Discovering the art of storytelling by showcasing methods, tips, & tools that help you find and tell your story, your way. Find me on Twitter @gimligoosetales
"Collecting stories is one of the top challenges that non-profits site when it comes to successful storytelling. For fundraising and communications professionals, this challenge persists because they are removed from program delivery and don’t have direct access to the stories. The solution to this problem is to proactively develop a story library so that you always have a number of stories at hand for fundraising and communications materials that you might be producing."
Read the full article to find out more about these 5 ways to build a story library:
Schedule a weekly time for story collecting
Create "story time" at meetings
Develop a story submission form
Start an internal newsletter
Always keep an eye out and an ear open
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
This is truly about being aware and making stories a priority.
Whenever I have asked non-profit professionals what the most challenging part of storytelling is, people consistently tell me that it’s is finding stories to tell. Not only does there need to be some organizational collaboration when it comes to finding stories to tell, you also have to interview people for their stories. The latter part often proves to be the most challenging and understandably so.
Read the full article to find out more about these 5 tips on how to ask better questions during interviews and tell better stories:
Do your research
Think about the trajectory of the story
Create a comfortable environment
Be curious
Relax! Remember it's just a conversation
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
I'm always in awe of reporters - they make it seem so easy. Maybe one day I'll sign up for a journalism class. Sites like Poynter (their tips & training section in particular) are great resources. Here's some additional tips I've collected along the way.
Ask open-ended questions.
The best questions are open-ended and most often use the W5 format. They begin with Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. They’re conversations starters and encourage expansive answers that produce an abundance of information.
Embrace the silence.
Immediately after you’ve asked your question you may want to fill the awkward, empty space in the air with more words, but don’t. Let your questions sit out there in the world.
Write questions ahead of time, but prioritize conversation.
Do your research and write down lots of questions. Only bring 15-20 questions to the interview. Only ask 10 of them. If you need to ask all 20, you’re not having a conversation.
Ask yourself - how would you tell this story to a friend?
It encourages you to think about the most interesting and relevant nuggets of the story and focuses on “Why should the reader care?” part. This approach can also help you move away from any jargon and bring a conversational tone to the piece.
And here's another article that provides 4 general questions you could always have at the ready.
"Storytelling has become a top-of-mind issue in recent times, as technology has democratized the power to share our stories with the world. The fact that it continues to be a pressing issue in today’s age of collaborative commerce is no surprise. What is, however, is the attention it is finally getting as a business competency that drives emotional engagement and resulting enhanced business performance.
Emotional engagement is the sister to rational engagement . Rational engagement is based on the stimulation of the mind, whereas emotional engagement is based upon the stimulation of the heart. In today’s age of brand experience, it seems that emotional engagement is proving to be more and more critical to achieving winning results and effective storytelling is at the heart of this movement."
Read the full article to see examples of this new paradigm and find out more about these four guiding principles that any brand, big or small, can follow to transform storytelling into a critical business competency:
Tell stories that explain as much about who you are as what you do.
"Football players practice ballet. Pianists repeat small sections of music until it’s perfect. In Outliers, it’s called “putting in your 10,000 hours.” In The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle names it “deep practice,” small exercises that are both challenging and repetitive.
The goal: Get better, quicker.
But what about writers? How do we pursue deep practice?"
Read the full article to find out more about these five techniques to brush up on your writing skills:
Leaders are often Type-A number crunchers who hate telling stories. The result? Data-clogged speeches, dull videos, stuffy blogs and op-eds no one will publish. Here's how to mine gold.
Read the full article to find out more about these 13 ways to help your executives mine their storytelling gold:
"There are scads of blog posts and books out there all telling you WHY storytelling is so important. But HOW the heck do you tell a great story? That’s the $20,000 question.
It’s a question I attempt to answer here on this blog. And it’s the study of millions of writers, poets, marketers, speakers, and teachers across the globe. If you’d like to join them and learn more about HOW to tell a great story (and how to keep at it when you start to doubt yourself), here are my top book recommendations for you."
Read the full article to find the list and links to 10 books to get you started on the path to telling a compelling business story.
"The 2015 Content Marketing Institute Survey clearly highlights the pain of not having a documented strategy to deliver effective storytelling. Regardless of B2B or B2C, we marketer’s are on the hook to put strategy into our content marketing.
But what does a content strategy look like? How does it relate to a marketing strategy? How do you know you have it?"
Read the full article to find out more about this summary of what business storytelling strategy looks like:
When done right you see the same person, purpose, and program in every piece of content.
The different pieces of content are complimenting each other, telling the same story.
"“The State of Storytelling” is a project that came to life out of an interest to know how the nonprofit sector is actually using stories and what results organizations are getting. Stories are constantly talked about as a tactic, but are they really helping nonprofits get better fundraising results?
Together, Network for Good and I teamed up to survey more than 400 nonprofits about storytelling."
Read the full article to download the findings of this research. You'll find out more about:
The top three most popular channels for storytelling
"To make the time pass and to allow its residents to enjoy a little culture, Grenoble has introduced short story dispensers in public areas around the town.
It is now possible to read stories that can be consumed in however much time you’ve got to kill. The ‘three minute’ format, for example, takes the form of a piece of paper 8cm wide and 60cm."
Read the full article to find out more about this unique storytelling vending machine.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Love this idea. I would like to hear more about this idea. Who writes the stories and if you can pick a genre. I could see these types of dispensers being used to tell local stories and history.
I love this idea - what a way to transform the irritation of waits in queues, not to mention all the other possibilities for this approach to story sharing.
"Of all the communications tools available to a leader, perhaps none is more powerful than storytelling.
To reap the greatest rewards from storytelling in the workplace and steer clear of the risks, one must think strategically about the stories they tell, making sure they can first identify what they need a story to achieve so they can then find or develop the right story to achieve it. It also involves building great stories to be told. And while every story is different and unique, all great strategic stories are composed of five essential elements."
Read the full article to find out more about these 5 essential elements in leadership storytelling:
Help your leaders build their storytelling skills. They can be one of the most effective communication channels you have.
"Paying attention to the middle three element outlined above (Platform, Person and Plot) will ensure your story is engaging and captivating and something people will understand and want to listen to until the end. Paying attention to the first (Premise) and fifth (Point) elements will ensure your story is strategic: that it’s relevant to the workplace situation in which you’re telling it and that the audience is rewarded with something meaningful in hearing it."
While technology has given us all global reach with our messages, it's still the ancient bewitchery of storytelling that connects us with one another. The Business of Story podcast's goal is to help you craft and tell compelling stories that sell – online and off. You will learn from some of the brightest content creators, advertising creatives, authors, professors, makers, marketers, and brand raconteurs in the business. Host Park Howell promises that within every show you will learn at least one actionable tip that will make your stories more engaging, and help you advance your personal or professional quest further, faster.
A new show will be released every two weeks. Guests to the show’s website, TheBusinessofStory.com, will find a number of storytelling tools, including an interactive 10-step story cycle PDF, an e-book that explains the story cycle process and a worksheet that guides communications professionals in using the story cycle to craft a brand strategy. Additional tools will be added with the advent of newly released episodes.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
I've listened to all the episodes of this new podcast series - and have enjoyed them all. You can access podcasts and resources a few different ways:
"Advertising executive Park Howell, founder and president of Park&Co, has partnered with digital and social marketing expert Jay Baer, founder and president of Convince & Convert, to create a podcast that showcases the power of storytelling for business. “The Business of Story” will explore a pragmatic approach to storytelling and how marketing and communications professionals can use universal story structure to better connect with customers and move people to action."
"Businesses are using storytelling as a way to improve their core messaging, branding, and marketing.
This essay will look at some of the core truths about stories and storytelling in Part I (common storytelling principles that apply to business & life, tips #1-7), and then I'll share a few tools that are practical and easy to implement in Part II (how to improve your business & personal storytelling today, tips #8-11). Use these core principles across many communication needs, from a personal biography to the description of your company."
Read the full article to find out more about these 11 storytelling tips:
Everyone is a storyteller.
We tell stories to connect, dream, and imagine.
Stories are how we are hardwired.
A story is what you take with you.
We are surrounded by far too many examples of bad storytelling — powerpoints, inadequacy marketing, and droll presentations have numbed our innate ability to tell stories.
When you sell anything — yourself, a brand, a business — you tell a story.
We are naturally curious, and we all want to be smart.
Your English teacher was right — it is about "showing" versus "telling."
Detail, detail, detail. The environment matters — because it lays the foundation for imagination.
Introduce conflict — by using the "bait" method.
Shorter is often better. Keep it simple!
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
We can recognize when we're captivated by a great story. The problem is dissecting what's happening into tools you can use to your advantage later. These 11 tips help you do that.
Be sure to check out the end of the article for a few ways to practice these techniques.
"If you work at a nonprofit, chances are you do your fair share of storytelling and that you’ve followed every bit of traditional advice. You know to follow a tried-and-true plotline, use emotion-evoking words and finish with a happy ending or offer a solid solution.
Yes, all of these tips do work. But, there’s more that can be done to really get your audience excited about your story — just follow the lead of presidential candidate Donald Trump."
Love him or hate him, Trump has captured the hearts and minds of many supporters. Read the full article to find out more about these 6 storytelling lessons most anyone can learn from Donald Trump:
"Love reading comics? You're not the only one. What about these stories about super-beings keep our eyes glued to the pages and our minds salivating for more? We explore in this deck how comic writers use these storytelling techniques and how you can apply it in your presentation."
View the SlideShare to find out more about these five storytelling lessons and a take-away for each:
"Corporate storytelling is all the rage these days. In a world that is swimming in content, more and more organizations have begun using stories to sell products and services, build support for a strategy or agenda, or shape public perception. Unfortunately, many of the stories they choose to tell are superficial or inauthentic, serving only to undermine the very goals they hope to achieve. For truly compelling stories, organizations should look to their own heritage.
In our experience, the most powerful story of all—one that is compelling, authentic and true—is rooted in one’s own experience. Smart organizations and their leaders know this. They act deliberately to capture what we call “heritage stories”—founding myths, remembered events or survival stories—and use them to help crystallize a sense of purpose, engage people in transformational change, and make them feel a part of something larger than themselves."
Read the full article to find out more about five heritage story examples and their impact to:
Instill a sense of mission and purpose
Pave the way for the next generation of leaders
Build confidence in a time of crisis
Bring an authentic identity to the marketplace
Reinvent a cherished brand
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
By understanding their own story leaders can then frame a vision for the future and rally the support they need to realize it.
"The world’s best communications pros are also some the best storytellers. They can translate a brand’s message into engaging and thought-provoking videos, articles, infographics and blog posts.
To master storytelling is easier said than done—especially when tasked with unrealistic expectations and executives wonder why all content doesn’t magically “go viral.”
Read the full article to access the infographic and find out how to create a break through story using this five step model:
""Do I have enough stories for the work I want to do?" is a common question I hear. The number of stories you need changes based on where and when you will be using your stories. That's the short answer. Generally, you need three times the stories you think you will need.
However…As a coach, I like to think of the question a bit deeper. I think it's important to recognize the type of stories a teacher or teller needs, not just the volume of stories."
Read the full article to find out more about these six stories you should have in your repertoire:
"In this excerpt from Consciousness Engineering, Lisa Nichols gives some practical examples of what we mean by "telling your story" and how it can help you in every aspect of your life, whether it's professional or personal."
Most people tell a story. Showing requires more of you. It means finding the colours by showing what you were thinking, feeling, seeing.
Watch this short video to discover the difference and power of showing someone a story. You'll hear two examples of the difference of telling and showing someone a story by hearing:
Lisa's financial hardships raising her child
Being angry
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
In this short video, we get two powerful examples of what makes a great story. Lisa outlines it as:
Willingness to take risk
Being clear & concise with your story
A show me story not a tell me story.
To get your story going, identify the state of time it takes place in. Paint the picture, take me to the environment, set the backdrop.
"I am optimistic about the next phase of storytelling bringing the industry to a better place—although I do have a bone to pick with how some organizations knowingly (or unwittingly) get in their own way."
Read the full article to find out more about these five things companies do that can impede storytelling success:
"‘Reflections of The Past’ is an award-winning photo series by commercial advertising photographer Tom Hussey. The photographs show an elderly person looking pensively at the reflection of his/her younger self in the mirror. Hussey was inspired by a World War II veteran who said “I can’t believe I’m going to be 80. I feel like I just came back from the war. I look in the mirror and I see this old guy.”"
Read the full article to see more photos from this series that provides an amazing example of visual storytelling.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
What a wonderful perspective! Who do you see, and what story do you envision, when you see/think about yourself?
Every photo I looked at in this series made me stop and want to find out more about each of these people's stories. This would be a really fun way to get your family involved in telling their stories.
"We are hard wired for stories but I don’t think we recognize what a huge reservoir of insights, lessons learned and experiences we have to share with others.
The intent of a story. Storytellers are, by nature, collaborative and giving and can have three major choices in terms of the intent of telling their story: to inform, to inspire or to provoke.
I believe leaders in organizations need to employ the use of stories more in their communications. The question is how do you do that? How do you construct a good story you can use as a key resource in your bag of leadership tools?"
Read the full article to find out more about these 4 key steps to constructing a great business story:
Make a list of people
Make a list of settings
Write down problems or challenges
Write down lessons learned
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
There are some additional final tips at the end of the article that are also worth noting:
keep your story 5-7 minutes long
less is more
a good story is not solely about the storyteller
and before starting look to the three questions to ask yourself
Storytelling - it seems to be one of the hottest buzz words today. Everyone is saying that you must know how to be a good storyteller - but does anyone really know what that means?
Storytelling is the difference between rambling off data and giving it meaning. When we read a good book, we basically devour it - we feel swept into the story, time and space falls away - and it's sad to end it because it's like we're saying goodbye to a good friend. We don't look for 100% historical accuracy, technical data or facts and figures - we just give ourselves over to the experience So how do we take this into our writing, speeches and presentations? Whether you're selling a product, service, startup or even yourself, here are some storytelling tips that anyone can use."
Read the full article to find out why these storytelling tips work and how to use them:
"Not only are they [stories] indispensable tools for novelists, they are useful for presenters, business leaders, marketers, and journalists. They can come in all forms, from slide decks and infographics to videos and static images.
Based on some of my findings of what makes a story captivating, along with advice given by leading experts, here are several ways you can make your next presentation one your audience will never forget."
Read the full article to find out more about these seven storytelling techniques and to see TED talks that exemplify them:
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![[Resource] The State of Storytelling | The Storytelling Non-Profit | How to find and tell your story | Scoop.it](https://img.scoop.it/l8Vo_61xhDNOmPBSOG66Ujl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9)
This is truly about being aware and making stories a priority.