Example	reflection	-	Storytelling

Challenge

My first job was a job of the strategy consultant in the international audit&consulting company, and this

is where I actually learn about the great power of the storytelling.

Our client wanted to take part in the program sponsored by the government. The aim of the program was

to create new businesses in the selected country’s region. As a consulting company our team (including

me) had to do the research and the presentation, stating what kind of businesses should be opened in

the region, so the client would apply for the sponsorship from the government and open the business.

Of course, the main aim of the consulting company is to persuade the client and government that the

chosen business will run successfully in the region and will bring fruitful results to all the parties involved.

This is when we use the storytelling technique.

Selection

We decided to use a storytelling tool to create a story that would explain and persuade our client why the

business idea we suggest for the region is the best one possible.

As it is mentioned in the video lectures (Week 2 materials – Storytelling tools) the good story should

convey a message that creates logic. In our case, we had to persuade the audience that the idea would

work using based on our research. Storytelling tool allows to create the sequence of the events that would

describe how you arrived to the logical conclusion.

Storytelling allows you address the target audience, to find the common ground with the customer, not

only to describe him the problem in details, but also to show the cause, the reasoning, how to solve the

problem and engage the customer in the story.

Application

First of all, we studied the audience: client (investor company) and the client’s prospective sponsor

(government). We defined what presentation and analysis techniques can impress them and we should

incorporate in out presentation (return on investment analysis, current region’s economic state analysis,

and so on ...).

We realized that the presentation has to be logically structured and have clear sequence of events, so

why we started defining the preconditions of developing business (analyzed region’s resources, already

running businesses, social and economic indicators, …); then studied what kind of businesses are

needed in this region or the regions nearby; whether we have resources for those businesses; how

profitable those businesses can be.

As a result, we created a great story for the client to present to the customer, that incorporated a lot of

persuasive techniques (like economical analysis), but at the same time was very logical and structured.

In a few words it sounded like this: “In that region we have a resource A, and there is an institution that

studies the application of this resource in different fields, so we have people who know how to use

resource A. The company in the region produces equipment needed to work with the resource A. We

studied that there are no produces of the products from resource A in the nearest regions, but there is a

demand for them, so the products are imported from countries XYZ at the high prices. Therefore, we can

open a business that will produce products from resource A, and sell it in the region and regions nearby.

Here is the economic value, expected profit, and the positive influence of the project on the community

of the region”.

The story was sequenced, logical and engaged the client as it provided the economical analysis, and

government as it represented the positive influence of the community and the contribution to the country’s

economical development.

Insight

For me this case, how major consulting companies engage with the customers and create a business

stories for them, was an eye-opener. I realized how the simple tool of creating the “map” for your customer

to follow while listening can help to engage him, feel empathy, see the logic and the work done behind

the story.

This storytelling allowed to incorporate profound calculations and economic analysis into a very simple

but at the same time persuasive story and also to create a very structured presentation, containing only

the information needed and relevant to the client.

Of course, the project was a success. Since that moment, whenever I have to do a project at my new job

or university, I always consider, who is going to listen to me, how I can engage the listener into the story,

address to the ideas that will be interesting to the listener, and always have a clear structure that will be

easy to follow.

Approach

This course allowed me to see, that storytelling is basically the activity that can be applied in any project.

Now I see, that subconsciously I have been applying this technique in many of my daily life activities, but

now since I realize it, I will be able to perform it in a more structured and deliberate way. I will always start

my project with creating the story that will carry logic and message for the target audience.

I will also use other techniques described in the course (especially, visualization one). I think a clear

message and a good picture of what you are trying to achieve are the best way to persuade your listeners.

