Why storytelling?

For this reason: a robustly framed and clear corporate story helps to channel the continuing dynamism of this age, often with changes in managers and employees and rapidly changing market conditions. It gives direction to mission, vision, ambition, positioning and helps increase pride in the organisation.

For this reason: the transparency of our Internet-based age, with all its accessible-to-everyone social media, requires any organisation to have a clear, authentic, sincere and honest story. It is now easier than ever before to connect people by sharing stories and it is precisely that which makes storytelling an essential element of any communication plan.

For this reason: storytelling is a relatively new phenomenon in the Netherlands and is being 'hijacked' by lots of parties as an umbrella term for all possible communication activities. People still do not realise sufficiently that storytelling is a lot more than just PR or occasional online activities. Storytelling People is one of the few parties with years of experience in the field of storytelling expertise, advice and implementation.

For this reason: much more than advertising and communication, storytelling is based on the identity of the company and organisation and focuses more on connecting people both internally and externally. It exposes core values and retains and promotes them and that leads to increasing internal pride and external authenticity.

For this reason: people like to share the same great, engaging story. Storytelling based on a concise, inspiring corporate story touches people, activates them to take part and connect not only with each other but also with the company and its ambitions. Nothing beats the power of an organisation driven by shared pride.

For this reason: the story and direction of a company affects not just the people who work there but also its clients, business contacts and stakeholders. No company can do this alone. The clearer it is what the company stands for, the greater the confidence in its products or services. CSR is not a vogue word, but is essential for the success of your organisation. Storytelling is able to turn clients into fans and to feed them with stories which they can then share with their networks.

For this reason: a company is a story and that story starts with the core of the company. The Why, How and What of the company are some of the major policy questions. Only by finding answers to these questions can the correct strategic decisions be taken. Mission, vision, ambition, positioning and objectives are elements which are defined at the highest level. From there the story can be conveyed throughout the organisation in all kinds of substories.

For this reason: ‘telling stories’ is charged with emotion and that seems to be quite removed from the concept of a return-driven organisation. However, both internally and externally, people have always felt attracted to stories and like to associate themselves with stories that move them, even if these have commercial motives. As long as the story is told honestly and appears to be authentic, the outside world has no problem bestowing goodwill on a company and internally this will help increase people's pride in the organisation.

For this reason: the basis of storytelling consists of answering the questions: Why, How, What? Answering those questions is essential for any organisation, whatever its size, for example for a growing start-up taking on more staff in order to provide a clear framework for attitude and behaviour and for a major concern wishing to permanently embed commitment, motivation, pride and unity at all levels of its global operation.

For this reason: just as the company is a story, the man at the top has to be the one who tells the story. In today's world the culture of personality plays a major role and people like to see the face behind the company. CEOs who regularly help spread the company's story, both internally and externally, will generate extra authenticity and credibility. After all, he or she is one of the people who laid the foundations for defining and formulating the mission, vision and ambition and that makes this 'ambassador's function' an essential piece of the puzzle.

For more than 30 years Storytelling People has been recording corporate stories and bringing them to life with storytelling and community building.

Storytelling makes the abstract corporate story accessible in stories by and for people.

Storytelling scans are a quick and inexpensive way to gain clarity and direction. Request a scan today so that you too can create clarity for the future of your story.

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