Storytellers Don’t Confuse the Story with the Telling

by Ron Ploof | Apr 17, 2017 | Business Storytelling

Last week someone asked me, “So, is it true that there are only four main business stories?”

“I hate that,” I said, before diving into a micro tirade on why such statements drive me crazy. Although I couldn’t articulate it at the time, I found the core of my objection a few days later. Such trivial statements confuse the story with the telling.

Take a business presentation for example. Those new to storytelling view the stories as separate from the presentation. They fret over creating fully-baked stories to open, close, or use as an example during a presentation. While this instinct is good–they understand the importance of transitioning between presentation segments–they also lose sight that the presentation is a story unto itself.

The purpose of any story is to convey meaning. Period. Done. Finis. Master storytellers understand that meaning-conveyance doesn’t always require a complete story arc with protagonists, antagonists, conflicts, and resolution. Sometimes we just need to present our information strategically, using storytelling techniques.

Rather than creating a complete story, master storytellers rely on story kernels, mini stories that once placed inside a listener’s mind, unpack into a combination of personal insight and a need to learn more. We’ve discussed specific storytelling techniques before with the Meaning Gap and Story Statements.

Unfortunately, fledgling storytellers expend so much effort creating stories to accompany their narrative-packed PowerPoint slides that they overlook opportunities where story kernels are more appropriate. Narrative facts stand on their own; there’s nothing for the listener’s brain to chew on. Story kernels, on the other hand, deliver the same narrative facts but contain other tidbits of meaning that explode within in a listener’s mind. Consider the following examples:

Narrative Fact: You are my favorite person.
Story Kernel: You are my second-favorite person.

Narrative Fact: Sarah has cancer.
Story Kernel: Sarah didn’t hear a single word after the doctor said the word cancer.

Narrative Fact: My family is competitive
Story Kernel: The last time my family played a board game, our competitive juices got out of hand.

Narrative Fact: We have the best/fastest/most efficient product/service
Story Kernel: Most of our clients think that they need the best/fastest/most efficient product/service.

Story kernels deliver facts that expand within the listener’s mind–an involuntary reaction due to psychology, neurology, and biochemistry. There’s no defense. Narrative facts, on the other hand, are easy to filter.

So, the next time you’re pulling a presentation together, don’t worry about the story and start thinking about the telling. Create story kernels that link your narrative facts into a cohesive message. The good news is that by the time you’re finished, you’ll probably have created an entire story.

Photo Credit: Harris & Ewing, photographer. Oklahoma senator. Washington, D.C., Dec. 13. United States Senator Josh Lee, Democrat of Oklahoma. He is considered one of the best orators in the Senate. 12/13/37. Washington D.C, 1937. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/hec2009010459/

How to Pull Your Narratives into the Story Zone

by Ron Ploof | Oct 10, 2016 | Business Storytelling

My mom knows nothing about football, but she knows about a former lineman for the LA Rams. She knows that Rosie Greer, a Pro Bowl member of the “Fearsome Foursome” likes needlepoint. The fact that she has committed this knowledge to memory is an example of narrative facts that enter the story zone.

Earlier this year, we learned how storytellers use story statements to open questions inside a listener’s mind. Today, we’re going to discuss a special type of story statement, one that messes with the listener’s prior knowledge.

Take a look at the following narrative statements.

Jack is five years old.
Elizabeth is ninety-five years old.

On the surface, these statements appear to deliver simple facts such as name, age, and gender. But, underneath, they deliver deeper meaning because of the listener’s prior knowledge of 5-year-olds and ninety-five-year-olds.  As long as these facts align with the prior knowledge, nothing special happens. But when they misalign, narratives begin to enter the story zone. Consider the following:

Five-year-old Jack needs a heart transplant.
Ninety-five-year-old Elizabeth just finished her first marathon.

Story statements give listeners facts to chew on instead of mindlessly digesting them whole. In these instances, we’ve transformed simple narrative facts into story statements because they conflict with preconceived notions. Five-year-olds are supposed to be healthy and ninety-five-year-olds aren’t supposed to be running marathons. As a result, listeners are forced to rectify the disparity within their own minds, which in turn, makes the facts interesting and memorable.

Therefore, the next time you must deliver fact upon fact, find something that conflicts with the audience’s default understanding of the situation, like:

• a young person with a serious health problem,
• a geriatric marathon runner,
• or a ferocious football player who loves needlepoint.

Give your listener’s something to chew on. Use story statements to pull your narratives into the story zone.

Photo Credit: The Tug of War. 1879. Image. Retrieved from the Library of Congress,