Storytelling: Making an Emotional Connection with Your Customer

Storytelling has been around forever, with the earliest example being a series of cave paintings depicting animals and human figures, dated to 15,000 to 13,000 B.C. 

From these humble beginnings, storytelling has progressed to include the likes of Aesop’s fables, Shakespeare’s plays, and even the late Steve Jobs, who because of his dynamic, story-oriented presentations became known as the modern world’s best storyteller.

Storytelling is uniquely woven into the fabric of our lives. It helps us assimilate and process information, pass on our history from generation to generation, and provide a framework for how we experience the world. Think about this: without storytelling, there would be no movies, no television, and no literature.

Catering…and Storytelling

But what role does storytelling play in regard to your catering business? While at first, you may think that storytelling is better reserved for those in the arts and entertainment, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, storytelling has experienced a rebirth of sorts in the world of business, playing a crucial role in how brands and businesses communicate with their target audiences. When done correctly, storytelling enables a business to engage its audience on a different level and to influence them to take the desired action.

Think about some of today’s most successful brands—for the most part, they all tell amazing stories.  For example, Apple tells stories of people challenging the norms, Nike tells stories of people doing the impossible, and GE tells stories of technology improving daily life. In their own way, each of these companies (and many others like them) use storytelling to connect with their customers in a more personal and intimate way. Their stories enable customers to easily identify with the characters and activities being featured, creating a bond between the company, themselves and ultimately the product.     

Storytelling can be an extremely powerful tool in helping you to grow your catering business. So much of what you do is associated with a significant moment in time for your customers. From a reception celebrating the union of two people to a corporate banquet showcasing the achievements of a company and its people, catering plays an important part in making these events memorable. Using storytelling to sell special moments like these to future customers takes your talents and services beyond a menu and price sheet, and creates a mental picture for them of the kind of experience they desire for their event.

While there is far more that goes into effective storytelling than simply spinning a good yarn, all good business storytellers share a number of qualities that make their stories engaging and memorable.

Following are a few of those qualities that you can use in creating your own brand or organization’s story:

• Give your stories a human face; work to make it personal for your audience.

• Create your story as if you are a color commentator, not a play-by-play announcer.

• Engage your audience with meaningful examples and characters.

• Craft your story building upon one of the five timeless story themes (Hero’s Quest, Creation Stories, Stories of Transformation, Fall & Redemption and Myth of the Crossroads).

• Entertain your audience and let your story reveal something about themselves.

• Keep your message simple. Complexity is your enemy.

• Understand your audience’s “aspired self,” the way they see themselves rather than how they actually are.

As marketing guru Seth Godin stated, “Marketing is the art of telling a story that resonates with your audience and then spreads.” I hope this article serves as your prompt to create a brand or organizational story that moves your audience to action and ultimately leads to success.

See Donna Hansbury at Catersource 2018!

Donna will be teaching “GPS Marketing: A Simplified Approach to Creating a Marketing Plan You Will Use, Not Lose” at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Click here to view her bio and session.