Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

The idea of storytelling for leadership and business is generating a lot of interest these days, as it well should. Stories are one of the most powerful ways to communicate. Stories can be memorable and meaningful. They’re immensely useful – whether you want to lead people, market your business, or just get some laughs. The best writers read a lot, and the best storytellers pay close attention and listen to the stories around them. But what exactly is a story, and what do you listen for?...

At the beginning, G didn’t know what to say.

I love this piece because of the question it asks! We get so focused on the doing doing doing of storytelling in our business, we rarely step back and ask ourselves, "How do I know I'm getting better at storytelling?"

This article comes from my colleague Limor Shiponi in Israel. Limor is one of the deep thinkers on the planet about storytelling and I highly prize her insights. It has been way too long since we've chatted and I miss hearing her magical voice and articulate thinking. In the meantime, I am delighted to share this piece with you.

Usually, if we are getting results in our business, we are happy. But if we don't periodically ask ourselves the question, "How will I know I have become a better storyteller?" our results -- when they fade (the normal ups and downs of business cycles) -- may be due our storytelling skills or something entirely different.

If you are not clear on how you'll know when you've become a better storyteller, in a down cycle you may start fixing the wrong things. Maybe your storytelling skills are fabulous but your marketing process is inconsistent. Maybe your marketing is awesome and your storytelling sucks. Without asking and paying attention to the question this article poses, you'll never know where to place your attention.

I ran across this article about 2 weeks ago and really took the time to ask myself this question. I came up with an answer and kept testing it out to make sure it was real. Here's my answer:

I know I will have become a better storyteller when I continually feel that resonance between me and my audience, and when people connect with me after they have heard one of my stories. I physically experience this band of gold and silver resonant energy linking me and my listeners together.

That's not very flowery language, but it does the trick for me. I can see several images in my minds eye of what this looks and feels like.

Now my experience can happen face-to-face or electronically. But of course, the best way to know if I've become a better storyteller is through live interaction. So practice practice practice your business stories with real people to build your skills and effectiveness.

OK -- that's me. Now it is your turn. How will you know you have become a better storyteller? What does that look and feel like for you?

Happy explorations :)

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it

Walking off the ferry into Snug Harbor on Staten Island, there was a big motorcade of cars and police standing there. SIt was the first and most obvious clue that this first ever Future of StoryTelling Conference might not be the same as any other business conference. As the crowd filed into the auditorium, Al Gore was among them … just one of the many influential participants at this event put on by media pioneer Charlie Melcher. The earlier clue that every attendee received was an email outlining their “homework” before the event, which involved watching about 15 films from visionaries and influencers like Tim Kring, Damian Kulash, Jake Barton, Margaret Robinson and others.

 

The event itself features minimal speaking from stage, and more roundtable discussions with each influencer throughout the afternoon – a “flip” from the traditional conference model. The morning on stage featured Damian Kulash from Ok Go playing guitar accompaniment to two storytellers from The Moth, a nonprofit group dedicated to storytelling. The day is one of those that will feature more soundbites and smart thinking, but in an effort to share some of the more profound lessons I wrote down after watching the videos and listening to conversations, here’s my top ten list (so far)...

 

[Rohit Bhargava shares his storytelling conference notes ~ Jeff]

As we saw last time, your startup becomes a hero by making your customers and clients the main hero. And rather than starting with trying to sell our ultimate products or services, we attract and mentor our prospects with content first.

 

If you are going to use the hero model in your biz storytelling, then you are going to want to read this article (I say that because there are other story models available).

 

I really like the examples and videos this author uses to illustrate his points -- they are very powerful. 

 

And I think the chart is brilliant. He also explains the structure for creating a hero story -- and focuses on the hero being your CUSTOMER, not you.

 

That is sometimes hard to get your head wrapped around, which is another reason why I like the examples & videos he chose. You will really experience the difference.

 

So go grab these insights and happy storytelling!

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it

 

Storytellers change their presentation style in different situations. What is suitable for an intimate venue, will not work as well in a large venue. What works for a circle of ten people, does not work in the same way for a circle of twenty-five. Even the hour of day, among many other things, might call for a different capacity or approach. Not everything is possible or fit for storytelling. Amplification might solve a volume issue but it doesn’t do much for intimacy. On the other hand there are situations where it does. The way to gain ‘elasticity’ that will enable a storyteller to adapt as needed, is by learning how to stretch and fold his own wings. It’s like learning how to diminish and increase sound in music. It’s not only changing the volume – the entire sound-production mechanism adapts.

 

[Image credit: brewbooks on Flickr]

 

Ahhh -- words of wisdom from one of my colleagues and favorite storytellers -- Llimor Shiponi. This post of hers is all about storytelling elasticity and the power of oral storytelling.

 

In this electronic age when digital storytelling is often viewed as THE SOLUTION -- this post is a reminder that oral storytelling is still the gold standard.

 

Want executive presence? Focus on building oral storytelling skills and sharing your stories in person as often as you can.

 

Want to increase business? Focus on building oral storytelling skills and sharing your stories in person as often as you can.

 

There's no substitute. Enjoy Limor's wise words of wisdom here!

 

And thank you Gregg Morris @greggvm for originally finding and sharing this article!

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;

[Finding your storytelling voice ~ Jeff]

"While not all agree, let's suppose, for a moment, that we are, in fact, presenting through our contemporary storytelling a relatively narrow range of the American experience. Some of the questions we ought to be asking are, is it enough to maintain the same formats, as we have, and try to entice more/different storytellers? Do we need to expand our awareness in some way to consider more broadly the particulars of this time, this particular space, and who is involved? And, fundamentally, what is it going to take to go further, to do more?"

 

Now here is a very thought-provoking piece about storytelling in general. I've curated it because the more businesses understand the craft of storytelling, the more effective we can be.

 

Warning -- there is such rich material here -- along with fabulous video examples to watch -- that you will need to carve out some time to explore everything here.

 

And hey -- we all live in a culture surrounded by media. It is important to keep up with shifts and changes in technology and its impact on storytelling so we can understand our daily life better -- and the opportunities open to us.  

 

What is the biggest shift technolgy brings? Ethnographic storytelling. What the heck is that? It is when you put the camera and the storytelling into the hands of people to create and tell their story. Nothing new here -- this was pioneered by Anthropologists Sol Worth & John Adair in the 1972 book Through Navajo Eyes.  The article contains several examples.

 

What is new is that now technology makes the ability to share our stories very easy and cheap to do -- through a proliferation of channels to share them. THAT is what is getting reinvented -- not the structure of a good story.

 

And technology is bringing us unique and very creative ways to craft our stories. For example, there's a link within this article to "How the Indie Audio Community Is Transforming Storytelling," This article shares a story where audio is dominant. It is great.

 

Other examples in the article include Localore -- a project about place-based storytelling.

 

What do I like about this article and the links to other articles within this piece? It asks essential questions like:

Who gets to tell the story? Who gets to ask the question that begins the story? What is the question?

 

When businesses and organizations start asking themselves these questions FIRST when wanting to tell a digital story, they focus on the story first. Too many people in my experience -- when wanting to tell a digital story -- get caught up in the technology first and end up spending tons of money with unhappy results. Or they think the story will emerge if they just start talking - to be edited down by the videographer into a story -- with the same unhappy results.

 

So read this article, its links to other articles, explore the digital story examples given, and start figuring out the following:

How can I have my customers share their stories about my organization using ethnographic storytelling? How can I leverage audio storytelling (see the article for info/examples) beyond radio & podcasts? How can I leverage location & physical space to share biz stories? How can I creatively use technology to share biz stories that reflect my/our Unique Voice & Unique Proposition?

 

I could comment at length on this article and its links. It has taken me awhile to curate this piece because I kept going back and dipping in for more.

 

So give yourself time to enjoy this creative romp exploring cutting edge electronic storytelling and all the deep insights here!

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;

[Karen's right. This is a rich vein of thinking about storytelling. ~ Jeff]

Most writers neglect the power of a story to captivate their audience immediately ...

 

This is a quick article with several key messages. But the one that strikes me is that when crafting a story, the most interesting beginning that gets reader's hooked, is often found in the middle of the story.

So true! And I love the example he uses to demonstrate this tip.

 

Beginnings and endings of stories are always hard for those new to storytelling. Even veteran storytellers could benefit from the author's tip here.

 

Think about your stories -- do they need an upgrade by exploring their middles and finding a more compelling opening?

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;

[An inspiring example of storytelling by Sean D'Souza]

For leaders at all levels, being an effective public speaker is essential for success. Here are some tried-and-true tips from the pros to help you raise your game.

 

I like this article because from the very beginning the author talks about how to give a fabulous presentation using story skills. Like -- "begin with the end in mind" and "simplify your messages" and "tell your personal stories."

 

She gives solid advice about things to remember to connect with your audience, how to avoid the perils of PowerPoint, and how to avoid sameness.

 

Good tips and insights all. And I've only mentioned a few. I wish more speakers took these ideas to heart. 

 

Read the article and get the rest of the goodies!

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her Just Story It Scoops at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;