Complexity vs Simplicity

Sir Richard Branson gave us a great quote recently. He said: “Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complex. Its hard to make something simple”. There’s gold in those words. How much better can one do that than through storytelling. It is an established fact today that storytelling is now seen as a vital element in any progressive, sales process. A brand can make an big impression and demonstrate the quality of its services by sharing stories via multimedia, blogs, social channels, videos and print sources. Stories help to portray people's culture and beliefs.?Storytelling courses are popping up all over the world currently as this approach is recognised as a major skill that can drive new business like never before.? Is this new?? I’m not so sure it is. Storytelling is part of our Irish culture and we’ve all been using stories for ever.? However, there are lessons to be learnt from a business point of view. I’ve recently being asked by clients to help their staff craft the best stories to promote their business i.e. stories to influence potential buyers to consider purchasing their products and services. It seems straightforward enough. Surely everyone is a good storyteller, you may say?? Well unfortunately, that is not the case for many. From doing countless role plays over the years, I’ve observed many people in our business (storytellers) blurting out irrelevant information, numbers, rates, facts, figures and statistics in an in-cohesive way, with no obvious direct line of interest for those they address.

Listeners will often understand the subject being outlined but not necessarily the objective!

?So, listeners (prospects in many cases) are frequently left asking themselves, what’s the point here?? Why is he/she telling me this? What’s in this for me?

For stories to work they must be presented in a way that instantly engage any potential audience. A story must follow a line that causes any listener to use their imagination (imagination = image into the brain) to inspire them to want to take action. In this article I’d like to outline a few ideas for you to consider.

?Firstly, why do stories generally work?

?Well first of all, stories relax and disarm, as they are a less direct form of communication. Stories if told well, capture interest and motivate. Stories often bypass suspicion because they highlight routine, day to day issues. Stories can make listeners feel you understand them and their circumstances. Stories are more likely to be remembered. (Research shows facts and detail are forgettable).

If you concentrate on each of these five elements, you will create stories that are compelling. You will create stories that build trust because they will connect people with solutions to challenges in life – challenges they not have even considered until they heard the story in question. When we all hear a story (provided its of specific relevance or interest ) we put ourselves in the position of the character in the story. If that character is threatened by a situation or condition, we can imagine being threatened also. If they are excited about a solution to a problem, we will often feel excited too because we could adopt the same strategy they used to deal with the challenge. That’s why stories work.

It is easy for anyone to relate to a story if the main character in the story is similar to them or facing situations similar to them. So, your central character in the story should be similar to the person or persons you are addressing (maybe they are in ?same age group, marital status, work situation or facing the consequences of a particular financial challenge). Stories appeal to senses and emotions, not only drawing attention more easily, but also making a powerful impact. All of this makes storytelling powerful in delivering any message.

“A story is less direct, more gracious and ?prompts less resistance than the naked truth” ….The Story Factor by Annette Simmons

If you want to develop great stories to promote yourself and your business, then I suggest the following topics are well worth consideration. Have a story for each T.M.Q.Q. area mentioned below and you will have a treasure-trove of content that will surely be of interest to any prospect or client.? If I’m a staff member of yours, I can use your or other’s stories to illustrate points of view.

Harvard Business Review has suggested every, seriously-minded, business person needs to develop trust stories, teaching stories and action stories. They suggest you want to leave the audience thinking, “If I do this (insert your desired action here), then I will get that (the desired result).” Good advice and a good place to start building your story bank. I urge you to reflect on the above.? It will help you and your staff grow your client relationships and business to boot.