One of the things that drive me as a person is story. Anyone who knows me, will know I love telling them. It’s why I started acting and it’s important to my approach as part of Nine Star. So sit back, relax and let me tell you why Storytelling is important in business.
Storytelling in business?
It sounds like the two things shouldn’t go together doesn’t it. One conjures up an image of people in suits sitting in a boardroom or at desks doing paperwork, while the other has people in bright colours expressing themselves. The thing is, though the methods are different their goal is the same, the realisation of their passion or idea.
When a founder explains how or why they founded their company, they’re telling a story. When in a sales meeting with another company they are selling a narrative of why you should pick them. Heck even in your company’s about us page you’re telling the story of your business. It is a factor that plays into your every move and the savvy businesses realise this.
How does that make you feel?
At the time of this article’s publishing we’re just over 2 months until Christmas and there is one thing everyone declares as the official start of the season and that’s the Coca Cola advert. I don’t even have to say more than the red trucks and snow covered hills and that ad brings you warm and fuzzy feelings of happy Christmases. That is what storytelling can do. It can tap into nostalgia and feelings and make you more likely to buy or think of a product favourably. There is a reason Coca Cola have used the same ad for the last 20+ years!
The Facts
Ok I hear you say, that’s an advert it’s supposed to make me feel that way, to make me want to buy that product. True, you could look at cold hard facts and make a decision for yourself. But let me ask you a question. Say you have 2 laptops, both have the same specs, same price, same bells and whistles, but you can’t decide which to choose? You look for reviews and maybe to a lesser extent user reviews. One has generally positive; one has a few more negative reviews and boom! You have made a choice based on anecdotal evidence. In other words a story has helped you make a decision.
At the end of the day storytelling is how we as a species connect. Being able to sell yourself by utilising it is one of the most effective tools you have in your advertising belt. Everything you do depends on it in some shape or form. Even if your attempts at utilising it fail or don’t yield the results you are looking for, at least at the end of the day you got a story out of it.
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