"After completing Bruce's Storytelling Workshop, we have the tools to truly captivate our audience. It is going to help our company tremendously."
- Jason Weaver, Branch Manager
LPL Financial Services
“I have already started to apply his tips to my presentations. Don’t miss him –- he is too much fun!”
- Ginnie Thomas, Health Advocate, H&RS, University of California at Santa Barbara
"It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Bruce Hale as a speaker, workshop leader, visiting writer, or any role remotely related!"
- Diane Mark, Creative Writing Program Coordinator, University of Hawaii at Manoa
"Provided a valuable perspective on building client relationships through storytelling. I learned new strategies that I want to incorporate into my insurance practice."
- William "Bud" Bridgers, President, NAIFA Santa Barbara Chapter
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Corporate Storytelling
Corporate Storytelling 101: How to pick a story that moves listeners
By Bruce Hale
Business publications these days sing the praises of corporate
storytelling. But what if you’re not a natural storyteller? How do you
pick a tale that inspires and connects — and still suits a business
setting? Here are nine tips:
1. Brief is better. Choose a story that can be boiled down to 3-5
minutes. Longer tales can get too complex. A good story should be
like a skirt: long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to
keep things interesting.
2. What is the Why? Why are you telling this particular story? Make
sure it reinforces the value you want to reinforce in a positive way.
Know the key point of your story. This will help you choose what to leave in and what to leave out.
3. This time it’s personal. Find a story from your own life if
possible — especially for a “why I’m here” tale. This gives you
authority and authenticity.
4. Who’s your hero? Listeners need a clear protagonist to identify
with. If you have too many heroes, the audience and the tale lose
focus. Telling it from a single hero’s point of view keeps things
simple and powerful.
5. What’s the beef? Every story needs a clear problem and solution.
Make sure this problem has relevance to your listeners, and remember to
include the solution. Listeners need closure.
6. Make ‘em feel it. If you want your story to hit home, give it some
strong human emotion. Fear, anger, excitement, frustration, joy — it
doesn’t matter which feeling, as long as it’s genuine. Your
involvement in the story’s emotion triggers your listeners’ emotional
involvement.
7. Keep it real. For most business purposes, true stories resonate
more than parables or myths. Who Moved My Cheese? aside, would you
relate better to a story that happened to the teller or one that
happened to mice?
8. All’s well that ends well. Pick a story with a happy ending.
Why? It’ll give your listeners an endorphin rush and leave them with a
positive impression. Yes, fear can motivate, but it can also lead to
paralysis. Take a tip from Hollywood and end on an up note.
9. Papa, don’t preach. At your story’s end, let the listeners draw
their own conclusion. If you spell out the moral, you ram it down
their throats. Leave space for the audience to reach its own
conclusions, and you draw people in.
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