com/1734124/peter-guber-tell-to-win?partner=leadership_newsletter

Business Stories: Stories for Presentations

I've often said the difference between a key note speaker and a storyteller is how much one is paid. Good speakers, trainers, or any type of presenter needs to use stories to keep the audience engaged and learning. Stories help us learn information in context, making it far more memorable.

The New York Times interviewed Marjorie Kaplan, president of Animal Plant and Science networks. Part way through the interview Ms. Kaplan talks about the importance of stories for presentation skills. All staff were trained in storytelling techniques. An interesting note is that the training was to help in all meetings, to give confidence for staff to speak up and to help them be able to get their points across. Stories are obviously important to them because of their business but she also says "...I think storytelling gets you closer to yourself. I think the best presenters are people who are themselves."

What a great way to look at stories in presentations. It made me stop and think about my own presentations. Whenever I get to a story piece I feel far more energized and authentic. People also comment that I felt genuine to them and they liked the comfortable feeling during my presentation. On the flip side I think of presentations that have not gone as well, it is because I told fewer stories and gave more straight information. Thank you Ms. Kaplan for making me see stories in a slightly different light.

The full interview is here if you are interested in reading more. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/business/06corner.html?_r=1&ref=business

Business Stories: What Hollywood Says

Here is a link to an article "In Film and in Life, The Story is King". I found this paragraph a great summary.

....the stories that drive professional life — the narrative that is part of pitches, résumés, introductions and every conversation about business goals and achievements — work best when they are grounded in emotion. By and large, they require a hero. Dramatic tension and even a few props help.

There is no scientific data included in the article; it is what one man has determined after a lifetime of work in the entertainment business. He espouses the power of story and cites examples of how stories are used, especially in persuasion. He concludes we all use stories but those who take more care and use them purposefully get better results. Take a quick read, it is a short article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/business/27steal.html?_r=2&src=busln

Business Stories: More Science on Remembering Stories

In Doug Stevenson latest newsletter he includes a section on the science of stories on the brain. He has several sources listed but a new one to me is the following:

In his new book, Brain Rules, molecular biologist John Medina explains this phenomenon. “When the brain detects an emotionally charged event, the Amygdala releases dopamine into the system. Because dopamine greatly aids memory and information processing, you could say it creates a 'Post It' note that reads, ‘Remember this.’”

Interesting. But what strikes me is the amount of research being conducted on the power of stories as communication tools. Why? Are there people who have refused to use stories and need to be convinced of a better way? I suspect that many people include stories without realizing it. Maybe the studies are to help convince people to be more purposeful with stories. Instead of just telling hap-hazard tales maybe we should strive to craft the message better within the story to make our point even more memorable.

Stories are powerful, if your own anecdotal experiences are not enough to convince you the maybe Brain Rules will help convince you. No presentation or training session should ever go story-less.

Business Stories:The Healing Power of Stories

In Steve Denning's latest newsletter he refers to a recent article in the New York Times about a study done on the power of storytelling in the healing process. For years there has been anecdotal information about how powerful stories can be but no hard data, now there is. See the article at the link below, When Patients Share Their Stories, Health May Improve
By PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D.

In the article there is a link to the study conducted on a group of 300 high blood pressure sufferers.

I did not read the entire study results word for word, I skimmed, however there were some caveats about the results (test size, population locations etc) and I hope that means others will conduct larger studies to generate the data needed to convince skeptics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/health/views/10chen.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=health

Business Stories: Stories in Movies

Many people tell me when they hear the word storytelling they think immediately of an activity for children. I'm also told they identify the activity as something done in libraries. Funny how a word can evoke such strong identifiers and still surround us in so many other ways, movies, music, books, news reports.....

I was reminded of this recently by a feature article in USA Weekend (Oct 2010). There was an article on the stories told in movies. Scorsese, Lucas and Spielberg were interviewed for the article which talked about stories in movies and the development of a ground-breaking middle school class, "The Story of Movies". Films chosen for study had to have children in the key role, include a distinctive style of visual storytelling and have a person who makes a difference in our lives by fighting on our behalf. (The 3 films studied in the class are The Day the Earth Stood Still, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and To Kill a Mockingbird)

At the end of the article Spielberg is quoted "It is quite possible that a child who is taking this course will grow up and tell a great story like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Life is a story. We - all of us - are stories. Film teaches that. And if we could be like the main characters in these three movies, we would be better people."

Mr. Spielberg said it beautifully. Let's not forget that we are all stories and that includes our business lives. Stories are not just for children!

Business Storytelling: Another's blog perspective

Copywriting Strategist, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero had this to say about business stories, "Stories are wickedly effective in getting attention. They work in conversation. And they work like gangbusters in copy." She is absolutely correct. Savvy marketers have been using stories since the beginning of advertising, we just don't always think of them as stories. Why? Who knows for sure, maybe because we are so used to stories in all aspects of our lives that we don't really notice the process of stories in sales.

Lorrie goes on to give reasons why stories are so powerful in the sales process. Two of her reasons really stood out because I've blogged about them, makes an emotional connection, let's you show how your service or product will erase the pain of your customer. We like to think we are logical in all our purchases but in reality we purchase much of our discretionary goods on emotion, what we want, not what we need.

The second point is important because the good sales person must know the customer's story before offering up a story of his own to solve the problem. Storytelling is as much about listening as it is about telling. In order to tell the right story at the right time you have to listen first.

Think how you can use stories in your business and sales process.

Business Storytelling: Annual Report Time?

Non-profits, especially, love annual reports. "Let's thank our donors and show them what we've done!" The problem with that is the show piece. Statistics and charts are heavily used when stories are what would encourage more readers.

Tom Ahern is a development expert who writes a newsletter called Love Thy Reader. In the November 2009 newsletter he says
"You might have noticed: no one invites a statistician to cozy up to the campfire. So, George, tell us about your latest numbers. We're dying to hear.

On the other hand, stories, are popular -- since forever. Everyone understands stories: instantly, without translation. Relatively few, on the other hand, can truly understand your statistical evidence and its implications. It has to do with neuroscience, but I'll leave it at that."

There are several studies on the neuroscience of stories and the human brain so Tom is correct. Use more stories and your annual newsletter won't be a waste of paper and effort. (Also if you get a chance subscribe to Tom's newsletter, it is short, sweet and well written.)

One more time, Facts tell, stories sell. Please recognize the fact that when you are trying to raise money, you are selling. Selling your non-profit, convincing your donors to give you money. Use more stories.

Personally, when I get an annual report I flip through it, see the impressive list of donors and then throw it out. Tell me a story and I just might learn more about your organization and the difference it makes to the world.