Narratives drive nearly everything we do, whether it is the backstory for selecting one product over another at the grocery store, or the motivation for why we raise our children in a certain manner. In manners that data and logical arguments are not, stories are compelling, inspiring, and maybe, most importantly in a small business perspective, persuasive.
By comprehending the structure of a story-the relationship between the storyline arc and protagonist shifted by tension-storytellers can move crowds by enabling them to imagine what they would do (or how they had want to be treated) in such a scenario, as seen in Zappos' claim to fame for its customer support stories, from sending flowers to a woman who just had foot surgery to hand-delivering shoes to customers. Though the craft of storytelling can appear ambiguous and even daunting at times, this case explores how a good company narrative may be developed according to the following steps: 1) Set the scene, 2) Pull the crowd, 3) Supply the key facts, 4) Lay out the crux of the matter, 5) Deliver the 'wow' insight and consequences, 6) Reiterate the consequences, 7) Repeat 2-6 as essential to communicate the message.
PUBLICATION DATE: August 21, 2012 PRODUCT #: M354-HCB-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about STRATEGY & EXECUTION
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