Don't tell a story

I’ve been talking about the importance of business storytelling the whole last month.

I showed the rules, tips and explained types of stories.

And now I’m telling you to NOT tell a story?

Here’s what it means.

Most founders understand the word “Storytelling” completely wrong

And it’s totally understandable.

Most people would think about novels, movies, or life stories you tell to friends.

But definitely not something like text on a website that sells productivity software for large firms.

So when you try to apply the “look and feel” of a common story to your marketing and messaging you get something that looks like this:

The most cringe copy examples in existence.

And it’s not just website copy.

LinkedIn posts, articles, ads...

It’s everywhere.

And it’s painful.

What GOOD business storytelling actually looks like

There is a time and place for long “classic-sounding” stories.

But usually you don’t have that luxury. Your ads, posts, copy, everything should be short enough for quick consumption and at the same time inviting into your story.

Donald Miller, author of StoryBrand framework, calls this approach “soundbites”.

Short, repeatable, and catchy phrases designed to stick in your customer’s brain like a song lyric you can’t get out of your head.

I prefer to call them “story snippets”.

Parts of the narrative that invite people into your story and your business.

Think of them as the “portable” versions of your message.

Most of the time you’re telling something, you don’t have that much time.

If you can’t describe what you do in a few seconds to a stranger, you’re making their brain work too hard (and it doesn’t want to do that).

Same goes for places where there is no room for long texts. Think most bullet points, subheaders, etc.

This concept applies to both visuals (e.g. website) and speech (e.g. real conversation).

Longer stories have their place too

In conversations AFTER the person entered your world through snippets and soundbites.

In long-form social posts.

On the “About” page.

On TED talks.

All these have plenty of room for a proper BIG story.

Long stories create a deeper personal connection. They help a person see similarities between them and you, as well as proof of your authority and experience.

If you want people to then share this story with their friends, and make it in a way that helps your business instead of hurting it - you need to give them the exact words to use when they’re telling a friend about your business.

That’s where snippets and soundbites come in handy again.

You provide catchy phrases that clearly explain the pain point you solve, the way you solve it, and how the customer’s life will look after working with you (or using your product).

This way you help other people spread your message exactly how you want.

The bottom line

You aren’t writing novels about your company.

Instead, you’re educating your customers in an entertaining way.

You’re using narrative shortcuts that trigger the same parts of the brain as a great 300-page novel.

You take underlying long stories and create smaller elements. For example your marketing and sales assets. Clear message and strong core story make them much more effective.

Word by word, story snippets invite people into your bigger story, which helps create a deeper connection with you and your business.

And then they tell their friends, inviting others into the story too. This virtuous cycle repeats over and over, growing your business organically like never before.

We help you achieve that. Weekly.

P.S. Being good at storytelling means being good at both long form and short form.