Summary: In today’s podcast episode, Donna Griffit and Stephen Halasnik from Financing Solutions discuss the need for storytelling when starting and maintaining a business. These solutions are helping business owners communicate their business vision to key stakeholders through impactful, results-driven storytelling.

Storytelling for businesses

Storytelling allows businesses to communicate their values and mission as a business to its stakeholders. A business’s story should be empathetic to the individuals that utilize the business to create impactful messages that will drive desired results. A business that is able to put itself in the position of its audience are best suited to solve its audience’s problems and address their needs. Storytelling is a collaborative process between all members of an organization, making it essential that the message is understood by everyone.

Data collection and analysis helps organizations create an impactful message to communicate with stakeholders. Storytelling uses data to empathize with its customers and capture their hearts and minds effectively. Organizations benefit from being able to leverage data to continuously build their story as they attain more customers. Overall, storytelling helps businesses explore what makes them unique and appeal to valued customers and stakeholders that want their unique needs met.

Structured and meaningful storytelling

Structured storytelling allows organizations to present their story in a clear, patterned way that people are used to. Having a good structure allows a business’s story to flow well and present ideas as a part of a larger narrative. Structured storytelling requires businesses to have an organized approach when relaying information to an audience. Having a structure or framework for storytelling allows businesses to be uniform in their approach to meeting their customer’s needs.

In addition to structure, meaningfulness is an essential element of storytelling for businesses. When communicating your story in a structured manner, it is important to attach meaning to each element of your story. Meaningful storytelling allows the audience to connect with a business on a deeper level and provides context to the mission and goals of a business. Structured and meaningful stories connect businesses with customers that share similar values and goals.

Do’s and Don’ts of storytelling

One mistake that businesses make when attempting to tell a story is presenting the story too early in the business process. It is important to ensure that your business has the necessary data to access the target audience and present data-driven ideas. The best time to start telling your story is when the business is ready to start the funding process, have a minimum buyable product, or traction for your business.

Another mistake that businesses make when telling their story is trying to cover too many issues or ideas at once. A business’s story should be concise and easy for the audience to follow, making the structure a key element in the storytelling process. The story that your business tells should be one that can be communicated across various mediums while remaining consistent in nature. When done properly, storytelling can create a sense of urgency that inspires investors, customers, and other stakeholders to take action in regard to your business’s mission.

About Donna Griffit

Donna Griffit, Corporate Storyteller, has worked globally for over 17 years with Fortune 500 companies, Start-Ups and investors in a wide variety of industries. She has consulted and trained clients in over 30 countries, helping them create, edit and deliver verbal and written presentations, pitches and messages. Donna has the ability to magically spin raw data into compelling stories that captivate audiences and drive to results. Through her guidance clients have raised over a billion dollars.

About The Company Financing Solutions

Financing Solutions provides an easy-to-setup unsecured business line of credit to small businesses. The small business financing product is a great cash backup plan that costs nothing to set up, nothing until used, and is inexpensive when needed. Financing Solutions is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and 5 stars by the BBB/Google Reviews.

Unlike a traditional business bank loan, our business credit line requires no collateral or personal guarantee (except in the cases of fraud) making it an excellent alternative business financing option. Small businesses often used their line of credit for short-term expenses, working capital, to make payroll, or for a business investment especially when business cash flow is temporarily down.

Get a free, no-obligation business line of credit quote by filling out our simple 2- minute business line of credit application here.

Remember: The time to set up a credit line is when you don’t need it.

Note: Financing Solutions donates 10% of its profits to various nonprofit charities