Storytelling in the Corporate World: How stories and business growth are inter-connected

To hell with facts! We need stories! ~Ken Kesey

The most common question I come across in my several corporate training seminars across India & Dubai, is about the relevance if using the Art of Storytelling in the corporate environment. Let me try and answer it:

Well, a great sales person should be able to ask great questions, listen actively, understand the environment and customer and tell great stories. Now while, there are many established techniques, inductions and programs to enhance the first three skills viz. asking, listening and comprehension, many do not optimise the power of selling via story telling. There is truckload of potential hiding there.

Stories have become increasingly important in the world of selling. They can be used as a influential tool for getting the attention of prospective customers. Great stories create memorable conversations, differentiate you and bring you closer to your goal of selling.

Disney is my favourite example of a company using storytelling in their marketing campaigns. They devise a story and then sell merchandise that come out of that story. With a Finding Nemo, they talk about the importance of courage and listening to your heart, in any and every situation. With a classic like The Lion King, it instils leadership values. Today these stories have become a part of our lives.

According to Paul Smith; the difference in business success is storytelling… great leaders do it well… and others keep enhancing the skill. Here are few pointers that help in creating a great platform for story-telling.

• A memorable impact:Share your experiences that leave a memorable impact. Narrate stories that help you to connect to your audience. Whether is a presentation or a pitch, a great story can win many hearts.
• Connecting to human emotion: Humans connect to anything that strikes a chord, your stories need to touch the heart.
• Bring in cinematic twist: Use the right expressions and plots to narrate your stories. This will create a lasting impression on your presentation.
• Include your people ‘Who is your hero’: Put your audience into the plot of the story. Make them curious about what is going to come next.

Actcelerate brings out the great art of story-telling and sparking emotional quotient through its corporate training programs. We use Cinema and Theatre to infuse laughter, acting and sharing through innovative techniques that make people more creative, productive, joyous and better leaders. We build an atmosphere where everyone wants to get on board and create and share excitement.

As a corporate, your goal is to surround your clients and consumers with great experiences, so they can decide how they want to create that chemistry with you. Give them multiple ways to enjoy your brand or corporate story, and you’ll find yourself moving closer to achieving your new business goals.