Storytelling for SMEs, a Simple Cookbook

Storytelling for SMEs is not as complex as it sounds. It is not expensive. It does not depend on an award-winning agency. In fact, everyone, I mean everyone on the planet can be a storyteller. Some may be good at it; some may be bad at it. And those who think they are bad at it are actually not utilizing their storytelling skills the right way.

The whole idea is that for your brand to be a trusted one; you need to inspire. And this inspiration needs to transcend a normal business to client, business to the supplier, and business to potential customer relationship.

Canvass is a Yoga hub, and we crafted the story based on the heart and the art of Yoga.

Storytelling can give your customers a reason to buy from you.

But as an SME owner, you probably have used the universal excuse – “I’m too busy running my business, the day to day operation alone is taking a chunk of my time.”

But let me give you a secret. An obvious one. That statement alone can be broken down into small stories; You are busy, running your business, day to day operation, a chunk of your time.

Let’s pick up from there and use them as a simple cookbook to kickstart your storytelling. Every good story starts with the right question. And these questions can lead to more engaging “answers.”

Exercise #1: I’m too busy

Guide questions: What makes you busy? How do you manage your time?

Story: “I am driven by my passion to meet my customer’s needs. In fact, I always feel I don’t have enough time to do everything that I need to. This is where teamwork comes in, and our brand values teamwork like no other brand does. Our team consists of our creative people, our front office and of course – You, our customer. Yes, part of the teamwork that our brand encourages is to bring our clients to our team. We work as a team, we serve the same purpose, and we reach your goals, together.”

Exercise #2: Running my business

Guide questions: What are the greatest challenges that you face in running your business? How do you overcome this?

Story: “Running a small business can be daunting at times. Having immediate access to my resources, though limited will not necessarily ensure fluid results. But we never let these limitations hinder our productivity. We tap into each other’s strength as a team, and we build results. Regardless if the process is difficult or not, together we build results. Being small is a challenge, but a company’s size should not dictate it’s potential. Our creativity as a team stems from this belief.”

Exercise #3: Day to day operation

Guide question: What is a normal day like in your office?

Story: “We try to start early and finish early. Our company is not your traditional company who struggle with long working hours. For our team, balance is key. We set priorities, and we meet them. Our team don’t overwork. We set daily goals, and we know how each of us plays an important role to accomplish these daily goals.”

Exercise #4: Chunk of your time

Guide question: Which do you prefer speed or quality?

Story: “As a small company, sometimes we need to work fast, but all the times we work with quality. And quality is at the top of our priority because this is how we can build trust with our customers. This is a lasting legacy that we think we can leave, long before our company has transitioned and we have grown old, we want to be remembered as a company who delivers quality on time.”

Victoria Dental shares how their services goes beyond dentistry

It’s not that difficult to do right? I would like to leave you three things to consider when embarking on a storytelling journey. There are a lot of considerations that you need to take, but these three remain.

Be Authentic

Never fake your thoughts. Let your thoughts translate in the most authentic way through your words. Be real and expect real results. It is better to fail in reality than succeed in mockery. It takes more effort to fake things than being real, authentic and vulnerable.

Find a hero

Human beings love heroes. We all need heroes to root for. Just make sure that you avoid making your product the hero. That would make your story too product-centric. That scares people away. Your hero can be something that you believe in, your company values, your challenges, and your aspirations. Start inspiring others.

Be conversational

Lastly, converse. The more conversational you get, the more people will listen to you. Do not preach. The world is already saturated with preachers. People need someone to talk to. Be that person. Personify your brand as someone who is willing to listen and who is willing to converse.

Storytelling for SMEs has never been this easy.

I hope this simple cookbook of sorts will be able to provide you with enough insights on how you can start storytelling. The rewards are endless. Start telling stories and start building your brand in the most engaging way possible.

We highlighted why someone with an active lifestyle should choose chiropractic, instead of showing the textbook content of clinic and doctors.

Do you need help telling your brand story?