Learn how to use your personal small business story to educate legislators, the media, and the public.
People have trouble remembering facts, but they never forget a good story. Our brains are wired to remember narrations and to experience the story as it is being told. Storytelling is the oldest and most powerful tool to affect change. NFIB frequently uses stories and examples from members to educate legislators, the media, and the public.
There are some basic principles for creating a compelling story:
- Tell the story from your point of view or as someone who has experienced the issue you are trying to bring to light.
- Let the audience know where you are at the beginning of the story.
- Tell the audience what created the conflict and what spurred you into action.
- Let the audience know about the barriers and complications that arose from the conflict.
- Bring out the importance of your issue and make people join your cause.
Always remember that your story does not need to be complex to be effective. The best stories are simple and easy to understand. Reduce the number of adjectives and complicated nouns and replace them with basic, heartfelt language. Empathy is a powerful element in advocacy communications. It can help the audience see the world through your perspective. You must also support your story with data. You need numbers to provide backup for what you say, however, numbers are not enough to be an impactful storyteller. You must paint a picture and back it up with data to make people realize that this issue matters to them. You can find information to back up your story on NFIB’s Engage App. An effective story will elicit a response or action from the audience. Give them a clear directive: “I hope you will support this legislation.” Finally, you need to customize the story to your audience. Ask yourself, “Who is my audience? What do they care about? How am I going to put that in the forefront?” Once you understand who your audience is, customize it so it will be most effective.
If you need help crafting your story, NFIB is happy to help. Contact Grassroots Manager Margaret Parsons for assistance: [email protected] or 717-232-8582 x 5.
