Dazzle | Issue 3

STORYTELLING
PETER STEVE, OWNER & CCO
STORYTELLING:
MAKING AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
STORYTELLING HAS BEEN
around forever, with the earliest
example being a series of cave
paintings depicting a variety
of animals and one image of a
human being dated to 15,000 to
13,000 B.C.
From these humble beginnings,
storytelling has progressed from
the likes of Aesop’s fables to
Shakespeare’s plays to those of
the late Steve Jobs, who was
most recently known as the
world’s best storyteller.
Storytelling is uniquely woven
into the fabric of our lives. It
helps us assimilate and process
information, pass on our history
from generation to generation
and provide a framework for
how we experience the world.
Without storytelling, there would
be no movies, no television and
no literature.
In business, storytelling has
experienced a rebirth of sorts,
playing a crucial role in how brands
and organizations communicate
with their target audiences.
When done correctly, storytelling
enables a brand or organization
to engage its audience and
influence them to take the
desired action.
Think about some of today’s
biggest and most successful
brands — they all tell amazing
stories. For example, Apple tells
stories of people challenging the
norms, Nike tells stories of people
doing the impossible and GE tells
stories of technology improving
daily life.
While there is far more that
goes into effective business
storytelling than simply spinning
a good yarn, all good business
storytellers share a number of
qualities they make their stories
engaging and memorable.
As marketing Guru Seth Godin
stated, “Marketing is the art of
telling a story that resonates
with your audience and then
spreads.” I hope this article serves
as your prompt to create a brand
or organizational story that
moves your audience to action
and ultimately leads to success.
Following are a few of those
qualities that you can use in
creating your own brand or
organization’s story:
1. Give your stories a human face; work to make it personal
for your audience.
2. Create your story as if you are a color commentator, not
a play-by-play announcer.
3. Engage your audience with meaningful examples and characters.
4. Craft your story building upon one of the five timeless story
themes (Hero’s Quest, Creation Stories, Stories of Transformation,
Fall & Redemption and Myth of the Crossroads).
5. Entertain your audience and let your story reveal something
about themselves.
6. Keep your message simple. Complexity is your enemy.
7. Understand your audience’s “aspired self,” the way they see
themselves rather than how they actually are.
If you would like to learn more about storytelling in business, contact
us for a copy of our presentation titled “Storytelling: Making an
Emotional Connection with Your Audience.”
DAZZLE: ISSUE THREE 19