How to Tell a Business Story People Remember

To tell a business story people remember, open with a time and a place, never "let me tell you a story". Describe one specific event so listeners can picture it, keep it to one or two minutes, leave out what doesn't serve the message, and only tell stories that are true to you. Then keep collecting new ones.

This is part 2 of the interview with Gabrielle Dolan. Part 1 covers what brand storytelling is and why stories beat facts: Magnetic Stories: Gabrielle Dolan on brand storytelling.

How do you start a story in a business setting?

With a time and a place. Gabrielle's advice is never to announce it with "let me tell you a story". A single sentence that sets the scene does the job instead: when I was a kid, I was one of eight. When I was in my twenties, I went on an African safari. The listener knows a story is coming, and they listen to it differently.

"As humans, we're not only hardwired to tell stories, we're hardwired to listen to stories and we actually listen to them differently and we sort of suspend judgment." Gabrielle Dolan

That shift in attention only lasts if the story is short. If you're still going ten minutes later, she says, you've lost them.

What makes a story vivid enough to remember?

A specific event. A story needs a beginning, a middle and an end, and in the middle something particular has to happen. Business people tend to talk in generalities and hypotheticals, which gives the listener nothing to picture.

Gabrielle tells a story in her workshops about a girl running down a path and seeing a snake in front of a bike. Afterwards she asks people what they saw, and they describe a house, a picket fence, long grass, a red bike. She never mentioned any of it. Give people a few specific details and they build the rest of the scene themselves, which is what makes it theirs.

How long should a business story be?

One to two minutes. Gabrielle calls holding to that a real discipline, because the urge is to put everything in:

"You've got to put enough information in there, but it's like anything, the key is what you leave out." Gabrielle Dolan

Leaving gaps is a feature. People come back to you after the meeting with questions, the same way a good answer in a job interview invites a follow-up. You can adjust for the setting, a little longer in an hour-long presentation and shorter in an email or a newsletter, but the message decides which story you tell.

Does a business story have to be true?

Yes. Gabrielle grew up with the saying "don't let the truth get in the way of a good story" and no longer uses it. In business you're building relationships, and if people find out a story was invented, your credibility is gone. There's a subtler reason too. When people tell a story they care about, they don't just retell it, they relive it, and that's what the audience feels. A made-up story can't carry that.

True doesn't have to mean the whole, checked truth. Two people at the same event walk away with different versions. Her test is whether it's the version that's true to you.

Why don't leaders share personal stories?

Because for most of their careers they've been told it isn't professional. Gabrielle's point is blunt: all our lives we've been told to stick to the facts, and nobody ever asks for the story. Many leaders have also been taught that showing vulnerability is a weakness. Gabrielle points to Brené Brown's research, which turned that around:

"We know it's a sign of strength and courage and it's actually one thing that really builds trust and respect." Gabrielle Dolan

What changes them is trying it. She hears from executives months or years after her training who shared a story, had people come up to say they related to it, and were surprised by the impact. Chris has seen the same thing training executives on their webinars: ask them to say something personal about themselves and they recite their CV. Gabrielle's fix is to ask the questions they never get asked at work, like where they grew up or, as she does on her own podcast, their favourite 80s artist.

How do you build a collection of stories as a small business owner?

The same way a multinational does, and it's easier on your own because you only need to do it for yourself. Gabrielle's steps:

1. Pick five words you want to be known for.
2. Find a story for each, something that happened that shows that word in action.
3. Share them where your clients are: in meetings, on podcasts, in LinkedIn posts and articles, in your newsletter, on video.
4. Keep looking. Every time something happens that shows one of your words, add it to your collection, so you're not the person telling the same story over and over.

On video, her advice is to tell real stories and not try to make them polished. For the delivery side, getting confident on video covers how to sound like yourself on camera, and The Brand Within looks at building a brand from your own story.

Business storytelling questions we get asked

How do you start telling a story in a presentation?

With a time and a place, such as "when I was in my twenties". Don't announce that you're about to tell a story. One scene-setting sentence is enough for the audience to know a story has started.

How long should a business story be?

One to two minutes. Include enough detail for people to picture one specific event, and leave out the rest. A slightly longer story can work in a long presentation, and a shorter one suits an email or newsletter.

Can you make up a story to make a point in business?

No. If people find out, your credibility is gone, and an invented story doesn't come across with the feeling of something you lived. Tell the version that's true to you.

How do I find stories to tell about my business?

Pick five words you want to be known for, then look for moments that show each one. Keep adding new stories as they happen so you're not repeating the same one.

If you'd rather tell your stories on video

A two-minute story is the right length for a video, and the hard part is telling it on camera the way you would across a table. Ridge Films installs a Desktop Studio at your desk and coaches you on your message and delivery, so you can record a story when it happens. Book a call and we'll help you find your five words.

Gabrielle Dolan offers a free seven-day storytelling starter kit on her website, gabrielledolan.com (it was available when this episode was recorded in 2021).