Smiling black businessman telling a story as part of his B2B brand storytelling strategy.
Recently, one of our Afav clients asked us to review their pitch because they wanted to try a brand new B2B brand storytelling.
They are a large digital agency that creates and maintains the websites you know and use often. But they work behind the scenes and are primarily responsible for the mechanics of the site. There are no natural fire storytellers among them. Of course, I was really looking forward to working with them, because I know that when data-driven people decide to get involved in B2B brand storytelling, that work will really seep into the collective consciousness of the world.
I have to be frank, it’s not easy to transition from forcing a message on people in a way that leads them to the conclusion you want.
Don’t get me wrong, B2B brand storytelling is a much more effective and easier way to communicate once you get started.
But the transition is hard. And the pitch showed how difficult this transition can be. He started with a story about a sales manager who had a conversation with his aunt and explained the concept of e-commerce to her.
Ok, so not really a story, but otherwise a great anecdote in itself. But your customer is one of the biggest players in the e-commerce space. Without knowing what ecommerce is, we’re all lost.
But as you focus on storytelling for your B2B brand, I’ve been reminded of some good points that I’d like to share with you here for you to keep in mind as you think about how to use stories to engage customers. .
Your first stories will be terrible:
They’ll probably be long-winded, pretty pointless, and barely relevant to the people you’re talking to.
That’s okay. That’s the same as pretty much anything you’ve ever done in public. Your first time won’t be your best. And it shouldn’t be. You will grow into your story and become more confident in telling it.
Think back to your first speech. Or your first presentation. Or your first job interview. You know how far you’ve come. You may be great and amazing at everything you’re doing right now, but if the story is new to you, you may not be talented enough to get started. It’s coming. I promise. But just because you’re not great right now doesn’t mean you should hide until you’re perfect. In fact.
Tell them this anyway:
Only once you start telling the story will you know if and how it works. The sooner you start trying, the faster you’ll get better.
You’ll soon learn what works and what doesn’t. When it works, you’ll feel people breathing to your rhythm. When it doesn’t, you’ll know it too. The person you’re talking to will change the subject, interrupt, or withdraw from the conversation if they can.
So how do you get started telling a story that matters?
Begin with the end in mind.
Telling a story isn’t an end in itself. Stories are a tool in B2B brands’ storytelling toolbox to achieve specific goals. They can tell a story to demonstrate equality of values, to illuminate a dark path they’re walking, or simply to build trust.
Whatever your purpose, understand what you want to get out of the meeting and why you want to tell the story you want to tell.
Know your audience:
If the story isn’t relevant to that audience, don’t tell it. It doesn’t matter how much it resonated with your mom or someone else, it has to make sense to the person you’re talking to now. A good story isn’t the same for everyone. In fact, the same story can be told in different ways to make completely different points. You can leave out certain details for one audience and emphasize certain elements for another.
They’re all true, it’s just important to make sure they’re relevant to who you share them with. And some stories might not be relevant to your audience at all. It’s not about you:
We all want people to like us and we want them to know certain things about us and our brand. It all happens as it is. People will notice if you have an ulterior motive or don’t put their interests first. So think hard about how you can use your story to add value to the people you’re speaking to.
Create a brand story bible.
They’re a wealth of stories, some of which you may have forgotten. Take the time to think about yours. Get curious about your own life, career, and brand. Write down the things that inspire you and, more importantly, make you humble.
Let’s be honest: people learn more about you from your failures than your successes. People trust someone who talks about their mistakes more than someone who has to constantly put themselves in a good light.
I recommend creating a brand story bible. This is a spreadsheet with links to written or video versions of all your stories. This also includes people who can tell the story, what the story explains, and where you last told the story. The same story at every event. Learning how to tell a story in all kinds of social and professional situations is an essential part of B2B brand storytelling, where relationships can last for years, even decades.
