by April Karli, Corporate Communications

As I type this I’m waiting for a tech from our telecommunications company to come fix their service to our home. I could tell you one story related to my experience with their technology that might make you think twice before signing up with them. However, I could tell you another story about their customer service, both over the phone and in person, that might cause you to come to a different conclusion.

Stories are powerful. They draw us in, engage our imaginations, and can transmit timeless messages. Recently I’ve noticed many organizations are harnessing the power of story to help them grow. Evelyn Clark of Corporate Storytelling says,"More and more organizations-nonprofits and government agencies as well as leading businesses-are discovering the power of stories to persuade, to motivate...to achieve a number of their communication goals."

Another executive who understands the importance of storytelling is David Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong International. He has authored books and produced videos and CDs about storytelling. On his blog, Armstrong suggests steps to creating your own corporate story which include determining a purpose of the story, thinking of an experience to reflect the purpose, using an employee’s name and making them the hero, keeping it short and simple, writing it down, and looking for new stories as time goes by.

How have stories helped your business? Can you think of a story about someone in your organization and tell it to us here? We’d love to hear it!