Don’t just be right, be captivating

Don’t just be right, be captivating.

In today’s world, there’s a tidal wave of content coming at us every day. It can be completely overwhelming and most of it just washes over us. In this sea of material, what does it take to cut through and make an impression?

Accuracy and facts matter, but alone they won’t make people sit up and listen. For that, you need storytelling. For thousands of years, stories have been at the heart of our culture.  From fables told around the campfire to parables in holy books, you can’t deny the power of a story to ignite curiosity and create a connection. And most importantly, a good story gets retold, again and again and again. It goes viral.

Neuroscience tells us that the descriptive power of stories activates parts of the brain that are dormant when we’re told plain facts. Stories create emotional connections and trigger chemical reactions promoting feelings of empathy and trust that make you remember them.  Everyone remembers stories that have touched them, from the Shawshank Redemption to Apple’s ‘Think different’ advert, Citius, Altius, Fortius aka Swifter, Higher, Stronger). Great stories carry the fire…

To us, a story is centred on an authentic idea brought to life by simple, beautiful language, despatched with emphasis, drama and nuance in a way that conveys what you do, why, and how you do it. It frames your message in a way that resonates with people such that they will remember and share. As opposed to just a vessel for extraneous facts clumsily nailed together. Make the complex simple. Short and sweet is good.

And we have two mantras for our storytelling – the first is, don’t be boring! Sounds obvious but there’s an art to being interesting. Your content must engage on two levels: the rational and the emotional, so beyond being accurate and descriptive, you need some excitement and heart. You need to persuade, charm, convince, motivate and occasionally tease the audience.

It’s about wrapping the critical facts in a story that really engages with people, inspires them and makes them care. This is never at the cost of the facts and authenticity but elevate those facts to become a driving force to support the meta story. So if your content is dull, put some sugar on it!

Our second mantra is, be brave! Never assume that anyone will be interested in what you have to say…you must make them interested. Be brutal, cut to the core and tell a clear and simple truth. You need courage to speak from the heart and to stand behind your well chosen words – it’s the only way to stand out from the pack.

So where do you start? At Manasian&Co, we have tried and tested ways to help you create compelling stories. We start by lifting the lid on your business, understanding your offer, culture and industry. We cut through the complexity to identify what really matters and what sets you apart, what themes have the potential to differentiate. Then the magic starts as we work with you to create stories that are highly distinctive and evocative. We let in the light.

Our story for the Institute of Directors started with a positive and optimistic proposition: ‘Better directors for a better world’. This set the tone for a new era for the organisation based on harnessing human potential, that’s a story I would want to read today!

A story has different layers and dimensions. At the heart is the overarching brand story but there will be many other chapters – tangible narratives about your people, your products, your history.  Each of these will tell a particular story and taken together, will form a complete and compelling picture of your brand.

Remember, the definition of failure is that no one repeats your story. A painful kpi. Be fascinating and be bold in order that your story shared throughout your key audiences.

Q: Will your story get retold?