How to be a better business storyteller

On a hot summer day in Hawaii, I was getting ready for a meeting with my VP. She was running late and I was getting nervous. We were there to prepare for a customer meeting at the conference the next day. I was hoping for this to be my shine moment that will help me get promoted. Finally, she rushed right in. She apologized as she quickly sat down in front and said she only has fifteen minutes. I had ten well-prepared slides that my manager approved. I started walking her through the first few slides until she interrupted with, “so, what are we trying to achieve here?”. I never got to show her the rest of the slides. Needless to say, I did not get the promotion I wanted. 

What the VP wanted was a story. She wanted to know who the main players were, where we were in the story, and how she could help to achieve the desired outcome. I was so focused on myself, on appearing flawless and trying to impress, that I completely missed the mark. I didn’t think about what my audience wanted. This would have been a perfect opportunity to tell a simple story, rather than data on the slides. 

Business storytelling is important for three reasons: 

1. Builds emotional connection. Stories encourage authenticity from the storyteller and evoke empathy from the listener. 

2. Inspires action. Ninety percent of decisions are based on emotion, not logic. Logic persuades, stories move.

3. Differentiates and enhances memorability. Stories help the brand stand out and remembered. 

   
   

How then can we get better at business storytelling? 

1. Think big picture. This starts from knowing the audience. What does the audience want to achieve from this meeting? 

2. Develop a narrative. A story is a narrative about people or events that usually involves an interesting plot. Often in business, we get lost in data that we forget the narrative. Focus on the main character’s situation at hand, the conflict, and possible paths forward. 

3. Practice regularly. Practice incorporating a narrative in every small and big business meetings. Actively seek feedback. Just like anything in life, it will only get better through practice. 

   
   

If I were to go back in time to that conference room in Hawaii, I would have done it completely differently. When the VP rushed in and sat down saying she only has a few minutes, I would have begun by saying, “I have slides and data prepared to share with you. Let me set that aside for now and just tell you a story of how we got here, where we want to go, and how to get there”. That would have opened up the space for a two-way conversation, rather than a one person presentation. Well, you know what. Hardly anyone gets the storytelling right the first time. The good news is now you know the secret so let’s get out there and start practice telling stories that move the business. 

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