Imagine a world where people listen to, and act on, what you say … every time. A world where you can share your most complex data in a way that everyone understands. Imagine a world where a simple presentation gets you, your team or your business what you need. That is the reality that storytelling promises.
Storytelling, as mentioned in previous articles, is deeply embedded in our history and is supported by science. This is not a fad or just for marketing. This is a powerful technique that anyone can use to successfully deliver key information.
So how do you build these stories? In this post I will look at the frameworks and key ingredients to use for crafting an impactful story.
Storytelling frameworks
There are a number of frameworks you can use but the main ingredients are the same. Think of stories that really struck you or that were particularly memorable – what was it that worked? Invariably you were drawn in very early on and there will have been some sort of connection. Some of the most memorable will have felt truly authentic, perhaps a personal story. They will have elicited an emotional response (whether that is joy, fear, surprise, etc.).
The other common feature to a great story is structure. This is where storytelling frameworks come in. By using a framework you can ensure you are using a structure that works. Frameworks are also incredibly useful to help order your data and story – I personally think they make life easier.
One of the most famous storytelling frameworks is the Hero’s journey. This is 12 step framework which you will probably recognise from a wide number of books and films. A slightly shorter framework that is built along the same lines is the Story Cycle, which can be better suited for business stories.
There are other variations or nuances of this type of framework but I sometimes found them a little too long and convoluted. There is also a 3 stepframework – which can work well for short presentations.
Another framework, taking inspiration from the film world, is the Pixar story framework which follows a slightly different structure. Again you will recognise this from a number of Pixar films. Whilst it may not seem an obvious framework for business storytelling it can actually work very well in weaving through data elements. It also highlights the importance of a strong start and finish.
Most of these frameworks have common elements in them which are all important in business storytelling.
Once up a time
Taking inspiration from the Pixar framework always consider your start carefully. You often have a limited amount of time to grab attention so crafting a good strong start can make all the difference. Often we start by introducing ourselves – when in actual fact this is a weak way to start. Rather consider jumping straight into the story, before weaving your introduction in.
The hero
Whilst you may wonder why you need a hero if you just want to share your latest data the answer is simple – connection. The hero in your story is the element that elicits a human connection and this is incredibly important if you want your story to work.
When looking at the data or information you want to share think carefully about who the hero will be. Consider who would create the best connection with your audience. Your hero could be the patient or a customer but it could also be the team or even your audience. The main thing is that you bring in a human element.
The challenge
Again this may feel counter intuitive for some stories but bringing in an element of conflict or challenge gets the brain chemistry working. We may want to have a totally positive story but without this element it falls flat and will not hook your audience.
The reality is that most things we do in business are in response to some sort of challenge so identifying the challenge should not be too hard. The challenge could be anything from a patient’s unmet need to a content piece not working.
The action
After you have established the challenge or conflict you then need to address what action will be taken to counter this. Depending on what information you are trying to share this might be action already taken or it could be action that will be taken in the future.
The result
Leading on from the action comes the result. This could be your current data or it could be the desired result from your activities. The result should be a high point in your story.
By this stage you have built up the flow and brought your audience along and now you need to leave them feeling the accomplishment of the story. Finishing with no result feels like an anti-climax and leaves the audience feeling like something is missing.
They rode off into the sunset happily ever after
Just as important as your start is your finish. This is the part of your story that the audience will walk away with so use the opportunity for maximum impact. Consider what emotions and thoughts you want the audience to leave with and weave your story in such a way as to deliver this.
You also need to consider if you want your audience to do something after your presentation. If so how will you bring this in? Ideally you want your call to action to flow seamlessly from your narrative.
Taking our heading “riding off into the sunset” as the end of your story you might then weave in a final question and call to action: “wouldn’t you like to do this? Come to the next meeting to find out how!”
Using all these key elements you can build a story that delivers for you. The essence of story telling is connection and it is this connection that drives results. Simply sharing a slide with your key data will only have a limited impact – but sharing that data using storytelling techniques delivers an experience that your audience will remember and react to.
If you are not used to storytelling in a work setting it can take a bit of practice but with time and a short amount of coaching you will be amazed at the difference it can make!
If you would like to learn more about storytelling or set up some coaching for you or your team please get in touch alexandra.fulford@pharmaguapa.com
