For millennia, people have used stories to simplify a complex world, make facts and events memorable, and stir action. Today, storytelling has emerged as a strategic skill that every business leader must master. Yet few use storytelling to its full capacity. Stories work beyond telling how a company overcame competitors, or the rags-to-riches background of a founder; these are classic plot devices, and they're frequently layered into corporate messages. But stories can also operate more subtly. By adapting proven story structures and conventions, you can transform forgettable presentations into truly compelling ones, and make lasting impressions with every interaction. Whether you're trying to attract investors to a startup venture, get donors to commit to a non-profit's mission, explain a merger to customers, or stand out at a networking event, Let the Story Do the Work helps you weave storytelling techniques into your communications and strengthen their impact. Part practical workbook, part definitive textbook, it breaks down the art of storytelling into step-by-step guidelines, insights, exercises, and examples drawn from various business environments, including the financial industry and health care.
The book helps you: Dispel any fears that you can't tell great stories, Employ the five principal elements of storytelling, such as the three-act formula, and planting a hook, Craft stories of your own-using five traditional business plots, Connect with an audience by determining their point of view and speaking to their concerns, Cut through a thicket of data to explain what the numbers actually mean and why people should care, Strip away jargon, tame complexity, and make a convincing case no matter how unwieldy the topic, Blend in simple visuals to amplify a presentation's persuasiveness, Mine stories from your life and collect them from others, Tell your personal story in a way that builds credibility and forges relationships Anyone can make a presentation and parade a list of credentials. But nothing resonates and persuades as powerfully as a story. Book jacket.