Business storytelling hacks: how to apply story archetypes to business storytelling
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Transcript of Business storytelling hacks: how to apply story archetypes to business storytelling
BUSINESSSTORYTELLINGHACKShow to apply story archetypes to business storytelling
Business presentation is just another form of storytelling. Some of the stories might be good, most of the time they just plainly suck.
TRUTH BE TOLD
this is your remedy for elaborate selling techniques. Helps you dispel the storytelling magic.
IF YOU ARE THE ONE LISTENING
use the basic storytelling plots to create a backbone for the presentation or pitch. As they put it "people don't hate selling, they hate bad selling“.
And remember your pitch sucks as much as does your story.
IF YOU ARE SELLING
5 STORY FRAMEWORKS
…that provide structure and drama to you business pitch or presentation. Well go through all five of them to see what everything is about.
THE MONSTER
good vs evil
you can always recognize the monster narrative through the
good and evil opposition – somebody has to be the evil
incarnate that works against you and (of course) the society
The most prevailing story type in the market.Business people and marketers use it a lot. It comes together with military vocabulary.
It begins: "your biggest competitor is... planning... attack...must win battles...confrontation...retreat...tactics...strategy...overcome..."
THE MONSTER HUNT
…
…
In this case, the presentation follows the pattern:
1. identify the monster2.describe how evil it is3.define what awaits everyone if the monster is 4.not defeated5.propose a plan6propose help7.announce call-to-arms (i mean action)
STORY PATTERN
…
THE QUEST
effort vs inaction
a quest narrative wouldn‘t be a quest narrative, if there weren‘t some clear rewards involved –
but also it entails starting doing something, i. e. performing a
glorious task that will change the world
We all know that most businesses are risk-evasive. They won't do anything to break new ground or even counter-intuitively try to achieve twice as ambitious goals with business models that were outdated by 80's standards.
RISK AVERSION
…
Change is hard for everyone.
So it has to be the princess, the castle, the goldmine or anything else shining in the distance.
You have to shed the light. And then tell that that they will have to pass the hazardous land of Mordor in order to get it.
No pain no gain.
THE LURE
…
For this narrative you will definitely need:
1. to establish the final reward and its role in the winners life
2. describe what it takes to set out on the quest and how much resources it will require
3. have a map
THE LURE
…
THE VOYAGE
known vs unknown
voyage narrative means going into the unknown and accepting the fact that you are not able to
control and know everything
The unknown holds the answers. Only by doing what has not been done before you can find the true meaning and move on with your business plans.
This story is about the fact that no matter how much you know and how much data you have amassed, you still have to face risks.
INTO THE UNKNOWN
…
RAGS TO RICHES
obscurity vs success
we all know those stories about main characters that clean shoes for others, but who are destined for so much more. It’s written in
the stars as they say.
It's the story about the rise from insignificance to viral existence.
This is the story about the magical shoe, the pumpkin carriage and the prince.
MAGICAL SHOE
…
But somebody has to discover you. So you have to do everything to be discovered, to be found and put on pedestal.
This story is about the breakthrough. The story of a startup fed to an aging company.
THE PRINCE
…
REBIRTH
corrupted vs pure
this is like the ultimate toxicity test – there is shit in your system and you have to get it out. The usual problem is that you don’t know what’s wrong with you in
the first place.
The rebirth story is a bit different from RAGS to RICHES narrative in a way that it is about getting back to the throne kind of narrative.
Something became corrupted and rotten within the company, a curse fell on it - you have to find it and get rid of it once and for all.
THE CURSE
…
This is the derailed giant story. Your personal Game of Thrones episode where you are the one who gets his/her revenge.
Let’s admit it – it is also one of the best consulting story patterns. This is Rocky Balboa getting in form and getting back his title.
THE COMEBACK STORY
…
For storytelling to work, for the listener to believe and for the teller not to suck, the story has to be told and constructed together.
The structure and narrative has to emerge as a narrative that the listener is equally taking part in.
Only then, it would make perfect sense for everyone.
THE ANSWER
SEMIOSEARCH.LTAndr ius Gr igor jevas