Why storytelling and B2B events go straight to the heart, part 2 by Richard Carlstrom

Story in meetings, used right and done well, does more than engage business audiences. It moves them.

Our clients come to expect questions from us. Not just the usual and important ones but those which reveal deeper meaning and intention to us. This is where we begin to form the story. Scenic elements, music, theme, video and other support are not random, incidental, or purely aesthetic. They’re created specifically to enhance and further the thread of the story that drives engagement.

Much has been written about corporate storytelling. Ty Montague’s recent article in the HBR explains how it’s a step toward good companies becoming great, and that ‘storydoing’ is the next logical extension, as companies live out their mission statements and use it to drive employee behavior across the enterprise.

Hollywood producer Peter Guber (Rain Man, The Color Purple, Batman) is as much an expert on storytelling as anyone. In his book he details how to motivate an audience, build stories around what’s in it for them, and change passive listeners into active participants. Sound familiar? It better. These are the very same things you can and should be doing in your programs.

Whether it’s a movie, a business meeting, or you at a cocktail party, the one with the most compelling story wins.

We make sure our events do just that, create stories that win.