---
title: "The Art of Storytelling: Part 1 – FitzMartin"
description: In today’s episode of Aligned, we’re taking a look through the Archives to relisten to Sean’s conversation with commercial film director Taylor Robinson.
---

![31 Square](https://www.fitzmartin.com/hubfs/31%20Square.jpg)

Centricity Podcast Episode 31 February 1, 2022

# The Art of Storytelling: Part I

Storytelling isn’t just a way to share your business’s stories and information; it’s a way to connect with your audience and elicit meaningful emotions on their voyage through their customer journey. In today’s episode of Aligned, we’re taking a look through the Aligned Archives to relisten to Sean’s conversation with commercial film director Taylor Robinson in this two-part episode. The topic? The **art of storytelling**.

 

**Applying storytelling to sales:**

- The difference between bad and good storytelling is the dialogue that allows the viewer to participate.
- A good story is, above all, relatable to the audience in some way. 
- Taylor’s favorite movie is Jaws, yet he has never been attacked or bitten by a shark. 
- However, he knows what it's like to be scared. And great storytelling finds the shared link (like an emotion) to make the audience experience the story themselves.  
- Often, the most challenging hurdle Taylor encounters when working with clients is the initial creative process, and the marketer or professional doesn’t know their story.
- Companies tend to talk about themselves. But the secret is to stop and ask what stories your audience wants to hear.

 

**Starting a Successful Story:**

- Start with two things: First, what do you want to accomplish? Second, what information does the audience need to achieve what I want to accomplish?
- When crafting your story, begin with a hook: an attention-grabbing narrative that establishes the problem.
- Story structure can be broken down into four parts: the problem, the character, the solution, and the place.

 

**Crafting stories to achieve business goals:**

- Your business should always be secondary. If you want to create a powerful video, your true star is the relatable emotion or problem.
- An essential secret to storytelling? The stakes, or what the main character stands to gain or lose.
- If you've got a story with no problem, you don't have a story. You have a list of features.

 

**What do I do if I see my competitors also telling people stories?** 

- Testimonials are a popular thing, and many businesses rely on them. So how do you make better ones? The good can only be as good as the bad is bad.
- People want to know what happens next. Even if it’s a bad or repetitive story, the journey to the solution is naturally captivating.

 

**You want the audience to be the hero, not the business (or the product.)**

- You want the highest possible production value you can afford.
- If you want your brand to appeal to your target audience, you need to create messages that look valuable.
- For smaller companies and organizations, you probably don’t need to (and can’t) spend $2 million on a TV commercial. But companies like Coca-Cola have to because they’re selling more than sugar and water; they’re selling a brand, lifestyle, and identity.

 

**Storytelling is a business tool that can draw more value from your marketplace.**

- Your marketing message should look like the brand you aspire to be, not who you currently are.
- The customer should be the hero, not your business. By demonstrating what is at stake, you’ll keep people invested in the outcome. 
- But also, just don’t overthink it. The art of storytelling is very simple, and if you understand the simple elements of a great story, you’ll be successful.

 

**Episode Resources:**

- [Aligned](https://fitzmartin.com/aligned/?hsLang=en) is a podcast for executives of emerging middle-market companies and executives pursuing growth and looking for new levers to pull. 
- Order Sean’s book [Shift](https://www.amazon.com/Shift-Practical-Business-Driven-Executive-Marketing/dp/1605440574).
- To connect with Sean Doyle, find him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-m-doyle/), or learn more about FitzMartin on the [company web page](https://fitzmartin.com/?hsLang=en). 
- You can find Taylor Robinson’s production company at [sixfootfive.com](https://www.sixfootfive.com/) and his storytelling organization at [arcstories.com](https://www.arcstories.com/). 
- [Save the Cat ](https://www.amazon.com/Save-Cat-Last-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1615931716/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628633604&sr=8-1)by Blake Snyder details the steps to a great story, especially on the screen.

Listen here or on [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taylor-robinson-the-art-of-storytelling-part-1/id1472052181?i=1000549648065) • [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4P1p6fpn4fVkFInQQS3RUa?si=arbHbARQT7G77ywLUm_tgA)

[Download](https://www.fitzmartin.com/hubfs/ALI_031__rev3.mp3?hsLang=en) [Next  Episode ](https://www.fitzmartin.com/centricity/podcast/the-art-of-storytelling-part-i-0?hsLang=en)