Why your business absolutely needs storytelling training

Most professionals never think of storytelling as a business skill. It’s what happens around a campfire, in movies, songs, and novels, the work of authors, journalists, and screenwriters. So the idea of putting a business professional through storytelling training can sound like a stretch.

So why in the world would a business professional need storytelling training?

Here’s why. The leaders who can shape information into a story are the ones who get the recommendation approved, move a team through change, and win the room instead of watching a wall of eyes glaze over. That skill isn’t reserved for the naturally gifted. It can be taught, and for a lot of organizations, teaching it is one of the highest-leverage communication investments they can make. Storytelling is the most powerful vehicle for influencing change and building relationships, no matter your industry or role.

The most successful professionals know that their careers and company strategies rely on effective communication. But why do some communicators earn lasting support while others leave a room full of glazed-over eyes? By now you may know the answer: story. Incorporating stories into your presentations and everyday business communication is how you get people to heed your recommendation, adopt a new process, or make an investment.

Because facts alone will only get you so far. Stories have the power to evoke emotion, foster relatability, and change behavior, according to neuroscience research. Here’s what storytelling training is, what good training covers, and how to choose the right program for your team.

What is storytelling training?

Storytelling training is professional development that teaches you to structure business information as a story, so your ideas stick and move people to act. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and that’s fine. That’s why some folks become writers and journalists while others pursue different talents. But every professional has to present to peers and communicate at work at some point, and those who weren’t born with the gift of gab can develop their business storytelling skills through structured training.

Even those with public speaking anxiety can build their communication skills and become a captivating storyteller through tailored storytelling training.

Most storytelling trainings cover topics such as how to:

• Use the three-act story structure
• Analyze your audience and find common ground
• Develop your key messages
• Infuse contrast
• Write a compelling call to action
• Balance emotion with logic
• Help your audience see a new potential reality
• Deliver your message in an engaging way

Build that skill across a team and it compounds. It’s a big part of how corporate storytelling affects your bottom line. And while the topics above are a solid high-level overview of what should be covered, not all storytelling training is created equal. Every corporate storytelling training varies, at least slightly, in price, style, content, and format. So how do you know which one is right for your workforce?

What should someone look for when evaluating corporate storytelling trainings?

Storytelling training is a major investment of time and resources. It’s important to think critically about your organizational needs and the value different trainings deliver.

There are many factors to consider when weighing what makes a solid storytelling training. Here are five main factors you can use to filter your options.

1. Format

Training format is perhaps the most influential decision-making factor. Do you want your storytelling training to be virtual and on-demand? In person? Live, but online? How will your employees learn best? In the room working with a group, or skipping the commute to learn in their own space?

2. Price

Training costs can vary wildly, from $300 to $3,000. In-person training usually costs more than on-demand training because of the unique value that live engagement and real-time feedback offer. We’ve also found that organizational expertise influences price: you truly get what you pay for.

3. Timing

Since time is money, time spent training is another financial consideration. How comprehensive do you want your storytelling training to be? How much learning and development time can your employees devote to it? And what’s best for their focus and comprehension? Different trainings may range from two hours to two days.

4. Facilitator experience

If your training is live, find out who is facilitating and what their background is. Facilitators can make or break the training experience, so it’s worth digging into the details.

5. Organizational credibility

Is this training part of a larger organization? If so, how many years has the organization been in the storytelling space? What expertise (books, blogs, research) have they published? What do customers have to say?

Just as there’s more than one path to success, there’s more than one promising training option out there. Your organizational needs and constraints will ultimately dictate which program is the best fit.

Why you should consider Duarte’s storytelling training courses

Duarte has been known as the storytelling agency of Silicon Valley for 35+ years. In addition to general business storytelling training, we’ve created training to meet specific communication needs like:

• Data storytelling
• Storytelling for change
• And storytelling delivery

These trainings and their communication frameworks were developed from decades of work with the world’s leading brands and top executives.

Why executives should consider Duarte’s storytelling training

Harvard Business Review states that storytelling can make or break your leadership. We wholeheartedly agree. Executives are especially important candidates for storytelling training. We’ve seen it over and over: the leaders who tell personal stories and prioritize their own professional growth succeed.

Good leaders are often great storytellers who can share their own leadership lessons with ease. Effective leadership stories build credibility, shed light on personal experience, convey authenticity, and put brand values in action. A compelling story makes what an executive says more memorable for any audience.

In addition to our world-class clientele and best-selling books, our executive coaching experience often sets us apart from other communications training companies.

Executive teams come to us because they know we understand the demands of business leadership. Our history of working in the executive space lets us take a candid, tactful, solution-oriented approach when giving feedback.

The benefits of investing in a great storytelling training

We believe that when you improve the way you communicate, you improve your life. No exaggeration. Your ability to communicate clearly and engage others impacts nearly every relationship and facet of your work. When you can better tell your stories, the stories of your company, and the stories of your customers, you’re more likely to build relationships, gain support, and influence change.

Where to start with storytelling training

No matter what you’re communicating, great storytelling skills are part of the recipe for success. Our courses, workshops, and trainings are all rooted in The Duarte Method™, which our experts use daily to help the biggest brands in the world connect with their audiences, from large stages to conference rooms. We always start by taking a deep dive into the audience’s problem before we decide how to tell a relevant story.

All of our courses and workshops cover essential storytelling principles, and depending on your role and responsibilities, one may fit better than another.

• If you’re in sales and looking to up-level your presentation visuals and flow for specific audiences, VisualStory® may be for you.
• If you’re a data analyst who needs to gain consensus on an important recommendation, Duarte DataStory® is a must.
• If you’re a leader who needs to influence the mindset or behavior of a team, consider Illuminate™ to learn how to spark and sustain change.
• If you’re a product marketer whose content is falling flat, Resonate® will help you organize ideas into a persuasive narrative.
• And if you’re a leader who needs to enthrall internal or external audiences, perfect your delivery with Captivate™.

Most leaders don’t need to build this skill alone. If you want your team speaking the same language, our Storytelling for Business Presentations training and team training are built for exactly that. Talk with us and we’ll help you figure out where to start.