Before you tell your story do this one thing that storytellers do
A young copywriter at Ogilvy went to his boss and said that he wanted to quit the agency. "I want to be a writer," the young man announced. His boss looked at him cynically and said, "Tell me straight that you want a raise." That young copywriter was Salman Rushdie, who won the Booker Prize that year.
The year was 1981 and the young Salman had just written Midnight's Children. It is a book that made me look up to him as a writer. That book introduced me to the genre of Magical Realism where fiction merges with historical events like a watercolour painting. It is hard for the reader to imagine where facts end and fiction begins.
The protagonist of that book, Salim Sinai left a deep impression on me. I sympathised with him. I worried about him. I cheered for him. The character had come alive in my mind. I have used many of his storytelling techniques in corporate settings. I use them when I run my own firm. Here are a few ideas.
1. Make them care for the hero
In a business setting, your startup is a protagonist or the hero/heroine or central character. You have to tell the story of the hero of your story to inspire employees. The hero's story is critical when you raise funds. If the audience is indifferent to your story's characters, you have lost the plot (literally).
The audience must care for the hero when they hear your story. They must cheer for him/her when the hero wins. Whether your hero is your startup or your product, create a powerful character whose story you will tell. Make them care.
2. Conflicts and struggles creates stories
Once while crossing the Kabini forest near Bangalore, we came across a herd of elephants. Our guide had told us minutes before that a herd had injured a photographer who had stepped off from the jeep to photograph the magnificent sight. For ten minutes, we held our breath and waited. The elephants eventually got bored and walked away. Stories are always about the unexpected. Uneventful journeys rarely make place in our memory.In a business presentation, talking about how you fought the odds and the conflicts you experienced, make your story compelling. We like to cheer the underdog who pushes on despite the odds. Your pitch deck can be that powerful story of what inspired you to stay the course when things were not in your favour.
3. Before you tell your story, do this
When you have your pitch deck or manuscript or presentation ready, share it with some people to get their reaction. Do not give any explanations to the potential reader or audience. Rushdie is known to hand over his unpublished book to someone without trying to influence them in any way. In bookstore the author is not going to give any explanations to the potential buyer. The book must be bought on its own merit without the author providing explanations or contexts.
If you have been planning to write a book, then get started today. Authors are the people who managed to complete the book. In the mean time, you can use these principles to turn your presentations into stories.
Tech is changing storytelling from 2D to 3D. How to leverage tech for your stories <Read the 5 tips>
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