Stories are all around us, just waiting to be discovered and told. Here’s how to find great stories you can use to win over any individual or audience, from customers to colleagues to communities.
Storytelling Intimidates Most People
In my storytelling workshops I equip people with the essential principles, processes and structure then I give them five minutes to come up with a two-minute story. Most people take to this exercise right away.
But one time, as an entire ballroom was buzzing with activity, right at the front table sat a person who was clearly flummoxed. While everyone else was scribbling away on their stories, her pen hung limply in her hand and she wore a “deer in the headlights” expression.
I stepped down from the stage and asked how I could help. She replied, “I can’t think of a story to save my life.” (My immediate thought was that most stories don’t involve life-or-death consequences.)
Yet this is a trap lots of people fall into. They’re intimidated by the idea of telling stories, thinking they have to knock people out of their seats and provoke gales of tears or laughter.
But that’s nonsense. There’s no need for great drama — all we have to do is craft a story that people can relate to, in their head or in their heart.
Start with Simple Examples
So I asked her what her job was and she told me she worked in IT. “Okay,” I said, “What are your biggest challenges?”
She immediately came to life and told me about all the careless things people do, from downloading viruses to dumping drinks on their keyboard.
I asked if she had any examples of people doing careless things with their systems that caused needless headaches for themselves and their departments. “Of course,” she said. “I’ve got lots of those.”
“Those are your stories!” I told her. Or at least they’re the building blocks for stories.
Because you can talk until you’re blue in the face about process and procedure — “do this” or “don’t do that” — but people tend to tune that out.
But what if you could tell a story that vividly illustrates the real-life consequences of people’s actions and inactions? That’s going to have a much bigger impact.
So if you’re ever stuck, remember: stories are everywhere — but often they’re disguised as problems, issues or concerns.
Tap Into Experiences
I once worked with a CMO who had to announce a major restructuring that was certain to be controversial — new reporting lines, shifting responsibilities and all the rest.
So I asked, “Have you ever gone through something like this before?” A light bulb went on in his head and he started talking about his early years with that very company when another restructuring occurred.
At the time he felt angry and resentful and thought seriously about quitting. But he stuck it out, and to his surprise the change actually opened up new opportunities for professional growth and career advancement.
From this experience we crafted a personal story he could use to illustrate the idea that in spite of the short-term disruption and pain, change can sometimes bring unexpected benefits down the road.
So any time you’re presented with a problem, whether it’s an employee concern or a customer’s objection, think about whether you’ve ever gone through that before, or seen others go through it.
Then craft a story. It’s all about finding the thread or connection between the issue in front of you and what your past experience has taught you.
Get Personal
And it doesn’t always have to be your experience. Sometimes you may want to draw out other people’s stories. Talking to a prospective client? Tell them a story about one of your own clients who experienced something similar.
Same with your team, your leaders and anyone else you want to influence. Harvest their stories, particularly ones that can come in handy for you down the road.
I was working with a company that makes candy and gum. They wanted to demonstrate their commitment to quality, so we went looking for stories.
One day I was in a factory talking to a woman named Estela. She was literally the end of the line — the last person to inspect the packages of gum before they went out the door.
So I asked her what she did to ensure a quality product. It was a process question, so I got a process answer. She walked me through all the steps from start to finish. Useful? Maybe. But not that compelling.
I knew she had children so I said, “Your kids must think you’ve got a really cool job!” Estela lit up.
She plucked one of the packages of gum off the conveyor belt, turned it over and pointed to a code on the bottom. That code tells you exactly when and where the gum was made — right down to the individual shift and production line.
And her children know the code. So when her family goes to the store, the kids run straight to the candy aisle, turn over the packages of gum and when they find the right code they call out, “This is mommy’s gum! My mommy made this gum!”
Now that’s a story. Here’s a company you can count on for quality — it’s good enough for your family because Estela is there every day making sure it’s good enough for hers.
And the key to uncovering that story was that I got personal. Mentioning her kids loosened Estela up got her talking. It spoke to her heart, not just her head. And emotion is the core of any good story.
Keep Your Antennae Up for Story Material
I believe every person should have an inventory of stories they can keep on hand to address the issues that frequently come in their jobs and their lives.
It’s all about being tuned in to the people and the world around you. Listen for problems and pay attention to how they’re being solved. Or think about how you’ve seen them addressed in the past.
That’s how find great stories.
Collect them up and catalog them — either mentally or in writing — so you have them on hand when you most need them.
[A version of this post originally ran in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics.]
[Image licensed to Rob Biesenbach LLC by iStock]