How can you use storytelling to build strategic partnerships?

Always start with the end in mind. Or, as author and business thought-leader Simon Sinek would put it, "Start with why!" What is your end-game? And why do you want to reach that end-game? What result do you want to receive for yourself and create for those you're serving and/or partnering with? It's like writing a book. Many a writing and/or communication coach (myself included) will tell you to scope out the plot of the book and write the final chapter first. That way, you know where you're heading and why you're writing the story. So, think of your goal is defining your why; putting flesh on the bones of your why. You always need to start with why, or you'll end up going around the houses, so to speak and end up totally off course.

It helps to create a profile or avatar of your target audience. If you've ever been to a marketing workshop, you're probably familiar with the concept of creating a client avatar of your ideal client. And you can take this concept several steps further. You can create an ideal partner avatar too. And don't, like many do, focus just on the tangible aspect - demographic, financials, etc. Also look at the the non-tangible aspects - typical behaviours of your avatar and, most importantly, the psychographics. That is, what's going on inside your avatar's mind, heart and soul? If you were to cut them in half (metaphorically speaking) what would it say inside? The psychographics of your avatar is the most important aspect of their profile.

Let's say you're building an AI solution that helps conserve endangered species such as whale sharks by uniquely identifying them, monitor their movements from tourist pictures, and drive awareness to onboard public support. You can apply the above framework to create a hook by calling out the alarming drop in whale shark population and why this could jeopardize ecological balance. The challenge could be the rampant poaching of whale sharks by humans for their oil. Present the AI solution as a resolution and how it benefits the community. This is far more powerful than describing the solution or talking about its accuracy. The technology team may be passionate about these, but your stakeholders may not really care.

Your delivery is the make or break of your story. You can have a great story and then totally destroy it with poor or unengaging delivery. It's like telling a joke and then messing up the punchline - or needlessly explaining the joke afterwards, which kills the punchline. Practice your delivery as much as you can. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice with trusted colleagues/associates. Gauge people's responses. Where possible, always record yourself and watch yourself back as if you were a member of your audience. Get a communication coach, who can give you constructive feedback. And there's a great free online tool called Yoodli.ai you can use (I use it with my clients) to help identify speaking and delivery areas you need to work on.

Remember, delivery improves with practice. Iterate on your message and how you'd deliver it. Practice it with friends, with a friendly group of stakeholders. Find out what resonates with them, and ask for suggestions to improve. Go through at least 3 to 4 iterations before you deliver this to the most important or largest group of stakeholders.

One of the non-negotiables I follow with my team is leveraging the best out of storytelling while communicating with potential partners. -When we discuss a strategy, it will always be supported with a story. -When we explain the processes involved in a project, it will be done through powerful storytelling. Rather than a boring meeting & a written project brief, helping them navigate through stories is super effective.

Our current approach to storytelling and purpose is very outdated. That's why so many organisations fail to connect with their people, potential strategic partners and customers. Having a strong purpose helps you connect with like-minded people and organisations on a far deeper level than ever before. But please don't hire some external consultant to craft a 'purpose statement' for you. Purpose statements don't represent the heart and soul of your organisation – you and your people do. Your purpose is simply a story out there in the world – one that already exists, but is broken – that you're seeking to change, evolve and transform. Identify that and the rest will fall into place.