Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success

by Esther K. Choy

People forget facts, but they never forget a good story. Let the Story Do the Work shows how the art of storytelling is key for any business to achieve success. For most, there’s nothing easy about crafting a memorable story, let alone linking it to professional goals. However, material for stories and anecdotes that can be used for your professional success already surround you. To get people interested in and convinced by what you are saying, you need to tell an interesting story. As the Founder and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab, a company that helps executives unlock the persuasive power of storytelling, Esther Choy teaches you how to mine your experience for simple narratives that will achieve your goals. In Let the Story Do the Work , you can learn When you find the perfect hook, structure your story according to its strengths, and deliver it at the right time in the right way, you’ll see firsthand how easy it is to turn everyday communications into opportunities to connect, gain buy-in, and build lasting relationships.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Communication, Writing

256 pages, Hardcover

Published July 27, 2017

About the author

Esther K. Choy is founder and president of Leadership Story Lab, where she coaches managers in storytelling techniques. She is currently teaching in the executive education programs at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Reviews

[Tey Shi · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book, the author breaks down for us how to tell a good story. Structure wise, all good stories should have a beginning, middle and an ending. Typical plots include the origin (how something came to be), rags to riches, rebirth, overcoming the monster (bad to good) and the quest where the seemingly impossible is achieved. When telling these stories, it's important to know who your audiences are, what type of stories will they be receptive towards. Data should help to complement your story and one should make the message clear. If something is complex, try to divide them into smaller parts, using metaphor to link the unfamiliar with the familiar. The author also suggests to first acknowledge the audience's current situation on the outset, then try to inspire them to make an improvement, and then finally end with a vision or aspiration on how the future should look like. The use of good visuals will also help to drive in the point. The author also offers case studies in personal networking, self-introduction, how to persuade people to donate and how leaders can tell their stories to inspire and motivate others.

[Rhodes Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is who we are and here are our product facts. zzzz This book helps business people learn present themselves, their company, and products in a way that is memorable and applicable to a variety of audiences. Marketing professionals would certainly benefit, but executives and employees throughout the organization should know how to express how their company and products/services can positively affect customers. Presenting yourself to a potential employer or customer should use elements of setting the hook, painting a vision, and demonstrating value. The story can help the facts stick and bring the numbers to life.

The author presents a logical approach with exercises and examples to demonstrate the use of story in a wide variety of situations: communications within the company, marketing, sales, job application, networking, and more. The book also covers the important area of audience analysis in order to design an appropriate story for the situation.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good content and examples for telling stories for your professional development. Did feel a bit slow as it went on.

I also felt some of the techniques could come across gimmicky. For example, the Identifiable Beneficiary Individual tip for nonprofits is one I see used all the time, but I can't be the only one who feels it's tired and predictable. I'm sure it is still a valuable technique, but how to do it in a way that comes across genuinely? Perhaps a sequel book is in order. :)

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started and abandoned. This might be useful for someone who is data driven and has no concept of story at all. I am a grant writer and bought this book to help me add some extra umph to my writing. It is HIGHLY basic.

(The flow of the writing is also completely terrible - how can a book about writing be so poorly written?)

[Deep Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in a Business school, struggling with presentations, case competitions, projects and interviews. The people who aced these activities weren't the people I expected. They were not the ones who were the most fluent in speaking, not the ones who were having a rich experience in their life, and certainly not the one who were the top rankers of our batch! I always wondered, What is it that is these selected cohort of people were doing so well, and How can I improve that particular trait?

After a lot of thought, I could see that these people could engage people very well. When you talk to them, you always love listening to them. And that, was the big 'Aha' moment for me. I finally figured out the secret formula, the ultimate magic these people possesed. But there was another dark cloud that loomed over my head? The big question: What can I do so to make people want to listen to me? How to enagage them while talking about something that they don't even remotely understand? This question troubled me for many days - while eating, walking, even sleeping too! I always wondered what could I do to gain this skill?

While scrolling through YouTube I came across this amazing TED Talk that explained the power of storytelling. I understood what I had to do. What I was looking for till now, was with me all the time. We all hear stories, right from childhood - be it bedtime stories, literature stories, stories from movies and so on. I had to master the art of storytelling! I immediatly looked for good books on learning the art of storytelling, and I found the Esther Choy's Let the Story do the work.

And I must say, this book has given me no chance to complain. This is one of the best, probably the best book, out there in the world. Esther takes us step-by-step throught the art of storytelling and how it can be mastered. Not only does she explain the frameworks on how to develop a story but also gives examples on execution of each framework. She encourages us at each adn every stage of the book to develop our story and reflect what we have learnt. After all, learning the art of storytelling is similar to learning how to ride a bikeWe can't learn riding bicycle by just watching video tutorials on youtube or watching a friend give demonstrations. You have to get on that bike, you have to hit the ignition and you have to put your hands on the throttle! Similarly, to master the art of storytelling, you have to pick up a pen and a paper, you have to put your life experiences in those frameworks and you have to start jotting it down! Esther encourages us to do just that.

This book summarizes Esther's learning, experience and wisdom in few pages. It's a treasure out in the open, wanting to be claimed. Next time you are making a business presentation, a startup pitch, or an introduction for a networking event...Never underestimate the power of storytelling.

[Bob Andelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

TODAY’S GUEST: Esther Choy, author, “Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success,” founder, Leadership Story Lab in Chicago

About a year ago, I heard a talk by Lea Thau, the Peabody Award winning producer and creator of “The Moth Radio Hour.” She offered her entrepreneurial audience tips on how to make their business pitches more into enticing tales and less about asking directly for cash.

“The fundamental principles that govern a good story,” she said, “whether you’re in a boardroom, pitching something, giving a toast at a wedding, or telling a story on ‘The Moth’ stage, are the same.”

I was reminded of her insight while reading a compelling new book by Esther K. Choy titled "Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success."

In her own way, Choy independently applied the kind of storytelling suggestions I found so useful in Thau’s presentation and put them in an easy-to-access book form for business leaders. She breaks it all down, step-by-step, and even diagrams her methods.

If you make any kind of presentations at work, I think you can learn something from Choy and her book.

https://youtu.be/8QzbDuSJURw

[Eric Tan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author did a poor job in writing this book. It lacks structure and plot, which are two key elements discussed throughout the entire book, yet the author failed to address them properly. As I progressed further, the more I read, the more I felt lost and the less I got out of it. It felt as though I was reading an entirely different book for each point that the author made.

It all started out well, in the first chapter, then went down the hill for the rest of it. Ideas got shoved in at random sections, sequences of each point were all jumbled up and there's no coherence in the presentation. It gives an impression the book was more of a diary than a purported business book on communication.

A lot of "real life" examples were being thrown in to illustrate all the points presented in the book. However, there's virtually no connection between them and no further explanation was provided to substantiate each lesson/principle/theory taugh.

I could have given at least one more star but I cannot, in my right mind, give anymore merit to badly written books such as this.

[Craig Amason · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever doubted that storytelling is an effective method of connecting with others, Esther Choy will likely convert you, at least to a point. At times she goes a bit overboard, simply because she believes that storytelling is just about the ONLY way to communicate. Nowhere is this problem with her book more apparent than the section about how to explain your profession to other people. If I ask you what you do for a living, and you tell me that you "make dreams come true," but I later discover that you are a real estate agent, I might find you a bit annoying and perhaps even narcissistic. There are times to communicate with stories, especially when presenting complicated topics or a bunch of boring facts and figures. Choy's advice in these situations is spot on. However, it is also valuable to know when, instead of a story, a more straightforward message is needed. Overall, this is a valuable guide to integrating storytelling into business communication.

[Alejandro Cabral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete, easy to read and what’s more important to me: real.

If you work in sales, you know how important telling stories is. If you don’t work in sales you must still realize that telling stories is just one way of “getting in” and sharing an experience with someone. Out of the few hundred books thae are out there on storytelling I would say I have read quite a few but definitely not all. So far this one has been the best I have ever read, and bot just because it was well written. It has to do with the fact that every single element that you need to build your own story is well described and made it into an exercise that you can repeat yourself. This book is a vert first approach for anyone who is into storytelling. It is also a great book for everyone who has been out there for some time and thinks they know it all. And it’s the best book you can read if you have a story and you know it and you just don’t know how to tell it.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on writing I have ever read. So many books on the creative writing process wax poetic about the writer and his/her plight but fail to capture so succinctly the most elemental components of WHY story (or any particular story), HOW a story's structure should consider the audience more than the teller, and WHAT will manifest as the scenes/summary...aka the words on the page.

Written for business leaders, this book is all brass tax when it comes to the writing process. Little do most creative writing students or those interested in writing memoir, fiction, or even poetry realize how much they could benefit from a bit of brass to weigh down the floating clouds of their imagination.

[Ogi Ogas · Rating 3 out of 5]

My ratings of books on Goodreads are solely a crude ranking of their utility to me, and not an evaluation of literary merit, entertainment value, social importance, humor, insightfulness, scientific accuracy, creative vigor, suspensefulness of plot, depth of characters, vitality of theme, excitement of climax, satisfaction of ending, or any other combination of dimensions of value which we are expected to boil down through some fabulous alchemy into a single digit.

[Jose C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un buen recordatorio de lo poderosas que son las historias y el atractivo que tienen para las personas. Desde niños aprendemos a través de cuentos, al crecer lo olvidamos y en la vida profesional son inexistentes. Este libro no sólo nos ayuda a recordar el poder de las historias, sino que además, contiene una metodología y ejemplos para construirlas.

[Vadiraj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice one

Good structure..narrated with useful templates and examples. Lot of the templates can be reused during real life scenarios. Overall good read

[Doug Bartlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading. Some good gems in here, but too much filler.

[سارة shaalan) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have a little good points but totally boring

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to digest and very helpful tips that I have used successfully in public speaking forums, for both scientific and business audiences.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ironically, too many stories here and not enough solid advice. It's not a bad book but I'd hoped to learn more reusable tactics.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for those working to improve their communication skills.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some good tips on crafting a story. However, there just weren't enough relevant examples, specific steps, and "before" and "after" stories after applying the steps.

The first time, I listened to the audiobook and don't remember much from it. This time, I read the book and found some of the example stories useful. Concepts about storytelling are familiar, like making your story compelling with a journey of overcoming significant hurdles. Don't gloss through the details of your hard work. Create a visual image so the audience can imagine your struggles and doubts. Have them hanging onto the end of their seats waiting to hear what happens next.