VMchat

Hello!

At its most basic, we mean telling the story of how the company helps customers, what it stands for in the world, its values...mission, etc

tweeting from Boston

@kathyklotzguest so you've in the corporate world. Business storytelling: Why does it matter so much? What impact can it have on customers?

@furrier Good to see you here. :)

@furrier welcome John, good to have you joining this #vmchat

Well there is too much noise and not enough meaning. People want meaningful info. 92.3% of audiences are in fact human! LOL...

@kathyklotzguest so who are the other 7.7%

people who don't admit they want human focused marketing

in other words, people buy...companies don't

@kathyklotzguest you talk in some of your articles about "naked" storytelling. What does that mean?

Being vulnerable. Too many company stories are impersonal and all about 'we, us.' Focus the story through a person...

@kathyklotzguest so who's doing this well. Being vulnerable I mean?

Not very many companies and that is the issue. I think when IBM rolled out Smarter Planet, it wasn't sure the concept would work. One ex.

@sfmikey you have an example you led in your time with HP. Tell us about that?

If you look at B2C, you see a few more examples. It's where companies say hey we're still evolving, we're imperfect, we're trying to be better. Can you think of examples of vulnerable?

I do have a gr8 one that comes to mind. HP's PR team wanted to show the NY Times about how products are made ways that respect the workers... specifically a mfg facility in Western China.

The place was unique because employees didn't have to endure mass migrations for holidays. The location was close to home. But far from the sea where products are shipped.

Instead of just talking about a new rail line, instead we told a story about re-igniting the old silk road, and literally took the reporter on the trains for a few days.

Sure we got out there the stuff on lower costs, less carbon emissions, faster to destination, but the story of how the old silk road being used again was what made the resulting piece great. http://www.nytimes.c...

There are many ways to tell the story...so find people (customers, partners, employees) who bring that brand story to life. Anchor that brand story in people who exemplify the brand.. find a human protagonist that speaks to brand values

UPS did several great stories last year on drivers who were active in their community. Had nothing to do with the product; yet it showed that they are active in their communities - helping people, dogs, etc.

@kathyklotzguest So it sounds like you are saying to create a story and stick to that script. Is honesty and transparency a factor?

On the funny side, Dollar Shave Club because they live the brand. They are funny, irreverent - and they are credible because that is who they are across everything. GoPro tells great stories through customers.

Intuit does a great job with employee storytelling as well.

@kathyklotzguest you have a point of view that it's more difficult in b2b. I do think there are good examples though where companies put their customers at the heart of their storytelling.

@cainc a company grounded in IT of the past is doing this very effectively

@kathyklotzguest I agree re: Intuit. They do a great job at telling their stories through the eyes of their customers: small businesses, people trying to manage their money better.

I talk to @dvellante about this all the time - key is being present and keep pumping content

It's possible. I think it's that are aren't as many examples of great b2b storytelling as we see in b2c. I don't think it's difficult. It takes companies recognizing that it's about people and going deeper. That is a mindset.

New Relic is a relatively new kid on the block. They help “understand the stories their data is trying to tell them" rather than focusing on the tech itself

Are there great examples of b2b storytelling in your mind? I see pieces (not the whole puzzle) with brands like Hubspot, MailChimp - they have personality and it's clear how they add value.

I like our latest customer story on education http://bcove.me/k91x...

hey john, sorry didn't realize it was a #crowdchat

more than just content... continuous stream of evidence on value and values

supporting the Inversion of Control (IoC) in the move to "Outside-In" strategies leadingedgeforum.com...… via @lefep

@kathyklotzguest Key word.. "Human"

I'd agree...but even just being "present" puts you head and shoulders over the majority of CEO's. Content just adds horsepower as long as it's not content just for the sake of content. IMO

@CWPBIZ Yes. And without a story focus, content means little.

Other storytelling gurus online feel free to weigh in here!

I think you have to go back to what the mission of the company is..why does it exist? What challenge/s is it solving? Why does it exist?

There are a few things to think about. The What the Who and the How.

And do employees know / believe in the mission...what words define that?

The what come down to the essence of the value you're offering customers, and how it's differentiated from your competitors.

And the who comes down to the culture of the organization and every single employee

@oliverroll Yes. That's part of it.

@kathyklotzguest you've written about the importance of inside out story-telling in relation to employees. Tell us about that...

@kathyklotzguest is there a playbook or best practice template

Culture is everything. What stories do your employees believe and tell? There are no sound walls. Those stories affect your marketing. Problems upstream mean issues downstream...

@kathyklotzguest there are many playbooks and approaches. And quite a few agencies that specialize in this area.

If your employees believe in the best stories, that affects marketing and service. Too few companies have a pulse on the stories employees are telling...

@kathyklotzguest we've been thinking about this a lot at @VMware. We're known for our leadership in #virtualization yet we're building many new businesses.

LOL John's site recently has some really crazy off the wall stories. I can't believe he allows them to be posted. I can't believe it helps his brand.

@kathyklotzguest Again agreed, Kathy. I believe Purpose, Platform, Projection .. in that order. Note: cwpbiz.com .. right on the home page. "Why" is paramount.