Storytelling for Business

** Business Book Awards 2023 Finalist **

“Nothing connects people to engage emotionally with your business better than a well-told story – your story.”

From mega-large corporations to tiny start-ups, every…. single…. business always has a story to tell. Before people choose to buy your product or service, or respond to a call to action, they need to understand how you will solve their problem or fulfil their needs.

Storytelling for Business reveals why storytelling remains the most impactful way to create a meaningful and sustainable connection with the people who matter the most to your business, and how to tell YOUR story well.
For more than 25 years, storytelling has been at the core of everything Rob Wozny has accomplished as an intrepid senior journalist, creative content strategist, and proven business communicator. Leveraging his passion and experience for storytelling, Rob works with business owners and leaders to understand their goals and align them with business storytelling ideas, personalized to attract and engage the people that matter most to them.

A direct book with actionable advice, great for anyone working in marketing or looking to expand their own social media outreach. How to tell a story that builds a business or brand, this book focuses on the “business” side but plenty of examples and advice for everyone making money online.

NetGalley

Storytelling in business cannot be underestimated because it is widely used for successful communication. This book tells you about the importance of storytelling as well as coaches in creating and delivering stories that can make a difference and impact. I’d say you can find a good way to structure (several options that fit multiple purposes) a story [and] platform to deliver it as well.

NetGalley

…this is well structured, clearly written, and includes good examples. Since we’re wired for stories, this is a good skill for everyone to have whether it’s to tell a joke or something that happened to you. Use it at work or home. Recommended.

NetGalley

Storytelling for Business is a very well-written, insightful book and one I will be recommending and buying as gifts for the communications pros in my life.
Whether you are a senior communicator or just starting out this book is filled with resources and tips to help you engage your audience. The case studies throughout are relevant and thought provoking, demonstrating the power of a good story. This book can be read cover to cover in just a few days, but I guarantee you’ll be picking it up and thumbing through well-worn pages for advice and inspiration for years to come.

Amazon

Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age is a thorough and holistic approach to maximize storytelling. Whether you are new to business or a seasoned professional, it is a thoughtful and helpful guide to make the most of your resources and opportunities.
Kathryn Dobbs, Senior Vice-President, Chief Marketing Officer, Columbus Blue Jackets

In Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age, Rob Wozny provides a comprehensive and insightful resource for any business or leader wanting to truly understand the benefits of storytelling, creating a greater connection to their stakeholders.
Greg Loeppky, Vice President, Marketing Price Industries Limited

Storytelling has never been as important in business as it is right now. In my work as a fundraiser and marketer, I absolutely need to be proficient. Rob Wozny’s use of catchy phrases to introduce important concepts is powerful. Learning through case studies is effective and Rob uses this technique so well in Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age. With strong usage of creative and contemporary communications principles and stories, mixed with real world evidence makes this book a real winner! Storytelling for Business is my go-to handbook going forward for me and my teams. I will use these learnings to connect with donors and with my corporate partners in how we present our relationship to the public.
Guy Yerama, CFRE National Director of Leadership and Legacy Giving, The Salvation Army

Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t love a good story? What if it were possible for business owners to harness the power of storytelling to achieve their aims? Well, it is, and Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age shows you how. This is the ultimate soup-to-nuts directory on how to tell stories in winning and effective ways in today’s world. Whether you’re a shy introvert who cringes at the idea of self-promotion or a natural-born showboat who is ready to take centre stage, Rob Wozny’s book will help you hit the right tone, at the right time, for the right audience.
Dr. Moira Somers, Ph.D., C.Psych. Author, Advice that Sticks: How to Give Financial Advice that People will Follow

Operating and owning a small business is the greatest responsibility I’ve ever been afforded, building a medium-sized business ($5M+ revenue/50+ employees), which seems more sustainable in reading Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age. The book is an exercise in discipline, creativity, engaging with your customers, and trusting those who can help you ‘get you there’. If you’re an entrepreneur, sit down, take a deep breath and do yourself a favour. Read this book. Your business deserves it.
Christian Clavelle, President, Canadian First-Aid Training Ltd.

At the heart of every organization are remarkable stories waiting and needing to be told that can profoundly connect business with both its external and internal audiences. Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age by Rob Wozny serves as an essential conduit for any storyteller wanting to make that impactful connection.
Cindy Fuchs, Executive Director, Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation

Rob Wozny has taken the guesswork out of the business case for storytelling within any organization. In Storytelling for Business, The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age, he takes us on a journey of the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ that will help any business executive plan for great communications and storytelling. A must read for leaders to better understand the role and value of well-planned, scalable communications, and an excellent tool to serve as a check-in for communicators.
Jennifer Rodrigue, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, St. Amant

As a professional speaker, coach, and columnist, I am a story hunter, knowing the power of story to move listeners to action. Rob Wozny’s decades of lived experience and expertise delivers a practical toolkit for actionable insights to help us as business owners be more effective in our storytelling strategies. Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age is destined to be a go-to resource to motivate us all to craft our stories with meaning and purpose. As a farm transition expert, I have seen the healing power of stories to motivate clients to action. I celebrate with Rob Wozny as his insights have now been launched in this great resource.”
Elaine Froese, “Canada’s Farm Whisperer”, Certified Professional Speaker (CSP), Certified Hudson Institute Coach, Grainews Columnist, Award-winning author, 150 Manitoba Women Trailblazer

When I work with the marketing departments of various companies, I often hear people talk about communicating their ‘story’. But while this corporate buzzword gets thrown around a lot, few people truly understand stories and their application to business. Rob Wozny is someone who does. His experience and deep understanding of the subject matter are apparent from the rich content he puts forth. Storytelling For Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age teaches you how to be more strategic and effective in crafting a company story and getting it out to the people who need to hear it. He has written a book that marketers, business owners and entrepreneurs alike can tap into to help them hone and leverage their storytelling and communication skills.
Anders Boulanger, Founder and CEO, Engagify Inc.

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Story Behind The Story

Chapter 2: The (Growing!) Need for Storytelling

Chapter 3: Build Your Own Media Network

Chapter 4: Choose Your Channel

Chapter 5: Managing The Media

Chapter 6: People Power

Chapter 7: Audience Analysis

Chapter 8: When a Story Goes Sideways

Chapter 9: The Inside Story

Chapter 10: Making Measurement Matter

Chapter 11: The Stories You Tell Yourself

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Chapter One
Chapter one explores what makes a compelling story for your business, including the structures, tools, strategies, and the science behind why people are influenced by the power of storytelling. The chapter gives you a fulsome perspective on what you need, while providing the peace of mind that less is sometimes more, when “more” is so readily and easily available.

Chapter Two
Chapter two examines the (growing) need for storytelling in companies and organizations, along with the benefits of investing in storytelling for business. The chapter offers the most important reasons why business storytelling is such a worthwhile endeavour for your business, correlated by evidence of return on investment.

Chapter Three
Chapter three explains how to build your own media network to distribute your storytelling content, complemented by ideas and concepts on how to maximize the storytelling for your business. The chapter cautions not to become overwhelmed by near-infinite options and how to decide what media ultimately is best for the story of your business.

Chapter Four
Chapter four dives into why people consume content on social media, making your storytelling amendable to your stakeholders via these platforms (your own media network), plus some of the other channels of communication your business can incorporate into your business storytelling.

Chapter Five
Chapter five delves into one of the most impactful channels of amplifying your business storytelling – the mainstream media, whose own social media networks are in some cases more powerful than some of their own traditional channels. While a palatable storytelling option, the chapter covers some of the risk and reward of working with the media.

Chapter Six
Chapter six showcases the most important element of storytelling for business – people. Along with how to choose your storytellers, chapter six shows you how to prepare them to communicate your messages effectively and accurately, while coming across as genuine and interesting.

Chapter Seven
Chapter seven identifies who are the most influential people you need to reach to take a desirable course of action, influenced by the storytelling of your business. The chapter goes into greater detail on how they think and act in relation to your storytelling content, and how and where to find them.

Chapter Eight
Chapter eight guides you through how to respond and recover if the story of your business does not go as planned, generating a negative response, or inadvertently harming the operations of your organization. Presented as When a Story Goes Sideways, this chapter covers some strategies to prevent sideways stories from occurring in the first place and who you need on your team to help you with this important risk-mitigation strategy.

Chapter Nine
Chapter nine looks inward to tell the story of your business from an internal perspective. Your internal stakeholders, especially your employees, are the most powerful storytellers within your networks. The chapter explores how to identify and empower them to be your organization’s ultimate ambassadors.

Chapter Ten
Chapter ten investigates why measurement matters in storytelling for business. The chapter explains some of the leading benchmarks and tools to measure if your storytelling succeeded in supporting the goals of the organization, and how you can leverage them to track ROI.

Chapter Eleven
Chapter eleven reveals that storytelling for business is not always an easy journey, but certainly worth taking the risk as the benefits can be profound and rewarding, both personally and professionally. The chapter provides some guidance and advice on storytelling perseverance in the face of some detractors who may try to knock you back, but elucidating you to the bigger storytelling picture.

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Paperback / 9781788603454 / May 31, 2022 / £14.99

Ebook / 9781788603478 / May 30, 2022 / £7.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £16.99

Rob Wozny

For more than 25 years, storytelling has been at the core of everything Rob Wozny has accomplished as an intrepid senior journalist, creative content strategist, and proven business communicator.
Leveraging his passion and experience for storytelling, Rob works with organizations to understand their goals and align them business storytelling ideas, personalized to attract and engage the people that matter most to them.
As a sought-after instructor, speaker, and author, Rob shares storytelling opportunities and challenges with organizations, drawing on decades of experience serving senior leaders and entrepreneurs across a variety of industries.
However, the most rewarding and ever-evolving narrative for Rob is the story of his family, with his partner Lisa of 25 years, and their two daughters. Some of their favourite chapters have been ‘written’ from outdoor and travelling activities with many more on the horizon.