Stories can change the world
The choice factor between two professionals with identical knowledge Hard and similar trajectories may be at the ease of emotionally reaching your interlocutor. We have no doubt about that anymore.: stories can change the world.
Although the art of storytelling goes back to ancient caves, some authors turned it into science by including it in the Branding of Trademarks, political candidates, And, how not, professionals. Among them I highlight two: Christian Salmon, author of Storytelling: The machine of making stories and formatting minds (Atalaya, 2008) and the Chicago-based Spaniard Antonio Nunez, author of two books on the subject, of what I would recommendYou'd better tell it. (Active Company, 2007).
- Among the good examples of the use of storytelling trademarks would stand out "the jump" by Felix Baumgartner for Red Bull, that had the world in a vilo for a few hours, getting audiences that outnumber conventional advertising campaigns in the thousands, and even appears in the Wikipedia.
- In politics, it is noteworthy the use of metaphors to make speeches that reach the heart: "new deal", "Zero stop", "The change", "”La force tranquille”...
- In people, cases of Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Bill Gates are academic examples of how to use the story for better connection and empathy with audiences. Although maybe it's a somewhat inaccurate story, know that Jobs And Wonziak started with Apple in a garage and without college studies connects with many people of humble origins and encourages them to overcome prejudices.
We all have things to tell, and often the reason we haven't done it is because we've been taught to separate very well between the professional and the personal, when we actually talk about a thin line that's not bad to cross. If we want to generate empathy the key is to have the courage to show with the same interest our strengths as our weaknesses: that's what humanizes us, And that's what connects, seduces and convinces.
In order not to stay only in examples of celebrities I leave an example of storytelling applied to a professional after a process of personal branding:
When is it interesting to use personal storytelling?
In personal branding processes we see certain types of professionals that require more than others the use of personal moments in their history to reinforce their career or their competencies:
- architects, Engineers, Medical, Lawyers, Cops. Professions that often drag not so much bad "fame" as a certain notion of coldness. Hollywood has flooded our heads with tough lawyers, calculators and cold, just like cops. But the truth is that the stories of these people calae us deeply when they demonstrate their human condition; their relationships with their children, Spouses, their dependences on alcohol, drugs of another kind.
- Communication professionals: Journalists, Advertising, community managers, people who often need to connect forcefully with their audiences with more than just cold data, they need the story to open hearts and generate complicity.
- Job seekers. They should know that things are changing, that every achievement in the career may come from a story that deserves to be told. On a CV? No, the CV is an agonizing format. Maybe the personal interview is the right place. Let's imagine a sentence (Real) "My friends were making fun of me at school for my obesity, that's why I studied dietetics.. Isn't it better than just saying "I studied dietetics"?. Another format that is imposed is the Video-CV, of which we have excellent examples on YouTube of creativity that has got candidates recruited in less than 24 hours for showing skills that go beyond their professional skills (Cook, play the piano, piloting a plane...) and that humanize discourse.
A final tip to work on the personal story: in addition to reading carefully the books referred to, seriously consider turning a hobby into a support of personal storytelling. For example, if you're a half marathon runner you can share that fact to talk about your discipline skills, culture of self-improvement and effort. Or if you collect stamps you can give information about your research ability, his eagerness to finish things...
To find out more I recommend the article Tino Fernandez / Expansion published on 22 April 2016 under the titleAre you a hamelin's flutist’ at work? where they collaborate Andrés Pérez Ortega, Iñaki Arrola and myself based on the previous text.
Image: shutterstock.com
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by Guillem Recolons
Convinced that everything leaves a mark, I help companies better connect with their stakeholders through personal branding programs (personal brand management) and employee advocacy (programs of branded internal ambassadors).
Socio of Soymimarca's Integra Personal Branding, Brand Directory of Omnia Branding, I also collaborate with Ponte en Valor, Brandergizers, MoreThanLaw, Noema Consulting and Quifer Consultores.
I participate in various programs at IESE, ISDI and EAE, among others. Collegiate advertising, Master in Marketing. Humanities Degree Student.
My advertising DNA comes from 20 years in agencies: Time/BBDO, J.W.T., Bassat Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, Altraforma and TVLowCost among others.
I appreciate the publication, very practical and with a good example of applying storytelling to a professional “flesh and blood”, fleeing the clichés of well-known characters. Personal storytelling contributes to, as you mention, to humanize our profile, but don't you think it also leaves us naked in front of the public?
Good question, Mr. Salazar, and it's not the first time I've received it. It's important to know how far we're willing to open our private lives to the general public, sometimes the frontier of the right with the excessive is somewhat blurred. If we don't explain who we are (beyond the professional curriculum) we'll have a harder time generating empathy, connect and convince.
Everyone has to decide where the limit is, and another interesting option is to ask a nearby circle. Thank you for writing, receive a cordial greeting,
Guillem