Storytelling

The surprising storytelling format that is 51% more effective than text

February 14, 2012

In the ’50s they were the medium of superheros and the bane of parents trying to get their kids to do their homework — the comics. Yet it turns out that comics, cartoons or other graphics are not the big time wasters that parents and teachers thought.

“The funnies” have enjoyed a Renaissance lately, with entire “graphic novels” being published as full-length books and growing in popularity. You can even earn a master’s degree in graphic illustration. Now instead of taking [...]

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Saying goodbye to Steve Jobs, storyteller extraordinaire

October 12, 2011

What is left to be said about the death of an icon such as Steve Jobs? The reaction to his death has been more like that of a rock star than a corporate titan. That, perhaps, is because of Jobs’ skill at storytelling. Nobody could generate excitement over a new product launch like Steve Jobs. He didn’t just build products, he unleashed dreams. You might take a look at this Slideshare program, “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs,” for ways [...]

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How to tell stories in business to get your message across

August 13, 2011

When you want to make a point to your employees or customers, tell them a story! We are hard-wired for stories — it’s how we make sense of the world. We’ve listened to stories from the time we were children, and every culture — including every business culture — has its own set of stories.

So how do you tell a good story in a business setting? How is it similar and different?

Telling stories for business is like telling stories in [...]

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Storytelling: Why it works for business

August 10, 2011

“One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.“ — Joseph Stalin

Find your brand story and you have found the starting point for an authentic PR and marketing program.

As humans we have a deep need for stories. They help us make sense of the world, bringing order to chaos. Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. We identify with characters who deal with conflicts that we can imagine ourselves facing, and we want to see how [...]

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Seven things Oprah’s last show can teach us about storytelling

May 30, 2011

Everyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows that Oprah ended her 25-year TV show last week. And as she said at the beginning of the show, there were no cars or trips given away as there were on some of her more spectacular shows. No big Hollywood stars jumping on sofas. No makeovers.

There was just Oprah on a simple set, doing what Oprah does best — connecting with her audience. And it was brilliant.

Oprah called it her “thank [...]

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