Aizuchi Playbook

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Aizuchi Playbook:

Brand Your Business with Story

Andrew Nemiccolo


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Table of Contents i

Intro 4

What the Heck is Aizuchi? 6

Who Should Use Stories? 9

How to Use the Aizuchi Playbook 10

No Tall Tales, Please! 12My Story 14

Myths About Story 16

Whats The Cost of Not Making Your Point? 20

Wired for Story 22

Case Story: George Washington & Vulnerability 26

Decision Making: Emotion vs. Logic 29

Data Arguments Can Backfire 30

Information Inflation Makes Stories More Valuable 32

Distilling Data into the Wisdom of Big Ideas 33

Story Science: Stories Meld Minds 38

Goal Setting 41

33 Motivations 43

Goal Planner 44

Audit: Whats Your StoryBank Account Balance? 45

StoryMining 46Case Story: The Challenge of Story Humility 52

Flow 55

Failure 57

Forks in the Road 59

About Us: The Second Most Important Web Page 63

Friends 65

The Case for Success Stories 66

Funny 70

Found 72

Future 75

49 Brand Attributes 80


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Aizuchi Playbook

Table of Contents ii

StoryBanking 81

Story Banking Advice 82

Story Bank Example 84

Story Bank Planner 85

CHAPTER 87Conflict 90

Hero 93

Story Science: Underdog Appeal 95

Anticipation 97

Story Science: Can You Feel a Metaphor? 99Peak 100

Transform & Explain 101

Relate 102

Go Ahead! 104

About the Artist 105

About the Author 106

Legal 107

Endnotes 108Bonus: Five Friends Exercise 109

101 Transferrable Skills 110

More 111


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Your brand is the sum of your stories.

Aizuchi Playbook

Brand


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Are you looking for a way to convey how youre different from thecompetition? Would you like more people to understand the great work youdo? Are thoughts of building your brand and growing your business foreveron your mind?

I believe that most business leaders have amazing stories that would buildtheir brand distinctly, if only they could share those stories with purpose.

There are several reasons Ive seen that they may hold back from usingstories in business. Some business leaders havent prioritized the time.

Others see the value of stories, but dont have a process to gather, organizeand share stories.

And then there are those who havent given themselves permission to usestories. (Denying permission is the excuse that frustrates me the most whenI see it, because it used to be my problem, too.) This playbook will give youa toolkit to address these obstacles.

Aizuchi Playbook 4

This Playbook is Written for You


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Aizuchi Playbook 5

Stories are one of the most under-usedcommunications resources that business

leaders have. With the right planning, storiescan make some (not all) of your sales &marketing headaches dissipate.

There are a lot of experts out there tellingbusiness leaders to go ahead and use stories,but they dont necessarily show you how. This

playbook walks you through the steps todevelop a story strategy that is tailored foryourbusiness.

Your brand is the sum of your stories - isnt ittime to take control?


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If youve ever seen a Japanese person nodding in conversation and sayingaah soou? or is that so? then youve already witnessed aizuchi.

Aizuchi, or ,is the Japanese word for these brief but importantresponses which demonstrate that the listener is active and engaged in theconversation. Linguists call it back-channeling.Aizuchi is common in face toface Japanese communication, but there's no direct equivalent in American

culture.

Of course, I didn't know any of this as a young university exchange studentin my first month in Japan when I asked my host mother one afternoon, "Isour phone working okay?"

"Yes, I think it works fine, why do you ask?" she responded with curiosity asshe briskly walked to check the house phone (probably to make sure thatthe new American kid hadn't broken it). Luckily, the phone was in perfectworking order!

"Oh, the other person just couldn't hear me that well, I explained haltingly,knowing that wasn't the reason. My language skills werent up to explain thenuance. I think that my host mother and I both ended that conversation a

bit mystified.

Aizuchi Playbook 6

What the Heck is Aizuchi?


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Aizuchi Playbook 7

What I didn't want to have to explain was thatfor the second time that week in October, I'd

been speaking on the phone with a Japaneseperson to take care of some business, andthey each had asked me a couple of times,

are you still there, are you still there?

This was in the ancient landline days, soconnections were usually clear. The whole

thing was puzzling.

A few weeks later, I laughed out loud at mymistake when I learned about aizuchi andrealized that my attentive American-style silentlistening (and lack of aizuchi) were what hadthrown off my callers.

I decided then and there to start using phraseslike "aah soou? and that mindset in my ownconversations going forward.

Aizuchi is a beautiful idea. The two charactersliterally mean together and hammer,

indicating the back and forth motion andmetallic ring as a pair of blacksmiths hammera steel sword on an anvil.

With the sight and sound of the twocooperating hammers in mind, Aizuchi is anapt metaphor for todays businesses eager to

communicate collaboratively. Moving from one-way broadcasting to two-way conversations inthe age of social media, organizations andindividuals alike are eagerly looking for waysto connect authentically with clients, partners,investors and employees. Everyone is tired ofbeing talked at. We want to create a storytogether.

Aizuchi was a behavior I had to learn. Givingaizuchi doesnt mean that you necessarilyagree with the other person, but you areindicating, Yes, I hear you. I believe thatbrands that can demonstrate, Yes, I hearyou, to their customers will have gaincompetitive advantage.


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Aizuchi Playbook 8

Old-fashioned concepts like stories andlistening can play a positive role in this

change. While this playbook talks a lot aboutstories for business, you wont hear me usethe wordstorytelling very much. Tellingimplies one-way communication. Tellingwithout being a listener is a bit presumptuous.

Storytelling is one piece of a larger picture.

All things equal, I believe that businesses thattrigger stories from their customers and listenclosely to them will surpass businesses thatremain in broadcast mode. In the spirit ofaizuchi, my goal for this playbook is to talk alittle more about StoryLearning and a little lessabout storytelling.

I hope that this Aizuchi Playbook will spark aconversation between you and me, too. In thespirit of improving this resource, Id love tolisten to your comments, questions, successesand even your complaints regarding the

Aizuchi Playbook.

Yes, I hear you. If you have something toshare, please write me at

[email protected]

Let's get started!
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Stories can be helpful for organizations that:

Want to build trust and engagementwith employees, customers and investors.

Need to differentiatetheir products and services from the competition.

Are pioneering novel products and services for launch.

Seek brandawareness and the premium it offers.

Are in a relationshipbusiness, instead of a one-time transaction model.

Would like to embed values, behaviors and norms within the organization. Want to connect the originsof the group with its future direction.

Stories may not be helpful or necessary if:

Your product or service is a true commoditywith no chance of differentiation.

You hold a complete monopolyor unassailable competitive advantage in your field.

Your product or service competes solely on price. Your organization cannot communicate with employees, customers, partners, and

investors.

Aizuchi Playbook 9

Who Should Use Stories? And Who Shouldnt?


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The Aizuchi Playbook is built on concepts from scientific research studies,and has been vetted through real-life experiences and feedback fromparticipants in the Seven Story Learning workshops, webinars, coaching, andsales & marketing projects.

For clarity of expression, Ive framed the concepts and exercises by speakingto business leaders. However, the steps in this playbook have proven

equally useful for other organizations like non-profits, as well assolopreneurs and individuals refining their own professional brand.

In other words, the term brand can refer to the entire organization, theproduct line you lead, or your own identity. If you have a message to share,this playbook can help!

Well be talking about stories a lot, so dont get too hung up on the formator definition, (though later in the playbook I do share a structure that seemsto work very well). Many, many, many Ph.D. dissertations have been writtenon the definition of story with no single answer in sight.

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How to Use the Aizuchi Playbook


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Aizuchi Playbook 11

Lets just use the widest possible definition ofstory for this business discussion. A story can

be an oral story, presentation, video, printpiece, or any other medium thatcommunicates the brand of your business andstarts conversations.

Youll learn a little by skimming through theguide and getting some new ideas.Youll gain

a lot by spending time on StoryMining andStoryBanking.

In addition, Case Studies and Story Sciencepages in grey provide background context forthose who want to go deeper. Read them atyour leisure. If youre raring to go, you can

skip all of this and jump straight to GoalSetting.


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A word about stories. Authenticity matters. If you follow the exercises in theAizuchi Playbook, youll develop story superpowers. If you wanted, youd beable to use stories to control peoples minds, triple your business overnight,and commit villainous deeds. Okay, Im exaggerating. You may not gainbona fide superpowers after all. I apologize for exaggeratingshould nothave done that. Do you still trust me? Now look what Ive done!

Seriously, stories are an extremely effective way to communicate, so dontabuse the gift. Use your story powers for good and not evil. Its the rightthing to do. Besides, most people can detect bullshit eventually, and youdont want bad karma for yourself and your business. Remember Pinocchio,the Boy Who Cried Wolf, and the Emperors New Clothes? You get the idea

Take the Story Responsibility pledge. Raise your right hand and repeat:

Ill use stories for good and not evil.

My stories will be honest and authentic.

I promise to listen to others stories more than I tell my own stories.

Great! If we all abide by these three rules, things should go nicely.

Aizuchi Playbook 12

No Tall Tales, Please


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The story is told because you care for the hearer

1

Jeff Brunson

Founder, Basic Approach

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Authenticity


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As a kid growing up in New England, I heard and told stories all the time.Stories were in the air in our family home. I was a voracious reader, a writer,a joker. For serious matters I shared stories, too. In fact, stories have beenkey to every successful university admission and job interview I have everhad.

In my very first real job as a high school Japanese language teacher, I

used stories to teach language in context. Years later, some of my formerstudents have told me that the only phrases they still remember in Japaneseare from the daily skits Id ask them to memorize and perform from thetextbook and video series we used.

And when I took my first job in sales, all the stories came to a grinding halt.

Suddenly, I believed that my task was to persuade and influence, and thatbest way to do this was with lots of data. I was good with numbers and toldmyself that facts and figures had the gravitas that stories lacked. Storiestook too long to tell, and were a detour. I threw graphs, charts, statistics andformulas at my clients. Five percent of clients loved it. The rest hated it. Iwas sentencing them to death by presentation. And I was getting nowhere.

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My Story


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Aizuchi Playbook 15

Despite having a superior product, I was losingto my competition. Customers couldnt hear

me. After several months of watching me spinmy wheels with flat sales results, two kindsales colleagues sat me down in a coffee shopone autumn morning in Kansas City. They triedto redirect me down a new sales path thatwasnt paved solely with numbers, but I toldmyself that they were wrong.

It was an uncomfortable conversation for me.I think it was a little uncomfortable for themtoo, but they were brave and helpful. I wish Icould tell you that I changed my ways the verynext day. But I didnt. Ironically, I think that Ihad become emotionally attached to thenumbers. Try and figure that one out!

Several months went by with no uptick insales. I was frustrated and wondered if I had afuture in sales. One desperate day, I finallyrelented and told a story about my product. Ireally didnt expect it to work, but it actuallyprompted a customer to tell me about an

experience of his.

Wow, what a feeling to have an actualconversation! It seems foolish to say as I write

these words now, but it was only when Iviscerally experienced the breakthroughmoment of using a story that I formally gavemyself permission to use stories more often.

I began using story more systematically andsales really started moving. I was becoming a

top performer. As I was promoted in thecompany, I was fortunate to have theopportunity to play a role on the team thatrolled out story-based selling programs to allof our sales teams across the nation. It was agreat step, but I wanted to dive deeper. Aftercorporate downsizing in 2010, I started SevenStory Learning to help business leadersdevelop story-based sales and marketingprograms. Now I give talks, facilitateworkshops, develop strategy, and produceclient success stories.

The Aizuchi Playbook is the another step inthat journey, and I hope that it will help you to

brand and grow your business, too.


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The power of stories is exciting. However, the recent hype of businessstorytelling has also revived some myths. If a persistent belief in one ofthese myths has been keeping you from using the power of story, I hope theideas on the next three pages help you get past the obstacle! Stories aresimply too effective a communication method to ignore any longer.

Myth #1: Stories are just for children.

Yes, as a child, you sat around the campfire or in circle time because yourteachers knew the power of stories to embed cultural values, simplify thecomplex, and make learning enjoyable. Adults can gain those benefits,too. Thats why leading organizations are using stories for learning, culturedevelopment, and to grow faster. Theres a lot of serious scholarship aboutstories for communication, and the latent nerd in me will share a few ofthose studies with you in the Aizuchi Playbook. If you are still a doubter and

need more proof, check out Storyproof. In this wonderful book, authorKendall Haven shows hundreds of studies demonstrating the power of storyin communication.

Aizuchi Playbook 16

7 Myths About Stories


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Aizuchi Playbook 17

Myth #2: Its inauthentic. Dont tell mea story, tell me the truth!

The word storytelling may suggestembellishment or even falsehood, but thatreally depends on whos telling. Authentic,genuine stories remain one of the best ways toshare your brand. Please dont give up onstory just because of a few bad apples! If youtook the No Tall Tales pledge, just move on.

Myth #3: Stories are solely aperformance or entertainment device.

Gifted storytellers like Bill Cosby, GarrisonKeillor, Chelsea Handler and that guy inoveralls at the country fair enthrall us. We canlearn a lot from their story style, but the

mountaintop setting is just one place forstories. You dont have to be up on stage touse stories. Most of us share our stories bestin smaller campfire or watering hole settings.

In this context, stories are more about sharingour true selves than entertaining a large

group. This isnt drama class. You dont needan acting coach or a Ph.D. in literature.

Just share stories about topics that youreknowledgeable and enthusiastic about, andask good questions. People will respond.

Myth #4: Its all about the telling

Branding yourself and your company is vital tostand out from the crowd in a memorableway. Every person and organization shouldhave stories about themselves to share. Thatbeing said, awareness is not enough;engagement is the new barometer. The pointof telling a story is to prompt a story in

response, and to listen. This is how customerconversations begin, and its one reason thatsocial media networks have grown so quickly.


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Aizuchi Playbook 18

Myth #5: Stories are detours; a waste oftime in a busy world.

Stories are one of the quickest ways to opensomeones mind and illustrate a point. Ourbrains arent wired to recall facts, figures andslides very easily, but stories are highlyefficient.

If youre pressed for time, all the more reason

to use a story. Stories can be disarming. Thebest salespeople and marketers recognize theneed to move beyond feature/benefitstatements to stories that engage and inspireaction. Thats how business grows.

Myth #6: I dont have any stories that

anybody would want to hear!I promise that your brand has some greatstories. You just may not have discoveredthem yet. StoryMining is a process forsystematically discovering great story ideas. It

just takes a little time. Ill show you how, stepby step, in the playbook.

Myth #7: Story skills cant be learned.

First, telling the right story for the situation is

more important than being a smooth andsuave communicator.

Second, you may not be a feel like a giftedorator or genius marketer, but story skillsrepresent a communication style that isextremely close to the way you naturally think,

speak, write and create.

Ive never worked with any individual or teamwho didnt feel dramatically more confidentafter even an hour or two of structured storypractice.

Its rhetoric, logic, and complex argumentskills that require copious preparation time tomaster, not stories!


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"Forget traditional positioning and brand-centric

approaches to marketing. We're now in the 'Age of

the Narrative' where the biggest challenge facingcompanies is how to communicate their story in the

most compelling, consistent and credible way

possible -- both internally and externally. 2

William Ryan

Founding Partner, Portola Strategies

Aizuchi Playbook 19

The Age of Narrative


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Think for a moment about the next important business communication youllbe having. This communication has the potential to move your organizationforward.

It might be a financial plan for your board to approve, a new marketingcampaign for satisfy investors and donors, or an emergency customerservice call to salvage an important client relationship.

Youve prepared yourself well with resources like financial reports,demonstration products, talking points, handouts, videos and power pointslides. But wait, do you have a story planned?

For most professionals in todays information economy, words are a primarytool. In their paper titled, One Quarter of GDP is Persuasion, 3Economists

Deirdre McCloskey and Arjo Klamer point out that business leaders spend alot their time convincing other people to act in a certain way. Motivatingemployees, selling to customers, negotiating with partners, and more. The26% figure they calculated is a back of the envelope estimate for our entireeconomy, but I would guess that many individual businesses are probablysimilar. Would you say that at least one quarter of you professional successis directly related to your ability to persuade others?

Aizuchi Playbook 20

Whats the Cost of Not Making Your Point?


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Communication is a key business skill. And asthe information economy transforms into the

knowledge economy, the trend will continue.

Economists McCloseky and Klamer tell us thatrole of persuasion in, our economy, will belarger in the future. The silent labor requiredto make a radio, a window pane, or anautomobile is disappearing. 4

You have customers to satisfy, employees tolead, and vendors to manage. The cost of notmaking your point continues to rise. Keepstories handy in your communications toolkit.


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Lets talk about the story of writing. Writing is a fairly recent technology interms of human development. The timing may help explain why were still sodeeply wired to respond to the elements that originated in the oral storytradition, such as a brave hero facing a conflict, with lots of emotion andsensory details.

Human speech appeared roughly 100,000 years ago. Lets take those one

thousand centuries and represent them as one calendar year to wrap ourheads around this.

January 1

We gathered around the campfire and at some point began handing downimportant tribal lore to the next generation. Practical skills like where tocatch the best fish. Meaningful things like our tribes creation and our place

in the world. Cautionary tales about mistakes ancestors had made.Remember, writing had not been developed yet. So if you wanted to send atime-traveling message into the future to your grandchildrensgrandchildrensgrandchildren, it had to be launched in the most reliablepackaging. In other words, a compelling, memorable, easily repeated story.*For most of our experience as a species, weve communicated exclusivelythrough stories, and I think that much of our communications work today

has the intent of recreating that campfire experience.

Aizuchi Playbook 22

Wired for Story


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Aizuchi Playbook 23

December 14

Then, about five thousand years ago, near the

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is nowIraq, people began making indentations intolumps of clay to represent ideas. Othersocieties followed suit over time, eitheradapting cuneiform writing, or creating theirown writing systems independently. Literacyspread slowly, but was the exception, not the

rule.

December 28

Four days before New Years Eve, metal-typeprinting started in China, then it really took offin Europe with Gutenbergs printing press(1436), which had the advantage of fewer

characters to represent. Still, only the wealthyand elite learned to read and write. Broadliteracy across society doesnt become anexpectation until December 31st.

Today

What this all means is that our recent leap to

literacy hasnt disconnected the human brainsaffinity for stories. Suspenseful twists andturns, the timing and tone in a human voice,and compelling heroes whom we can relate -these elements still matter.

We tend to fall into stories naturally; they offer

a path of least communication resistance.Psychologist Susan Engle points out, Childrenlearn storytelling many years before theymaster logic, persuasion, writing, and otherforms of information delivery. 5

New York Times science reporter Benedict

Carey adds,People tend to remember factsmore accurately if they encounter them in astory rather than in a list, studies find; andthey rate legal arguments as more convincingwhen built into narrative tales rather than onlegal precedent. 6


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Stories certainly arent the only communicationchoice you have as a business leader. But by

recognizing just how strongly the humanspecies is pre-disposed to story, you give yourbusiness a significant strategic advantageover the list makers and technical mavens.

Maybe youre very persuasive with logic andrhetoric. But for every graph, slide, statistic

and bullet point youre planning to share inyour next important communication, youmight ask, Would a story work betterinstead?


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Heres something I believe in: stories are what

make us human. Opposable thumbs? Other animalshave those. Ability to use tools? Ditto. Even

language, in and of itself, is not exclusive to human

beings. 7

Andrew HintonPrincipal User Experience Architect at Macquarium

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Stories Make Us Human


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Aizuchi Playbook 26

Case Story: George Washington & Vulnerability

On Presidents Day, American school childrenoften hear about George Washingtons woodenteeth, but his eyeglasses probably played abigger role in the founding of the country

In the winter of 1783, the Continental Armywas on the brink of collapse. Though the

revolutionaries had effectively nullified theBritish forces several years ago, a peace treatyhad not yet been signed, and the British Armystill controlled New York City.

After several years without pay, anotherrebellion was forming; this one led by a

several officers eager to march on Congressfor money owed them. The young nation hadno federal funds to pay its army.

If the British sensed any discord in theContinental Army, gathered sixty miles north inNewburgh, New York, it might encourage them

to wage attacks again to regain control overtheir former colonies.

On March 15th1783, the mutinous officers metin Newburgh to debate next steps. GeneralGeorge Washington entered the meeting hallsuddenly, to the surprise of everyone.

The floor was yielded to him to speak, but thecrowd was obstinate. Officers whom

Washington had known for years openly glaredback at him in anger.

He made a short speech reading from a list ofreasons the men should wait a bit longer to bepaid their salaries. The conspiring officerswere unmoved.

Washington had planned to next read a letterwritten by member of the ContinentalCongress to the rebellious officers, but sensingthe crowds growing hostility, he changed hismind.


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Aizuchi Playbook 27

Journals of those who were present that daytell us that General Washington fidgeted withthe congressmans letter for several seconds,and then reached for his eyeglasses, whichmost of the men had not seen him wearbefore. He said,

Gentlemen, you will permit me to puton my spectacles, for I have not onlygrown gray but almost blind in theservice of my country. 8

In that moment, hearing these unguardedwords and sensing Washingtons raw

emotions, the officers again began to listen totheir commander as an ally, not an adversary.They saw that Washington, too, had sacrificedmuch in his years of military service. Recallinglong campaigns together under Washingtonsleadership, some men began to openly weep.

Major Samuel Shaw wrote in his journal aboutthe experience that day,

There was something so natural, sounaffected, in this appeal, as rendered itsuperior to the most studied oratory; it forcedits way to the heart, and you might seesensibility moisten every eye. The General,having finished, took leave of the assembly,and the business of the day was conducted in

the manner which is related in the account ofthe proceedings. 9

By the time Washington had finished readingthe congressmans letter (to which nobody wasnow listening), the Newburgh Conspiracy wasdeflated. The story of George Washingtonsspectacles shows us the power of vulnerabilityin communication. Facts dont move people;but feelings can.

Apply the Concept

How can you demonstrate your brands

leadership through vulnerability?


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The change leadership guru says,

the best leaders that Ive known over the years

and certainly those that have been able to help

organizations make the big changes that we

increasingly need today - somehow learn over their

careers the power of stories. And they start to

learn and tell them better and better. 10

Aizuchi Playbook 28

John Kotter on Leadership Stories


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Hold the features, please!

You may be justifiably proud of the new gizmos and latest technicalspecifications of your upgraded product and service. But your customersdont care so much about your widgets. Theyre looking to increase sales,avoid painful losses, look smart to their boss, and leave work in time tocheer at their kids soccer game.

Throwing lots of data at people puts their minds in an analytical mode.Youre saying to them, Hey, numbers coming! Analyze, evaluate andchallenge the figures. Poke some holes in this argument!

Psychologist Deborah Small, professor of Marketing at the Wharton School ofBusiness at UPENN, has researched the effect of emotions in non-profit

communications.

She says, "It's easy to override people's feelings by giving them statisticalinformation, but it's not so easy to add feelings where feelings aren'tnaturally there to begin with. It's hard for humans to generate feelingstoward statistics.11

Aizuchi Playbook 29

Decision Making: Emotion vs. Logic


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Please Allow Me to Change Your Mind Right NowDepending solely on data is not only less effective than an emotional appeal.It may actually harm your cause!

Focus your mind for a moment on a strongly held belief that you have. Itcould be political, social, or anything else. Take a minute to sense it in yourgut.

Now, let me ask you a question. If I could show you facts and data thatshowed without a doubt that your belief were wrong, would you changeyour mind?

When I poll audiences at conferences, most people acknowledge that theystill wouldnt change their stance, even in the face of overwhelming proof.

Amazingly stubborn creatures, arent we?

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the term researchers use to describe why we areattracted to information that supports our existing viewpoints, while ignoringor minimizing facts that contradict our perspective. Its satisfying to feel thatwere right.

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Data Arguments Can Be Backfire


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Aizuchi Playbook 31

Remember that peoples pre-conceived storieswill beat your facts every time! And for the

staunchest opponents, your attempt topersuade them with evidence may make themdig their heels in even harder.

Beware the Backfire Effect

Professor Brendan Nyhan from the Universityof Michigan and Jason Reifler from Georgia

State called this the backfire effect in theirstudyof political beliefs.

The researchers asked university students toidentify their political affiliation and then readmock online newspaper articles containing astatement from a political figure that

reinforced a widespread misperception oncontroversial topics like the war in Iraq or stemcell research.

After distracting the students with ameaningless task, the researchers thenpresented real-world counter-evidence that

clearly corrected the original misperception.

The corrections didnt have a significant effecton changing the students beliefs about the

controversial topics, though. And the authorsobserved the backfire effect in a set of theirresults, noting that in several cases, we findthat corrections actually strengthenedmisperceptions among the most stronglycommitted subjects.

What does this mean for your brand? Peopleusually have their minds set, and theres notmuch that facts and figures can do to changethat.

While data is important for good decision-making, ask yourself if your business is driving

folks away by overemphasizing the numbers atthe expense of a compelling and disarmingstory.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/nyhan-reifler.pdfhttp://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/nyhan-reifler.pdf


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We are awash in a torrent of data. Ten years ago, I checked email andvoicemail each morning to start my day. Today, I check multiple email,twitter, facebook and voicemail accounts, plus text, postal mail and more.

Your life is surely just as busy.

From our inboxes to the wealth of data available on the web, we are richwith information. A child today has access to more books than kings and

queens did several hundred years ago. But the overwhelming amount ofinformation has come at a cost. We struggle to pay attention and interpretall the inputs.

Whether you call it a wealth of data or a data glut, the need for stories isbecoming even more valuable. Experts who can analyze all that informationand explain the patterns to the rest of us are in high demand.

How can you transform all that information into wisdom and meaning foryour clients?

Does your business have a unique viewpoint in your industry that wouldbenefit your customers?

Aizuchi Playbook 32

Information Inflation Makes Stories More Valuable


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Who is an Expert?Today, many business leaders brand themselves as experts in their fields,but how can you tell the difference between the pseudo-experts and the realdeal?

In his book, How People Learn, John Bransford notes characteristics thatdistinguish a true expert in a given topic.

He says that true experts possess more than a mere list of jargon, acronymsand formulas, on which pseudo-experts often rely. True experts keep alltheir deep subject matter organized by a few fundamental concepts, or BigIdeas unique to their field.

Bransford says:

Experts notice features and meaningful patterns of informationthat are not noticed by novices.

Experts have acquired a great deal of content knowledge that isorganized in ways that reflect a deep understanding of their

subject matter.

Aizuchi Playbook 33

Distilling Data into the Wisdom of Big Ideas


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Aizuchi Playbook 34

Can you see it? The real value is extracted byorganizing all the data into patterns that have

meaning. We all want to know whichinformation should we pay most attentionto. What can we safely ignore?

This kind of expertise will become even morevaluable in the digital age. As access toinformation grows through digital and human

networks, the need for experts to help usmake sense of all the data increases, too.

What are the Big Ideas in your field? Is therean opportunity to brand your business,contribute to your field, and frame the industryconversation around these Big Ideas?

Well touch on this theme of organizing BigIdeas when we talk about StoryBanks for yourbrand identity.

Stories can play a role. But its not just thetelling that matters. Listening counts, too


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My greatest strength as a consultant is to beignorant and ask a few questions. 12

Peter Drucker

Business thinker and author

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Keep Asking Questions


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Sharing a story can prompt a story.

[StoryTelling + StoryListening] = StoryLearning

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StoryLearning

Telling Listening


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If youre talking more than 35 percent of the time

youre with a customer, then youre not listening,which is the best way to sell. 13

Charlie Clifford

Founder of Tumi Luggage

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Stop Telling


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Story Science: Stories Meld Minds

Husband: Have you ever had one ofthose conversations

Wife: when you felt like you couldfinish each others thoughts?

Two Brains Lighting up in Unison

Princeton researchers Greg Stephens, LaurenSilbert and Uri Hasson have shown that duringeffective oral communication a speakers brainactivity can actually be replicatedin thelisteners mind. Similar locations in eachpersons brain fire in unison in a phenomenon

called neural coupling.

In the study, volunteers listened to a 15minute audio recording of Silbert telling a storyabout her high school prom while their brainswere imaged by fMRI (functional magneticresonance imaging).

(By the way, the prom story is quiteentertaining, involving a scuba diving trip, twoboyfriends, one fist fight and a car crash, all inthe same day!) Next, listeners took a test onstory comprehension and recall ability.

Listening Ability Linked to fMRI Brain

Activity

After the listeners fMRI data was mapped tothe storytellers own fMRI, those listeners whoscored highest on story comprehension alsoshowed the closest neural coupling to thespeaker.

There was a strong positive correlation (r =0.55, P < 0.07) between story comprehensionand neural coupling. Coupling was absentwhen comprehension was nil, such as when acontrol story was played in Russian language.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/07/13/1008662107.full.pdfhttp://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/07/13/1008662107.full.pdf


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Top Listeners Synchronize with theSpeaker and Even Anticipate Thoughts

Generally, each listeners brain activitymirrored the speakers activity with a slightdelay. Higher scorers on the storycomprehension test had less delay in brain

mirroring.

And amazingly, the top scorers on the listeningcomprehension test had moments when theirbrain activity precededthat of the storyteller!

It appears that exceptional listeners were so

tuned in that they experienced the storytellersthoughts even beforeshe did. Now thatsounds like an example of StoryListening!

Neural coupling may be a factor when weenter a flow state of communication. Timepasses quickly and we just click!

Rather than a back and forth volley ofindividual exchanges, effective communicationat its finest seems to be a single flowingcognitive process that happens to be sharedby two brains.

Apply the Concept

When was the last time you listeneddeeply to an employee or a customer?

What additional steps could be taken toensure that your sales and marketingteams are listening closely to customers,

whether face to face or through otherchannels and systems?


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Goal Setting

StoryMiningStoryBanking

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3 Step Process


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Roll up your sleeves! The more specific you are in setting businesscommunication goals, the more productive you can be. Set a goal in writing.

WhoWho would you like to communicate with?

Is it customers, investors, donors, employees, partners, board members,

vendors, legislators, regulators or some other group?

Imagine that your business serves the construction industry withenvironmentally friendly building materials and software solutions. Onesuper specific goal might be to communicate with:

Purchasing managers and owners at privately held construction

firms in Texas with $50M annual revenue and up.

You can visualize this person and who they are. Because its a specificcustomer type, your content development work can be highly tailored andeffective. Generic communication plans dont work well.

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Goal Setting

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ActionWhat you want them to do; a verb. Bewarethe be awares. Being aware isnt sufficient.

Your goal is to get them behavea certain way;to make a decision. Think SMART goals:Specific, Measurable, Action, Results, Timely.

Take a seat with us on this yearsIndustry Green Council Initiative andalso agree to try one of our new Green-Clean inventory audits for at least one oftheir major construction site within sixmonths.

Motivation

How you imagine they might feel about acting.

Feelpride about joining the council andsense of fiscal and environmentalresponsibility about trying one of theaudits.

What will motivate the action youre lookingfor?

This goal might be adjusted based on themarket, the specific individuals youretargeting, and other factors. Can you see hownaming a specific goal instantly gives directionand momentum?

Get some paper and write down goals for theprimary groups youd like to reach.

The communication goal for this group can bereferenced later when you build a StoryBank.

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To jump start your goal setting, here is a list of 33 motivations.

They range across Maslows hierarchy from basic needs like safety to aspirationalmotivations like fulfillment. Some we are motivated to achieve, like creativity. Others wewish to avoid, such as embarrassment.

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33 Motivations

AcceptanceAccomplishment

Adventure

Altruism

Ambition

Belonging

Contentment

Control

Creativity

Doubt

Embarrassment

FairnessExclusivity

Fame

Fear

Freedom

Fulfillment

Growth

Health

Hope

Humor

Indulgence

IntegrityLongevity

Love

Pride

Productivity

Safety

Schadenfreude

Sex

Trust

Vanity

Wonder

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WhoWho would you like to communicate with?

Is it customers, investors, donors, employees, partners, board members, vendors,legislators, regulators or some other group?

__________________________________________________________________________

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ActionWhat you want them to do; a verb. Think SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable,Results-oriented, Timely.

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MotivationHow you imagine they might feelabout doing the action.

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Goal Planner

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Before beginning active StoryMining, take aninventory of existing stories that might helpyou accomplish the goal you just set for yourbusiness, or that will help you brand yourbusiness in other positive ways.

Consider any stories that might already be

posted, published, or at some other point ofcompletion. Make a list of existing materialsthat you think contain a usable story:

Press coverage

Videos

Blog posting

Website content

Customer review forums

Customer Testimonials

Audio recordings

Training materials

Product demonstration content

Marketing collateral Promotional Materials

Product Portfolio

Posters

Books

Trade publications

Games

Contests

Reports

More

If youve been in business for more than acouple of years, you probably have quite a

few of these items. Some of them may haverelevant stories and others may not.

Keep the list handy, because youll include itduring the active StoryMining process, next.

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Audit: Your Existing StoryBank Account Balance

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Everyone has valuable stories

Weve been in this business for fifteen years, yet we dont seem to haveany great story ideas that people would want to hear!

With a little digging, Ive found thatevery person and organization hasfascinating stories. Most business leaders are just too busy day-to-day to

stop and think about this stuff. As the name suggests, StoryMining is amethod to systematically sift through personal and professional experiencesfor content that can be polished and refined into complete stories.

Sometimes your best stories are hiding in plain sight. Youre so immersed inyour business, that you just dont see your strengths. Whats commonplaceand unnoticed inside your organization might delight and amaze outsiders, if

only they could hear about it.

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StoryMining

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Bottoms Up BrandingNo, this isnt about drinking! Rather than

listing the latest trendy values and trying tobuild a brand around those ideas, StoryMiningworks from the ground up. It shines a light onareas that are already authentic,demonstrable strengths.

Its an exercise in deep self-evaluation, notunlike intensive coaching or organizational

reviews at annual retreats. Your stories areyour brand DNA, revealing your real identity.

For example, if the StoryMining processuncovers a consistent pattern of manyinnovationand communication stories,chances are you have some brand equity

there.

No matter whether your current missionstatement actually contains the wordscommunicationand innovationor not

Give Independent Thinking Time

Call for ideas via email, phone or in person.

Ive discovered that a one week deadlineworks about right. Shorter than that, and yourteam may not have sufficient time to let ideasbubble up. Longer than a week, and people

just delay anyway.

Send a message explaining why you want to

gather ideas to brand the organization. Givesome of the questions that are listed in the

7Fs section ahead and ask for a reply.

Choose a mix of questions from the 7Fs thatfits your goalstheres certainly no need toask all the questions that Ive given you. Let

people know that anything goes, and youll bemeeting live or virtually in a week to talk aboutthe ideas in groups or sub-groups.

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Ask about the Seven Fs

1. Flow

2. Failure

3. Forks

4. Friends

5. Funny

6. Found

7. Future

Dont Look for StoriesWhen you first ask your team for ideas, dontask them to bring youStories. Ironically, Ivelearned that asking organizations to go look

for stories is not very helpful.

If you go looking for Stories with a capital S,

chances are that youll find a couple of obvious

stories and miss many good nuggets in the

process. It sets too high a hurdle in many

peoples minds. They may hesitate to send you

anything thats not a fully developed, brightly

polished epic wrapped in the attractive bow of

a moral teaching lesson.

People may not even realize yet how many oftheir work experiences could be stories. Be

patient. They may need to build trust thatyoull use their ideas properly before they startsharing more freely.

Keep An Open Mind

For now, accept any and all ideas that comein. Some may eventually be developed into

stories. Others may not.

Consider using a third party to help collate theideas youll be receiving, or figuring out a wayfor ideas to be submitted anonymously. Yourcustomer facing salespeople, service reps, andaccount managers often have a closer view of

customer stories and daily operations than doC-suite executives

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Overlap is Okay

The 7Fs arent mutually exclusive. For

example, the same anecdote may pop up inresponse to Flow questions as well as Funnyquestions. Thats okay. Patterns tell you thatstory likely has a great deal of meaning foryour brand. Stay curious!

Organize, Organize

A few days before the gathering, review theideas and look for patterns. If you like paper,index cards and sticky notes are handy. If youwant to work electronically, a spreadsheet oreven wordleis surprisingly handy for a quickfirst pass view.

Youll probably have a couple of obviousknockout stories, a number of potential ideas,and a bunch of random stuff. Right now, all ofit is valuable. Its surely tempting, but dontrush to anoint your top stories just yet.

Look Sideways

What else do you notice? Our minds tend to

focus on easily identifiable patterns like clientindustry, product set, or geography. Weredoing really well with large West Coastretailers who use our new gamma service.Great, note that down.

But also look laterally for things like emotional

signposts and deeper business issues thattranscend any specific product or region. Lookat the language, the specific wording. Arethere any trends in what excites your team?What are they jazzed about?

I observed that a tech client had a pattern of

positive customer service stories across alldivisions. Creative problem solving to helpclients was in their brand DNA, and theircustomers recognized it. The organizationhadnt been emphasizing this brand attributeenough in their marketing, so the customerservice success stories represented a newattribute we were able to introduce.

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Get Together, Somehow

If its feasible, schedule a few hours for people

to gather. If a face-to-face gathering isimpractical, the next steps can still be donevirtually.

Share some of the examples that have alreadybeen submitted in writing, and then give smallgroup time for people to talk out responses to

the 7Fs. Rotating triads work well. Have alarger list of questions for people to pick from,and encourage the triads to follow up withdeeper questions.

Create an Open Environment

Theres no critiquing allowed. People lovethis

experience. Have you ever felt somebodyreally pay attention to you in a positive way? Itcan never happen enough. The questions theyask and the way they listen makes you realizethat your experiences are really interesting

Search for the Goodness

If humility, shyness, or reluctance is a

challenge, ask people to share positive storiesabout others. A well-run story gatheringsparks cross-company conversations andreminds people of the positive thingshappening in your organization.

Have a Director

Consider a facilitator to help plan and guidethe process. Knowing when to follow up andkeeping an eye out for patterns is critical. Savetime at the end to bring it all together, connectthe dots and plan next steps.

You can capitalize on energy that develops in

the room by spending some time at the enddiscussing Future stories; developing acommon vision for the brand. Whatever youdo, be sure to save some record of all thepromising story ideas that have arisen for yourStoryBank.

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Gain Quick Wins

After the first round, show people that process

works by producing at least some of the storyideas from this first round of StoryMining. Dothis sooner than later.

Commit to a Habit

StoryMining is not a one time event; its anoperational mindset. Like any exercise, it

becomes more fluid and natural with practice.

Plan a way to continue with a monthly email,quarterly meeting, or the old-fashionedsuggestion box. Develop easy ways to submitideas on the fly, and a designate a specificindividual responsible for ongoing gathering

and organizing of story ideas.


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She described more family adversity piling onthat same month, followed by a decision toleave her corporate job. She was thinkingdeeply about next steps in her life.

When the general contractor who wasrebuilding her home offered to pay Carol for

some clean-up work for her own house, shediscovered how much she enjoyed the work.

She soon began receiving offers to doadditional jobs, and from that experience, hercommercial cleaning business was born. Carolfinished by mentioning that these days she

loves running her business and employs morethan a dozen people.

When she finished speaking, the entire roomwas silent for several moments. Does anyonehere think Carol has an engaging story thatrelates to her business? I asked.

Yes! came a chorus of support. Carol, wevebeen in this class with you for three weeksnow, why havent you told anyone this yet?one man asked. He was half-demanding, half-supporting!

She hemmed and hawed, because shes

modest by nature. Practically talking over oneanother, the other business owners in the classbegan pointing out all the different ways thatCarols story demonstrated traits likedetermination and creativity.

Carols story changed the atmosphere in that

conference room. We all experienced amoment from that summer nine years ago,and learned about Carols character, too. Shehadnt thought much about the significance ofher founding story until she was asked toprocess it.

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Questions are places in your mind where answers

fit. If you havent asked the question, the answerhas no place to go. It hits your mind and bounces

right off. 14

Clayton Christensen

Author, The Innovators Dilemma.

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Questions Create Space

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Questions about your business at its best. Spend a lot of time here!

Tell about a situations in which we have been in the zone.

When have you been most proud?

Describe your best moment here.

When have our clients been happiest with us?

When have our people been at their best?

When have our employees truly made a difference?

How is this team different from all other teams?

Whats an example of something that wouldnt be accomplished if we did notexist?

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StoryMining Questions: Flow 1

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What are some organizational legends and lore about going above andbeyond?

Tell about the time when you have been most emotional about thisorganization.

Is there something you remember but havent yet shared about what makes

us special?

What is an example of a time, experience, or project that shows our valuesin action?

Talk about the most motivating moment youve had here.

Whats the biggest conflict weve overcome?

Tell about a fellow employee who did something that inspires you?

Tell about a client who is a hero to you.

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When have you felt most alive and engaged?

What would you tell a newcomer to help them understand what were reallyall about here?

What are the stories that tend to get shared the most around here?

What is the project or moment that you remember most fondly?

Has this organization or any individual in this organization been recognizedfor a noteworthy achievement?

Whats an example of something weve done well that other organizations

could not have done?

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y

StoryMining Responses: Flow

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Demonstrating vulnerability and how you may have struggled as a businessleader can be one of the most powerful lessons you can communicate. Thisstuff isnt always fun to talk about. You might not necessarily use theseanswers on your front door, but they can be very useful for internalcommunications, onboarding, and culture building.

Mistakes can lead to experience and wisdom. Whats a mistake that has

given us a lot of experience and wisdom?

When have we not been at our best?

What is a time when we let ourselves and our brand down?

Tell about a defeat that we turned around and learned from.

Describe some customer service failures that were learning opportunities.

y

StoryMining Questions: Failure

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y

StoryMining Responses: Failure

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Forks in the road reveal character and approach to decisions. Key milestonesusually have an engaging story and dramatic tension. The founding of yourbusiness is one of many forks youve crossed. People want to know how didthe organization start? What are the origins of the brand and who leads itnow? The first place they go looking is your About Us page.

How did this organization get started?

What was the key moment that began this journey?

What have been the major milestones and decision points in thisorganization?

Describe any crisis or threat that the organization has survived.

Have we taken a strong moral or ethical pledge that defines our path moreclearly in terms of who we are and who we are not?

Talk about times when the organization has redefined who we are and whatwe do.

y

StoryMining Questions: Forks in the Road 1

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Has the group made any recommitments to purpose?

Tell about significant changes in the brand. How and why did they happen?

Has this organization ever pivoted in a meaningful way?

Has the group stepped up and expanded its goals, scope and service?

Have we ever had to go against the grain to get things done?

StoryMining Questions: Forks in the Road 2

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StoryMining Responses: Forks in the Road

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About Us: The Second Most Important Web Page

The About Us Page is one of the mostcommonly viewed webpages for mostbusinesses. According to my own websiteanalytics, 80% of all visitors to Seven StoryLearning visitAbout Andrew first or second.

I know that when Im researching other

businesses, I gravitate to the About Page. Payattention the next time youre browsing theweb. Do you do it too? Whether its an S&P500 company or a small start-up, I think werecurious to learn more about the stories of thepeople behind the brand. Who is running theshow? How did the business get started?

A well-written About Page can developcredibility and brand your business distinctlyfrom the competition.

Stories will certainly be more memorable tovisitors than boilerplate phrases aboutsynergy, world class customer service, andshareholder value.

In technology, the founders story is practicallya pre-requisite. Many Silicon Valley firms

emphasize their humble roots in dorm roomsand garages. In fact, HP has preserved theoriginal garage(and the corporate legend itrepresents) where Bill Hewlett and DavePackard started in Palo Alto, California.

Do you have an About Us page? Does itaccurately reflect your brand as it standstoday? As you reflect on the Fork in the RoadStoryMining questions, connect with thebackground, decisions, and beliefs that defineyour business brand today.

By the way, whats the mostimportantwebpage? Its any page that results in revenueor a call to action, of course!

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http://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/about-hp/history/hp-garage/hp-garage.htmlhttp://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/about-hp/history/hp-garage/hp-garage.htmlhttp://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/about-hp/history/hp-garage/hp-garage.htmlhttp://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/about-hp/history/hp-garage/hp-garage.html


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This is a large category because there are so many parties you can speakwith. Reach outside the organization. Think about customers, partners,vendors, contractors, volunteers, board members, the press, analysts, thecompetition, industry thought leaders and other key stakeholders.

The Friends questions are especially valuable in identifying potential clientsuccess stories to develop. In addition to asking variations on some of the

Flow questions from before, you can ask clients:

Can you share a memory of our organization that stands out in your mind?

Talk about your decision to work with us. What made you do that?

Are there things that our organization does that have changed how you act?

What was the most recent thing you said about us to somebody else?

Tell about any experience you had with us that sums us up in your mind.

How have we changed how you run your business?

StoryMining Questions: Friends

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The story that currently frames the conversation about our organization is

What are the best compliments weve received?

Who are the clients or partners who have sent us testimonials unrequested?

StoryMining Questions: Friends 2

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StoryMining Responses: Friends

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The Case for Success Stories

Case studies, client success stories, orwhatever you choose to call them, can be verypowerful. Prospective clients want to knowhow others are using your products.

How did you solve a problem?

While everyone is preaching innovation,innovation, few customers want to actually bethe very first to use your product. They wantto reduce their risk with the knowledge thatyouve walked another customer down asimilar path already. Everyone wants to makesmart decisions.

Case stories, as I like to call them, can allaythe concerns of sales prospects by addressingtheir objections. They feature the real words ofyour clients speaking about the results theyachieve with your products and services.

You can capture the client interview in audio,video and print and produce stories in avariety of media formats.

Case stories are the sophisticated cousins tothe client testimonial. One reason is thatexcessively positive references from well-

intending clients get tuned out. The EnterpriseCouncil on Small Business found this in a 2011report titled Cheerleaders Make Bad

Advocates.

The ECSB surveyed business owners to findwhich type of recommendations from peerswere most influential on purchasing decisions.They found that that stories were the mosteffective of four types:

Cheerleading:These were from owners whogave overwhelmingly positive reviews about allaspects of the product/service to their peers.

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Fair & Balanced:These were from ownerswho called it right down the middle. Theygave a detailed assessment of the positive andnegative aspects about products or services totheir fellow owners.

Specs:These were from owners who focused

on the product features in their reviews toother owners.

Stories:These were from owners who framedtheir reviews/recommendations in a storyabout what happened to them, which includedboth problems andthe resolutionsencountered throughout their experience withthe supplier/vendor.

Apply the Concept

Connect with your cheerleaders and netpromoters to thank them and startdeeper conversations to understand andspread their advocacy.

The next time you post a brief, glowingtestimonial on your website ormarketing collateral, ask, Wouldexploring the full arc of this clientsexperience with us be more effectivetoward our branding goals?

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Dont forget the humorous side of your brand. Lifes too short!

Are there silly traditions at this organization that have significance andmeaning?

When have you goofed up?

What do we laugh about around here?

Has there been a time that weve been so devoted to our goals that weveoverdone it?

Whats an example of our values in action, but with the volume up to 11?

What makes you smile the most here?

StoryMining Questions: Funny


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Found stories reference thought leaders whose guidance you follow. Thethought leader may not be a current member of your organization, but byunderstanding the thought leaders philosophy, people perceive your brandmore clearly. For example, St. Francis doesnt work at your organization, butyour environmental work could align closely with his teachings.

Celebrated investor Warren Buffet invokes Benjamin Grahams influence onBerkshire Hathaways business strategy through his books and famouslyfolksy annual investor letter. If you understand Graham, you understandBuffet and Berkshire Hathaway a little better, too.

Whose actions and example do we consider inspiring?

Is there an outside thought leader whom we seek to emulate?

Are there posters, statues, and quotations around the office that guide us?

Name somebody outside the brand whose life gives us energy and purpose.

StoryMining Questions: Found 1

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Whose books do we quote and read around here?

Is there a parable that sums up what its like to do the work we do?

Is there a historic figure who symbolizes our brand?

When we have a difficult decision, do we ask What would (name) do?

StoryMining Questions: Found 2

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StoryMining Responses: Found

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I saved the best for last. The first six Fs of StoryMining were retrospectivestories that had a sense of completion. The final question area is for thefuture. Choosing a purpose for the futurestories that you have yet to write

is one the most empowering things you can do for your business.

About his book, The Redemptive Self, Northwestern University psychologyprofessor Dan McAdams says, When we first started studying life stories,people thought it was just idle curiosity - stories, isnt that cool? Well, wefind that these narratives guide behavior in every moment, and frame notonly how we see the past but how we see ourselves in the future. 15

Businesses that understand their history can better chart their future, too.

How is this organization changing what will happen next?

Where do you see our group going forward?

What is the most important single thing we could do next?

What would you like to see this organization do to truly fulfill its purpose?

StoryMining Questions: Future

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What gets you out of bed in the morning to work here?

Whats the next project that really excites you?

What could we achieve that would astonish our competition and ourcustomers?

StoryMining Questions: Future

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StoryMining Responses: Future

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I never learn anything talking. I only learn things

when I ask questions. 16

Lou Holtz

Notre Dame football coach

Learning


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AdventureBalance

Bravery

Calm

Change

Communication

Community

Confidence

Consciousness

Consistency

Creativity

Curiosity

Duty

EfficiencyElegance

Excitement

Expression

Faith

Family

FreedomFriendship

Fun

Growth

Health

Honesty

Honor

Hospitality

Innovation

Inspiration

Intelligence

Knowledge

Leadership

LearningLogic

Luxury

Meaning

Morality

Philanthropy

PrivacyProductivity

Relevance

Security

Service

Speed

Teamwork

Thrifty

Trust

Value

Warmth

49 Brand Attributes

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Do you wish that your sales and marketing teams would consistently use the right story inthe right situation? Cognitive Psychologist Roger Schank points out that sharing storieseffectively requires a massively indexed memory, reflecting nuances of difference betweenstories. If your personal or organizational memory isnt massively indexed, a StoryBankingstrategy can help your communication efforts.

My claim is that storytelling strongly reflectsintelligence. Telling a good story at the right time is

the hallmark of intelligence. 17

Roger Schank

Cognitive Psychologist

StoryBanking

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StoryBank Advice

As the name suggests, StoryBanking is a

systematic way to organize and house thestories youd like to share. Stories need a placeto live when theyre not being actively shared.Otherwise, they may die of disuse and neglect.

StoryBanks can be on whiteboards, paper files,or spreadsheets. Increasingly, cloud computing

databases, CRM systems, blogs and apps likeEvernote are being repurposed as StoryBanks,because of the ease of input, access, searchand storage.

Search & Share

A central, searchable database where anyone

in the organization can easily input and viewstories by tags and keywords is core toknowledge management.

Analyzing patterns allows leadership to seetrends, strengths, and opportunities that couldotherwise be missed.

There might be a recent deluge of positivestories from the international division, oracross a certain product line or client segment.Why is that? Understanding these connectionshelps leaders to use stories purposefully ratherthan randomly.

Plan Your StoryBank

For now, lets just start building a simple

StoryBank on paper. Make a grid with one axisrepresenting groups youd like to communicatewith, such as customers. Use an example fromyour goal setting worksheet.

Along the other axis, list key brand attributesdiscovered through the StoryMining process.The goal is to fill each box with appropriatestories. The grid makes it easy to spot gapsand strengths visually, as you fill in story ideas.Some boxes wont need to be populated,because that brand attribute may not matterfor that group. Thats okay. The StoryBank gridmakes it less likely youll be caught off guard,though.

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Make Connections

You dont need to write out the whole story

yet, just jot a reminder, likePineValleyinventory fix. From your market research,note the formats that might be effective foreach group.

Content can be repurposed and delivered inthe format is most engaging for that group.For example, consturction company ownerscould get face-to-face sales calls and writtencase studies. Purchasing agents mightexperience a webinar and a trade show event.

Connect every story idea with:

Who youll share it with

Brand attribute Story name

Format

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StoryBank Example

Attributes

Construction Co

Purchasing Agents

Construction Co

Owners

Communication

Pine Valley: Webinar,

Trade Show

Pine Valley: F2F, Case

Study

Innovation

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Fill in the planner with customers, attributes, stories, and formats.

Then well build a sample story.

StoryBank Planner

Attributes Who Who

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Storytelling is a form of information transfer.

Stories have a message that is essential to convey,

a presentation that makes them appealing, a

structure that makes sense to the listener. 18

Marianne Sweeny

Information Design Expert

Information Transfer

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Story Arc

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Stories illustrate points better than simply stating

the points themselves because, if a story is good

enough, you usually dont have to state your point

at all; the hearer thinks about what you have said

and figures out the point independently. The morework the hearer does, the more he or she will get

out of the story. 19

Roger Schank

Cognitive Psychologist

Dont Connect All the Dots

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Lets build a story together as an example. First, we have to pick a structure; any structure.There are many story structures out there to choose from. Just choose one that works foryou. Ive developed the CHAPTER method, an acronym which I like because its easy toremember, and each of the letters follows the timeless herosjourney model.

Yes, there are other story archetypes besides the heros journey, but this is the big kahunastory that classic literature, Hollywood blockbusters and charismatic preachers all follow.Once you recognize the basic building blocks of CHAPTER, youll start seeing it everywhereyou go, to the constant annoyance of everyone else who is watching TV or movies with you.

Dont obsess about creating structurally perfect stories. These are just elements I like tokeep in mind when conducting interviews and developing client success story strategy.CHAPTER is not a recipe to be followed robotically, but it should keep you on the right trackas you develop some of the most promising ideas generated from StoryMining.

CHAPTER


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Get to the Heart of Conflict

Ive found that identifying the exact conflict is

the single most important step in developing araw idea into a completed story. Once aconflict has been specifically called out, therest flows rather easily.

Peel the onion by digging deep below thesurface of the business conflict. Get down tothe root cause, the fundamental human issue,by asking curious questions.

Keep asking questions until you cant go anyfarther. Why? Peeling the onion puts you intouch with something that makes your storymore relatable and emotionally meaningful toeveryone who will hear it.

Pine Valley

For example, lets continue by introducingSam, the fictional purchasing manager at Pine

Valley Construction in Texas.

Last fall, your business solved Samscompanys inventory issue with your newsoftware system. Thats a fairly specificbusiness issue.

It could be tempting to stop the discoveryprocess there and start building a nuts andbolts story about how you reduced inventory,freed up capital, and saved a ton of money forPine Valley.

Thats good stuff, right? Lots of white papersdo this. Lets make a note of the businessoperations gains, but keep going.

As you dig a little more into the issue, you mayfind that the purchasing manager, Sam, hadnever realized the extent of the inventoryissue, because nobodyhad ever asked him orhelped him to think about it in a different way.

Previous vendors didnt approach the businessthat way, and simply didnt communicate withSam in that regard.

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In fact, they rarely spoke to Sam at all, andhad never visited his facility in person. Butwhen your technical people and sales teamcame on the scene and began earnestly tryingto understand his operations, they discoveredthe inventory issue and partnered with Sam tocreate a fix in the process. Come to find out,the heart of the conflict was in communication,and it just happened to play out inoverstocking inventory.

The Second Layer

Now, instead of another boring businessprocess white paper with lots of charts and anoverdone testimonial, youve reframed it withanother layer into a mini detective story.

Maybe its a suspenseful mini-mystery with afew twists and turns and funny characters. Itscertainly not a Sherlock Holmes classic, butnow youve got your hands on a story thatfeels fairly naturalthe sort of thing thatactual people would talk about over a cup ofcoffee.

Adding the second layer to the story offersanother entry point to engage people whohear it.

A few people know inventory management,but everybodyrecognizes communication as acompetence. Doesnt it make sense for yourbusiness to illustrate this broader brandattribute, too?

When developing stories, keep looking beyondjargon, technical topics and business conceptsand include the human challenge, too. Its notmutually exclusive. You can have both.

Do you see what else happened here as Ibroke down this example? In the process ofasking questions in order to name the specifichuman conflict, I had no choice but to jumpahead and start developing the Pine Valleystory. It was almost automatic. The frameworkis there, now we just have to flesh it out!

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Stories are about people becoming heroes in the act of overcoming conflict.

Yes, you want to brand your business, but try to resist the urge to make yourbusiness the hero. It can feel forced and inauthentic. Stories seem to workbest when the hero is a human, not a brand. Whenever possible, look for ahero similar to the group youll be sharing the story with. People relate mostto a person like me.

For example, if you were using the Pine Valley success story for an internalemployee culture-building and training program, then the employees whohelped discover and fix the inventory issue would be ideal heroes. You couldhighlight the creativity and teamwork they showed. Stories can berepurposed for different groups and in different formats.

For external promotion to other construction firms as a client success story,Sam the purchasing manager is an obvious hero. But theres still a role foryour business and employees as allies. The ally is in the background, helpingthe hero, but not overshadowing.

Hero

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Casting Sam as the hero frames the entirestory from the vantage point of a purchasingmanagerone of the key groups you want tohave a conversation with as listed in your goalsetting. This puts you squarely in Samsmindset.

He may have taken professional risk bybringing your business in as a new vendor totalk. Perhaps he helped you discover the

inventory issue by answering your questionsand eagerly communicating with you. And Samsolved the inventory problem by partneringwith you to build a creative solution.

This approach brands your business as thetype that helps people like Sam and his

organization.

Dont forget. Sam solved the problem. Hes thehero. Sam is. Youre the ally. Okay, Ill stopnow that Ive hammered the point.


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One chocolate brand had the top dogpedigree, with experienced leaders and plentyof marketing dollars.

The other chocolate was an underdog brandwith a story about being,small and new,competing against powerhouses like Lindt andGodiva.

71% of all participants chose the underdogchocolate! And authors found that studyparticipants with the strongest underdogpersonal storybeing scrappy andovercoming adversity themselveshad thehighest affinity for the underdog brand.

The researchers noted that, Underdog brandbiographies contain two important narrativecomponents: a disadvantaged position versusan adversary and passion and determination tobeat the odds.

Apply the Concept

Does an underdog brand story makesense for your business?

Nantucket Nectars label says thecompany started with only a blender

and a dream. Humble start, bigaspirations! How about you?

Develop a compelling About Us pageand related content explaining yourhistory.

Can you frame your current underdogstatus against powerful adversaries?

Avis did this with their Were #2,we try harder campaign.

Non-profits can share vivid individualstories about the need or issue theyare addressing, such aspolio.

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Once youve established the conflict, youve created some tension by virtueof the gap between

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