Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Luncheon recap

rob-biesenbachBy Lauren Gonn

One of the most powerful forms of communication is storytelling. 2014 is considered “the year of the story,” according to Entrepreneur. Rob Biesenbach explained at Friday’s luncheon that 63 percent of members in an audience remember stories, compared to 5 percent who remember statistics.

Stories can help accomplish many things when told correctly, including the ability to tap into peoples’ emotions, put a face on issues, connect us, humanize us with what we stand for and raise the stakes in a situation.

The proper structure of a story usually consists of a character(s) in pursuit of a goal while encountering an obstacle.

When telling a story, think about how your audience will react and what you want your audience to know, feel and do after they hear the story. Try to use your own personal experience and feelings to try and connect the audience with what you are expressing. And remember that less is more. Keep your stories concise and to the point.

With that, I will leave you with some tips from Rob Biesenbach:

  • Passion and emotion sell
  • Be original with what you are telling
  • Always be looking for new topics to discuss with others
  • Get personal with your audience

Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday, January 16, 2015

It’s an especially happy Friday in southeast Wisconsin today! Not only did we all wake up to 30 degree weather this morning, but it’s supposed to be 40 degrees tomorrow and the Packers are playing in the NFC championship on Sunday! While this has nothing to do with PR, I couldn’t contain my excitement. So, before you start to enjoy the weekend ahead, check out the articles below pertaining to Target’s PR nightmare, must-have marketing tools and resources for better writing. Enjoy!

Milwaukee Business Journal
Target’s latest PR nightmare: The ripple effect of a bad business decision Read>>>

Entrepreneur
15 must-have marketing tools for 2015 Read>>>

Inc.
50 awesome resources to help you be a better writer (and content marketer) Read>>>

Kristin Rabas (@krabas)
Sr. Public Relations Advisor
Aurora Health Care

Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday, June 13, 2014

I would say that most PR professionals consider themselves “communication experts.” Obviously everyone is going to make a mistake here and there, but overall we think we can write and speak pretty well. Therefore, this week’s Top 3 PR Articles of the Week reminds us of the communication pitfalls we should try to avoid. Enjoy!

Forbes
Two misleading words triggered GM’s catastrophic communication breakdown Read>>>

jimromenesko.com
‘Excited’ is the most overused word in PR Read>>>

Ragan
Phrases that sabotage your career Read>>>

I know I find myself inserting the word excited into news releases from time to time. Anyone else?

Have a great weekend!

Kristin Rabas (@krabas)
Sr. Public Relations Advisor
Aurora Health Care