Storytelling has been part of human interaction for eons, but the craft has had resurgence in recent times as a way of sharing news and information about businesses.
We all know someone who tells stories so well that their audience always hangs off every word. Part of the reason for their success at storytelling is the way they deliver the story, but a bigger part of the equation is the type of story. There are five stories that hook us every time – and they are stories we all know well.
5 Key Stories
- The Quest – George Lucas drew on this story heavily when creating Star Wars, but we know the plot inside-out: the hero overcomes hardship, has a little self discovery along the way and solves their problem against the odds to win in the end. Do you have a story that follows this plot about your business?
- Stranger in a Strange Land – have you successfully launched a new product that has never been seen before into a cynical market? Or does your business follow different rules to others and you’ve paved your own way?
- Love Story – the romantics in us swoon here, but I’m not just talking about romantic love. Has your business merged with another or have you partnered with a complementary business to reach a new market? Or has their been a split (divorce) in your business and you’ve risen from the ashes like a phoenix?
- Rags to Riches – we all know this one too. You started with nothing and worked your fingers to the bone to build the business that now turns over $1 million.
- Revenge – nothing piques our interest more than a juicy tale of revenge. Did a competitor steal the plans for your new product as you were registering your trademark? Or a bigger competitor threatened your business, but you managed to get even in the end and show them who the boss really was?
Nicole Eckels has a great rags to riches story as she started testing fragrances in her bathroom and now runs the hugely successful Sapphire Group; Amantha Imber carved her own niche when setting up Inventium, which fits the stranger plot; and Bianca Monley credits her partnership with Pink Hope as her most significant achievement, matching the love story scenario above.
So which story can you tell about your business that will have your customers beating down your door? Or can you tell a few of these stories? The more the better!
