The Art of Storytelling
Blog posts and newsletters often center on storytelling. When you’re writing a blog, you don’t want to slow down to either come up with one or write it out entirely. However, most blog posts need a story. Before you can edit a story to ramp up its effectiveness, first understand the structure of a story.
From the beginning of humankind, stories served as an entertaining way of communicating information, morals, and values.
Why is Storytelling Essential?
Stories create connections between people. Through a well-chosen and well-written story, the storyteller says, “I went through this. I understand what you’re going through. I want to share what I’ve learned.”
A good story, especially one in which you make yourself vulnerable, invites an even deeper connection. Can you tell a story about a situation in which you failed? Can you take this story a step further and describe what you learned from that failure? When you do that, you give the reader a gift.
Stories entertain the reader. A well-told story gives the gift of both taking the reader (or listener) out of their world and, through drawing analogies, bringing back insights from the story world to the listener’s experience.
A story can provide information in an engaging format. Say you want to explain the importance of keeping nurses checking the patient’s armband before giving a blood transfusion. You could provide charts, data, on blood types and the signs of a transfusion reaction. Or you could tell a story about how two patients with the same name had different blood types, and the nurse administered the wrong blood. The real-life consequences will likely impact the reader more than the dry recitation of statistics.
Storytelling About Your LNC Business
Stories about your LNC business promote your expertise without selling it. If you’re writing about your business, always make your first choice of stories related to that work. I’m not saying they should be your only choices.
Some marketing experts say that a book is the new business card. The same is true of anything you send to your mailing list or post on your blog. It represents you.
The stories you choose for your writing are the jewels in the crown. They bring sparkle to you and your business.
You want them to present you as:
- Expert
- Authoritative
- A person who cares about attorney clients
- Caring
I emphasize that last point. One of the most compelling stories is the “snatching victory from the jaws of defeat” kind. You could also call it “turning a loss into a win.”
Like every businessperson, I’ve made mistakes. Software glitches or human error have resulted in unpleasant phone conversations.
When customers got upset, I jumped on the problem and did everything possible to solve the problem. Often the fix resulted in a better system for billing or handling subcontractors (or whatever problem had come to the surface). I then called the complaining client and explained what I’d done, thanking them for bringing this issue to my attention.
Storytelling in Outline Form Example
1. A problem occurs.
2. The customer complains.
3. The business owner investigates.
4. She solves the problem.
5. She informs and thanks the customer.
6. The customer is pleased by her diligence.
7. Sometimes she’ll keep the customer; sometimes she won’t, but she has the reward of knowing that the problem won’t occur again.
Stories about how you solved a complex problem a client brought to you show both your expertise and caring approach.
Don’t Make Your Stories About You
If you are now saying, “But you said to write about my LNC business,” yes, I did.
It’s all a matter of how you do it.
A good opener for a story might be something like, “Has this ever happened to you?” It could be:
“Have you ever gotten complacent because you had a full roster of clients, only to lose half the next week?”
“Have you ever avoided buying new technology for your business because you’re techno-phobic?”
Use your first paragraph to elaborate on the grief a problem can cause; then begin your story.
The same rules that apply to all your writing assume particular importance in a story. Don’t wander off-track. Don’t load it with unnecessary information (infodump).
Rules of Storytelling
- Begin with the problem.
- End with the solution.
- Make it concise.
- When you’ve finished writing your story, make sure it says “you” more than “I.”
If you have little or no experience in storytelling, you’ll want to practice. Have others, especially in your field, read your stories. It’s also a good idea to show them to someone who’s an experienced writer. Finally, choose people who know how to criticize kindly. If they’re your friends, you’ll know who they are.
Dialog
I know you’re not writing a work of fiction. Dialog belongs in nonfiction, too. It brings stories to life.
I’ll return to how I solved a client crisis by identifying what caused the problem.
I could write, “The client called me, furious over a billing error.” I apologized and promised to investigate it immediately.
Or I could write:
“Torie Peterson, one of my best clients, called me. ‘I’ve just gotten my invoice, and you overcharged me by $2000. What kind of an operation are you running?’
Have you ever tried thinking logically when an irate client activates your defensive mechanisms?
I took several deep breaths. ‘Torie, I’m shocked to hear this. I’m going to have our billing system checked immediately.’
In the second example, dialog takes the reader into the story. It conveys a range of emotions, allowing the reader to identify with the storyteller’s problem.
Use dialog wherever possible.
When you edit your stories, ensure the details are in a logical order and complete. The point of the story is clear. Look for ways to tighten up the story and add more drama.
You’ll gain practical tips and guidance for creating powerful stories by purchasing my book, Powerful Storytelling in Business: How to Captivate Your Clients. Order it at patiyer.com/books
Pat Iyer is president of The Pat Iyer Group, which develops resources to assist LNCs in obtaining more clients, making more money, and achieving their business goals and dreams.
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