Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business

People, Places, Things, Stories
Several years ago I worked with an executive who needed to create a
message about innovation. The message needed to communicate the difficult
reality that, while innovation is amazing, it can also be painful at times. The
message was a timely one, and it was important to him that he didn’t just talk
about innovation but rather tell a story about it, and hope, when they found
themselves in one of those painful moments, his audience would likely
remember this message and thereby be more adept at handling the pain.
Unfortunately, much like asking my grandmother about the Great
Depression, searching for stories without a strategic approach wasn’t yielding
any results. So we decided to focus on nouns to help dig up some options. We
made lists of the various technological object innovations he had witnessed in
his lifetime with the hope that, by listing them, a story might emerge.
We made a list of music players he’d seen in his life: record players, eight-
track players, boomboxes, Walkman, Discman, and iPods.
Then we made a list of the various computers he’d had or seen or used.
Then we made a list of the various phones in his life: rotary phone, cordless
phones, and cell phones.
With each noun we would briefly chat about any memories that came up—
memories that could, with a little crafting work, become a story. And while there
were bits of stories that could be told for any of the nouns, it wasn’t until we got
to cell phones that a perfect story jumped out at us.
In the process of listing the phones, the man remembered the first cell phone
he ever saw. It was his dad’s, and it came in a briefcase. One day, his dad asked
if he, a teenager at the time, wanted to run an errand with him. When the young
man realized the phone would be joining them, he agreed.
Along the way his father stopped at a gas station, and when he disappeared
to pay, the son pulled out the phone, called his best friend, and hung up just
before his father got back in the car.
Whew.
He felt pretty cool he had just called his friend from a car and even
better that his dad would never know . . .
Except, of course, his father did find out.
A few weeks later when the bill arrived.
That thirty-second call cost three hundred dollars.
Innovation is amazing, but it can also be painful.

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If ever you are struggling to find a story, turn to the nouns related to the
message you wish to deliver. In fact, feel free to give this exercise a try right
now.
Make a list of all the jobs you’ve ever had. Make a list of the all the homes
you’ve ever lived in. Make a list of your teachers in school or coaches in sports.
And with each noun you write down, take a moment. It’s likely that a memory or
two will come back to you. A memory that can be turned into a story.
Unlocking More Stories
Focusing on nouns is a great trick to help bring some stories to the forefront
of your memory. Here are some additional prompts I use to help find the perfect
story:
Think about firsts.
I’ll never forget when I first met my husband. Or the first story I told. I’ll never
forget my first summer job or the first real storytelling keynote I gave. I’ll never
forget the first time a client called me absolutely giddy about the response they
received from a story they told and the realization, as I hung up the phone, that
perhaps this whole thing was bigger than I originally thought. I’ll never forget
my first real heartbreak or the first time I went to spin class. Behind each of
these memories is an important story that could be told. In fact, I’m taking notes
as I write. So many stories are coming back to me that I’d forgotten about.
If you’re struggling to find your stories, shift your thoughts to the firsts in
your life. They could be firsts that are related to the message you want to deliver
in an obvious way (the first time you saw your product in action, the first day
you were officially open for business, your first sales call) or a more distant way
(the first time you tried a hobby you now love, the first time you met someone
who is now important to you). The story you end up telling may not actually be
about the first anything, but focusing on a first to begin with is a good way to
unlock your memories and give you more story options.