A few narratives used to coach and inspire my team

A discussion on storytelling

(AUDIBLE) Storytelling is both the oldest and the most current form of social currency. Why do you think this is?

(SILVIA) We are wired to connect, and we connect through storytelling. As Maya Angelou once said "People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but they will not forget how you made them feel”. And nothing like a compelling story to trigger grand feelings – be it desire, be it curiosity, be it hope.

The give-and-take exchange that takes place between storyteller and story listener is a very precious one: I tell you a good story and make you curious, laugh, or help you learn something new. You're thankful for it; I feel good about myself; we connect. And it doesn’t stop there, as oftentimes, you can’t wait to share the story with someone else. So, in a way, a compelling story is like a precious gift that keeps on giving.

(AUDIBLE) What’s new in storytelling? Anything?

(SILVIA) Our need to tell stories is not new, and is not changing. The ‘telling’ of it is changing - getting more diversified. Brand stories used to be a one-way conversation, served as a message from the brand to consumers. Today, the conversation around brands is much more participatory, and we’ve never been able to give so much wings to our inner-story-teller. The beauty of it is that when people share stories about their experience with brands, the story is much more intimate, and you’re much more likely to engage. As a result: customer-led storytelling is all the rage – ‘Stories from the AirBnbCommunity’ and Instagram’s ‘Stories are everywhere’ are great examples of great customer-led stories.

(AUDIBLE) As (brand) storytellers, what are we missing? What should we be doing better? Who do you think is doing it best?

(SILVIA) We’re missing empathy. Seriously, advertising is an industry that loves to smell its own farts. And we’re also good at convincing people that our farts smell good... To the detriment of everyone – the client, ourselves, and the poor consumer, who has to endure lackluster/nonsense/eye-rollable stories that are put in front of them. So yes, we need to cultivate empathy – put ourselves in the minds of our audience as ask ourselves: Would I really care about this? Would I really go out of my way to engage with this glorified treasure hunt experience? How would I feel to see Martin Luther King being turned into a salesman pitching a line of pickup trucks?

And also, we’re missing relevance. Brands have been growing incredibly irrelevant; which means we need to focus way less in what a brand say, and way more in how it can be helpful to people. We need to help brands tell more useful stories; stories that bridge the gap between what people are interested in and what we have to offer. Barbie is doing a fabulous job in helping girls imagine a powerful and fulfilling future for themselves with their ‘You can be anything’ narrative.

(AUDIBLE) Voice-activated technology is transforming the world every day.  How does that change the way you think about what you do? As business leaders, what hidden opportunities do you think voice-activated tech offers? 

(SILVIA) Voice activated technology shortens the time it takes between being impacted by a story and taking action on it. A compelling story plants a seed for other things to grow — after you listen to it, you eventually feel, think, and act on it. Likewise, a compelling brand story not only moves us emotionally, it itches us to take action — click, share, buy… What ‘voice’ does is that it let’s you more seamlessly bridge the gap between feeling and doing.

Let’s say you watch the Crocodile Dundee ad promoting tourism in Australia. Now, within a few seconds, you can go from feeling curious about Australia, to asking: “Alexa, what is the degree of separation between me and AirBnb hosts in Melbourne?”. And, as scary as it sounds, there may be a huge opportunity in having your Alexa talking to your friend’s Alexa. And beyond brand stories, ‘voice’ can serve as a catalyst for social action: After hearing about yet another school shooting, you ask: “Alexa, what can I do to help stop the madness?”. “Midterm election is three months away”, reminds you Alexa :)