You’ve probably told many stories in your life. It’s a natural part of human conversation: “The craziest thing happened to me yesterday…”
Storytelling is a powerful tool for communication, especially in business. Whether you’re presenting a pitch, motivating your team, or conveying a message to stakeholders, a well-told story can keep your audience engaged and make your message memorable.
Here are ten tips to help you master the art of business storytelling:
- Have a clear purpose: Your story should have a specific point you want to make or a message you want to convey. Perhaps you are telling a story that relates to an action you want your audience members to take or a decision you wish them to reach. Maybe the story is a way to create a bond with your audience. Decide what you want your audience to take away from your story before you start.
- Know your audience: Tailor your story to your audience. What will resonate with them? What do they need to hear? Keep their needs and interests in mind as you craft your story.
- Follow a structure: Just like a good novel, a business story works best when it has structure. The six components of a story’s structure are: Introduction (set the scene), Inciting Incident (what set the action of your story in motion?), Rising Action (then what happened?), Climax (highest point of tension), Falling Action (what was the result?), and Resolution (how was the action resolved?).
- Use active language: Put the characters in action, i.e. “I teetered for a horrifying moment, then I slid down the embankment and knocked my company’s CEO into a mud puddle.” Show, don’t tell.
- Include dialogue: Help your listeners hear the exchange between the characters, i.e. He said, “I hope you don’t think you’re still getting that promotion.”
- Appeal to the senses: Colorful, descriptive words will paint a picture of the scene in the listener’s mind. Help them see, hear, and feel the scene.
- Be relatable: Your audience should be able to identify with the characters in your story. Use descriptions that make the characters come to life and emotions that resonate with your listeners.
- Be concise: Keep your story short and to the point. I recommend keeping your stories to about 2 minutes. You might wonder how you can follow the 6 components of story structure in only 2 minutes. Here’s an example of what that could look like.
- Tell the Story with Enthusiasm: Consider using different voices for different characters, using relevant gestures, and moving as you speak. (Practice in the mirror to find the right level of gesture and animation.) Remember, you liked the story enough to share it—so, let them hear that in your voice.
- Rehearse your story: Practice your story until it becomes second nature so that you can tell it with ease and confidence.
Mastering the art of business storytelling takes practice, but with these tips, you’ll be able to inspire your audience and make your messages memorable. To help your team develop their Business Storytelling skills, check out the BRODY training on Business Storytelling.