I had the great fun of being able to talk to Michael Margolis of GetStoried.com about storytelling on the December 5th podcast. He’s a storyteller’s storyteller. Michael, who does very few interviews (hey, he’s the rare storytelling unicorn!), gave us a glimpse of how organizational storytelling has evolved.
Michael Margolis
Telling Your Business Story
You must tell a compelling story about your brand, your business and yourself in order to get traction. You are a story….that’s what your personal brand is. We are wired for storytelling; we are not wired for dealing with so much information, however. We reached an inflection point last year, as 2012 saw the resurgence of storytelling as a key part of organizational strategy. It’s the original social medium! What do businesses and entrepreneurs need to understand most about storytelling? How do you get to the heart of our story? What makes for a great story?
Storytelling for Entrepreneurs and Businesses
Be sure to listen to the podcast; Michael and I discuss some awesome concepts for creating great stories. Here are three parts to a story framework that Michael suggests:
Circumstance
- : This is where you set a scene, so people can see themselves reflected in your story. What are the circumstances of your story? Who are you and why should your audience care?
Choice
- : You must establish the dilemma – the tension. What choices must be made? These should not be easy, contrived choices for the sake of an easy story. These likely have twists and turns. You need to dig deep so you talk about the big issues that your audience is also likely grappling with.
Consequence(s)
- : Where is the payoff? How has the character changed? How are things different because of those choices made?
Lots of brand stories today focus on brand validation. It’s brand leg humping – stop it! I agree. Stories need to take your audience on a journey so they see how they can be a part of the change, too. Entrepreneurs need to remember that stories of disruption have double-edged swords.
So what is one thing we (people, businesses, entrepreneurs, doesn’t matter who you are) can do better? Dig deeper…go beyond the superficial stories and that means having empathy for your audience and knowing what issues they grapple with everyday. Empathy and storytelling are critical leadership skills.
Want more? Listen to the podcast, already!
What’s your story and what can you do differently after hearing this podcast?
