Once upon a time... just kidding, but that's exactly the problem when you mention the word "story." Too often your audience assumes you're about to get all soft and gushy or speak to them like children. Fact is, storytelling is one of the oldest, and when done with purpose, one of the most effective means of communication on the planet.
Great corporate stories present an opportunity to focus on what differentiates a company.
They can tell us where we come from - Hewlett Packard started as two guys in a garage - and where we're going, like AT&T's "You Will" campaign.
Customer stories - when they're real - are authentic, no one's more convincing. And product stories like "our eggs come from free-range chickens" or "this table is made of salvaged wood" tickle opinions and our emotions.
Objectivity, openness and a willingness to tell it like it is are some of the attributes that go into creating a believable, repeatable story worth telling or listening to. Whatever you do, make sure your mantra is consistently deliverable and make sure it has buy-in across the corporate strata. When it's fully baked, test it internally, tweak it, and then encourage every associate to learn it and repeat it.
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