If you want to position yourself for success in the workplace, the marketplace and everyday life, it’s important to learn how to tell your story.
In fact, we actually need multiple stories for multiple occasions and audiences. Here are the top three.
1. The Snapshot Story
When you bump into someone at work or at a networking event and they ask what you do, you need to be quick and concise.
Instead of just giving them your job title or listing your responsibilities, start with this simple value statement: I [do what] for [whom] so they can [what]. As in:
“I help companies communicate responsibly in a crisis so they can preserve their reputation and protect their business.”
“I work with senior executives on their speeches so they can win over employees, customers and others.”
“I work with the media to help ensure our story is told as fully, accurately and fairly as possible.”
If you sense they’re interested and want to know more, you can expand on that opening statement with an example:
“Did you hear about the product recall at XYZ Company? No? That’s because we got ahead of the situation and communicated to consumers quickly and proactively.”
“I recently worked with a CEO who had to face shareholders after a year of dismal performance. We crafted remarks that helped bolster investor confidence by showing that we understand the roots of the problem and have a credible plan for getting back on track.”
“Right now I’m preparing information and lining up sources for a reporter doing a piece on corporate environmental responsibility initiatives.”
These examples, of course, are stories. They have a character, a problem and a solution.
2. The Origin Story
This is a longer story you might share when you have the time to deepen a connection — perhaps over dinner with a client or when you’re stuck at the airport with a colleague.
Start by positioning your career and life in a broader, thematic framework:
“From an early age I was always fascinated by the news and current events … ”
Build your narrative in a linear fashion, avoiding the “zigs and zags” that don’t support the theme:
“I worked on my high school paper, majored in broadcast journalism in college and went on to a successful career in television news …”
Locate the key turning points and use detail to bring those moments to life:
“It was fulfilling, but the night and weekend hours were killing me. The last straw was when I had to miss a dear friend’s wedding. So I went into corporate public affairs. The hours are more normal and I still get to feed my appetite for the news — only shaping it instead of reporting it.”
3. The Skill Showcase Story
When you’re interviewing for a job or pitching new business, it’s important to “thin-slice” your experience with stories that are laser-focused on your audience.
To use myself as an example, I have multiple stories tuned to different prospects’ interests:
- If they’re looking for help with presentation skills, I tell the story of how I was a longtime executive speechwriter who decided to practice what I preach by getting on stage myself. So all my advice is road-tested.
- If it’s storytelling, I tell them how I honed my skills at Second City’s training center, where every week for three years we’d create and workshop scenes in class.
- If their people are technical types, I describe my work helping hundreds of lawyers communicate in a more natural way.
So take an inventory of the interests and needs of the people you most want to influence, find a match with your skills, and scour your experience for stories that meet the moment.
By preparing a variety of stories, you’ll be better able to package your capabilities in an engaging and compelling way and position yourself for greater success.
[Photo published under license from iStock]
[A version of this post originally ran in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics.]