The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling in Business

A one-stop shop for everything that you need to know about storytelling in business. How often have you had to deliver a pitch, convey a message or empower an audience with only one chance to get it right? Perhaps a job interview, an important sales presentation, or the announcement of major changes within your organization? Have you ever had a powerful idea that was never adopted because your peers didn’t recognize its value? Storytelling is mission-critical to the advancement of our careers and our businesses. In the book, you’ll learn how to create compelling presentations, write persuasive reports, and convey important messages in meetings with stories that capture the attention of your audiences. The author explains how to convey complex ideas with simplicity, win the acceptance of others, speed up decision-making, and demonstrate your contributions as a thought leader. You’ll discover: A proven methodology, based on seven steps, enabling you to build and deliver stories in a structured, reliable and repeatable way. The importance of creating a one-page story blueprint to road-test your story. How the subtle use of emotional triggers will help you to control the reactions of your audience. A rich library of industry examples, from multi-million dollar sales opportunities to strategic change initiatives, the introduction of new business models and the launch of ground-breaking technical ideas. A 23-point checklist to ensure that you are ready for your next storytelling endeavor. Perfect for managers, directors, executives, as well as early career professionals, The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling in Business is a can’t-miss resource for generating impact and getting your ideas recognized.

Acknowledgements vii About the Author ix Introduction xi Chapter 1 Defining the vision 2 Chapter 2 Understanding your audience 10 Chapter 3 Framing the problem 30 Chapter 4 Constructing a story framework 50 Chapter 5 Preparing an engaging delivery 96 Chapter 6 Visualizing data 140 Chapter 7 Delivering the story 170 Completion checklist 207 Index 211