Storytelling for Business Impact

One of the many things I love about my job at Microsoft is that I get to coach and mentor others to become more effective storytellers. For years, I did this in ad-hoc fashion, simply answering questions as they arose or editing the work of others to make it more impactful. Over time, though, I found that I had developed my own system to tell stories that drive business impact, based on a very simple formula:

Persuasive arguments + Memorable delivery = Impactful Business Storytelling

In this article, I’ll describe the steps necessary to ensure you’re successful with this equation. It will help you to understand why mediocre ideas presented persuasively will almost always beat good ideas presented unconvincingly. While this article will focus primarily on the first parameter (“Persuasive arguments”), I’ll follow-up soon with a related post detailing ten tips for a more memorable delivery.

In a business context, “storytelling” is almost a misnomer, in that it leans too far toward written stories. In my experience, most stories at Microsoft aren’t written down, they’re transmitted orally, often with the help of PowerPoint (a subject for another day). When someone tells me they want to be a more effective storyteller, they rarely mean they want to be a better writer (although the two skills are closely related). Inevitably they want to become a more effective and persuasive public speaker, and that starts with having an interesting story to tell – a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending.

In my model, you start at the end (step 6), then work your way to the beginning (step 1). I’ll show you how!

Step 6. What is the outcome you’re trying to drive?

In my experience, it’s imperative to start at the end, by first determining the outcome that you’re trying to drive. From there, you work backward to the beginning, ensuring an effective and persuasive approach that leads to the desired outcome – a memorable and effective presentation that persuades your audience of the righteousness of your solution or vision.

I start at the end because too many stories begin with no idea where they’re going. As evidence, I offer Star Wars Episodes 7-9. Did J.J. Abrams really expect to end his trilogy with a resurrection of Emperor Palpatine, preceded by the discovery of a magical space MacGuffin that led his heroes to the edge of the known universe? I certainly hope not. The writers for that trilogy fell into the trap of having no idea where their story was going – and it’s a trap that business professionals fall into just as easily.

You typically have only one chance to land your message, strategy, or vision in a business context to senior leaders. The effective business storyteller knows the outcome they’re trying to drive, then slowly builds the case through the preceding slides or visuals to ensure the audience is along for the ride.

And that really does mean one outcome. Any attempt to drive multiple outcomes will likely end in failure as messages get lost and attention spans are divided. Save that other great idea for another day!

Step 5. Paint a picture of the future state

Effective stories create a vivid and vibrant portrait of a potential future state. Some examples:

• The impact of funding a proposal. An effective storyteller describes the future state, and the various benefits to the team and organization that will accrue by providing resources.
• The result of supporting a business strategy. The effective storyteller looks a year out into the future and enumerates the benefits to the team and to the company from investing in that strategy.
• The improved business result associated with a change. An effective storyteller uses data to reinforce the case for change, making it a necessity for leadership to fall in line and support the change.

This phase is a particularly effective place to make use of metaphors, similes, and analogies. They each appeal to human beings in visceral ways, helping to make connections to things that are familiar and comforting. It makes your business presentation more personal, invoking feelings that inspire your audience and spur them to action.

Step 4. Define the consequences of inaction

To persuade someone to act, you must first make clear the opportunity costs of inaction. After all, it’s much easier to do nothing, and most human beings are perfectly happy continuing to do the same things they’ve always done over and over again. Why? Because we’re creatures of habit, and we hate change.

But businesses that are not receptive to change quickly lose competitive advantage. And businesses that rest on their laurels are quickly eclipsed by newer, hungrier competition. To spur your audience to action, the effective storyteller focuses on the consequences of inaction as much as they focus on the righteousness of their solution or strategy.

Step 3. Share your proposed solution or strategy

You know the outcome you’re trying to drive, you’ve painted a picture of the future state, and you’ve outlined the consequences of inaction. But what action do you propose for your team or organization to take? This is arguably the most difficult step in the process – famously satirized by “The Underpants Gnomes” in South Park:

1. Collect underpants
2. ??
3. Profit

Sure, they had one element of the strategy in place (“Collect Underpants”), but the strategy fell apart after that. The effective business storyteller doesn’t try to define a strategy or solution in isolation. After all, the best business ideas come from teams working together to solve tough business problems. Instead, they carefully listen to their teammates, capturing insights and ideas that they synthesize into highly persuasive arguments. Through careful iteration, the team refines the pitch until they figure out that middle step (“??”), and the storyteller puts that strategy or solution into words, accompanied by appropriate visuals to persuade the audience.

And in this case, I don’t mean tables or complex charts. I mean visuals that are simple (e.g., a single graph showing the potential for exponential growth), or even better, an image that evokes a strong emotional response from the audience – a feeling they’ll associate with the strategy or solution you propose.

Ask yourself, have you ever watched a TED talk that was full of charts or graphs? Maybe, but generally TED talks are effective because of the passion of the presenters and the relevance of human-centric stories, often reinforced by visuals that elicit an emotional response. Appeal to the humanity of your audience while pitching your strategy. They’ll have a more visceral reaction and will be more likely to support your vision.

Step 2. Make it personal

How do you make your presentation memorable? Connect with your audience personally. This is your chance to inject a short but meaningful anecdote. The effective storyteller seizes this opportunity to look their audience in the eye, capture their attention, and reel them in through an intense, personal connection. Don’t leave this step to chance, because even the most compelling strategies can quickly be forgotten if the presenter isn’t memorable. A short story about something happening in your life or tying the content to come to a life lesson learned long ago can be incredibly memorable and will help to persuade your audience of the wisdom of your solution. If your story can portend your suggested outcome without saying it explicitly, all the better.

Step 1. Establish your credibility

While it may sound obvious, you must quickly establish your credibility to be an effective business storyteller. And that doesn’t mean spending 5-10 minutes establishing your credentials. This means quickly – instantly – instilling confidence in your audience that you are the most qualified person in the room to discuss this topic. This isn’t easy, and it’s often overlooked. Titles, credentials, and endorsements might have gotten you the job, but don’t assume that they carry over to your presentation and put you on a path to success.

Instead, briefly introduce yourself, then find ways to quickly assert your expertise and give your audience a reason to pay attention. If you don’t, you’ve already lost the battle, and no matter how compelling the content is that follows, you likely won’t be able to successfully drive the outcome you’re trying to land.

I admit that writing this is easy but applying this framework is more difficult. But it’s supposed to be difficult! No matter how gifted a storyteller you think someone is, the probability is that the gift they demonstrate is a byproduct of years of practice and hours of careful preparation. Yes, you might be able to wing it from time to time, and sometimes we’re even able to “fake it ‘til we make it”. But I’m convinced that careful and thoughtful application of a storytelling framework like this one will make anyone a more effective business communicator and will similarly help anyone to achieve greater success in business.

Continue to Part 2: Ten Tips for Memorable Business Stories | LinkedIn