“Storytelling” in business has been getting a lot of buzz in recent years. The buzz has merit because science shows that emotions play a surprisingly big role in decision-making. Businesspeople recognize that compelling stories, told well, engage audiences’ emotions. Emotions influence decisions so, naturally, business leaders want to become effective storytellers.
The problem with buzzwords is that they mean different things to different people. As examples, here are three different interpretations of “storytelling,” with my response in parentheses:
- Dropping in a personal anecdote as an icebreaker at the beginning of a presentation (No)
- Using relevant, engaging stories to illustrate key ideas to the audience (Much better)
- Applying story-development principles and, at times, illustrative stories (point 2, above), to make a business communication more persuasive (Yes—but even this is not enough)
Professionals who create stories for the stage, page, and screen deeply understand universal principles of effective storytelling. Their language is rich with story-specific terms such as: inciting incident, conflict, struggle, tension, journey, resolution, protagonist, antagonist, beats, scenes, acts, and arc. We in business can apply many of the concepts conveyed by this foreign language, but our context is persuasion, not entertainment.
Unlike a moviegoer, the businessperson is weighing a presentation in the context of competing priorities, politics, personal risk, and limited resources… including time. She or he has three questions in mind which the presenter had better answer quickly and clearly:
- Why should I care?
- Why should I believe you?
- What do you want me to do?
The business context feels a little more dangerous, doesn’t it? It is! An icebreaking ramble in the wrong context could be career-limiting. Conversely, since many business presentations are boring, confusing, or poorly transmitted, there’s great opportunity to shine by thoughtfully crafting an engaging, persuasive, well-delivered story.
To successfully navigate the risky waters of business, we work with clients to create stories that differ from those in entertainment. We call them “strategic stories.” Many are pitches for resources to investors, C-level leaders, or boards of directors. Others build buy-in that enables strategic change, fostering openness to new ways of thinking and operating. These stories combine strategy with story and psychology in the following ways:
Strategy. We show the audience how the proposal serves their strategic interests—things they care about such as achieving the purpose of the business, or even their own personal purpose.
Story. We draw on many storytelling principles that touch the emotions—conflict, tension, resolution, and arc, for example, but we don’t use them theatrically: Hamlet’s soliloquy belongs on the stage, not in the boardroom. Where appropriate, we’ll include relevant, engaging stories to illustrate key ideas in a relatable way. Differences? Several, but here’s one: we’re explicit about the bones of the story—we clearly show its structure.
Psychology. We try to empathize with the decision-makers whose interests are critical to our client’s success. If we can feel their hopes, fears, risks, and rewards—and appreciate how much we can ask of them—we’re well on the way to tailoring a story that will motivate them to act. We also apply universal principles of persuasion demonstrated by psychology research.
The wrong concept of storytelling in business can work against you. To develop a persuasive strategic story, start by empathizing with your audience and understanding their strategy. Learn key principles of storytelling and adapt them to your business context. Explore psychological principles of persuasion, so that you can weave them in appropriately.
Lastly, even a great story can be ruined by poor delivery, so invest in developing your presentation skills—in person and virtually. As a leader, one of the best returns you’ll get is learning to develop and deliver persuasive strategic stories.