One of the great things about my job is I get to talk to people from all walks of life about the power of stories. Recently I was interviewed for a project looking at the importance of storytelling for brands. Here were some of the takeaways, in a handy numbered list.

Feel free to drop some of these bullet points in your next presentation to the board on upping your brand’s storytelling game:

Evaluation of the Interview: Julie Roehm key take-aways:

1. Storytelling is like a classic book. People remember and talk about it and get excited about it

2. A good story needs to be simple. Then it will have a better chance to be passed on

3. A story needs to have a human truth. This also includes key-takeaways

4. Companies need to sacrifice their doing towards their story / product / customer
   Through pointing out the tough journey but also the final succeeding
   A story isn’t positive and upraising all the time – nobody is perfect
   But it needs to be inspiring

5. Do not put everything into one story
   It needs to be clear how the company makes people’s life easier

6. A lot of profit is wasted in advertising complex products a. Consumers do not get the meaning out of it

7. E.g. Steve Jobs: clear, concise, consistent, dedicated storyteller
   People wanted to be part of this movement

8. A story gives a company a meaning

9. Question to ask:
   What is the important part of your brand?
   This helps to find the true essence of the brand

10. Companies have to be aware of their past:
    Stories that shaped you in the past will tell the customers who you are
    Helps to refocus – use it at least as a mind-experience
    Through the past you’re able to create a legacy

11. It is not necessary to re-invent your brand – it’s far overstated

12. Select channel to communicate according to your target audience

13. Create your story together with your customer – “peel back the onion”
    Create something useful for them (customer experience) 
b. Also helps to create the bigger picture

14. Basics, when asking about customer stories:
    Who’s your customer?
    What’s the biggest challenge / opportunity?
    What’s the solution to it?
    How did your product solve the problem / customer benefit?
    How is the customer affected by it?

15. Give your customer an experience platform to share their stories a. Inform and get informed