Business Storytelling Made Easy | Kelly Parker | TEDxBalchStreet

Do you remember the first time you heard a really good story? One of my first times was when I read Ramona the Plague by Beverly Cleary when she was a child. I love curling up in my favorite chair in our living room and being transported to the misadventures of Ramona Quimby. Even now I remember how my heart would race reading about her getting in trouble over and over again for misbehaving while being a shy little girl. of the suburbs that I often took too seriously. I really admired her fun attitude. Carefree Spirit I have always loved stories because they allow me to experience other worlds that I knew nothing about but at the same time help me make sense of my own world, but stories are not just for books, movies or entertainment.

We are one of the most powerful forces on the planet to connect, persuade and influence our mindset, beliefs and behavior, and that is why

storytelling

is one of the most powerful marketing and leadership tools that exist in a world full of mediocre messages. and forgettable. Stories make us memorable. by psychologist jerome bruner suggests that facts are 20 times more likely to be remembered if they are part of the story not only that stories create powerful connections between the teller and the listener elena ranking writes yuri hassan professor of psychology and neuroscience at the university from princeton i discovered that as you listen to a story unfold, your brain waves actually begin to synchronize with those of the narrator, the greater the understanding of the listener, the more closely the brain wave patterns mirror each other, which brings A whole new meaning to the phrase being on the same wavelength, right? but here's the best part that all stories have been shown to affect behavior, let's take the context of healthcare for example, melanie green, professor of communication at the university of buffalo, says that people are more likely to Make changes to your lifestyle and health habits if you see a character.

They relate to making the same change, and so if you've ever wanted someone to do something, you'd do well to learn how to tell better stories, but too often we tell the wrong stories or don't tell them at the same time. everything and, in effect, we are wasting our time and our valuable money on programs, campaigns and initiatives that do not hit the mark. I've been studying stories since I was a child and bringing them to life for over a decade. As a professional corporate marketer, today I want to show you the

easy

way to create your own stories that connect, persuade, influence and break through all the clutter, so let's start at the beginning, number one, the problem and the search, the problem and the search, you know.

I think the worst story of all is the one told too soon, and truly, this is a very common mistake aspiring storytellers make: we jump into a story and know nothing about who we're talking to before you. If you are qualified to tell anything, you must deeply understand your audience's problem and pursue their problem is where they are now are the problems they face in their current state and how they feel about it their pursuit is where they want to be is who they want to be and that's how they'll feel in this perfect world, future

business

development expert and LinkedIn's top sales influencer Liz J Simpson knows a thing or two about understanding your audience's pain point and looking to create messaging for your email marketing , its website and its social networks. content, she listens to her clients and then begins to extract specific elements from what they have said and infuses them into her language and her images.

The effect is a rotund girl. How did you do that? Because every time I see something from you, it feels like Now you're talking directly to me, how does she do it? Simply because you are taking the time to understand your audience's problem and quest. How did you achieve that understanding? It is because he is living a very powerful narrative principle, which is to always listen to a good story. comes before good

storytelling

and so number one, if you want to tell a good story, you have to understand your audience's problem and goal number two, you have to be able to paint a picture for them, you have to be able to co -create a reality that shows that you understand the problem but therefore in a better future to do this you will need a specific person, a specific challenge, specific images and specific feelings.

Did I mention you should be specific now? Specific doesn't mean long and drawn out, it just means that you want to include some distinguishable characteristics that your audience can identify with, which is why Nike's ads with Lebron James don't include a series of close-ups of the shoes they sell, not necessary, they found the perfect person in Lebron James to represent a specific identifiable challenge, i.e. overcoming obstacles to defeat an opponent, then they use specific images to represent a specific progression from feelings like defeat and discouragement to hope , victory and resilience, and once you've been captivated by a story like that, it doesn't go without saying that you want to wear the same sports gear that Lebron James wears to inspire action and change beliefs.

Paint a vivid picture for your audience through words and images that they can instantly remember when they think of you and therefore, if you are going to tell a good story, first you must know the problem of your audience, second, paint them a picture that can remember and repeat and finally three, you must propose, you must propose that the year was 2004. I was a Senior at Kent State University at the time and my boyfriend was having a reunion at his house to which I, of course, attended and suddenly, when I least expected it, there were roses, there was music and right there, in front of all my closest friends and family.

He got down on one knee, pulled out a ring and in an instant all my childhood proposal fantasies came true, on the other hand, we have Curtis. Curtis a couple of years ago was at a local outdoor music event and at the end of the event he invited his girlfriend jackie to come up on stage with him and then jackie starts making his way through the crowd and finds his way onto the stage and she goes up the stairs to the stage and she gets up there and she's standing there looking at curtis, the only problem was she was looking at him like this deadpan Curtis started pouring his heart out and he says Jackie baby, I love you girl, Jackie says Baby, you've been like an angel in my life, Jackie said Baby, the writing is all over the wall.

I want to spend the rest of my life with you and he gets down on one knee too and he also pulls out a ring and says Jackie, will you marry me? And right there, among all those people, Jackie looked him dead in the eye and she said sorry but no and walked off stage this is the tension we find ourselves in as marketers and leaders because we are constantly making pitches buy my product try my service come to my event join my cause and as much as we want to Listen to that enthusiastic, yes, we are also very afraid of the rejection of no, I mean, let's face it, especially a public rejection like Curtis, where despite his best efforts, your preparation and your good intentions, you simply failed, but this is the power of story because stories make extremely attractive proposals and stack the odds in your favor.

The first stories help them choose the right moment. How many of you know that no one wants to be proposed to on the first date? But too often we expect our audience to commit too soon. Well-placed stories are slow. Follow the process enough to build credibility and trust. It's the principle New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk talks about in his book How to Tell His Story in a Noisy Social World. The idea is to give before you. Ask and give much more than you ask for. Good stories position us to be givers before expecting to receive, not only do stories make irresistible proposals because they allow us to masterfully build stories of connection and feel a human element in our

business

es, our brands and our programs. that attracts people so much that when you ask, like any good proposal, you just feel that the next logical step is that you see that stories are more than stories, they are the connective tissue that links you to the solution in people's lives . minds so that when you present your solution or propose your offer they say it's about time.

I have been waiting for this and once you have told your story with all the confidence in the world ask, invite, propose, shout it from the rooftops. because at that point, if you found the right people, the next step you are suggesting is something they will want as much as you do and therefore you will tell more stories; In fact, tell your stories, they could be the details surrounding your biggest losses. victories or the context in which you have learned your best life lessons that will paint the pictures that will let people know that you understand my problem and understand my quest absolutely.

I would love to accept your proposal, so who knows, maybe your stories will help. with a greater purpose, maybe they will help someone find a community of connection and a little fun, like all those years ago. Beverly Cleary's stories did it for me, thank you.