3 Ways to Make Business Stories Effective

There are simple things we can do to make sure our business stories are effective. Here are three simple ideas to keep you on the right track when telling business stories.

---

1

Have a point

Business Storytelling without a business point is like mailing an envelope without a letter in it. Business storytelling can certainly be entertaining, however, entertainment is secondary to getting your point across. Make sure you know what your point is.

2

Start with a time and a place

One of the best ways to identify whether you are telling a business story will be determined by whether you start with time and place markers. "Just yesterday I flew Qantas from Perth to Los Angeles, I noticed that when I disembarked, the hostesses and stewards were genuine in expressing their gratitude by sincerely thanking me and the other passengers. I had the thought that little things really can make a big difference in business." What identifies this as a story are the words — Just yesterday (time) and Perth to Los Angeles, Qantas (place). Simple!

3

Set the scene

I was working with a man named Chris who was in the frisbee business. I asked him to reflect on a time and place when he was struck by the power of frisbee to transform lives. He recounted playing frisbee with a young local in the Maldives; he transported us to the scene of the story by simply saying, “I was in the Maldives standing on clean white sand, surrounded by palm trees and aqua blue water”. Everyone in the room was immediately transported to the tropical paradise. You can set the scene of your stories with simple generic descriptions.