Storytelling: The Power of Stories in Sales

Storytelling is one of the oldest ways of transmitting knowledge and influencing people and behaviour.

Storytelling means telling stories. The great impact of Storytelling comes from its inspirational effect, which allows people to interpret the story from their own experiences. It is a powerful tool for producing meaning and creating emotional connection.

In the corporate world, Storytelling is used to create markets, lead organisations, build brands and connect with people. Leaders tell stories about the founders, moments of change, challenges, best practices and other aspects of the organisation.

For it to be assertive communication, the storyteller needs to convey credibility, truthfulness and interest.

We also hear a lot that a story needs to have a beginning, middle and end to be good. But what does that really mean? Let's see:

1. BEGINNING: The beginning of a story usually introduces the characters, settings and environments as a background. The starting point can have various aspects, such as a conflict, a strong idea, a doubt or even an unexpected event.
2. MIDDLE: The development of the story reveals events, situations and actions that are related. The characters' actions intertwine, there may be obstacles and events reach the climax of the story.
3. ENDING: To create a memorable story, the conclusion should show what the consequence, resolution or lesson learnt was. The ending concludes and finalises the story.

Corporate Storytelling needs the same effective narrative as any other good story. A rich setting, convincing plot, descriptive characters, adequate pace and dramatic tension.

As an invaluable tool, organisational storytelling aims to produce a perspective, as a whole, of the company and its objectives, which is fundamental for generating identity and purpose among its employees.

Some examples of how Corporate Storytelling can be applied:

• Organisational culture: To explore values, create a shared vision, inspire people towards necessary changes and keep employees focused on the company's collective goal.
• Communication: To balance quantitative information with qualitative evidence, always based on real examples.
• Teams, communities and networks: This is one of the most effective aspects of Storytelling, as it creates connections, integrates new professionals and shares common goals.
• Invest in Storytelling to surprise your client: Tell stories that show how your brand has made a difference in people's lives. We all tend to assimilate an idea better when we hear a good story.