AI StorySelling for Business

The World Is Changing! The world is changing! And we are right in the middle of it! From the health crisis of the last few years, it went directly into a social and economic crisis. -0.3% economic growth in Germany, increasingly extreme weather phenomena and war in Ukraine. The world is changing.

And with it, the human being also changes. We live in an overabundance of information, which pours in on us through so many different channels as never before. We are literally flooded with data, facts and opinions. The World Is Changing!

And at the same time, it also means being able to experience one of the most exciting phases of the century. That’s how I see it, anyway, as a communications junkie and technology fan. Because we are directly in the transition from an Internet that was researched and developed by universities and colleges to the next stage: Internet 3.0. An Internet that is largely shaped by corporations and large tech companies. The presentation of the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality glasses provides a foretaste of where the journey is headed. We will soon see an immersive Internet that will change the way we collaborate in the enterprise. The flood of data and information will not become less, but more.

With all the changes, one thing remains the same. One thing that always attracts the attention of us humans, no matter what is happening around us. And these are stories! We love good stories and most of all we love good storytelling. Whether as a Neanderthal at the fire, as a spectator:in of plays or online gamer in front of the Playstation. A compelling story, no matter what form it takes, has always excited us because we can identify with it. Because we empathize with feelings and experiences and feel connected to each other through them. Because: We are the sum of our experiences.

Good storytelling not only grabs our attention. It also provides an opportunity to gain trust. Storytelling vividly conveys the vision and attitude of a company with its products or service. Interested parties as well as customers and employees can thus follow with conviction. CEOs, managing directors and executives become human and approachable despite the corporate hierarchy.

In a world that is full of uncertainty, companies and managers have a responsibility to inspire confidence and create identification. Therein lies a great opportunity, especially for communicators.

But how can technical solutions and AI applications, such as ChatGPT, help to gain more trust and customers through storytelling by executives and companies?

At the beginning there are always the own stories and experiences. These should definitely be recorded in a story archive. Especially when corporate leadership is on stage with keynotes and presentations, these stories can be used in a targeted way.

The CEO of Ritter Sport recently reported with shining eyes how the establishment of his own cocoa plantation in Nicaragua and the encounters on site have changed the entire company for good. These are the stories that absolutely must be captured and used by corporate communications.

At the beginning, it is crucial to clarify what purpose the AI should support and what specific content should be the final result. Is it about a speech by the CEO on corporate strategy? Or should new videos be scripted for the website with current topics? What length, what tonality and what emotion should it achieve?

The next step is to define a story framework. From the Pixar Framework to the Story Circle to the classic Hero’s Journey, all text AI applications now know the most important story frameworks, can adopt them directly, and can use them to develop a clear structure.

In the course of this, the AI tool should definitely be assigned a role at the same time. For example, it can be exciting to write part of the board speech in the style of Steve Jobs. Why not?

Storytelling is all about zooming into the situation at the right points. Where do you want to amplify the emotion? Where do you want to show even more empathy towards your audience? At this point, at the latest, communicators should take over again and bring in their own empathy towards the desired target group.

With this approach, every communication becomes powerful storytelling, because the days when PR practitioners had to start with a blank sheet of paper are long gone. AI can do this with ease and provide plenty of inspiration on the fly.

An inspiration that will lead to better storytelling and emotional communication with empathy. Let’s use this inspiration to create more trust and more identification for customers and employees.

Because: The world is changing! Storytelling has never been more important!

Christof Schmid is a speaker, author and founder of Hi Story Consulting and advises companies, entrepreneurs and executives on the topic of communication and storytelling. He is also head of the technology theme cluster of the AG CommTech.