Storytelling is not only limited to conversations between our peers on interesting facts and gossip. This is also integral to business, especially in marketing and communication. But what is it about storytelling which makes it popular in the business industry?
We at Datahyv have collated 75 tips on how you can incorporate storytelling into your business, especially in marketing.
What is Business Storytelling?
A story has a stronger impact on your audience and listeners. That’s a fact and can be attested as well by you yourselves. When you read, you do not only process the words, statements, and language. It also stimulates the zones in your brain to have an image, a visualization of that piece that you are reading.
But this does not work on facts, right? In an office setup, when your manager or boss would narrate the history of the reason behind gathering the data that you are doing in your work, it’s a bit of a struggle to process, admit it. Why? Because you’re not interested. There is no entertainment involved.
Business storytelling focuses on the human side of work. Essentially, it is conveying stories rather than simply listing facts. As I have mentioned, we tend to focus and listen more to stories that are engaging and entertaining. Something that would stir our interest. And in business, if you’re too serious, your audience might not get the essential narrative from your talk. Not just because it entertains the audience, but it also helps in retaining and remembering the inputs. Good stories stick longer and engage your audiences more. They will pique the audience’s curiosity and surprise them. They’ll persuade you.
Techniques in Business Storytelling
It’s not new to encounter agents around the mall convincing you to either buy their products or invest in their company’s offer. On a personal note, I would often remove myself from that situation most especially if I have something else to do.
This is a common problem and businesses would often have a hard time fixing this. With that, here are tips and techniques in Business Storytelling. These are proven to work for businesses of all levels and industries.
Use the form of a story
Write a narrative with an introduction, conflict, climax, and resolution.
Tell actual stories or anecdotes
It can be your story or an anecdote about your business. Include specific statistics and data in the stories.
Using storytelling techniques to trigger story effects
You can use figures of speech that usually use storytelling to give an impact.
Tug in the emotions of the audience
Give them a dramatic ending or situation. In short, pay attention to their pain points.
Tell personal narratives
You can use your experience for certainty and genuineness. This is necessary because authenticity is pivotal to your company branding. You need to show what goes behind the scenes for transparency, especially for ESG inspections.
Focus on your audience
You can tell a personal story but focus more on keeping your audience interested.
Right structure to tell an idea
Be organized in telling a story. No one wants to hear a tangled story that creates headache for listeners.
Implement day-to-day life
A day-to-day life basis is helpful to properly give them an idea on how it can benefit them.
Use traditional dramatic structure
Include conflict in the story, preferably that one your audience could relate to, which shall be resolved with your product.
Tell your audience who you are
Establish your brand with authenticity and clarity of who the team is and what you do.
Tell your audience why you’re there
Inform them of your purpose to avoid wasting people’s time. Show them why your business is going to help them.
Tell your audience why they’re there
Show your prospective clients that you are capable of directly addressing their concerns, and that they can get value from what you’re offering.
Transform your audience
In buying something, people often want to see change in their lives. Show how your business can transform them for the better.
Mark the most important concept
Never forget to mark the whole point of your story. Support it with concrete data and facts.
Provide a summary
Wrap up with a summary to ensure that the audience will absorb what they heard.
Provide clear CALL TO ACTION
Do not just give a story for nothing. You should always provide an action which the audience can take. Whether they should buy, order, or call you, say it clearly.
Provide visuals
Based on research, around 65% of the population are visual learners. Make your presentation less wordy and more on visuals.
Provide a story arc
Guide the audience in the transformation of your story. As the situation in your story moves, make sure your audience are riding along the movement.
Provide jokes, if necessary
Add a dash of fun and flavor for entertainment instead of being so serious. This could also help uplift the mood of your audience.
Tell a coherent story
Be organized and stop jumping from unconnected stories to the other.
Use multimedia presentations
Make your storytelling more interactive, engaging, and less mundane.
Avoid lengthy presentation decks
Visuals over words. Whether it’s through images, videos, or interactive graphics, incorporating visuals into content can elevate the presentation’s effectiveness.
Be comfortable when giving stories
Being awkward and shy in front will only make the talk so boring. You wouldn’t want to see uninterested faces in the room.
Be casual yet comprehensive
You don’t need to be too formal. You can be casual to help the audience be at ease while listening to you.
Evoke sensations and emotions
Tug in the hearts and emotions of the audience to inspire and motivate them even.
Highlight the need or desire for a product or service
let the audience feel that they need the product.
Introduce the role of the product or service
Let the audience how the product or service can help them and the benefits they can get from it.
Highlight the solutions
Of course, there are problems along the way; hence, you also integrate solutions.
Highlight the benefits
What will the customers gain from your products? Let them know the value they can get to further capture their interest.
Using narratives to manage conflicts
Narrate but still in a comprehensive way. The art of storytelling ensures that all necessary details are included and that the audience can grasp the full context.
Here are more tips we prepared for you!
Using a narrative to interpret the past and shape the future
Relate the past and present, and see how it can change the future.
Using a narrative in the reasoning process
You should not reason out logically, instead reason out by narrating to further provide a wider perspective.
Highlight the types of archetypal characters
Make use of Superman or other characters who can catch the audience’s attention.
Connect with the people
Do not focus on just advertising your product or service. You should connect with the people to get their interest.
Wear something nice
The first impression always lasts. Your outfit and how you present yourself can affect the interest of your audience.
Think of nice content and theme
Thoroughly think about what concept you’d like to use that will suit your story.
Evoke a sense of purpose
Ensure that there is a purpose instead of just pure entertainment.
Empathize to the audience
Connect and understand their emotions.
Raise simple questions and invoke deep answers from the audience
Interactions can also start with short questions and answers in between that drives engagement.
Provide contents that must reflect well in your organization
Make sure that the contents are in relation with your organization to emphasize the purpose and actualize consistency.
Be precise
Ensure that you are providing on-point arguments.
Be concise
Avoid going around the bush and make sure that your story is not that lengthy.
Set Parameters
Inform them of the ends and beginnings.
Be honest and authentic
An honest organization can attract more people.
Provide a clear outcome to avoid wasting the time of your audience
Since you are telling a story, end it with a clear outcome instead of keeping your audience hanging.
Be consistent with your approach
Avoid going around in circles. Your audience might lose interest along the way because of your lack of consistency.
Get the audience involved
Interact with them, engage them in questions and answers, or any activities you have prepared to make them feel that they belong.
Be organized with your points
Avoid saying things differently from your point.
Ensure memorable points
Leave the audience with thoughts that they may ponder upon, and better yet one that will lead them to come back to you.
Give stories that are universally relative
It is often hard to relate to someone since people are different, hence, make your approach more universal.
Make it educational to ensure that there will be valuable lessons
An educational talk is good with a bit of entertainment. This can make your audience more engaged.
You should know your audience
Know what they need and want. This can help you in conceptualizing your theme in the story.
Define the core of your message
Provide a clear description of your message to avoid confusion.
Define what kind of story you will tell to your audience
Whether it’s a love story, horror, or a fable, let the audience know what they are in for.
Cite actions
Insinuate actions that the audience should take to provide justice with your storytelling.
Foster community collaboration
Do not make it about you or just an individual benefit. Motivate your audience to start collaborating. This can help the community and yourself in the process.
Choose your story medium
Is it in a third person’s POV? A first-person perhaps? Or you’d like to simply use video presentations? It’s up to you as long as you will use something doable and suitable.
Share a personal story
Sharing a personal story is good as long as it will not be the focus but only a stepping stone of your entire point.
For a smooth customer journey, align storytelling with the marketing funnel
Smoothly transition or integrate the marketing funnel in your story without destroying the essence of the story to avoid inconsistencies and boringness.
Create an intriguing environment
Get your audience intrigued with your setup or with your outfit or the location. This will attract more listeners to come.
This may be a bit overwhelming but we have a few more tips left for you!
Influence a purchase decision
Do not forget that the whole point of your storytelling is to advertise a service or a product. Hence, carefully integrate a purchase decision in your story to ensure that the audience will get your points.
Encourage participation
Call someone from the crowd to participate or assign them roles like what magicians do to make the audience feel that the storytelling is engaging.
Be shareable
As mentioned, the connection can also be good as it allows other people to open and share their experiences as well.
Feature a trial-and-error scenario
It’s also nice to have a trial and error scenario so that you can anticipate how much time, effort, and talent you should put in.
Simplify business jargon
There are business jargons that others may not understand. Hence, it’s important that when you’re telling a story, you include a layman’s term for everyone to understand.
Provide a thought-provoking message
Thoughts that can make other people ponder will stick in their minds. What more if it’s a thought-provoking message about your service or product.
Share your mission and values
Let your audience know that there is a purpose. You’ll never know, if there might be other people who also share the same mission and values as your organization.
Use the right platform in telling your story
Choosing a platform depends on the kind of audience that you have. Make sure that you know your audience and your platform in telling a story is suitable to your audience.
Be confident
Awkwardness will not help your organization. Always come prepared and confident.
Be consistent with the flow and your points
Avoid inconsistencies and stick to clearer points.
Do not:
- Focus solely on yourself rather than your consumer. Do not forget that your storytelling is for your target audience.
- Put a higher priority on making connections than answering questions. Connections are good as it grasps the interests of the audience, but do not overlook the real questions asked towards the product or the service itself.
- Obfuscate the truth. Be honest and authentic. Lying will lead your company to failure.
- Put storytelling ahead of offering a fantastic product or service. Although you can integrate both as that’s the whole point of business storytelling. However, do not forget the real point in this kind of marketing.
- Go into much detail about every little thing. However, DO NOT be vague as well. Just give them what the audience should know.
Conclusion
Storytelling is a useful tool as well as an art form. When done correctly, it engages, captivates, connects, cultivates community, and provides social proof, all of which help you expand your audience and revenues. The business narrative is critical to your organization’s success. It enables you to interact with customers on a more personal level, raise brand awareness, and eventually improve revenue.
Know who you are, who your audience is, and how to effectively use facts and storytelling aspects. No matter what kind of tale you’re telling, start with the truth and put the customer first.
And in business storytelling, you need clear, easy-to-follow data insights. You can get them with a data warehousing and analysis system. Datahyv offers holistic data systems for businesses to create data-driven business decisions and compelling business narratives.