You do it every day. When you see your
co-workers on Monday morning, at dinner on Friday night, even when you're
trying to convince your kids that green beans are good for them.
You tell stories to make your case and to make
connections. That's what we do as human beings. In fact, we're hardwired for
it.
If storytelling comes naturally to us, then it
seems natural that we would use this skill in business—to attract customers,
persuade partners and rally employees.
Here are a few key points to keep in mind as
you build your storytelling skills. To be persuasive and productive, the
stories we tell at work need to be built with attention paid to: emotion,
craft and action.
Emotion
No one needs to tell you that most of our
decisions—whether in business or in life—are pushed along by our emotions. They
also help us feel engaged in a story or a transaction. But how do you find and
engage the right emotions?
Entrepreneurs can learn from fiction writers
who have long known that the success of a story rests in finding "the
significant details,” as Eudora Welty once wrote. In good stories, it's the
details that captivate us, that allow us to "see" the story, and that
invite the reader to get involved in the conversation.
If I tell you my first bicycle was pink with
training wheels, that's not much to go on. But if I tell you my first bike was
built by the boy down the street who added training wheels and ribbons, and
then jogged down the sidewalk with me, holding the banana seat with one hand
while I learned how to pedal...now I've given you enough details to
"see" the image. I've gotten you involved in my story. You're
probably already starting to think about when you learned to ride a bike.
In business, the same is true. Just as you
focus on the details of your ingredients and processes, attending to the
details in your marketing—even if you're just greeting someone who has walked
into your store—can mean the difference between a customer who feels unwanted
and one who feels like he is now a participant in the “conversation.”
Even if you're not in full story mode, using
clear details in your conversations will guarantee you a better relationship.
Craft
I like to tell my students that masterpieces
are not written; they are rewritten.
Even though we are all able to toss off a great
story in the middle of a cocktail party, the stories you use at work should be
crafted. Just like a house is built with bricks or wooden beams, stories are
built on details and images and rhythm and voice, and so much more. Key among
these craft elements is the idea of tension and conflict.
I know. You may be running from the room when you
see these two words. While most of us don't like conflict in our lives, we must
have it in our stories. Think about it this way: in a story, tension and
conflict can be either a threat or an opportunity.
In business we usually refer to this as
creating a sense of urgency. "If you pay now you can save five
percent." That's the opportunity. The threat: "If you don't pay now,
you'll be charged an additional five percent."
In stories, this concept works in a slightly
different way. We create tension by sharing obstacles that may have been in our
path. For instance, your signature chocolate relies on cocoa nibs from Ghana.
But your sources have dried up and now you have to find the right quality beans
somewhere else. And, you had to beat your competitors to them.
We like our stories to have heroes. Overcoming
obstacles, big or small, makes you a hero.
Action
In my opinion, every story is persuasive in
some way. Opinion pieces in the newspaper try to convince you to see the news
the way the writer does. Novels and movies persuade us that this fictional
world is real. Advertisers know they are not selling soap; they are selling us
the idea that if we use this soap, we will be beautiful.
To be persuasive, stories need to have a solid
structure and a clear call to action. We must want our audience to do
something.
Imagine this: you spend 15 minutes explaining
the process of developing this unique flavor profile and tell me the story of
how you stumbled on to it after you thought you were creating something else.
Then you say, "let me know if I can help you find something,” and you walk
back behind the counter.
As your customer, I probably found the story
intriguing and would like to taste this new flavor, but you didn't ask me if
I'd like to try a sample or buy some for dessert this evening. So I say,
“that's interesting,” and move on.
Now, imagine this: you stand in front of me
with two trays and ask me to choose which one I think is the enhanced flavor.
Right away you have gotten me involved in this story.
After I point to the tray in your left hand,
you say, “Right! Take a taste and let me tell you how we stumbled upon this
extraordinary new flavor. We were in the back room on a cold and snowy Saturday
morning…”
Now you have made me a part of your story and
because you asked me a question, I am immediately involved in this
conversation. In fact, when I serve this candy at my next dinner party, I will
tell my guests my story of hearing your story, and then these new people will
become a part of that story. And on and on and on.
You can see how powerful this can be.
What Stories Should You Tell?
There's a good chance you are not at a loss for
personal stories, but in business we want to make sure the stories we craft
will support a sales or relationship building goal. Here are just a few ideas
for where to find good stories:
- Why you got started in this business.
- Why you stay in this business.
- How you source your ingredients and materials.
- What makes you different.
- What suppliers you work with and why.
The next time you start telling a story, stop
for a moment and realize you are building a chain of connections that have the
potential to reach far and wide.
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