‘There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story.’
-Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones
Never mind how the series finale concluded, what resonated far more effectively with the audience was Tyrion Lannister’s speech (don’t worry if you’ve never seen the series). The character (and his team) prevailed at the end because of good storytelling — one that’s relatable, has value for humanity, and is hopeful for the future. Historically speaking, storytellers have been the most qualified people to lead us into the future — because they embody hope and empathy.
The power of storytelling applies just as easily in the realm of entrepreneurship as it does on our TV screens. We use storytelling to persuade others to support our projects, convince investors to throw their weight behind our ideas, and inspire teams (and consumers) to brave through tough challenges. The bottom line is, humans are hardwired to enjoy a good story.
The challenge, then, is to write an engaging story — one that resonates with your audience. Everyone has their own way of telling a story, but the general structure of each story contains roughly the same elements — a protagonist, a problem, a solution, the inspiration behind the solution, and a message for the future.
Here are a few storytelling tips that founders should consider using.
The Message
Who is the audience and what message do you want to leave them with. Every sentence in your story should be derived from the answer to those questions. Try to distill it into simple compelling sentences instead of drawing it out over several passages.
The point being, first find your message, and then figure out the best way to illustrate it — don’t do it the other way round.
For example, if it is a pitch to a team of investors, write down what you want them to take away from your story. Use a powerful catchphrase to drive home the point, such as,
· “This is a brilliant vision.”
· “You are an incredible product creator”
· “This market will be large and significant, you are early to it”
· “You can build on frugal capital”
· “You can plan to scale very quickly to capture the market”
· … and so on.
Draw From Your Own Experiences
The best stories connect our own experiences to draw out the message. Personal anecdotes illustrate your journey and insights and make you more authentic and relatable. It shows vulnerability — something we all relate to.
If urban legend is to be believed, eBay was founded to help the Omidyar Network trade Pez candy dispensers. The Pez dispenser myth generated enormous publicity and led to explosive early growth among toy collectors. One of the first items sold on AuctionWeb was a broken laser pointer for $14.83. Astonished, Omidyar contacted the winning bidder to ask if he understood that the laser pointer was broken; the buyer explained: “I’m a collector of broken laser pointers.”
Anticipate the Emotions You Want Your Listener to Feel
Emotions create a bond between you and the listener, and they make your story more memorable. What’s the one emotion you want your listeners to feel? Do you want them to feel inspired? Motivated? Curious? Happy? Or even sad?
Keep this emotion in mind when you write this story, and it will ensure you stay on track. It also ensures you don’t awkwardly sneak in the wrong emotions. For instance, if you were aiming for an upbeat story, you don’t want to make your pitch awkward by discussing a sad event, unless you plan a seamless transition from one emotion to another.
Create an Optimistic Message
At the end of the day, people won’t remember your product or idea — they will remember you and your story. They want you to leave them feeling hopeful for the future and endless possibilities. The feelings you stir up will influence your relationship with your target audience.
Be Consistent
The main problem with stories, often the long and drawn-out ones, is rampant inconsistencies. Perhaps you weren’t entirely consistent with your story about how you and your co-founders came together or how you see future risks play out.
A disorganized story affects your credibility and damages your outcomes. So try to be as consistent and coherent as possible.
Storytelling is an ongoing process. Each day, you learn new experiences, grow as a person, and add new chapters to your story. Practice it often in front of people you trust. And most importantly, try to be authentic.
Walt Disney was a great storyteller. And we all know he built a massive business leveraging his incredible capacity to create experiences for us and involve us emotionally into his stories — creating hope and teaching us valuable lessons.
“That’s what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.” — Walt Disney
