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| best storytellers in business: True Story Ty Montague, 2013 Is your company a storyteller--or a storydoer? The old way to market a business was storytelling. But in today's world, simply communicating your brand's story in the hope that customers will listen is no longer enough. Instead, your authentic brand must be evident in every action the organization undertakes. Today's most successful businesses are storydoers. These companies create products and services that, from the very beginning, are manifestations of an authentic and meaningful story--one told primarily through action, not advertising. In True Story, creative executive Ty Montague argues that any business, regardless of size or industry, can embrace the principles of storydoing. Indeed, our best-run companies--from small start-ups to global conglomerates--organize around a coherent narrative that is then broadcast through every action they take (from product design to customer service to marketing). Montague shows why storydoing firms are nimble, more adaptive to change, and more efficiently run businesses. Montague is a founder of the growth consultancy co: collective and the former president and CCO of J. Walter Thompson, the largest advertising agency in North America. He brings his depth of creative business experience to the book and provides a clear framework and proven process for bringing you and your customers together in the creation of your brand story. Montague introduces five critical elements--what he calls the the four truths and the action map--that are the foundation of storydoing: - the participants (your customers, partners, and employees) - the protagonist (your company today) - the stage (the world around your business) - the quest (your driving ambition and contribution to the world) - your action map (the actions that will make your story real for participants) The book is filled with examples of how forward-thinking organizations--including Red Bull, Shaklee, Grind, TOMS Shoes, and News Corporation--are effectively using storydoing to transform their organizations and drive extraordinary results. |
| best storytellers in business: Storytelling in Business Janis Forman, 2013-01-30 Storytelling can be a lifelong and life sustaining habit of mind, a personal inheritance that connects us to our communities. It can also serve as an organizational inheritance—a management tool that helps businesses to develop and thrive. For more than a decade, award-winning author Janis Forman has been helping executives to tell stories in service of their organizational objectives. In Storytelling in Business: The Authentic and Fluent Organization, she teaches readers everywhere how the craft of storytelling can help them to achieve their professional goals. Focusing on the role of storytelling at the enterprise level, this book provides a research-driven framework for engaging in organizational storytelling. Forman presents original cases from Chevron, FedEx, Phillips, and Schering-Plough. Organizations like those featured in the book can make use of storytelling for good purposes, such as making sense of their strategy, communicating it, and developing or strengthening culture and brand. These uses of storytelling generate positive consequences that can have a sustained and significant impact on an organization. While large firms employ teams of digital and communication professionals, there's much that any of us can extrapolate from their experience to create stories to further our own objectives. To show the reach of storytelling, Forman conducted 140 interviews with professionals ranging from CEOs in small and thriving firms, to corporate communication and digital media experts, to filmmakers—arguably the world experts in visual storytelling. She draws out specific lessons learned, and shows how to employ the road-tested strategies demonstrated by these leaders. Although this book focuses on storytelling in the context of business, Forman takes inspiration from narratives in literature and film, philosophical and social thought, and relevant concepts from a variety of other disciplines to instruct the reader on how to develop truly authentic and meaningful tales to drive success. A final chapter brings readers back to square one: the development of their own signature story. This book is a pioneering work that guides us beyond the pressure and noise of daily organizational life to influence people in a sustained, powerful way. It teaches us to be fluent storytellers who succeed by mastering this vital skill. |
| best storytellers in business: The Storyteller's Secret Carmine Gallo, 2016-02-23 How did a Venice Beach T-shirt vendor become television's most successful producer? How did an entrepreneur who started in a garage create the most iconic product launches in business history? How did a timid pastor's son overcome a paralyzing fear of public speaking to captivate sold-out crowds at Yankee Stadium, twice? How did a human rights attorney earn TED's longest standing ovation, and how did a Facebook executive launch a movement to encourage millions of women to lean in? They told brilliant stories. In The Storyteller's Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch on and Others Don't, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and communication expert Carmine Gallo reveals the keys to telling powerful stories that inspire, motivate, educate, build brands, launch movements, and change lives. The New York Times has called a well-told story a strategic tool with irresistible power - the proof lies in the success stories of 50 icons, leaders, and legends featured in The Storyteller's Secret: entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Sheryl Sandberg; spellbinding speakers like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bryan Stevenson, and Malala Yousafzai; and business leaders behind famous brands such as Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Wynn Resorts, Whole Foods, and Pixar. Whether your goal is to educate, fundraise, inspire teams, build an award-winning culture, or to deliver memorable presentations, a story is your most valuable asset and your competitive advantage. In The Storyteller's Secret, Gallo explains why the brain is hardwired to love stories - especially rags-to-riches stories - and how the latest science can help you craft a persuasive narrative that wins hearts and minds. The art of storytelling can be used to drive change, says billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson. And since the next decade will see the most change our civilization has ever known, your story will radically transform your business, your life, and the lives of those you touch. Ideas that catch on are wrapped in story. Your story can change the world. Isn't it time you shared yours? |
| best storytellers in business: The Best Story Wins Matthew Luhn, 2018-08-07 How to use the principles of Pixar-style storytelling to meet the needs of entrepreneurs, marketers, and business-minded storytellers of all stripes. Pixar movies have transfixed viewers around the world and stirred a hunger in creative and corporate realms to adopt new and more impactful ways of telling stories. Former Pixar and The Simpsons animator and story artist Matthew Luhn translates his two and half decades of storytelling techniques and concepts to the CEOs, advertisers, marketers, and creatives in the business world and beyond. A combination of Luhn’s personal stories and storytelling insights, The Best Story Wins retells the “Hero’s Journey” story building methods through the lens of the Pixar films to help business minds embrace the power of storytelling for themselves! “Award-winning Pixar storyteller, artist, and writer Matthew Luhn has a message for CEOs, marketers, and business professionals: to capture your audience’s attention, you need to hook them with a great story.” —Seattlepi.com |
| best storytellers in business: Lead with a Story Paul Smith, 2012 Storytelling has come of age in the business world. Today, many of the most successful companies use storytelling as a leadership tool. At Nike, all senior executives are designated corporate storytellers. 3M banned bullet points years ago and replaced them with a process of writing strategic narratives. Procter Gamble hired Hollywood directors to teach its executives storytelling techniques. Some forward-thinking business schools have even added storytelling courses to their management curriculum. The reason for this is simple: Stories have the ability to engage an audience the way logic and bullet points alone never could. Whether you are trying to communicate a vision, sell an idea, or inspire commitment, storytelling is a powerful business tool that can mean the difference between mediocre results and phenomenal success. Lead with a Story contains both ready-to-use stories and how-to guidance for readers looking to craft their own. Designed for a wide variety of business challenges, the book shows how narrative can help: * Define culture and values * Engender creativity and innovation * Foster collaboration and build relationships * Provide coaching and feedback * Lead change * And more Whether in a speech or a memo, communicated to one person or a thousand, storytelling is an essential skill for success. Complete with examples from companies like Kellogg's, Merrill-Lynch, Procter Gamble, National Car Rental, Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut, and more, this practical resource gives readers the guidance they need to deliver stories to stunning effect. |
| best storytellers in business: Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell Mike Adams, 2018-08-28 How do the best salespeople connect, influence and persuade? With stories. 'Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell' takes you on a high-stakes sales journey, using stories to establish rapport and trust, deliver insight, inspire action and close the deal, and in doing so win new friends and collaborators. When you share purposeful stories in your client conversations, you'll create more new business than you thought possible. Sharing more than 50 stories from around the world, Mike draws on his diverse international sales career to teach and demonstrate the power of storytelling -- from first hello to signed contract. You'll learn stories to help you: Establish rapport and trust Present challenging insights Differentiate your solution Share your company values Unstick negotiation stand-offs Create better business outcomes. This book will change the way you think about selling. Rather than seeing your role as that of a transactional deal closer, you'll become a story master, creating new stories for your clients. |
| best storytellers in business: Putting Stories to Work Shawn Callahan, 2016-03-20 |
| best storytellers in business: The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell Paul Smith, 2019-08-01 NOW AN OWL (Outstanding Work of Literature) Leadership Award Winner! Every great leader is a great storyteller. As a manager, CEO, or team leader, how can you innovatively engage your employees so that they understand where your organization came from, where it's going, and how you're going to get there? How can you connect with your customers in a way that makes them believe in your company as passionately as you do? Paul Smith is one of the world's leading experts in business storytelling. He teaches people how to be more effective leaders by communicating their company's important mission, inspiring creativity, and earning the trust of valued stakeholders. The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell explores the journey behind success, and breaks down not just the importance of your company's story but how to craft compelling ones of your own. |
| best storytellers in business: The Science of Storytelling Will Storr, 2020-03-10 The compelling, groundbreaking guide to creative writing that reveals how the brain responds to storytelling Stories shape who we are. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions and mold our beliefs. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human. So, how do master storytellers compel us? In The Science of Storytelling, award-winning writer and acclaimed teacher of creative writing Will Storr applies dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to our myths and archetypes to show how we can write better stories, revealing, among other things, how storytellers—and also our brains—create worlds by being attuned to moments of unexpected change. Will Storr’s superbly chosen examples range from Harry Potter to Jane Austen to Alice Walker, Greek drama to Russian novels to Native American folk tales, King Lear to Breaking Bad to children’s stories. With sections such as “The Dramatic Question,” “Creating a World,” and “Plot, Endings, and Meaning,” as well as a practical, step-by-step appendix dedicated to “The Sacred Flaw Approach,” The Science of Storytelling reveals just what makes stories work, placing it alongside such creative writing classics as John Yorke’s Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey into Story and Lajos Egri’s The Art of Dramatic Writing. Enlightening and empowering, The Science of Storytelling is destined to become an invaluable resource for writers of all stripes, whether novelist, screenwriter, playwright, or writer of creative or traditional nonfiction. |
| best storytellers in business: The Story Factor Annette Simmons, 2006-04-04 Cover subtitle: Inspiration, influence, and persuasion through the art of storytelling |
| best storytellers in business: Storynomics Robert McKee, Thomas Gerace, 2018-03-20 Based on the hottest, most in-demand seminar offered by the legendary story master Robert McKee -- Storynomics translates the lessons of storytelling in business into economic and leadership success. Robert McKee's popular writing workshops have earned him an international reputation. The list of alumni with Academy Awards and Emmy Awards runs off the page. The cornerstone of his program is his singular book, Story, which has defined how we talk about the art of story creation. Now in Storynomics, McKee partners with digital marketing expert and Skyword CEO Tom Gerace to map a path for brands seeking to navigate the rapid decline of interrupt advertising. After successfully guiding organizations as diverse as Samsung, Marriott International, Philips, Microsoft, Nike, IBM, and Siemens to transform their marketing from an ad-centric to story-centric approach, McKee and Gerace now bring this knowledge to business leaders and entrepreneurs alike. Drawing from dozens of story-driven strategies and case studies taken from leading B2B and B2C brands, Storynomics demonstrates how original storytelling delivers results that surpass traditional advertising. How will brands and their customers connect in the future? Storynomics provides the answer. |
| best storytellers in business: Stories for Work Gabrielle Dolan, 2017-02-07 Learn the science and master the art of telling a great story Stories for Work walks you through the science of storytelling, revealing the secrets behind great storytellers and showing you how to master the art of storytelling in business. Stories hold a unique place in our psyche, and the right story at the right time can be a game-changer in business; whether tragedy, triumph, tension or transition, a good story can captivate the listener and help you achieve your goals. In this book, author Gabrielle Dolan draws from a decade of training business leaders in storytelling to show you what works, why it works, when it works best and what never works. You'll learn how to create your own stories — authentically yours, crafted to attain your goal — and develop an instinct for sharing when the time is right. In-depth case studies feature real-world people in real-world businesses, showing how storytelling has changed the way they work, motivate and lead — providing clear examples of the power of this enormously effective skill. Storytelling gives you an edge. Whether you're after a promotion, a difficult client, a big sale or leading through transition, a great story can help you smooth the road and seal the deal. This book is your personal coach for masterful storytelling, with expert guidance and lessons learned from real-world business leaders. Learn why storytelling grabs attention and helps your message get through Master the four types of stories used in business settings Infuse your stories with the personal to highlight your vision and values Craft a selection of stories to pull out at pivotal business moments The oral tradition has ancient roots that unite all humans, and despite our myriad modern distractions, we still respond to a well-told story. Stories for Work helps you put this dynamic to work for you in any business scenario. |
| best storytellers in business: Tell to Win Peter Guber, 2011-03-01 Today everyone—whether they know it or not—is in the emotional transportation business. More and more, success is won by creating compelling stories that have the power to move partners, shareholders, customers, and employees to action. Simply put, if you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it. And this book tells you how to do both. Historically, stories have always been igniters of action, moving people to do things. But only recently has it become clear that purposeful stories—those created with a specific mission in mind—are absolutely essential in persuading others to support a vision, dream or cause. Peter Guber, whose executive and entrepreneurial accomplishments have made him a success in multiple industries, has long relied on purposeful story telling to motivate, win over, shape, engage and sell. Indeed, what began as knack for telling stories as an entertainment industry executive has, through years of perspiration and inspiration, evolved into a set of principles that anyone can use to achieve their goals. In Tell to Win, Guber shows how to move beyond soulless Power Point slides, facts, and figures to create purposeful stories that can serve as powerful calls to action. Among his techniques: * Capture your audience’s attention first, fast and foremost * Motivate your listeners by demonstrating authenticity * Build your tell around “what’s in it for them” * Change passive listeners into active participants * Use “state-of-the-heart” technology online and offline to make sure audience commitment remains strong To validate the power of telling purposeful stories, Guber includes in this book a remarkably diverse number of “voices” —master tellers with whom he’s shared experiences. They include YouTube founder Chad Hurley, NBA champion Pat Riley, clothing designer Normal Kamali, “Mission to Mars” scientist Gentry Lee, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, former South African president Nelson Mandela, magician David Copperfield, film director Steven Spielberg, novelist Nora Roberts, rock legend Gene Simmons, and physician and author Deepak Chopra. After listening to this extraordinary mix of voices, you’ll know how to craft, deliver—and own—a story that is truly compelling, one capable of turning others into viral advocates for your goal. |
| best storytellers in business: Good Money Revolution Derrick Kinney, 2022-02-22 WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY NATIONAL BESTSELLER! Do you feel like you deserve to make more money? In Good Money Revolution, you'll learn to make more money, live the life you deserve, and change the world, too. Derrick Kinney is the fresh financial voice to guide you there. This book gives you a shame-free, simple success plan for your money—without cutting out your favorite latte! You hate debt and worked hard paying it down. Now you wonder, What’s next? As you worry about the future, you can’t afford to get it wrong and need a financial plan that fits your unique goals and dreams. You want to make more money and make the world better, but you don’t have a clue where to start. You should have a bigger paycheck, enjoy real financial freedom, and live the life you’ve always wanted. If you’re not making the money you deserve, and you’re not making the impact on the world you’ve always wanted, there’s a better way for your money today. Money is good and you should have more of it. But not for the reasons you might think. Here’s a secret: lots of money won’t make you happy—until you add meaning to your money. When you connect your cash to a cause, your money to a movement, and your profits to a purpose you love, you will make more money and create a life full of meaning and purpose. In Good Money Revolution, you’ll discover: The secret to making more money—your Generosity Purpose 5 money mindsets keeping you from cash How to teach your money to make you money—and use it for good The 3 Levers of Money: Save More, Crush Your Debt, and Earn More How to transform your business and create a raving customer base Don't just make money. Make Good Money. This book will show you how. Welcome to the Good Money Revolution. |
| best storytellers in business: Long Story Short Margot Leitman, 2015-10-13 A Moth storytelling champion shows you how to leave your audience spellbound in this bestselling, practical guide to powerful storytelling—through writing, public speaking, and more. Using a fun, irreverent, and infographic approach, Margot Leitman breaks storytelling into concrete components. Whether you want to write a great wedding toast, deliver a compelling keynote speech, or simply entertain friends and family, comedian and Moth 5-time champion storyeller Margot Leitman provides a clear and engaging roadmap to telling your own personal stories in this approachable storytelling guide. From content and structure to emotional impact and delivery, Leitman guides you through the entire storytelling process, providing personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical exercises along the way. Table of Contents Part 1: Getting Started Chapter 1. You Already Have Great Stories Chapter 2. Getting Past Fear Chapter 3. The Truth Chapter 4. The Universal Theme Chapter 5. The Thesis-Based Story Part 2: Elements of a Story Chapter 6. Passion Chapter 7. Layering a Story Chapter 8. Perspective Chapter 9. Character Chapter 10. Rooting for the Storyteller Chapter 11. The Full Circle Chapter 12. Someone Else’s Story Chapter 13. The Unexpected Chapter 14. The Benign Part 3: The Performance and Beyond Chapter 15. How to Memorize & Vocalize a Story Chapter 16. The Business of Storytelling This book is essential—a reminder that the world would be a better place if everyone knew how to tell a good story. —Diana Spechler, author and seven-time Moth StorySLAM winner |
| best storytellers in business: Storytelling with Data Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, 2015-10-09 Don't simply show your data—tell a story with it! Storytelling with Data teaches you the fundamentals of data visualization and how to communicate effectively with data. You'll discover the power of storytelling and the way to make data a pivotal point in your story. The lessons in this illuminative text are grounded in theory, but made accessible through numerous real-world examples—ready for immediate application to your next graph or presentation. Storytelling is not an inherent skill, especially when it comes to data visualization, and the tools at our disposal don't make it any easier. This book demonstrates how to go beyond conventional tools to reach the root of your data, and how to use your data to create an engaging, informative, compelling story. Specifically, you'll learn how to: Understand the importance of context and audience Determine the appropriate type of graph for your situation Recognize and eliminate the clutter clouding your information Direct your audience's attention to the most important parts of your data Think like a designer and utilize concepts of design in data visualization Leverage the power of storytelling to help your message resonate with your audience Together, the lessons in this book will help you turn your data into high impact visual stories that stick with your audience. Rid your world of ineffective graphs, one exploding 3D pie chart at a time. There is a story in your data—Storytelling with Data will give you the skills and power to tell it! |
| best storytellers in business: Leading Minds Howard E Gardner, 2011-12-06 Drawing on his groundbreaking work on intelligence and creativity, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, developer of the theory of Multiple Intelligences, offers fascinating revelations about the mind of the leader and his or her followers. He identifies six constant features of leadership as well as paradoxes that must be resolved for leadership to be effective using portraits of leaders from J. Robert Oppenheimer to Alfred P. Sloan, from Pope John XXIII to Mahatma Gandhi. |
| best storytellers in business: Story Robert McKee, 1999-01 In Story screenwriting guru Robert McKee presents his powerful and much sought-after knowledge in a comprehensive guide to the essentials of screenwriting and storytelling. -- Methuen. |
| best storytellers in business: The Airbnb Story Leigh Gallagher, 2017-02-16 In 2008, two broke art school graduates and their coder-whiz friend set up a platform that - in less than a decade - became the largest provider of accommodations in the world. Now valued at $30 billion, Airbnb is in the very top tier of Silicon Valley's 'unicorn' startups. Yet the company has not been without controversy - disrupting a $500 billion hotel industry makes you a few enemies. This is also a story of regulators who want to shut it down, hotel industry leaders who want it to disappear and neighbourhoods that struggle with private homes open for public rental. But beyond the headlines and the horror stories, Airbnb has changed the terms of travel for a whole generation - where a sense of belonging has built trust between hosts and guests seeking a more original travel experience that hotels have struggled to replicate. This is the first, definitive book to tell the remarkable story behind Airbnb in all its forms - cultural zeitgeist, hotel disruptor, enemy to regulators - and the first in-depth character study of its leader Brian Chesky, the company's curious co-founder and CEO. It reveals what got Airbnb where it is today, why they are nothing like Uber, and where they are going next. |
| best storytellers in business: Think Better, Live Better Joel Osteen, 2016-10-04 Change your life, reprogram negative thinking, and lead a more blessed, fulfilled life with these everyday lessons from Lakewood Church pastor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Joel Osteen. Your mind has incredible power over your success or failure. Think Better, Live Better offers a simple yet life-changing strategy for erasing the thoughts that keep you down and reprogramming your mind with positive thinking to reach a new level of victory. As a child of the Most High God, you are equipped to handle anything that comes your way. To claim your destiny, start thinking about yourself the way God does and delete the thoughts that tear down your confidence. When you train yourself to tune out the negativity and tune into your calling, you'll begin to live the wonderful plans God has made for you. |
| best storytellers in business: Face to Face Brian Grazer, 2019-09-17 Featured on CBS This Morning, Squawk Box, MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, and more. “Reading Face to Face is like being a fly on the wall, watching Brian Grazer work his magic. Utterly entertaining, this is how you become Hollywood’s best producer.” —Malcolm Gladwell, author of Talking to Strangers Legendary Hollywood producer and author of the bestselling A Curious Mind, Brian Grazer is back with a captivating new book about the life-changing ways we can connect with one another. Much of Brian Grazer’s success—as a #1 New York Times bestselling author, Academy Award–winning producer, father, and husband—comes from his ability to establish genuine connections with almost anyone. In Face to Face, he takes you around the world and behind the scenes of some of his most iconic movies and television shows, like A Beautiful Mind, Empire, Arrested Development, American Gangster, and 8 Mile, to show just how much in-person encounters have revolutionized his life—and how they have the power to change yours. With his flair for intriguing stories, Grazer reveals what he’s learned through interactions with people like Bill Gates, Taraji P. Henson, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Eminem, Prince, Spike Lee, and the Afghani rapper activist Sonita: that the secret to a bigger life lies in personal connection. In a world where our attention is too often focused downward at our devices, Grazer argues that we are missing an essential piece of the human experience. Only when we are face to face, able to look one another in the eyes, can we form the kinds of connections that expand our world views, deepen our self-awareness, and ultimately lead to our greatest achievements and most meaningful moments. When we lift our eyes to look at the person in front of us, we open the door to infinite possibility. |
| best storytellers in business: Let the Story Do the Work Esther Choy, 2017-07-30 People forget facts, but they never forget a good story. Let the Story Do the Work shows how the art of storytelling is key for any business to achieve success. For most, there’s nothing easy about crafting a memorable story, let alone linking it to professional goals. However, material for stories and anecdotes that can be used for your professional success already surround you. To get people interested in and convinced by what you are saying, you need to tell an interesting story. As the Founder and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab, a company that helps executives unlock the persuasive power of storytelling, Esther Choy teaches you how to mine your experience for simple narratives that will achieve your goals. In Let the Story Do the Work, you can learn to: Capture attention Engage your audience Change minds Inspire action Pitch persuasively When you find the perfect hook, structure your story according to its strengths, and deliver it at the right time in the right way, you’ll see firsthand how easy it is to turn everyday communications into opportunities to connect, gain buy-in, and build lasting relationships. |
| best storytellers in business: Narrative by Numbers Sam Knowles, 2018-03-19 Shortlisted for the Business Book of the Year Awards in the Sales and Marketing category. As jobs become increasingly similar, there are two skills that everyone needs if they’re going to thrive. These are the ability to interrogate and make sense of data, and the ability to use insights extracted from data to persuade others to act. Analytics + storytelling = influence. Humans are hardwired to respond to stories and story structure. Stories are how we make sense of and navigate the world. We respond best to stories that are based on evidence. But storytellers need to use data as the foundation of stories, not as the actual stories themselves. To be truly impactful, rational facts need to be presented with a veneer of emotion. The Big Data revolution means more data is available than ever. The trouble is, most people aren’t very numerate or good at statistics. Many find it hard to look at data and extract insights. Meanwhile, those for whom numbers hold no fear don’t always make the best storytellers. They mistakenly believe they need to prove their point by showing their workings. There are some simple and effective rules of data-driven storytelling that help everyone tell more compelling, evidence-based stories, whoever they need to convince. Narrative by Numbers shows you how. |
| best storytellers in business: Impro for Storytellers Keith Johnstone, 2014-01-21 Impro for Storytellers is the follow-up to Keith Johnstone's classic Impro, one of the best-selling books ever published on improvisation. Impro for Storytellers aims to take jealous and self-obsessed beginners and teach them to play games with good nature and to fail gracefully. |
| best storytellers in business: Better Selling Through Storytelling John Livesay, 2019-07-02 “John Livesay creates a compelling connection between revenue, reviews, and influence and our ability to tell brand and personal stories.” —Tracy Leigh Hazzard, INC. columnist, brandcaster, product strategist The old way of selling is to push a message or product. The new way of selling is to pull people in with a compelling story—one that is magnetic to clients. Better Selling Through Storytelling helps people become master storytellers so they can truly love what they do and get off the self-esteem roller coaster of only feeling good if their numbers are up. John Livesay encourages readers to give up selling—and become storytellers instead! He teaches sales representatives and entrepreneurs alike how to become irresistible to their clients and what the best storytelling strategy is to get a yes. From learning how not to take rejection personally to overcoming the three faces of fear, readers learn to embrace disruption with new tools that prepare them for any unexpected waves that come their way and get the sale. “If you want to reinvent how you sell, let John Livesay show you how . . . [He] holds nothing back and fills his pages with new ideas, tips, information, and steps to becoming your own Revenue Rockstar.” —Josh Linkner, New York Times–bestselling author of Big Little Breakthroughs “Not your grandparent’s sales manual; it’s where the storytelling rubber and results hit the road. If you think it’s too soft for your ROI brain, you’re missing the whole story, which is why you need it.” —Dr. Mark Goulston, author of Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone |
| best storytellers in business: Narrative and Numbers Aswath Damodaran, 2017-01-10 How can a company that has never turned a profit have a multibillion dollar valuation? Why do some start-ups attract large investments while others do not? Aswath Damodaran, finance professor and experienced investor, argues that the power of story drives corporate value, adding substance to numbers and persuading even cautious investors to take risks. In business, there are the storytellers who spin compelling narratives and the number-crunchers who construct meaningful models and accounts. Both are essential to success, but only by combining the two, Damodaran argues, can a business deliver and sustain value. Through a range of case studies, Narrative and Numbers describes how storytellers can better incorporate and narrate numbers and how number-crunchers can calculate more imaginative models that withstand scrutiny. Damodaran considers Uber's debut and how narrative is key to understanding different valuations. He investigates why Twitter and Facebook were valued in the billions of dollars at their public offerings, and why one (Twitter) has stagnated while the other (Facebook) has grown. Damodaran also looks at more established business models such as Apple and Amazon to demonstrate how a company's history can both enrich and constrain its narrative. And through Vale, a global Brazil-based mining company, he shows the influence of external narrative, and how country, commodity, and currency can shape a company's story. Narrative and Numbers reveals the benefits, challenges, and pitfalls of weaving narratives around numbers and how one can best test a story's plausibility. |
| best storytellers in business: Squirrel Inc. Stephen Denning, 2004-05-12 Take a satirical scamper through organizational life in the midstof changing times, brought to you by master storyteller andformer World Bank executive Steve Denning. With wisdom and ahealthy dose of wit, Denning introduces a cast of furry characterswho together learn the fine art of change through storytelling intheir quest to overcome obstacles, generate enthusiasm andteamwork, share knowledge, and ultimately lead their company into anew era of success and significance. Through the stories ofSquirrel Inc., readers will learn that the ability to tellthe right story at the right time can determine the outcome of anymajor change effort. In each chapter Denning's squirrels learn touse storytelling to address leadership challenges: How to bring about change How to communicate who you are How to transmit values How to foster collaboration How to stop rumors How to share knowledge How to lead your organization into the future |
| best storytellers in business: Effective Data Storytelling Brent Dykes, 2019-12-10 Master the art and science of data storytelling—with frameworks and techniques to help you craft compelling stories with data. The ability to effectively communicate with data is no longer a luxury in today’s economy; it is a necessity. Transforming data into visual communication is only one part of the picture. It is equally important to engage your audience with a narrative—to tell a story with the numbers. Effective Data Storytelling will teach you the essential skills necessary to communicate your insights through persuasive and memorable data stories. Narratives are more powerful than raw statistics, more enduring than pretty charts. When done correctly, data stories can influence decisions and drive change. Most other books focus only on data visualization while neglecting the powerful narrative and psychological aspects of telling stories with data. Author Brent Dykes shows you how to take the three central elements of data storytelling—data, narrative, and visuals—and combine them for maximum effectiveness. Taking a comprehensive look at all the elements of data storytelling, this unique book will enable you to: Transform your insights and data visualizations into appealing, impactful data stories Learn the fundamental elements of a data story and key audience drivers Understand the differences between how the brain processes facts and narrative Structure your findings as a data narrative, using a four-step storyboarding process Incorporate the seven essential principles of better visual storytelling into your work Avoid common data storytelling mistakes by learning from historical and modern examples Effective Data Storytelling: How to Drive Change with Data, Narrative and Visuals is a must-have resource for anyone who communicates regularly with data, including business professionals, analysts, marketers, salespeople, financial managers, and educators. |
| best storytellers in business: Humans Are Underrated Geoff Colvin, 2015-08-04 As technology races ahead, what will people do better than computers? What hope will there be for us when computers can drive cars better than humans, predict Supreme Court decisions better than legal experts, identify faces, scurry helpfully around offices and factories, even perform some surgeries, all faster, more reliably, and less expensively than people? It’s easy to imagine a nightmare scenario in which computers simply take over most of the tasks that people now get paid to do. While we’ll still need high-level decision makers and computer developers, those tasks won’t keep most working-age people employed or allow their living standard to rise. The unavoidable question—will millions of people lose out, unable to best the machine?—is increasingly dominating business, education, economics, and policy. The bestselling author of Talent Is Overrated explains how the skills the economy values are changing in historic ways. The abilities that will prove most essential to our success are no longer the technical, classroom-taught left-brain skills that economic advances have demanded from workers in the past. Instead, our greatest advantage lies in what we humans are most powerfully driven to do for and with one another, arising from our deepest, most essentially human abilities—empathy, creativity, social sensitivity, storytelling, humor, building relationships, and expressing ourselves with greater power than logic can ever achieve. This is how we create durable value that is not easily replicated by technology—because we’re hardwired to want it from humans. These high-value skills create tremendous competitive advantage—more devoted customers, stronger cultures, breakthrough ideas, and more effective teams. And while many of us regard these abilities as innate traits—“he’s a real people person,” “she’s naturally creative”—it turns out they can all be developed. They’re already being developed in a range of far-sighted organizations, such as: • the Cleveland Clinic, which emphasizes empathy training of doctors and all employees to improve patient outcomes and lower medical costs; • the U.S. Army, which has revolutionized its training to focus on human interaction, leading to stronger teams and greater success in real-world missions; • Stanford Business School, which has overhauled its curriculum to teach interpersonal skills through human-to-human experiences. As technology advances, we shouldn’t focus on beating computers at what they do—we’ll lose that contest. Instead, we must develop our most essential human abilities and teach our kids to value not just technology but also the richness of interpersonal experience. They will be the most valuable people in our world because of it. Colvin proves that to a far greater degree than most of us ever imagined, we already have what it takes to be great. |
| best storytellers in business: Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins Annette Simmons, 2007-05-09 Stories have tremendous power. They can persuade, promote empathy, and provoke action. Better than any other communication tool, stories explain who you are, what you want...and why it matters. In presentations, department meetings, over lunch-any place you make a case for new customers, more business, or your next big idea-you'll have greater impact if you have a compelling story to relate. Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins will teach you to narrate personal experiences as well as borrowed stories in a way that demonstrates authenticity, builds emotional connections, inspires perseverance, and stimulates the imagination. Fully updated and more practical than ever, the second edition reveals how to use storytelling to: Capture attention * Motivate listeners * Gain trust * Strengthen your argument * Sway decisions * Demonstrate authenticity and encourage transparency * Spark innovation * Manage uncertainty * And more Complete with examples, a proven storytelling process and techniques, innovative applications, and a new appendix on teaching storytelling, Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins hands you the tools you need to get your message across-and connect successfully with any audience. |
| best storytellers in business: Powered by Storytelling: Excavate, Craft, and Present Stories to Transform Business Communication Murray Nossel, 2018-04-27 HARNESS THE UNIVERSAL POWER OF STORYTELLING TO IMPROVE ALL OF YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS. What’s your story? It’s a question human beings have been asking each other since we first gathered around a campfire. Millennia later, this human need for storytelling hasn’t changed. We communicate most effectively through our personal stories—and our professional success depends on it. This groundbreaking guide shows you how to tap into the timeless power of storytelling to transform your business. Here, executive coach, motivational speaker, and psychologist Murray Nossel, PhD, distills decades of experience into a simple method that will enable you to: •Find the right story for a particular audience and purpose. •Leverage your own experiences, memories, history, and heritage. •Create, develop, and craft a universal story that resonates. •Connect with business associates on a more personal, relatable level. •Share your corporate vision and goals—and get others on board. •Resolve workplace conflicts and find workable solutions. •Boost creativity, spread ideas, and spark true innovation. •Improve teamwork and collaboration through listening and learning. •Integrate storytelling into all your communications for ongoing success. You’ll learn the proven three-step method Murray’s firm, Narativ, uses with its clients, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits. First, you excavate your personal memories and experiences to generate story ideas that suit your particular needs. Second, you craft and shape these elements into a classic story structure that really connects with audiences. Third, you present your story to your business audience using simple performance techniques that anyone can master. A fundamental element of this method is a focus on listening: the ability to hear yourself, as well as the feedback provided by a given audience―because it is your audience’s listening that shapes your telling. Everyone needs to communicate well to succeed in business. And everyone has a story to tell. Powered by Storytelling shows you how to tell your story, connect with your audience, and achieve results. |
| best storytellers in business: The Magic Slice: How to Master the Art of Storytelling for Business Jack Murray, 2021-10-26 You have a great product or service, but people aren't responding to your marketing-or your message. You're brimming with enthusiasm, but you don't know how to spread the word. You need a story. Driven by real-life stories and case studies, The Magic Slice is a clarion call for anyone who needs to find their own Magic Slice-that unique place where what you want to say is exactly what your audience wants to hear. Learn to apply the Six-Step Magic Slice Process. Unlock your creativity and practice it every day. Discover the science behind storytelling that will make you a magnetic communicator. Walk step by step through the process of coming up with a story idea, applying key story elements, and structuring your story to give it impact. Whether you're a founder, CEO, or communications manager, The Magic Slice is the missing element that can transform your message into a compelling story. |
| best storytellers in business: My Product Management Toolkit Marc Abraham, 2018-03-07 Why are some products a hit while others never see the light of day? While there's no foolproof way to tell what will succeed and what won't, every product has a chance as long as it's supported by research, careful planning, and hard work. -Written by successful product manager Marc Abraham, My Product Management Toolkit is a comprehensive guide to developing a physical or digital product that consumers love. Here's a sample of what you'll find within these pages: Strategies for determining what customers want-even when they don't know themselves Clear suggestions for developing both physical and digital products Effective methods to constantly iterate a product or feature Containing wisdom from Abraham's popular blog, this book explores product management from every angle, including consumer analysis, personnel management, and product evolution. Whether you're developing a product for a small start-up or a multinational corporation, this book will prove invaluable. |
| best storytellers in business: Everyday Business Storytelling Janine Kurnoff, Lee Lazarus, 2021-02-17 A practical, easy-to-use guide to transform business communications into memorable narratives that drive conversations—and your career—forward In Everyday Business Storytelling: Create, Simplify, and Adapt A Visual Narrative for Any Audience, visual communication and storytelling experts Janine Kurnoff and Lee Lazarus leverage decades of experience helping executives at the world's top brands—including Colgage-Palmolive, Nestlé, T-Mobile, Medtronic and Meta—bring clarity and meaning to their business communications. Whether you're building a presentation, crafting a high-stakes email, or need to influence the conversation in your next meeting with an executive, or have to communicate with data, Everyday Business Storytelling offers an insightful exploration of how to develop compelling business narratives that meet diverse audience needs. You'll discover how to use a simple, repeatable framework to transform your ideas, data, and insights into an authentic, persuasive story. Within this professional development book, you'll also find clever data visualization and visual display techniques to help humanize your stories and build an audience connection, leading to improved presentation skills and better data literacy. Whether you're looking to enhance your executive presence, align teams, become an expert at converting data analysis into data insights, or want to communicate change and influence audiences, Everyday Business Storytelling is for you. Everyday Business Storytelling is an indispensable guide to making your communications stick in the minds of your audience and drive change. It enables you to display confidence and communicate with clarity regardless of how complex your message is. If you're a busy, talented businessperson looking for tactics to improve your executive presentations, one-pagers, emails, or virtual meetings, this communication book is for you. |
| best storytellers in business: Brand Storytelling Miri Rodriguez, 2023-07-03 Written by the award-winning storyteller Miri Rodriguez at Microsoft, this bestselling book gets back to the heart of brand loyalty, consumer behavior and engagement as a business strategy by using storytelling to trigger the emotions that humans are driven by. Despite understanding essential storytelling techniques, brands continue to explain how their product or service can help the customer, rather than showcasing how the customer's life has changed as a result of them. This second edition of Brand Storytelling contains new trends in storytelling, as well as expanding on story experience and employee experience. This book explores the future of brand storytelling in a post pandemic era. New to this edition is also a 'How to Guide' taking readers through each step of the design thinking process in order to prototype their stories. Brand Storytelling provides a step-by-step guide to assess, dismantle and rebuild a brand story, shifting the brand from a 'hero' to 'sidekick' mentality and positioning the customer as a key influencer to motivate the audience. Clarifying why machine-learning, AI and automation only tell one side of the story, this book will inspire you with cutting edge interviews and case studies from leading brands like Expedia, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Adobe and Google to tap into authentic brand loyalty and human connection. |
| best storytellers in business: Passion & Purpose John Coleman, Daniel Gulati, W. Oliver Segovia, 2012 Provides an overview of the big issues in the business world today, with firsthand accounts from young leaders tasked with tackling these issues head on. |
| best storytellers in business: Strategic Storytelling Dave McKinsey, 2014-11-08 Strategic Storytelling is a complete guide to creating persuasive business presentations.Based on intensive study of presentations developed by leading management consulting firms, this step-by-step playbook shows you how to craft stories using proven narrative frameworks, design data-driven slides, and master your verbal and non-verbal delivery. |
| best storytellers in business: Wake Me Up When the Data Is Over Lori L. Silverman, 2006-09-18 This book includes real-life examples from over 70 respected organizations, small and large, representing a multitude of industries using stories to drive results. Leaders from organizations such as Microsoft, Lands’ End, Verizon, U.S. Air Force, and World Vision demonstrate the strong positive influence stories can have. No abstract theories or platitudes are conveyed here. The book spells out how Kevin Roberts, CEO worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, achieved sustained sales growth after several mergers and downsizings caused the organization to fall on hard times. It also shows how Erik Shaw, president and CEO of FivePoint Federal Credit Union, overcame resistance to an organizational name change, resulting in membership growth exceeding the national average. |
| best storytellers in business: Do Story Bobette Buster, 2018-05-15 Do Books provide readers with the tools and inspiration to live a fulfilled and engaged life. Whether it's mastering a new skill, cultivating a positive mindset, or finding inspiration for a new project, these books dispense expert wisdom on subjects related to personal growth, business, and slow living. Written by the movers, shakers, and change makers who have participated in the DO Lectures in the United Kingdom and the United States, Do Books are packed with easy-to-follow exercises, bite-size tips, and striking visuals. Practical, useful, and encouraging, each book delivers trustworthy, empowering guidance so readers can succeed in whatever they choose to do. Do Story teaches the art of telling powerful stories. The book includes short stories on a variety of subjects; taken together they demonstrate a range of effective narrative techniques. Vivid, enlightening, and brimming with practical tips, Do Story unlocks the secrets to becoming a captivating storyteller. |
| best storytellers in business: The Power of Storytelling Jim Holtje, 2011-12-06 A guide to crafting unforgettable, attention-grabbing business communications-from speeches and letters to business plans-using stories from the world's top business leaders. The world's foremost business leaders are also great storytellers. For example, industry titan Jack Welch has told how his mother instilled enough tough love and confidence in him to overcome the fact that he was the shortest kid in his class and had a severe stutter. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, often tells a story of setting up the company's first office in a converted garage. The Power of Storytelling collects the best of these stories, which readers can use to strengthen their own communication. It's an easy-to-use reference for anyone who needs to lead, inspire, and motivate an audience in a business setting, whether they're writing speeches, pep talks, interview talking points, employee letters, or Op- Eds. With anecdotes from Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Ted Turner, Steve Jobs, and many more, this is an inspiring and immensely useful tool. |
How to Tell a Great Story - UPEACE Centre for Executive …
The best storytellers look to their own memories and life experiences for ways to illustrate their message. What events in your life make you believe in the idea you are trying to share?
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In these pages I will introduce you to some of the greatest brand storytellers of our time: Richard Branson, Howard Schultz, Sheryl Sandberg, Joel Osteen, Herb Kelleher, Gary Vaynerchuk, …
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There are a number of tried and tested techniques that work with stories and by exploring these styles and how they can be adapted to business, you will be able to speak to people in a way …
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This eBook takes a look at what business storytelling is and how big and small businesses alike are leveraging the power of stories to boost sales figures and improve their visibility. Business …
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a book I’ve researched for two years to help business leaders understand the language of narrative and the role it plays in their success. I discovered that business leaders who are …
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much easier to influence and persuade others when they can connect with you. Telling stories and using emotion is a key way to help improve your influenc. skills and stakeholder management …
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Expert storytellers translate complex ideas into practical examples laced with strong emotional connections. The audience tunes in because they see themselves woven into the story. …
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Understanding the difference between presenting and storytelling is critical to a leader’s ability to engage an audience and move them to action. Unfortunately, presentation software often gets …
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marketers to legitimate storytellers and we make our story engaging, relevant, useful, relatable, believable, desirable, aspirational. Well, let me tell you a story... And marketers lived...
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working on your story. The great storytellers distinguish themselves not just by their talent, but by their dedication to their craft. They think about their stories constantly. They work on a gesture …
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May 15, 2024 · HOW DO I IDENTIFY STORYTELLERS? The best way to identify storytellers is to consider the people you serve and work with. Often, the people who volunteer for your …
STORYTELLING ORGANIZATIONAL - David Boje
methodologies to explore how many storytellers, not just omniscient managers, may impact alternate future courses for organizations. A must read for anyone interested in storytelling, or …
My Best Storytelling Tips for Storytellers
Inside this guide, you'll find some of my favorite tips and strategies to help make you a better storyteller. They are easy to understand, simple to implement, and can be practiced almost …
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Which of Fortune's 2015 10 Most Admired Brands succeeds best at telling humanizing stories that drive positive awareness? Customers: 71% Employees: 29% Berkshire Hathaway Inc. #1 #2 …
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Story Theater is a synthesis of acting, comedy, improvisation, storytelling and business presentation skills rolled into one. It is a proven methodology of storytelling in business that is …
Best Story Wins - Profile Books
What gets in the way of good storytelling? “Who is the most powerful person in the world?” It’s a summer’s day in 1994, and Steve Jobs needs a snack. He walks into the breakroom at the …
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Effective storytelling uses a simple set of building blocks to create stories that meet different needs — from persuading your customer to take a particular plan of action, to helping your …
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The best leaders are the best storytellers. When you craft an Undeniable Story, you can... getstoried.com/story10x 1 Create a strategic narrative that brings everyone together 2 Get …
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Aside from Malcolm Gladwell, the best storytellers of our times are advertising copywriters. They tell a story – sometimes a complicated one – in under 30 seconds. Conflict. Crisis. Climax and …
THE STORYTELLER’S SECRET
In The Storyteller's Secret, Carmine Gallo shows you how to frame ideas to make an irresistible, memorable, and emotional connection with your audience. We have very big problems to …
