STORYTELLING
Stories are universal . No culture has survived without them . Stories are widely recognized as an essential part of human cognitive development .
As social animals who crave connection with others , we find that stories — whether told orally , written on paper , or conveyed on film — are our most immediate way to enter the imaginative minds of others .
As toddlers , when we listened to someone telling a tale , we built emotional bonds with others while developing empathy , discovering morality and ethical behavior , and learning the ability to use language to express our thoughts and feelings .
Business and commerce continue to be fundamental ways we interact outside of our family . And while we may not fully realize it , stories are an inescapable part of how we communicate professionally too .
MASTERING THE ART OF EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING FOR BUSINESS
Critical to an understanding of story in business is how customers tell themselves the stories that define them ( their worldview ) and how these relate to the products and services they use .
For example , people using Apple products might tell themselves a story like this : “ I like great design and products that are easy to use , so Apple is the brand I buy .” This story intersects perfectly with the story that Apple tells about its products .
Similarly , a mother tells herself a story : “ I want the best for my family , so I buy only organic food even though I know it is more expensive .”
When the story that you tell customers matches the story that customers tell themselves , your business is in alignment . However , all too often , companies are completely out of alignment with their customers , which makes for difficult work .
It is really tough ( but not impossible ) to convince someone to change their worldview and therefore the stories they tell themselves . If you sell organic food but emphasize its low cost , you ’ re out of alignment because people accept that organic costs more . Organic being expensive is a deeply embedded aspect of people ’ s worldview and it ’ s the story they tell themselves . Since spending more on food because you care about your family doesn ’ t square with seeking out cheaper prices , the company that sells lower-cost organic food will encounter difficulty .
As storytellers , companies need to consider customers ’ existing worldview as they work on the ways they communicate to the market . Drawing from some of my past blog posts , here are some stories that people tell themselves that align with the companies they patronize :
“ I love visiting new places . I ’ ve been to all 50 U . S . states and over 100 countries and territories . I enjoy traveling to remote places I ’ ve never been to before .” This , actually my very own story , framed why I was so excited to research an Antarctica expedition . Yes , I am a travel geek . Having visited six continents , I was eager to travel to the seventh . Quark Expeditions ’ stories fit perfectly into my worldview .
OPEN Cycle : “ Mountain biking is a big part of who I am , and I don ’ t mind paying $ 5,000 for the best bike there is .”
NOLA Buenos Aires : “ Small , exclusive restaurants that you can learn about only on social media are much more fun to visit .”
Or consider other examples of stories that people tell themselves : “ A $ 900 Louis Vuitton bag is better than cheaper bags .” “ Facebook is only for old people .”
“ Democrats are better at running the U . S . government than Republicans .” ( OR ) “ Republicans are better at running the U . S . government than Democrats .”
“ I care about the environment , so I drive an electric car .”
To best align the stories that your organization tells as part of its marketing and sales content , you need to first understand the stories that your customers tell themselves .
David Meerman Scott is the author or co-author of 10 books and the series editor of six . Three of his books are international best sellers .
David is best known for The New Rules of Marketing & PR . When first published in 2007 , " New Rules " opened people ’ s eyes to the new realities of marketing and public relations on the Web and was six months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list .
His latest book Fanocracy : Turning Fans into Customers and Customers into Fans is now available on Amazon in hardcover .
DavidMeermanScott . com
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