Compete With a Good Story
Twice in the last week, I have been in high level corporate meetings in different cities where the overriding question was how to be more competitive in today’s global business environment and against growing competitive forces online.
The industries are completely different – one involved the top leaders of traditional broadcast media, and the other leaders in the food industry. Yet, the challenges they face in their respective industries are a mirror image of each other.
For these outstanding groups, it all has to do with being able to continue to deliver top quality products against lower-quality upstarts and how the Internet has spawned both opportunities and unforeseen competition.
Listening and analyzing what was being said, I could not help but note the similarities of the very real competitive threats. There was also the tendency to get drawn “down in the weeds,” as I say, to get smothered in talking about tactics, like social media, when the focus must always remain on top level competitive strategies.
In each forum, however, there were sage voices of wisdom that said — with certainty that only results from rich experience and accomplishment — that the way forward competitively was having authentic, distinctive and appealing stories to tell about the respective industries that would engage and resonate favorably with audiences, both established and new.
“You gotta have an interesting story to tell,” said one leader, “that gets attention … or someone else will.”
Storytelling … sounds so old-fashioned in today’s digital era … but so essential in competitive distinction. Because without a story to tell, there is nothing of interest to share, whether in a sales presentation or to raise funding or in conversation or online social media.
Without a compelling story, I guess you just risk getting lost in the weeds.
Related posts:
- Video Story Treatment: The Barber’s Diaries
- A Great Story Has Legs
- Superb Story + NPR’s Style = Great Coverage
- How to Damage a Good Brand Image
- Personal Thoughts About Good Medical Care
Category: Featured, Reputation management
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