I’ve now been working for an amazing nonprofit for two years. I feel a deep connection and passion for the work we’re doing, which I try to translate in my messaging to our audience. This can be a difficult task. It’s easy to feel a connection to the work a nonprofit or company is doing when you’re steeped in that work every day, but when you’re telling an audience about that work, how do you get them to feel connected or dare I say passionate about it? The answer is: effective storytelling.
Storytelling is something I have been doing throughout my career, and as the years go on, the importance of doing it often and doing it well has only been reinforced. For example, at Playworks, the nonprofit I work for, we use safe and healthy play as a tool to help kids develop social and emotional skills. So, I can tell our audience, “we impact the lives of Utah’s kids.” Or, I can tell a story like this about a student who finally felt like they belonged at school because her classmates were taught the importance of inclusion, and brought what they learned to the four-square court.
Stories evoke emotion and build a connection for your audience. They get to actually experience the work we’re doing in a sense. They’re painted a visual picture and they’re feeling something. That is how you can get buy-in from an audience.
That being said, there are ways to be more effective in your storytelling. Here are some tips to make your stories the best they can be. Tip number one: focus on evoking emotion. In my opinion, this is the most important tip of them all. Try to step back and hear your story as if you’re hearing it as an outsider, as opposed to someone steeped in your work. Does it make you feel anything? If the answer is no, try again. Tip number two: be concise. Get to the point, and get to it fairly quickly. If you drone on too long with every detail, you’re going to lose your audience. Tip number three: keep it simple. Keep in mind that your audience doesn’t understand the ins and outs of your organization/company the way you do. Keep your stories simple and easy to follow.
Next time you’re stuck on messaging, try telling an emotional, concise, and simple story to get your point across. You might be surprised at the connection you’re able to build between your brand and your audience.
Happy storytelling!