Storytelling and the art of delivery

Written by Christian Easdown

A recent survey from the Literacy Trust found that 536,223 children aged 5 to 8 do not own a single book of their own at home. To put that into perspective, that equates to almost 1 in every 5 children within that age group in the UK.

In my eyes, and I’m sure in many others, that is a shocking statistic.

One of my favourite things to do every evening is sit down and read a story with my children. I’m not going to pretend bed time is always a calm experience (as I’m sure many parents can relate to..!), but the look on their faces when they are fully captivated in a story is priceless.

But why are stories so important?

In the case of our industry, where data underpins everything that we do, choosing how to deliver that data can be the success or failure of a research project.

As researchers, we typically have all the ingredients we need to shape a story; business context, objectives, stakeholder engagement, research design, data collection – but it’s the synthesis and delivery of those ingredients that sets things apart.

TOP OF THE LIST

Storytelling has become one of the top items on the agenda at Boxclever, with our recent strategy day being themed around the topic. As a business we recognise the importance of effective storytelling in insight, but equally recognise it’s not always that easy to execute.

A number of us recently attended the MRS Storytelling conference where we listened to a range of inspiring presentations on examples where storytelling was at the heart of the project, but the presentation that resonated with me the most was not a showcase of a recent study, but a practical guide on how to effectively communicate insight in a story-led approach.

It’s great to see examples of projects executing storytelling, but when it boils down to it, those practical tips and tricks for delivery are gold dust to any insight professional.

I am going to shamelessly tell my own version of that story…

IT'S EASIER TO COMPLICATE, THAN TO SIMPLIFY

One of the principles to delivering any story is to keep it simple. That doesn’t mean that the journey you take throughout the project will be simple, but when communicating that insight, simplicity is key. Your audience should be leaving with a clear picture of the story you have told.

It is often the case that we fall trap to cramming everything we can into our work because it’s easier to complicate, than to simplify.

HAVE A PURPOSE

A story should always keep it’s purpose. It can be all too easy to lose sight of the end goal, what you want your listeners to focus on, and ultimately what your key messages are. Keeping the purpose requires a strict mindset. Only reporting on the points that matter can often be the hardest thing.

THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE SOMEONE'S MIND IS TO CONNECT WITH THEM FROM THE HEART

A good story should feel personal at heart. The importance of putting emotion into your work should never be played down. When you go into a presentation or a debrief session, how do you want people to feel at the end? What emotions do you want to elicit?

People hold onto feelings more than words. By creating those 'mood moments', your stories will be more memorable and impactful.

BE WHO YOU ARE AND SAY WHAT YOU FEEL

Finally, and one that particularly spoke to me is, be your authentic self. I am not a naturally extroverted person, I find large groups quite intimidating, but that being said, I relish the opportunity to deliver insight to clients – to hook them in and tell that story. Being shy and introverted is fine, just as long as you own your story. If you have passion about the story you’re telling, you will captivate your audience. People who naturally stand out are those who are being themselves.

These may all seem obvious tips, but I challenge anyone reading this to think whether they have achieved all of the above in your recent projects.



As a sector, we are constantly seeking new ways to visualise our data, but perhaps it is the most simplest techniques in how you tell your story that matters the most.