Applied Storytelling
Using your greatest asset
Articulate it well, get it to spread and create new opportunities. It all starts with the story and the people who play their part.
When does it pay to tell a good story?
Storytelling is a highly effective approach whenever your task is to educate, persuade or influence people.
- Presenting
- Networking
- Interviews
- Coaching & inspiring others
Storytelling is more than simply sharing an anecdote – it’s a powerful way to package a proposition, illustrate something, simplify the complex and get people to feel good about you and your ideas. It’s about moving beyond a dry and purely factual proposition that informs but fails to inspire.
The storytelling approach helps you humanise what can otherwise be a cold, transactional message. That encourages stronger relationships with both customers and employees.
Why do stories work?
Stories connect. They make it easier for your marketing message to connect with your audience, your strategic vision to connect with your employees.
Done well, the storytelling approach makes you more memorable. Your message (nicely packaged) becomes more forwardable and thus spreads. Stories grab attention, engage and stimulate emotion. They paint pictures; this helps people ‘see’ what you mean and picture themselves in the story you tell.
What do Andrew’s clients want?
- A company story that stands out and attracts attention and new opportunities
- To be less ‘commoditised’ – push price down the agenda
- Stronger relationships between brand and customer
- A highly skilled, engaged and motivated workforce
How this differs from a branding agency
Branding agencies can help you figure out your Big Picture message (Vision, Mission, Values, your ‘why’) AND communicate that on your website and marketing materials.
However, the problem comes when PEOPLE have to communicate this in a meaningful way to others. The clarity and inspiration of that original message gets lost.
Explaining tangible things like a product, process or pricing model is relatively straightforward.
It’s a lot harder to explain who you are as opposed to simply what you do; and that matters because clients and employees need to feel comfortable about you before they come on board.
It takes skill to convert what is familiar to you into a story that resonates with other people.
This is where Andrew can help – when it comes to the way you articulate that message and bring it to life.
Additional services
Andrew can also assist you with:
- Blogging
- Speechwriting
- Slide design
- Internal communications systems
- Keynote talks
- Facilitation
- Conference hosting
OUR SERVICES
Helping you apply the storytelling approach to your business.
ENGAGE AND INSPIRE
Storytelling is a valuable and entertaining topic for a conference talk, seminar or workshop.
GENERATE IDEAS
Stimulate fresh thinking and new ideas through a facilitated workshop or hosted event.
STORY DEVELOPMENT
Craft a better message for your business; a core narrative with multiple sub-themes to make it consistent yet adaptable.
SELLING THE MESSAGE, SELLING YOU
Learn to deliver your story well in multiple situations, create a connection with your audience and make magic happen!WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
"Andrew has fundamentally changed the way we tell our business story. It has helped us win new clients and it’s transforming our culture on the inside too."
"Andrew’s storytelling workshops have helped the teams by giving technically trained experts more confidence to connect with their clients and colleagues on a human level. The feedback has been very positive; it has created a vibe in the organisation!"
"Easily the best course I had all week. Not only was Andrew...an excellent instructor...his energy in a way captivated us for the whole day."
"Andrew recently hosted our Raise the Bar Leadership Conference and did a superb job. Andrew has a real speciality in identifying the golden thread from the various sessions, speakers and storytellers and is able to relate specific examples to them. An articulate, polished, yet personal presenter. Would fully recommend him."
“Andrew has been pivotal in the transformation of my confidence and ability to engage with others in business environments and personally.”
"Andrew is an entertaining and engaging speaker with a lot to offer. Hearing that many successful storytellers adopt a 'Big Picture', 'Machinery' and 'Library' approach to building their narratives was illuminating."
"Thanks to Andrew’s foresight, insight and logic my talk was a tremendous success. If you’re required to speak in order to get something done, the outcome will be better if you sit down with Andrew and go through his process."
