Once Upon A Time...What Storytelling Can Do For Your Business

Once Upon A Time…

While sitting in Starbucks sipping on my non-fat pumpkin spice latte with a shot of cinnamon and extra whipped cream, I happened to notice a brochure about the history of coffee. The title sounded intriguing enough—and I had some time to kill—so I decided to treat myself to a quick history lesson. When I finished reading, I gained more than dates and facts. To my surprise, I actually felt a deeper appreciation for Starbucks and my wonderfully prepared pumpkin spice latte. I was not only enjoying a caffeine hike, but I was also participating in centuries of coffee history! Wow! (Ok, I must confess, the extreme excitement wore off in a couple of minutes, but my greater appreciation for Starbucks stuck with me). So, why would Starbucks spend all that time, energy, and marketing dollars to bring the story of coffee beans to me, the consumer?

The Main Storyline…

I think Starbucks—and many other companies for that matter—are on to something. That is, the crafting of powerful stories to sell a product or service. The Information Age has done us well. It gave us computers, loads of data, the internet, iPods, LED flat screen TVs, and a wealth of other stuff. Yet the Information Age also gave us something else: information overload. I do not have to go into detail describing this affliction, for most everyone has felt it at some point in his or her life. But just to remind you, it is that writhing pain that develops after an attempt to cram more data into one’s brain than the gray matter can handle. Certainly no light issue, information overload is considered an actual disorder, coined by Alvin Toffler in his 1970 book Future Shock. 

Though it seems obvious that the last thing people want is more information, that is exactly what most companies continue to give consumers. The financial sector, in particular, is guilty of this crime. Financial professionals feed statistics, numbers, graphs, and pie charts to people like no other industry. Unfortunately, this practice only adds to the overload that consumers already feel. Have you ever had a client look at you with glazed over eyes? Case in point. 

Simply put, consumers are no longer enticed with more information, and business persons must come up with a new strategy as a result. This is not to say that information is bad. It is, however, not enough.

The Plot Thickens…

So how does this all relate to you? Regardless of your industry, product, or service, the key point is that your sales conversation should take the form of a story, rather than a fact sheet. Recent Cheerios® cereal commercials feature a grandfather and his granddaughter. Though the core message is that Cheerios® has heart-healthy benefits, General Mills smartly expresses this message through the story of a long-lasting relationship between grandparent and grandchild.

And They Lived Happily Ever After…

• Dive into this topic further by picking up a book. I personally recommend A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. This easy, but enlightening read gives you simple suggestions for connecting with an information overloaded society.   
• Become aware of the great stories around you. Pay careful attention to your favorite movie, a persuasive advertisement, or a phone conversation. Ask yourself: what were the storylines? What made them good/bad? What principles of storytelling can I extract?
• Take a cue from the Grimm brothers, but don’t take it too far. We want our stories to be captivating, but also truthful. Leave the witch’s brew and bean stalks for the fairy tales.

Think big. Plan well. Tell incredible stories.