Why is the power of storytelling good for your business?
We’ve been telling stories since time began. It’s always been a powerful way to communicate information with each other in a way that effortlessly stirs up emotions and peaks interest.
And depending on who we’re telling the story to, we instinctively change the tone, language and feel of the story to make sure that it has the impact we desire.
For example, the way you tell a story to your best friend is going to be different to the way you’d tell the same story to your Grandmother - not for any other reason other than she’s of a different generation - maybe she doesn’t approve of bad language or has a different view on the world than your friend does. So to ensure that your Grandmother’s story experience is the same as your friend’s, you’ll change the way you tell it to ensure the biggest impact. But never the less, the way that you retell the story to both listeners involves elements of storytelling because it’s the most instinctual way to share information with impact.
Without realising it, you’re using the power of storytelling to create the biggest impact with minimum effort.
Businesses are now waking up to the power of storytelling to communicate their message with impact too.
Traditionally, they’ve tended to describe their products and services on their website, brochures and social media posts - which amounts to nothing short of a catalogue of information - with nothing of interest or emotion to hold the listener’s attention.
So how can businesses harness the power of storytelling to reach their audience in a way that prompts action?
The big blockbuster films have it all worked out.
All films contain the following storytelling elements:
The main character
The problem
The guide
The solution
Let’s take The Serpent as an example (BBC iPlayer) and break it down into those four storytelling elements above.
Main character - Interpol and local Police Authorities in Bangkok and India
The problem - Charles Sobhraj is drugging and killing tourists
The guide - Herman Knippenberg, a Dutch diplomat
The solution - Herman’s attention to detail and commitment to seeing justice done
In this story, we are led down the path of cruelty and destruction with Charles at the centre - and here lies the problem.
The impact of what Charles is doing to tourists has us on the edge of our sofa not knowing who he’s going to target next - and his strategies of luring in his victims in tugs hard on our emotions on all levels.
Then the guide appears on the scene in the form of the Herman, the Dutch diplomat.
Herman is the epitome of dedication and justice - and like a dog with a bone, he won’t let the case drop. It is Herman who, in the end, helps Interpol and the local Police Authorities in Bangkok and India save the day - and Charles is finally captured.
The main character is always the person who has the problem - and in this case, it is Interpol and the local Police Authorities. Tourists in their countries are being brutally killed and left for dead - their job is to hunt down the killer.
You can name any blockbuster film and apply the same storytelling structure to it - and the reason it works is very simple….
The power of storytelling is a structure that peaks our interest, we understand it, it makes us want to hang on in there to find out more, and we all love a happy ending - the solution to the problem.
How does storytelling apply to your business?
Let’s look at that structure again:
The main character - also known as the hero
Many businesses think that they are the main character - they’re not. Your client, your audience is the main character - the hero. Remember, the main character is the one who has a problem - he’s looking for a solution, is lost, doesn’t know where to turn - he wants a solution that will solve his problem so that life looks better as a result. Heroes never look for other heroes. Heroes look for guides.
Some examples:
The dog owner who wants her dog to stop jumping up at people
The mum whose baby won’t sleep
The business owner who wants to attract more clients
The teenager showing signs of mental health problems
The list is endless, but these would be the main characters of a business’ story.
Sally Inkster - Improve Confidence | Personal Brand | Attract Your Perfect Client
The problem
The problem is the thing that is causing the main character pain on some level, and they can’t see a way out, they don’t know how to solve it. They may have tried several ways of attempting to solve it, or may simply be stuck in the cycle of not knowing where to turn next for help. They’ve identified the problem, but don’t know how to solve it.
The guide
This is where you come into their lives and show them that you can solve their problem. In your marketing messages, using the power of storytelling, you position yourself as the guide not the hero. You are strong, experienced, you’ve been there, you understand their problem. You illustrate this through clear marketing messages that place them at the heart of it, so that when they see it, it catches their attention, stops them in their tracks and leaves them wanting to find out more.
The solution
This is your product or service. It’s your product or service that is going to address and solve the problem - you’ve developed it to meet the needs of someone like Claire, whose dog is an embarrassment everytime she has guests to her home. She’s tried everything to stop her dog from jumping up at guests, and now it’s become quite stressful when people come round so she’s resorted to putting her dog in the utility room for the duration of the visit. She knows it’s not really the answer, but what can she do? She doesn’t know where to turn.
The guide’s role
You’re the guide, and your job is to help Claire solve the problem of her dog jumping up at guests when they arrive. Your marketing messages, the power of storytelling, will be all about Claire’s problem. You won’t name her, you won’t need to because there are lots of Claires struggling with excited jumping dogs - but when Claire reads your marketing message, it will resonate with her in a way that will catch her attention and stop her in her tracks.
Why?
Because your message is clear:
You’ve identified the problem from the outset
You’ve positioned yourself as the expert - you’ve been there, you’re experienced, you’re Claire’s strong guide who is there to help her
You’ve described what life will look like when Claire’s dog no longer jumps up at her guests the minute they walk through the door
You have a strong clear call to action which Claire understands and acts upon
And you’ve done all this using the the power of storytelling.
Storytelling is a fascinating topic and one that I could talk about for hours, but for now I’ll leave it there - but I’ll pick it up again to explore further another time.
Anne is a brand photographer working across Essex and London delivering a photography experience that provides business owners with a curated image collection that tells their unique brand story and coaching on how to use them effectively across social media and websites.
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Anne - brand photographer