Becoming a great storyteller in pdf9/25/2023 ![]() ![]() Being eight, I went into our backyard garden, got a rock, put it in an empty Cool Whip container with a few blades of grass for nourishment, poked a few holes in the lid for it to breathe and…voilà , instant pet rock. Unfortunately, my older brother was allergic, so it was out of the question. Related: From Bedtime to the Boardroom: Why Storytelling Matters in Business I desperately wanted a pet: a dog, cat, hamster something fuzzy to call my own. While I was a happy little girl, one thing was missing. The key component of my own brand story began when I was just a little girl growing up in a seaside suburb of Boston. The threat of the shark was much scarier. Who can forget that dunt-dunt, dunt-dunt, dunt-dunt? Spielberg later admitted that this "failure" resulted in a more impactful story. Their adjusted plan was to show less of the shark and more of the water, while hinting at the shark through a dramatic sound track. Time and budgets were tight and they couldn't afford to stop shooting and fix the shark every time it malfunctioned. They couldn't get it to work as well as they wanted and it was supposed to be a very prominent character in many of the scenes. They were having issues with the mechanical shark. One failure story I love is about Steven Spielberg's making of Jaws. When things go wrong, there is often a positive unexpected twist of something going right. Related: Storytelling Could Bring Your Brand to Life and Strengthen Your Marketing Impact 3. In all this business creation, he looks for the twist that creates a better experience, a better brand story for the consumer. ![]() Branson has been twisting ever since in industries as varied as mobile telephones, transportation and even space ships. Bored with the staid flying experiences of traditional airlines, he conceived of a "party in the sky" experience complete with a disco ball and a full-service cocktail bar in the cabin. Branson was originally a record company executive in the 1970s with absolutely no experience running an airline. Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is the king of twisting. I was fortunate to work as the VP Brand for Virgin Management for five years, during which I was exposed first hand to the power of the twist. It involves identifying the tangible and intangible differences that you bring to your business, knowing what sets you apart from other companies that offer the same basic products and services and how your personal experience and personality bring your brand and business to life. ![]() I define the "twist" as the key ingredient in creating a unique brand story. Something unexpected that happens, that keeps your attention. Chances are they all have a great plot twist. To become a great storyteller, it helps to think about your favorite stories (TV, movies, print) and what they have in common. Related: The 5 Elements of Storytelling Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know 2. Make them feel like they were right there with you. Fill the story with specific sights, sounds, smells and emotions. ![]() Instead of the usually blah, blah, blah of the year your company was founded, bring listeners directly into the moment you created the idea for your business. What's the best way to do this? Make it real, relevant and rich. Whether you're speaking in front of a crowd of 500 or across the table with just one key potential client, you need to grab their attention and bring them into the story from the get-go. That's why you need to pay more attention to the opening of your story than any other part. Despite what your mother might have told you, we do judge a book by its cover - and definitely by its first sentence. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |