7 Types of Stories Every Corporate Storyteller Must Know
Storytelling is something that everyone loves. People pay a lot more attention to stories than simply describing a fact repeatedly. Businesses have recognized this habit and have adopted corporate storytelling as an effective marketing strategy.
There are different stories that corporate storytellers use to appeal to their audience. Each type has a major role that defines the course of the story. These archetypal storylines would be something every human has encountered at least once in their lives. It need not be a life-altering event, but when someone narrates it, people would feel relatable.
Here are the seven different types of stories that a corporate storyteller must know.
- Overcoming the monster
Did you grow up listening to stories of simple heroes transforming into brave individuals when the situation demands it? In such stories, there is always a monster. The protagonist fighting the monster without running away or giving up becomes the main plot of such stories.
Similarly, in life, too, we might have faced a lot of monsters. Real-life monsters do not have flaming breath, sharp teeth, or a carnal instinct to eat you. But they can be just as frightening as a terrifying creature. Overcoming obstacles becomes our version of overcoming monsters.
When a company wishes to share stories with its clients, it can use the enormous obstacles they have faced or the lack of support it got in a traditional environment. Start-up entrepreneurs often use stories of low support and an unstable marketplace to share their success stories. Such a tale has a better chance of evoking emotions and feelings of belongingness in the audience. A corporate storytelling course can help an individual structure a life problem in the form of a story to inspire people.
- Rags to the riches
Rags to riches are a type of story where a person overcomes the absence of the required environment to succeed at something. But in the end, they do get a happy ending due to their hard work and efforts.
When a company starts, it might not have an unlimited supply of capital or inventory to work with. There would be fewer employees and infrastructure to start with. From such a scenario, the journey to becoming a leading business can result from a lot of time and effort.
We often come across stories of photographers, musicians, and other artists who struggled during the early years of their careers and then became successful. When a company uses such a story type to promote their brands, people who struggle to make something of themselves will find it relatable. They would feel close to the company and even buy a product or two. The best-case scenario is you gain a loyal customer for life.
- The quest
Have you ever enjoyed a good treasure hunt movie? The hero going on a journey to find something unattainable with a few supporting characters to a jungle, where they come face-to-face with monsters and deadly creatures, preventing them from finding the treasure, is a toe-curling tale. If you love a good journey for treasure, the quest-type of stories would easily impress you.
When a company describes how it went in search of the perfect materials, overcoming challenges can make the audience feel that the company cares about the quality of the product and how well it works for the customer. Such considerations on the part of a company can help them earn brownie points!
A story based on the quest; the service is a long-lasting one. The customer-company relationship would last for long, withstanding the test of time. It would impress the customer and help attract more people to the product/ service.
- Voyage and return
A hero was strangled on a deserted land unexpectedly. The group of children playing Jumanji is such a tale. They get sucked into the game, where they have to fight the challenges out on their way to find their way back home. Such tales have always been a huge hit among the audience. It is no different in a corporate setting, either. If your product helps a person in a particular situation, corporate storytelling can frame a structured tale around it in the form of voyages. A corporate storytelling course can educate people in understanding everything there is about corporate storytelling.
For example, a company that makes travel accessories can explore the various situations a customer may find a use for their product and portray it in the form of stories. It would help the customer see the product through your eyes and understand how useful it is. An app for learning new languages can also advertise similarly.
- Comedy
Comedy type of stories does not always mean you have to make the audience laugh out of their chairs. We refer to a more subtle comedy. If you have read Shakespeare, you would know exactly what it means. The comedy of the story lies in a sort of dilemma that needs to be solved so that the protagonists can have a happy ending. A corporate storytelling course can give a better idea of such stories.
In a corporate setting, the happy ending is for the customer. The dilemma is the confusion faced by a customer in doing or finding something. The product or service by the company would be the right thing they need to assist them in solving the problem. A classic example of this is the case of people moving into a new home. They would need a plethora of furniture to make the place feel like home. When they face the confusion of what type of furniture to choose, the specific company can come forward and help the protagonist out. A company’s values and extraordinary services can be portrayed in this story.
- Tragedy
Are you aware of how well humans react to a tragedy? The success of stories such as Romeo and Juliet, The Titanic, and The Fault in Our Stars is related to how well they influenced human emotions through their tragic ends.
Believe it or not, in the business world, too, this kind of story exists. For example, the commercials for injury lawyers, divorce lawyers, therapists, and motivational books appeal to the tragic instances in the life of people. Only effective corporate storytelling can instigate the feeling of being cared for in the audience, intriguing them to avail of the services. When a company succeeds in forming a relatable story with a grieving customer, it becomes evident how considerate they are. For appropriate use of storytelling techniques, a corporate storytelling course would be beneficial.
- Rebirth
Stories of redemption and rebirth have influenced the population worldwide so much that we have a whole celebration in the name of Christmas to celebrate the rebirth of Jesus. It would be a shame if companies did not consider rebirth as an effective tool for marketing. Showing how a product can help rejuvenate something, giving rise to a brand-new version, is quite a genius way.
Orator Academy focuses on the different stories that a corporate storyteller can use for marketing a product or service to their clients. They give expert training on these topics to transform individuals into powerful storytellers.
