Why your business absolutely needs storytelling training

Written by

Phoebe Perelman

We all know what storytelling is. It’s what happens around the campfire. Through movies, songs, and literature. Good storytelling is powerful stuff! But it’s a job for authors, journalists, and screenwriters.

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

That question alone is problem number one: few professionals recognize the strategic potential of storytelling in business. Or you may be saying to yourself… “I see why storytelling is important for marketers or executives, but I’m a data scientist – there’s no need for me to tell stories at work.” There lies problem number two.

Those who don’t have traditionally creative or public-facing jobs often feel that storytelling is unnecessary. We’re here to dispel those myths. Storytelling is the most powerful vehicle for influencing change and fostering relationships. And no matter your industry or role, if you’re a professional who communicates with other professionals, you can and should use storytelling to your advantage.

Because facts alone will only get you so far.

The most successful professionals know that their careers and company strategies rely on effective communication. But why do some communicators garner eternal support and others lead to a room full of eyeballs glazing over? By now, you may know the answer: story. Incorporating stories into your presentations and general business communications is how you’ll encourage people to heed your recommendation, adopt a new process, or make an investment.

After all, stories have the power to evoke emotion, foster relatability, and impact behavior according to neuroscience research.

What is storytelling training?

Storytelling doesn’t come naturally to everyone. That’s why some folks become writers and journalists and others pursue different talents and interests. However, every professional is required to present to peers and engage in business communication at some point or another. Fortunately, those who were not endowed with the gift of gab can develop their business storytelling skills through storytelling courses.

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

Most storytelling trainings will 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

Although the topics above are a solid high-level overview of what should be covered, not all storytelling training is created equal. In fact, every corporate storytelling training will vary (at least slightly) in price, style, content, and format. So, how do you know which course is the right storytelling training 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 will deliver.

There are many factors to consider when pondering what makes a solid storytelling training. Here are five main factors that 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? If they’re in the room working with a group? Or would they prefer to skip the commute and 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 due to the unique value that in-person engagement and live 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 yet another financial consideration. How comprehensive do you want your storytelling training to be? How much learning and development time can your employees devote to storytelling training? And what will be best for their focus and comprehension? Different trainings may range from two hours to two days.

4. Facilitator experience

If your training is live, uncover who is facilitating and what their background is. Facilitators can make or break the training experience, so it’s worthwhile to dig into facilitator 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 is 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 training 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 corresponding communication frameworks were developed based on 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 again: the leaders who tell personal stories and prioritize their own professional growth succeed.

Good leaders are often great storytellers who can tell their own leadership lessons with ease. Effective leadership stories build credibility, shed light on personal experiences, convey authenticity, and illustrate brand values in action. Telling 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 that we understand the demands of business leadership. And our history of working in the executive space enables us to take a candid, tactful, solution-oriented approach when providing 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 existence. 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.

This is your sign to sign up for storytelling training today

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 target audience – from large stages to conference rooms. We always start by taking a deep dive into the audience’s problem before we determine how to tell a relevant story.

All our courses and workshops cover essential storytelling principles, and depending on your role and responsibilities, one course may be better than others.

• If you’re in sales and looking for ways to up-level your presentation visuals and flow for specific audiences, VisualStory® may be for you.
• If you’re a data scientist who needs to gain consensus on an important recommendation, Duarte DataStory® is a must.
• If you’re a manager who needs to influence the mindset or behavior of a team, consider enrolling in 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 and information into a persuasive narrative.
• And if you’re a leader who needs to enthrall internal or external audiences, perfect your delivery skills with Captivate™.

Take the next step and learn how you can leverage storytelling skills to impact your career, influence your colleagues, and improve your credibility. Register for business storytelling training today.