Become a Better B2B Storyteller: 8 Thoughts To Help You Grow Your Business

The Moth just published a wonderful new book, How to Tell a Story. This 26-minute interview from NPR gives some highlights. I listened to this piece on Friday, and again today, after going to a crafts fair in Westchester. 

I've known some of the artists for 25 years, from my days on the Upper West Side. We've shared stories of families and business and I've seen their styles evolve in paint, leather and jewelry, as they've seen my kids grow into adults and my career evolve. I developed friendships with a few and have also provided marketing and business consulting to a handful as well.

I've been thinking about some of the storytelling advice in this piece and interview in relation to building professional B2B or B2C relationships. I've helped professionals for almost 25 years better connect with their clients, prospects, employees, alumni and recruits, but the elements here are about creating a story that people want to listen to and connect with. 

This show I listened to hear what captivated me, pulled me in or moved me. I connected the words of the artists to my emotions of buying. It was an experiment of sorts. It was behavioral economics, marketing, and art selling combined. There was a clear reason some of the booths were packed and some were barren, despite similarities in what was being sold. It is the same with law, consulting and accounting firms. It is about the people, not always the product or the service. A day like today is not about digital selling, it is about pure connection.

Pre-pandemic, I was fortunate to have been selected a few times from the brown bag lottery system used to pick people to tell their 5-minute, honest tales at The Moth's downtown NYC location. I love telling stories in front of a room full of strangers. And I loved being judged on the spot on the content, the flow and the delivery. You get honest and direct feedback.

I've worked to hone my skills over the years, taking classes with gifted writing and storytelling teachers like Adam Wade, Ophira Eisenberg, and Beth Lapides. These artists all communicate in moving and unique ways. Like with good writing though, there is a formula to powerful storytelling.

Here are a few specific storytelling ideas from the NPR article that I've translated into B2B marketing. Some of these ideas are from years of coaching professionals. I hope you may find these useful.

1. A story is more than an anecdote. In business, make stories relatable to the person you are speaking with and show them how you can solve their problem by giving examples of how you solved other similar ones. Work on a handful of three-minute-stories that you can use for different circumstances.

2. Select a meaningful story that shows you understand someone's current circumstances and needs. In order to do this, you have to ask questions and listen first. Is pre-merger due diligence making a deal go sideways? Can you talk about a similar experience you helped solve in a related industry? Take your database of case studies and put a few into stories.

3. Develop your story with relevant but honed details. Be prepared to connect on an emotional level here. What is keeping your client or prospect up at night? Are supply chain issues causing him stress? Is she having trouble retaining talent? What is a story in your toolbox that shows you understand the situation and can share relevant solutions?

4. Determine the structure of the story and how you want to tell it. Action rather than facts can pull people into the story quickly. Don't get weighed down with extensive details of names or dates. Reading people's LinkedIn profiles and company news on their website, or on their corporate LinkedIn page before meetings can help you think about what questions to ask and also what stories to share.

5. What were the stakes and how has the hero changed are fundamental pieces of all writing and storytelling. When we tell business stories, we don't always share this part. Thanks to Brené Brown, people are being a little more vulnerable than they once were, but I'd still challenge you to think about including how you have changed personally and professionally in your business stories.

6. "Are you ready to share the story?" can have bigger implications in a business context. It isn't just about you. It is also about people you've worked with and clients. Think about how much you can and should reveal, if you are thinking about using a confidential story to highlight experiences or connect. You never want someone you are speaking with to believe you've betrayed a friend or client's trust. If a story is sensitive, practice anonymizing it. Change the industry or the players so you can still relay the outcome.

7. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Many of the lawyers, accountants, consultants and business owners I've worked with or consulted to over the years practice extensively for presentations, videos or podcasts. Far fewer take the time to practice for meetings or social settings. I love coaching and training people in this arena because the changes can have a huge impact in helping them build and improve relationships. Learning to read language cues, body language and teaching simple sales tricks can also enhance the substance people already possess. 

Today, talking to my daughter about the earrings she was currently wearing, brought her into a booth to look at one artist's beautiful collection. The jewelry maker was a gifted connector, as well as talented metal worker. I watched and smiled as she engaged her in conversation and as Julia opened up and talked about how she is going to SCAD, the College for Creative Careers, in the fall.

8. Storytelling is always about connecting. This is equally true in personal and professional situations. Remember the salient points you want to convey, but if the person you are speaking with connects so strongly to what you are sharing, and wants to jump in with her own story, encourage her to do so. And then listen, as you clearly stuck a chord. Note where you left off, but be prepared to conclude your story in a follow-up email or in part two of the conversation.

At times, storytelling can become improv. To me, two people telling their own stories and connecting through them is the holy grail.

I hope this gave you some storytelling ideas for business and that the NPR piece and The Moth give you many additional ideas about how to communicate well in many other situations.

If you have any questions about storytelling in business, please ask on LinkedIn and I'll respond, or email me Linda@LindaOrtonConsulting.com