Reciprocity
What an engaging beginning! This is a great example of the “give a story – get a story” dynamic. Who hasn’t though about that “last meal?” It is one of those get-to-know-you-better questions we used to ask each other.* My first five thoughts were: [Read more…]
Joe Dager of Business 901 and I begin by talking about the similarities between storytelling and art in this podcast.
I promise to send out a new Story Factor Podcast soon. I’ve been writing and editing the second edition of Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins and there is so much I want to add! [Read more…]
I recently posted that Coke shifted half their marketing content research budget from qualitative research to iterations.
One of my friends responded: “So?”
Okay, fine. I went all geeky. I will try to redeem myself with an example of how that works. [Read more…]
Speaking of experience, I have been interviewing people with practical storytelling experience to tell me: Who is using storytelling? to do what? and how do they measure success? You can hear edited podcasts (about 20 minutes) starting next week. I’ll send you more info, then.
Dear Annette,
Would love some examples of two line stories you have used in a business meeting.
Sheila
Dear Sheila,
Business meetings are a great place for two sentence stories. I even have some one sentence stories!
“An Ethiopian taxi driver in NYC once shared his grandfather’s favorite saying with me: A man who beats his horse will soon be walking.”
When I see someone who uses punitive measures to control behavior, I sometimes find a way to tell this tiny story. It requires a very light tone and I choose to present it as an indictment on my own behavior when I was younger. I might even add: “By the time I was thirty I was surrounded by dead horses,” and follow with “You might be interested in something I learned in grad school”… or from my mentor….”
In a meeting with a pretty hip client (otherwise I wouldn’t have mentioned sex) I told this quick story:
“When I worked at JWT – we used to say it’s “a great place to work if your parents could afford to send you there!” We did a weekend training at the beach full of sex, drugs and rock and roll but I still learned the most important concept I’ve ever learned about marketing – the Key Response.”
After that story I usually have permission to talk about using a Key Response to guide communication design. I like to focus on what/how we want a listener to think/feel and after experiencing a communication rather than starting from the point: “What do we want to communicate?” The sex, drugs and rock and roll on the beach usually lowers inhibitions paving the way for better communication!
One more?
First, let me say that events and anecdotes about people close to the project usually provide your most powerful stories. For instance, I volunteer to support local food and local community gardens. I am also on my local Artists Directory. Last Saturday I attended a planning day for artists who among many other things want to run a month-long focus on the culinary arts with a focus on local food. They mentioned community gardens. I wanted to build enthusiasm and share a contact name. I shared this short story:
“Grace XX our county ag person, already holds events when kids cook what they grow in the Allendale Community Garden. Last time I helped, all my kids competed for the privilege to grate carrots and apples until they realized it was work … and dangerous! Most of our knuckles survived.”
Everyone there knows where Allendale is. I wanted to build a visual image for an already successful community garden with images of the garden, maybe a big kitchen area, lots of kids, smells of the apples cooking, etc. My secondary purpose was to establish myself as a resource. I can put them in touch with the person who will best coordinate events. And finally I was acknowledging that there is hard labor involved. Too many people already approach Grace with ideas but lack the discipline to help make things happen.
I could have said, “I know the people at Allendale, call me if you need a contact. But don’t call if you just want to swoosh in and swoosh out.”
But I don’t think it would have had the same effect.
Disclaimer: This isn’t like a haiku where you can only have only so many syllables and literally X number of lines. A “two-line” story is merely a concept so we remember just how tiny a story can be.
Listen first. If there is dead silence offer your story as a little gift to get things rolling. Begin with an obvious link to their particular use for your story.
“I am particularly interested in…
If your interviewer is already talking, listen carefully, for two reasons. One, when you give your attention first, they are more inclined to match it with a return gift of attention. Second, you can repeat back in their own language their exact words and link their words to your story bridging the conversation to your story.
Listen to a politician on TV or radio – no matter what question is asked the answer turns into the story they want to tell. You can do that too. Most questions are just probes to find out what you/your answer means to them personally. I think every interviewer has a future desire to hear “thanks” or “good job” for hiring well, as well as a present need to get the right person. If your story doesn’t address their desire or need, it won’t work.
People get irritated when you waste their time. If your story feels like a waste of time or a hard sell – they have every right to be irritated. So stop talking
Avoid monosyllabic answers to “Yes or No” questions. If asked a direct question: “Have you worked overseas?” and your answer is “no” – for heaven’s sake add a story that tells a more complete and informative picture: “When I was growing up we lived in Germany and Japan. On my first day of school in Japan…” Or if you are asked, “Can you travel?” A yes answer can be coupled with, “One day last year, I had a flight…”
If a picture is worth a thousand words a story can be worth an hour or two of interviewing. Remember you are there to save them time/money/frustration anyway. You may as well start doing that during your interview.
When you deal with someone who operates with a sense of urgency it is best to match their pace. They have the power and it is a big risk to force a slower pace or go deeper too soon. Your stories will have to be lean and punchy. However don’t edit to “just the facts.”
Edit to deliver an emotional impact with the least words. If the emotional impact is effective, they will ask for more of your story. For example: “I prefer to lead in a collaborative manner. But I can be directive in necessary …like the time my group’s budget was cut 30% and we had one day to decide how to deal with it. I had to push to get decisions.”
That two sentence “story” should invite a “tell me more” response.
I will be interested to hear your comments and particularly interested in responding to specific issues or questions.