As a Strategic Messaging Consultant, I help organizations find an authentic narrative to connect external messaging, internal culture and your strategic vision.
About Transformational Storytelling consulting
Strategic Messaging Consulting through a Storytelling Lens
Narrative takes on an increased importance during times of monumental change. If you’re one of the visionaries leading people towards a brighter future, you need to apply the tools of narrative to your mission, so you can touch people’s hearts and souls as much as you convince their heads. You need to “tell a story” — one that resonates authentically, that connects meaningfully and that generates the kind of purpose-driven sense of belonging that powers innovative and collaborative work.
That’s the goal of Transformational Storytelling. This unique approach to communications mixes the art and science of storytelling with cutting-edge digital strategy to create messages that touch people deeply.
Reveal Powerful Shared Narratives Across Diverse Groups
We uncover the ideal stories for creating authentic connection and motivation.
Develop Strategic Messaging Plans
We create strategies that connect emotions to practical business goals.
Creating Alignment Across Groups and Organizations
We develop common themes and messages that unify the way teams and organizations work.
Designing Great Messaging for Online and Offline
We turn strategy into action through creative digital and offline messaging.
About the Process
The Four Stages of Transformational Storytelling
Develop Storytelling Source Material
In this first Discovery phase, we create a whole bunch of ``stuff``, as a mechanism for teasing out the Story beneath the story.
Empathize with Ideal Audiences
By using Design Thinking tools and other forms of qualitative research, we ``de-center`` ourselves to better understand the audiences perspective. In doing so, we identify areas for overlap.
Build a Storytelling Prototype
Once we have a sense of where the story is going, we build an inexpensive prototype designed to verify our hypothesis and reveal hidden depth to the story.
Integrate the Story Across Multiple Touchpoints
Having revealed the central narrative's themes and conflicts, we integrate this knowledge across Audience Journeys, products, services and your holistic engagement with the world.
The goal of Transformational Storytelling is to reveal the powerful emotional resonance that connects all stories together.
Storytelling is the essential human activity. The harder the situation, the more essential it is.
Tim O’Brien
When Should Businesses Examine Their Story?
Most business people would never identify themselves as a storyteller, because “storytelling” has the connotation of something made up or false. But the truth is that organizational boardrooms, workspaces and sales calls are the fertile terrain of narrative. Whenever we envision something that doesn’t yet exist and use the stories of our past — and ideal future — as a mechanism for explaining, analyzing and motivating influence, we are necessarily employing the tools of storytelling.
For both individuals and their organizations, the urgency to focus on their storytelling arises in particular at any moment of profound change. In these moments, what people face is not just a new way of working, but a new way of being — a new way of identifying one’s own sense of self in relationship to the changing organization. This deeply intimate need to “re-story” is particularly urgent at these moments in the life of an organization:
- When implementing new technology, or a broader “digital transformation” initiative;
- When addressing inequity in old ways of working or outright discrimination against a particular race, gender or working group;
- When undergoing culture articulation or change;
- When introducing employees — and customers — to innovative ideas;
- When pivoting, growing or transitioning core business; and,
- When feeling pressure to relate authentically to the marketplace.
By this definition, an individual or organizational story is not a single entity, but their dynamic and deeply intimate process of change.
Some Specific Outcomes
Marketing
Brand discovery, development and design, including brochures, websites, SEO campaigns, social media campaigns, content strategy
Sales
Sales pitches, pitch decks, sales trainings
Leadership
Keynote speeches, strategic brand development, leadership training, strategic narrative development, thought leadership articles, media training
Culture
Organizational story development, internal trainings, core values, mission/vision/values frameworks, internal communications
Fundraising
Pitch decks, fundraising campaigns, crowdfunding campaigns.
If you’re going to have a story, have a big story, or none at all.
Joseph Campbell
Become a Transformational Storyteller
Ready to start your Storytelling journey?
Get in touch to book a training or for more information.
Designed with ♥ in Vancouver by Business Storytelling Consultant Jordan Bower. All rights reserved.
Consulting - Jordan Bower