Are You Investor or Buyer Story Pitching instead of Storytelling?

You are story pitching to investors or buyers when your story is all about you, your venture or your product or service features and benefits.

Somewhere along the line, you lose sight of the purpose of storytelling: to invite the listener to become part of the story.

What types of stories do you tell? Alternatively, what types of stories do you pitch?

In working with startups and organizations looking to grow and expand their economic footprints, our storytelling collaboration is a lot of fun. And angst. Because, everyone seated around the table initially has different levels of experience telling and receiving stories.

1. Some folks do not read on a regular basis (and reading tweets or Facebook posts is not reading, friends). 😉
2. Other people dismiss storytelling as childish and unnatural, getting flustered with word choices and tonality.
3. Still other individuals simply cannot divest themselves from the urge to pitch and sell as the central focus of their activities.
4. Yet other individuals confine themselves to relating their technical exploits and spraying discipline-specific acronyms all over the place, even though few listeners understand what they are saying.

Where do you fall within this continuum?

Investor or Buyer Story Pitching does not demonstrate innovative and creative thinking.

Hmmm. Chew on that sentence for a while.

If you are attempting to demonstrate the unique and distinctive aspects of how it will be to work with you, why throw a pitch at people? Regardless of whether you are addressing potential investors or buyers, story pitching gets really rough around the edges. Ultimately, the objective is all about entreating or urging listeners to do business with you.

The best “pitches” are compelling stories. These stories challenge the listener. When told well, these stories catalyze the listener to think about their own story, differently. And when the listener receives the story, they have that “Aha!” moment, which prompts them to associate the story with other opportunities and outcomes.

That is creative and innovative storytelling, as a viable and distinctive alternative to storypitching.

Where do the best stories reside in your organization?

Did you know there is an entire customer experience created by compelling storytelling? 

Interested in learning how compelling storytelling can improve business development outcomes? Contact me and tell me your story. Then, let’s build upon it. Together.

Ready to take the next steps towards innovative storytelling?

1. Read these related posts on professional innovation, workforce engagement and customer retention. 
2. Has what you read today started you thinking about tomorrow? Contact me and let’s discuss.
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Babette Ten Haken, Founder & President of One Millimeter Mindset™ serves organizations as a corporate catalyst and innovative speaker, strategist, coach and storyteller. Babette’s One Millimeter Mindset™ Workshops and Speaking programs leverage collaboration to catalyze professional innovation, workforce engagement and customer retention, especially in challenging Industrial Internet of Things environments. Babette’s playbook of IIoT team collaboration hacks, Do YOU Mean Business? is available on Amazon. She is a member of SME, ASQ, SHRM and the National Speakers Association.

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