“We Don’t Drop the Ball.”– Bo Eason, Former NFL Player

I’m not a fiction reader. I prefer business books. I often say, “Get to the point. Give me the executive summary, the bullet points.” Perhaps you can relate. But I’ve realized that the best interactions, even within our company, start with a captivating story. The problem is, I had never slowed down enough to consider the value of telling a good story.

Why bother with storytelling now? Think of it this way… The hero’s journey starts with a call to action to overcome a challenge. Without stories, no one would be aware of the hero, the challenge, or how others might be able to overcome a similar obstacle in their own lives. And that’s the point. Telling a story, even a business story, gives you the capacity to connect with other people in a way they haven’t experienced before.
 
Let me give you an example. But first, let me share that I’m incredibly fortunate to be part of a group led by Bo Eason, a brilliant practitioner of the art of telling efficient stories. Bo has made a living out of storytelling since his time in the NFL. His ability to tell his story is compelling, to say the least.
 
Like the time he took his young son, Max, to a birthday party in the Hollywood Hills… He describes how they found a football under a bush and started tossing it back and forth. As the cool guys in the corner watched, Bo told his son, “We don’t drop the ball.” When one of the men commented that it seemed harsh, Bo simply said, “In our family, we don’t drop the ball.” This level of excellence is their expectation.
 
As Bo tells these stories in a passionate, charismatic, and engaging way, I can’t help but feel drawn to him. Bo doesn’t claim to be the best businessman or to have made billions, but he excels at being Bo. Bo eventually reveals that he and his brother played in the NFL, which changed the entire tone of the story.
 
After hearing Bo’s story, I asked myself, “How can I take that skill, that level of captivation, and apply it to my life, my business, my structure?”
 

 

What Makes Business Stories Work

Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Which is why storytelling in general, and business storytelling in particular, can be so powerful. Emotions stick. Telling great business stories connects with people emotionally and creates a lasting experience with your audience, if done well.
 
How would you do this? You might want to start by perfecting your signature story. A signature story enthralls people, draws them to you, and evokes an emotional response about what you’ve been through, achieved, overcome, or done. Your goal here is to be as expressive, articulate, and spellbinding as possible, making every line count. Make it impactful, sincere, and authentic—but most importantly, make it you.
 
You can check out Bo Eason’s Signature Story, Part 1 for an excellent example of how to do this. If you’ve already viewed Bo’s video with the link above, you’ll notice it ends with a cliffhanger, a very effective storytelling technique. Even if you’re on the edge of your seat now, resist the urge to skip ahead to the finale. Because viewing the finale after I’ve shared more about business storytelling will help bring everything together for you. I promise.
 

Learn Storytelling from the Masters

We’ve all heard of names like Stephen King, the author of On Writing or David Ogilvy of Ogilvy & Mather or Claude Hopkins and his works. But the question is, have you studied how to tell a better, more compelling, and moving story in all aspects of your business? I believe there’s an incredible opportunity to learn storytelling frameworks and to become more articulate in sharing business information.
 
You could have your sales team master the story of the business:
 

• How it got there—initial phases
• Where it’s going—goals and dreams
• How your product or service will change someone else’s life

But even your financials tell a story of…
 

• Your business’s success. How did you win?
• Your business’s growth. Who was most instrumental here?
• Your capitalization. What happened when you tried to create value for your business?

You’re also telling the story of your business when you’re recruiting, hiring, or onboarding someone.
 

 
In effect, the art and science of business storytelling showcase why someone should care. Because if no one cares, it won’t matter what your story is… unless you uncover the nuggets of information that do resonate with your audience. These nuggets need to be woven throughout all facets of your business. Therefore, telling the best story is crucial.

Don’t become dependent on AI for your stories either. AI language models like ChatGPT make storytelling easier but less genuine. The only person who can truly tell your story and your business’s story is you. No one else has had your life experiences. If you don’t learn to tell that story better, who will? Would you want someone else to tell the story of your life, your business, your financials, your growth, your success, or even your shortcomings? I certainly wouldn’t.

Remember when I talked about your signature story? There’s one trick you can use to make it more memorable.
 

 

The Magic of 3 in Business Storytelling

Offer people a little training with three critical steps, the three things you want someone to take away. If it’s more than three, they’ll forget. If it’s fewer than three, they won’t care. Because our brains recognize patterns. Three is the smallest number of items that is easiest for a brain to process and remember.
 
Even stories have three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end.Think of this as you prepare your next slide deck, financial presentation, banking meeting, or shareholders’ meeting. You should weave three critical steps into the story’s why and how. Finally, as business owners, we often neglect a crucial element: a call to action.
 

End Your Story with a Call to Action

After captivating your audience and providing them with valuable information, you need to give them an action step to take. You might wonder, “If I’m presenting my financials to the board, how can I do that?” The answer lies in understanding that everyone has self-interest in who they are and in what they do.

Your call to action in a board meeting might be to encourage someone to use the lessons and insights you’ve shared to help them achieve more or to go farther. Another action step you can take is to think of three transformational experiences you can share, specifically around your business.

As a CEO, entrepreneur, or business leader, there should be at least three pivotal stories that created the pathway for you to do what you do now. I’m certain that all of us started our businesses to solve for something we lacked, whether it’s more income, more time off, more impact, more significance, or more freedom. These are all good starting points for material you can use to shape those three stories.

Showing Vulnerability Is Key to Engaging with an Audience

Truly good stories emanate from vulnerability. When you can become comfortable sharing your vulnerabilities, you’ll have a better chance of connecting with your audience in a profound way.

Now it’s time to view Bo Eason’s Signature Story, Part 2, the finale, to see how he wraps up his story. It’s clear here that Bo doesn’t have a call to action for his signature story. But you get the sense you can achieve whatever you want to achieve if you work harder, dream bigger, and never ever give up.
 
For those of you who need a more concrete starting point, I encourage you to view one more Bo Eason video, a short one he did this year. It’s called Two Tips for Telling a Great Story/The Art of Storytelling. If you were unsure of how to tell stories before, the two tips you learned from Bo will definitely give you a starting point.
 

Whatever you do, “don’t drop the ball”

• Use emotional elements to make your stories memorable.
• Read a book or two about storytelling frameworks by a storytelling master.
• Apply the magic of three items.
• Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, especially in your signature story.
• Finally, end with a call to action.

Therefore, if you want to work with me, just click on the link below with my name, Ryan Niddel.
 

Do You Want to Work with Ryan?

If you feel stuck in your career, want to take the leap into entrepreneurship, or want to tell better stories, Ryan Niddel is ready to help you take control of your destiny. Ryan is not only the CEO of MIT45, but he also sits on the board of many successful companies. As a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader, he is passionate about helping guide those who want to improve their careers and personal lives. Learn more at ryanniddel.com.