Chapter 6

Telling a Compelling Story in Business

In This Chapter

arrow Knowing why business stories matter

arrow Getting the bones of the story

arrow Separating facts and opinions

arrow Providing feedback on the business story

Every business has a story. From the minute someone has a business idea, the story begins, and every day the business exists the story grows. Just think of all the businesspeople communicating messages to staff, shareholders, equity partners, suppliers and customers about change, vision, direction, sales, new products, process changes, acquisitions, mergers and the like. People all over the globe are telling stories to engage about the past, the present and the future of business.

Your clients need to tell their stories well. A compelling story can make a significant difference to a prospective funder, customer or key recruit, and to a journalist who then creates positive publicity. Your job then, in the role of the coach or mentor, is to help clients tell a powerful, genuine story.

In this chapter, we help you understand what a business story is and where its power lies. We give ...

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