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All the best info on storytelling to lead and grow your biz. Contact us today! (619) 235-0052
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Mike Roper's a sucker for a good story. One afternoon, while sampling beers at his Uptown bar Hopleaf, he relayed how archaeologists in Turkey unearthed pottery buried for thousands of years,...
Karen Dietz's insight:
Wow -- what a great use of stories at Hopleaf bar in Chicago! This is one business who's doing storytelling right. Here in San Diego, CA we have a hot hot hot micro-brew industry winning all kinds of awards. Now they just need to follow Hopleaf's lead and connect their stories to their beers to boost sales even more. Hmmm...sounds like I need to take a wander down to my local pub Hamilton's (100 different brews available and counting) for a draft and to whisper in their ear :) For your business, how can you do the same as Hopleaf? This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
La Belle Page's curator insight,
May 19, 3:55 AM
Pour l'inspiration.... very interesting as ever, thanks Karen !
Karen Dietz's comment,
May 20, 9:07 PM
Glad you both found it inspiring, provocative, and fun to read!
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A good short talk presents one idea, tells one story, and asks one question.
Karen Dietz's insight:
What a powerful article with a very simple idea: a winning structure to use for a 15-20 minute presentation! If you are going to speak at TED or TEDx, or if you need to boil down an hour-long presentation to 15-20 minutes, how do you do it? By following the 3 steps in the article. Written by Nick Morgan who works in public speaking, I think his advice really works. And story is front and center. Now how great is that?! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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What's actually going on in the brain when it processes language? And if words affect the mind in different ways, are some more persuasive than others?
Karen Dietz's insight:
Stories are made up of words. So when we are sharing our business stories -- especially the ones we use in sales and marketing -- what words should we be using to generate the results we desire? If you are curious about that, then this article is for you. Written by Leo Widrich at LifeHacker, Widrich gives a terrific overview of how the brain handles different words. He then goes on to give advice on which words are more persuasive than others, and gives good examples too. I love his advice on how to ask questions, on removing 'is' from your language, and avoiding adjectives. The only suggestion he makes that I disagree with is talking no longer than 30 seconds in a given conversation. Huh?? Doesn't ring true. And I don't think you will come across as authentic if you stick to this rule. Seems silly. If the human brain can only take in 30 seconds of input, we are all toast. And it's unbelievable. So ignore this section. Other than that, there is really good information here than can help you! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Victoria Garcia, www.Marketing-Impressions.com's curator insight,
April 13, 2:04 PM
Public speaking is persuading, after all. Vic
Victoria Garcia, www.Marketing-Impressions.com's comment,
April 13, 2:09 PM
Wow! What an interesting post. I learned long ago as a probation officer in Texas, I could send someone to prison on the same set of facts depending on the language I used. This is one of the best articles I've ever read on the topic.
Karen Dietz's comment,
April 16, 12:38 PM
Thanks Vicki! I'm so glad you found it both powerful and helpful. Hope you are doing well :)
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Want to spice up your next corporate presentation? Take it from us, Make your next presentation Out Of This World! Download this Presentation for a Tweet here: Via Baiba Svenca
Karen Dietz's insight:
And here's another great SlideShare piece on creating fabulous compelling, influential presentations. There are tips here that compliment the SlideShare program I reviewed yesterday -- so go grab both. Now I will say I am not a fan of the story structure they use in this piece. It is too simplified and won't work very well. So ignore that and follow Nancy Duarte's structure that you can find here: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/10/structure_your_presentation_li.html Happy biz storytelling! And thank you Baiba Svenca for finding and sharing this piece :) 
Chantal Sim's curator insight,
May 20, 1:18 PM
As I always trying to make my presentation more remarkable than before, I think it is good tips for me and us. These are really nice to learn for your future presentation especially for those of who have presentation for this semester.
So if you are interested in making your presentation look fancy and effective, it will be worthy to see all the slides!
Chantal Sim's comment,
May 20, 1:20 PM
These are so valuable! Thank you for sharing this, appreciate so much that I can re-scoop.it!
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"I learned that no single story – or any piece of content marketing – works across the board, even for a select group of 400 sales people – let alone a market segment of 10,000 potential customers."
Karen Dietz's insight:
Author Tim Keelan of StoryQuest writes a great article here about ways for ANY business to think about its storytelling. Namely, that stories are universal, but no story is universal. That means creating really targeted stories. Keelan has lots of insights to share with us about this truism, and ways to get it done. If you want to be a sharper storyteller -- one who is able to grow their business through sharing stories -- then you will want to read this article and follow Keelan's advice! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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An article by Nick Usborne about how copywriters get it wrong with the sales hook approach to sales copy.
Karen Dietz's insight:
This is a quick but very useful article about what NOT to do when beginning a story. The post is geared toward creating sales copy -- on your website or promo materials. And here is what I love -- the author, Nick Usborne, explains why 'hooks' often don't work and gives an example. Then he shares an example of what does work. Beginning and ending a story are two areas where most people have trouble. Usborne helps us get started in our storytelling the right way. In the end he elevates story sharing from a simple transaction (let me hook you so I can sell you something) to relationship marketing/sales (let's get to know each other so you can evaluate whether my product/service is a good fit for you). Thanks Nick for these great insights and tips! This post was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Suzanne Izzard's comment,
March 17, 8:51 AM
I love it when an article promotes people into dialogue, it shows the depth of feeling the article has prompted. For me authenticity is key in all communication and Nick thank you for writing and sharing this .
Karen Dietz's comment,
March 17, 2:49 PM
I agree Suzanne. The more 'real' we can be, the better a business does. And authenticity is so refreshing in this age of hype!
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Have you ever gotten lost in the pages of a good book? If so, you may have been more empathetic afterward. According to new research published in PLOS ONE, reading fiction may affect the reader’s empathetic skills over a period of time.
Karen Dietz's insight:
While this article focuses on reading, think of all the biz stories you tell in your content creation across platforms -- blogs, websites, emails, articles, presentations, videos, digital stories, and the like. The results will be the same. And the research holds true for sharing stories in person, too. It is fascinating that the more a listener is engage in a story, the more empathy grows over time. People become more empathetic through storytelling. What's the take-away here for businesses? If you want emotional engagement and people feeling empathy towards you and your company, share stories.
Leaders need to know this when sharing stories about values, vision, change efforts, etc. Marketers need to know this for brand loyalty. Small businesses and entrepreneurs need to know this for relationship sales. This is a very short article with powerful points. Even better, there's a link to the original research so you can really get all the insights. This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it
Karen Dietz's comment,
March 2, 3:42 PM
I agreed Fred. And yes Miklos, I love it when what we know to be true is validated by research.
Kala's comment,
March 4, 10:08 AM
A big thank you for your overall curation work about storytelling! You are the very first one I see doing it so "intelligently", with real added-value :)
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JD Schramm, Stanford GSB lecturer in organizational behavior and director of the Mastery in Communication Initiative, presents this workshop specifically des...
Karen Dietz's insight:
I've started watching this 1:38:55 hour video by JD Schramm at Stanford University's business school on concise storytelling and I already know I'm going to love it. Schramm does a marvelous job teaching storytelling and you can find his first video "How To Tell Your Story For Impact" (it is just as long but excellent) in this curation. Here's the link: http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/headlines/schramm_impact_2011.html Now he is tackling how to make business storytelling short, sweet, and to the point. It's geared towards leaders but anyone will benefit from watching this. Apply these lessons to marketing, branding, content creation, and sales, too. So sit back and enjoy. I know it is going to be well worth it. If I find it isn't, I'll come back and rewrite this review! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it
Karen Dietz's comment,
March 2, 3:44 PM
I agree Annette! It would be a wonderful and enriching experience.
DERICK JOSE's comment,
March 9, 7:53 AM
Thanks Karen ... this was a brilliant share ... changed my perspective dramatically ...Keep them coming
Karen Dietz's comment,
March 10, 2:20 PM
Thank you Derick! So glad you found it helpful and I will keep 'em coming :))
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The skills of a great influencer are learned, not innate.
Karen Dietz's insight:
What a great article about influencing, moving people to action, and sales. Biz storytelling is all about that. Yet there's ambivalence around it too. Who wants to be a snarky salesman?! Enter Dan Pink, one of my favorite authors, and his new book To Sell is Human. The author of this article, Heidi Grant Holvorson, reviews Pink's book and makes fabulous points on her own. As Halvorson points out, Pink says that moving people (selling, persuading, influencing) is an essential component of nearly everyone's job in the modern workplace. Doing so well and effectively without being a slime ball means making sure the ideas and products with genuine merit do the moving. This helps avoid the traps of manipulation and intimidation. I really like Halvorson's insights, her willingness to tackle the stereotypes of sales, and bring us Pink's latest work. I've commented before on transactional storytelling (using stories for sales) -- not because I think it is bad, but because I don't want us to lose sight that there is much more to business storytelling than at the level of mere transaction. Pink, I think, helps us frame influence and moving people to action as we tell our stories in sales/influence/persuasion functions (these are not synonymous terms, BTW) -- in a way that really works. Now I certainly want to get his book to add to the others of his in my library. Anyway, thought you should see this article. Lots of good material here (and it is not long). I hope you gain more comfort with sales and storytelling, and be able to conduct your influence/sales work in your business or organization with more confidence. This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Ozzie Gontang, Ph.D.'s comment,
February 21, 5:18 PM
To alter a perception. An explanation masquerading as fact.
Karen Dietz's comment,
February 21, 8:01 PM
Fabulous comments Ozzie! The one about 'telling I can't sell' and being 'sold' on that made me smile :)
Ignacio Conejo Moreno's curator insight,
February 22, 7:25 AM
Debe ser cierto que hay personas "nacidas para vender", pero cualquiera puede ser un vendedor eficaz; nadie es "malo" de por sí en ningún area, todo se puede aprender, a lo mejor no se llega a ser un fuera de serie, pero la capacidad de aprendizaje siempre está ahí. Delete the scoop?
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"From annoying pop-up ads to often completely irrelevant video pre-rolls, the clutter is causing consumers’ “BS meters,” as digital rock star Gary Vaynerchuk has called them, to become more sensitive and accurate than ever before."
"So while the speed of technology is increasing, it’s interesting to note that one of the hottest trends in online marketing might just be the age-old art of story-telling."
"What does this mean? To cut through the clutter, businesses need to stop annoying, and start telling stories." - Lisa Ostrikoff Via Ken Jondahl
Karen Dietz's insight:
Ken Jondahl's review below says it all. Whenver I see a cluttered website I know people are lacking storytelling skills. Novice storytellers always add too much detail. So if your website is too cluttered, it can't tell a great story. So polish your storytelling skills and upgrade your website. It's essential to gain business growth. After the article makes this main point, the rest we already know. And yet they are good reminders for us. And I like the quotes. Thanks for finding and sharing the article Ken! 
Ken Jondahl's curator insight,
February 14, 8:46 AM
The article focuses mostly on the visual marketing via web/ads/etc and is dead on in the conclusions. However, think about your sales people.
Are they really prepared to go out and have conversations with customers which include great stories around your company, the people and how you help customers?
If not, the next time an annoying pop up ad hits you in the face. Think about how your customers feel when your sales person visits and goes on and on about the product features and benefits.
It is not about it, it is all about how it is used. In sales we need to get to the point and tell a great story around the product usage. 
Free Web Designer's comment,
February 14, 11:43 PM
Write For Guest post Free backlink http://su.pr/AlIGhb
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Picture this. You meet someone new. "What do you do?" she asks."I'm an architect," you say."Oh, really?" she answers. "Have you designed any buildings I've seen?
Karen Dietz's insight:
LOL -- as we are sharing our biz stories and crafting our About pages, here is a list of words never to use, and the rational behind it. As I read the article, I thought the words and advice really good. Until I got to the word 'curator.' Well, I am one -- literally -- so I think I can say it :) After this article, hop over to "11 Words You Should Never Use in Sales or Marketing." It is just as enlightening. What words are you going to avoid and/or find substitutes for? This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Arwa Badra's curator insight,
January 26, 2:56 AM
l'article parle de ce que nous devons éviter, lorsque nous voulons nous présenter.ces adjectifs sont les plus susceptibles de donner seulement l'image parfaite pour sa personnalité, à mon avis je suis d'accord avec cet article que chaque trait doit être prouvée ne dit pas «l'action est plus fort que les mots". Delete the scoop?
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Yesterday Corporate Visions announced the results of its fourth quarter industry survey on visual storytelling, which was taken by more than 300 busi (Visual Storytelling Survey Yields Startling Results http://t.co/9p79HOHu)...
Karen Dietz's insight:
Well, here is an under-utilized visual storytelling technique -- using whiteboards during sales presentations. According to this latest research, whiteboard visual storytelling -- or let's say any kind of visual storytelling -- in not being used during presentations, which is negatively impacting sales. Wow! If you do any kind of marketing/sales presentations for your company, you might want to pay attention to this research. Time to go build those visuals to grow the business this year! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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I've rescooped this article from fellow curator John Kratz because I thought it was so good. It is a great example of how a company ramped up business once it started sharing stories of its customers -- with customers as the heros. Take notes folks! And thanks John for finding and sharing this article. The year is 2008 and you are in the Financial Services Business.
"How do you turn a quiet, sales-driven organization into a B2B marketing powerhouse?"
"Consider the story of Lincoln Financial Group, a traditionally sales-centric organization... The 106-year-old financial services, insurance, and annuities company..."
"Lincoln Financial had previously conducted research showing that the more people take charge of their lives, including their finances, the better they feel about the direction of their lives."
"While others in the category seemed to be drawn to using fear in their advertising, we felt the time was right to try a new, more optimistic approach."
"...the campaign showcased a video of women of all ages showing how they take charge of their lives and provided educational content to help women do just that. The PR focused on the research results. The Chief Life Officer ads continued the "take charge, optimistic theme," which was reinforced in social media.
"And how has the integrated campaign done?"
Read the success story here: http://www.fastcompany.com/3002425/creating-winning-b2b-integrated-marketing-campaign Via Ken Jondahl, John Kratz Delete the scoop?
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When faced with creating a conversion-focused SEO landing page, what should our copy focus on?
Karen Dietz's insight:
I read this article and immediately thought "Wow! This is helpful for knowing how to focus stories in the sales process!" It is written using the lens of crafting landing pages and converting readers. But don't let that stop you! The chart works for any kind of marketing/sales activity. The less an audience knows about your product or service, says the author Brian Massey, the more you need to use stories to create awareness. Massey suggests that the more your audience knows you, the focus shifts to product and price info -- and stories are less essential. Well, OK -- to a point. When focused solely on conversion or making the sale, I'll agree. But if you subscribe to relationship marketing -- that's connecting with prospects and turning them into loyal customers by building a long-term relationship with them (for ongoing sales), then keep telling stories all the way along the relationship matrix. For example, in this chart when people are Most Aware of your product/service, then the stories you share are all about your customers. Product and price messages will only go so far. Share stories about your customers using your product/service and how their lives are different as a result. For us biz storytellers, use the chart by adding 'stories' before each category along the bottom of the line:
I hope this article gives you both ideas, and greater confidence how to focus your biz storytelling in the sales and conversion process! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Patricia Stitson's curator insight,
May 8, 12:56 PM
Reminds me of the 'flipped classroom' or learner centric model.
Karen Dietz's comment,
May 10, 12:09 PM
Thanks for your input Annette and I love what your client did! Glad this matrix proves helpful.
Karen Dietz's comment,
May 10, 12:10 PM
Thank you Amy and Patricia for your comments also! Both are insightful.
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Moving beyond just hearing, to listening is an important skill to refine.
Karen Dietz's insight:
Today I'm curating 2 articles on an essential storytelling skill -- listening. I like this first article because it makes the point that when we are evoking and listening to the stories of our prospects and customers, our ears need to be tuned to listening for their needs. It's easy to get caught up in the drama of the story. But while you are listening, are you also trying to hear what needs are being expressed? Connecting with the needs of customers/prospects is where all the gold is. If the stories you share in return do not connect with those needs, your business does not grow. There's a handy chart that helps explain this, and some helpful perspectives. But the article left me wondering, "So how do I really listen for those needs? What do I have to do that I'm not doing now?" So the next article focuses on those how-to tips. Happy listening! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
streetsmartprof's comment,
April 12, 8:03 AM
Great finds for those of us in customer facing roles, which is every employee, some-way, some-how.
Karen Dietz's comment,
April 12, 3:12 PM
Many thanks for the additional review and comment! Love the way you think :)
Ken Jondahl's comment,
April 12, 6:13 PM
Driven in to me by many years of battle scares of what works and what doesn't...
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Get more tips from the world's best presenters: http://bit.ly/Z8Spem
Karen Dietz's insight:
I love this quick SlideShare program about what makes presentations rock that really packs a punch. All my smart, capable MBA students struggle with creating compelling persuasive presentations. All of my senior executives struggle with the same. So what would Steve Jobs do? How do you create a compelling presentation that brings results? As this SlideShare shows us, it is all about distilling your presentation down to its core essence -- and then sharing it as a story, with stories, and with strong visuals. But there is much more to this program than that message -- so take a few minutes to flip through it and dig into its contents. You will be glad you did. Wake up people's brains! Follow the rules given here. They work. Yet if we know what to do, why don't we do it? Because it takes time, as this program says. But think of it this way: can you affort NOT to invest the time when money and business and your reputation is on the table? Nope. This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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Karen Dietz's insight:
What another great post from Rohit Bhargava. You've gathered your stories, spent time crafting them, practiced them time and again, and then when you tell it to a customer or prospect, you bomb. Arrggghhh!! How frustrating! So what's a biz storyteller to do? Read Bhargava's post and his 'Do Not Do This' list! I chuckled when I read the 2 pieces of advice he finds people usually receive:
LOL -- neither one of these will work! Find out where you are making your mistakes -- and go fix them. Thanks Rohit for putting this insightful article together! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on busines storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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Karen Dietz's insight:
Yeah! What a terrific video from story and sales professional Michael Harris. I love how Michael walks us through the process of creating a story that sells. Do you know what part of the story needs the most focus from you inorder to make the sale? And it is not the ending or call to action!! And I really like the notion of a buying vision that Michael offers to us as another tip. Oh yeah, and he tells us how to make the customer the hero, not the victim. That's essential to master. I also am thrilled that he makes sure we all understand that when telling your story to a prospect, it is just as critical to listen to their story in return if you wantto be successful. Better yet, there are examples he shares of a story that won't sell, and a story that will. Double yeah! Thanks Michael for these great tools. Now go watch the video and get those stories in shape so you can make those sales and increase your biz :) This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s curator insight,
March 22, 8:37 PM
Thanks Karen Dietz for finding this. See her comments below for a great description of what is covered in the video, powerpoint, story template, and the bad and good story example. Delete the scoop?
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The practice of persuasive copywriting is a necessity, if you want to sell products, services, or ideas online. While great writing is truly an art, thos
Karen Dietz's insight:
Even though this article is framed for copywriters, it is all about business storytelling! As you create content for your website, promotions, emails, presentations, or electronic materials these 7 tips are essential to pay attention to. You will create more engaging stories. Actually tip #7 is to use stories, which I hope you already do. But I like how the author, Gary Ciotti, talks about stories as transporation. It is a good way to think about them. Use these 7 tips as a checklist when you are creating content just to make sure you are hitting all the storytelling notes you need to. Story on :) This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Denyse Drummond-Dunn's curator insight,
March 6, 5:24 AM
Useful tips for anyone - we all have to write documents of some sort, don't we?
Ignacio Conejo Moreno's curator insight,
March 6, 7:00 AM
7 trucos para una redacción persuasiva: Interesante, son habilidades que hay que entrenar y poner en práctica, sólamente con la experiencia se aprenden. 
Mike Ellsworth's curator insight,
March 6, 1:59 PM
Another great find by Karen Dietz.
If you're not concentrating on storytelling on social media, perhaps this article will convince you.
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Business 2 Community Your Fans Want to Know Exactly How You Did It Business 2 Community Allowing a portal into your process, your day-to-day, the story-boarding of what and how you do your work; even more, share extras about the senior and junior...
Karen Dietz's insight:
Be bold! Share your biz stories that are all about how you work. People love these kinds of stories. We call them backstories. What I like about this article is that it's kind of cheeky and fun to read. And the author, Chris Abraham, goes into depth about the advantages of back stories. Plus he gives ideas for the kinds of stories to share. Yeah! I like this statement, "Allowing a portal into your process, your day-to-day, the story-boarding of what and how you do your work; even more, share extras about the senior and junior staff beyond what their bio pages offer — those uptight, controlled, and boring bio pages." And: "But before you balk, don’t worry: while you might feel like your process may well be mundane, obvious, and boring, it’s new, exciting, and revelatory to everyone else." My hobby is hand-dyeing silk. When I was selling my hand-dyed silks at art shows, I put together a photo show that I loaded onto an electronic picture frame. I showed the entire process of hand-dyeing -- from selecting colors, to mixing dyes, to manipulating fabric, pouring the dyes, batching overnight, washing out excess dye, and then finishing the beautiful resulting garment for sale. It's a big hit and people loved to hang around the booth and watch the show. Then I was able to talk with them and sell them my pieces! (I'm still dyeing silk, but now creating pieces for clients as part of my biz story work). Go have fun creating these stories. I know what a blast they are to create. This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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Karen Dietz's insight:
Storytelling is never mentioned in this article, but it is all about storytelling in business. I so appreciate the author's point that being perfect -- giving that perfect presentation; telling that story absolutely perfectly -- has changed. Being a recovering perfectionist, I say "Thank heavens!" For years as I've worked with leaders I have practically abandoned the perfect polished story, realizing that authenticity and realism will go much farther. So you flub up a bit in telling a story. Your audience will appreciate your humanism. As the author Rohit Bhargava says, just be yourself. You will have more fun and make a bigger impact. There are lots of good insights and take-aways from this article so go take the time to read it. It's short and a nice emotional boost. Enjoy! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Jane Dunnewold's comment,
February 23, 10:14 PM
I like the validation of being authentic over being perfect. If we could move this direction in more arenas social, business and otherwise, I think it would result in a more grounded, settled environment, and in that environment, human beings thrive.
Karen Dietz's comment,
February 24, 3:08 PM
I so agree Jane. Creativity, art and innovation cannot thrive in a culture of perfectionism. This reminds me of many traditional arts where imperfection is built into the final work. Imperfections in the work actually lead us to be more curious about it -- always a good thing!
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Karen Dietz's insight:
Hey -- what a great example that Michael Harris has put together for us! Here are two examples -- one of a story used in sales that DID NOT work. In other words, no sale resulted. In the second example we have a story that DOES work -- resulting in a sale. If you are incorporating stories into your sales process, then this post is for you. We need more examples of what works and what does not work in order to refine our storytelling and grow our businesses. Enjoy this post and I hope you get some good ideas for how to tweak your stories for better results! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Jeanne Melanson's curator insight,
February 17, 10:02 AM
This is a very good article. For anyone who uses other people's stories and successes in your business, it's a must read. 
corneja's comment,
February 17, 6:12 PM
Why the link doesn´t work in my case? I have tried to accede several times and always got a 404 Page Not Found! :-(
Karen Dietz's comment,
February 18, 12:03 PM
Hi -- don't know why the link doesn't work. Here it is again: http://insightdemand.com/uncategorized/customer-story-sells-doesnt-why/
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Top Sellers are Great Storytellers: A simple framework for harnessing the power of anecdotesWhat sets top sales people apart?
Karen Dietz's insight:
Here is a niftly article that not only talks about the importance of storytelling in sales to boost the bottom line, but also includes a formula, and a free downloadable template. Yeah! The formula is pretty good. The only issue I have with it is that it still positions the company -- not the customer -- as the hero. We know that for max effectiveness, we want to make the customer the hero. It is a subtle but important change -- because if the customer is the hero, your prospect will see themselves as the next potential hero. And your next customer. That is a good thing. So how would you shift the formula given? In section 3, instead of saying "Working with their [key sponsor’s role], we helped them implement [brief description of our key capabilities] that allowed them to [brief description of benefits]" try this: "Working with their [key sponsor’s role], our client was able to use our [brief description of our key capabilities]. As a result [share what THEY were able to accomplish] that allowed them to [brief description of benefits]." That is only one suggestion. How else would you rewrite the formula to make the customer the hero of the story? There are other good insights here and don't forget to download the free template! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 
Trumans's curator insight,
February 10, 5:49 PM
The human psyche is tuned in to story telling - that's why books, songs, movies and TV are so popular - everyone loves a story. The best thing you can do in business is to know your story and then share it in a continuously enthralling way.... a la Coca Cola... Delete the scoop?
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Content marketing is moving up the chain in importance for marketers, and that holds especially true for those in the B2B space.
Karen Dietz's insight:
OK -- here's another back-end approach to why storytelling is critical in business2business (B2B) sales and where companies can leverage stories for maximum value. Yes, we know that sharing stories is the best process a business can use for creating relationships. This study show how to use those stories (see the second chart): Creating content based on specific business needs and solutions comes out on top. 74% of respondents say they create content based on these. So focus your storytelling here! The rest of the chart is just as helpful. Here are a few:
The third chart explains the respondents long-term online marketing strategy -- and this mirrors the points above. Now here is the kicker: over 50% of B2B marketers said they didn't really know who they were targeting, or who they could sell to. LOL -- some days I feel the same! If you find yourself in that place, you are in good company. The take away is to keep figuring these 2 pieces out as you fine-tune your marketing and your stories -- they do inform each other. Overall, there is great information here to help you market better with stories in 2013. This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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Storytelling in Fundraising: When Your Donor Responds with These Five Simple Words, You’ve Succeeded
Books and articles on storytelling and narrative in fundraising are proliferating nearly as quickly as bad storytelling and narrative in fundraising (could there be a connection?). In an effort to ...
Karen Dietz's insight:
What a great post that reminds us what is most important in our business storytelling and how to achieve it -- whether it be in fundraising, sales, or marketing. Are you following the Golden Theme? The Golden Theme for stories is: we are all the same. If you can express the Golden Theme and do what the author Eric Foley suggests, you will have the Midas touch. This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling atwww.scoop.it/t/just-story-it Delete the scoop?
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Somehow my original review got blown away by computer goblins last night! I know Scoop.it has a new user interface and it looks like they are still working out a few bugs.
So let me tell you why I posted this manifesto -- because it is a great reminder that even our smallest stories have the power to inspire others and change the world. Yes -- change the world.
We often take our stories for granted. We share them in conversation and don't think much of them. But all stories have 'work' to do in the world -- whether they are big hairy audacious stories or quiet little ones.
Print out this poster and keep it handy. It's a terrific reminder of the power of all YOUR stories to make a difference in the world.
This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it