Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success

238 Pages·2017·2.35 MB·English

by  Esther K. Choy

Thank you for downloading this
AMACOM eBook.
Sign up for our newsletter, AMACOM BookAlert, and receive
special offers, access to free samples, and info on the latest new
releases from AMACOM, the book publishing division of
American Management Association.
To sign up, visit our website: www.amacombooks.org
To learn more about the American Management Association
visit: www.amanet.org

The copyright information for this title may be found at the end of this eBook
file.
Advance Praise for Let the Story Do the Work
“A well-written and thought-provoking guide on how to create and communicate
a persuasive story. Choy demystifies the process of writing and communicating
by giving the reader a structure and framework for success.”
—Kathi Elster, coauthor of Working with You Is Killing Me, Working for You
Isn’t Working for Me, and Mean Girls at Work
“Trying to get ahead in life without reading this book is like going into a duel
unarmed. Esther Choy converts art to virtual science, providing an extraordinary
guide to winning with storytelling. It is enjoyable reading and filled with
valuable lessons.”
—Lloyd E. Shefsky, Retired Clinical Professor, Kellogg School of
Management; consultant to entrepreneurs and family enterprises; author of
Entrepreneurs Are Made Not Born, and Visionaries Are Made Not Born
“In our world of sound bites and information overload, storytelling has the
power to persuade, to connect, and to inspire individuals to take action. In Let
the Story Do the Work, Choy deconstructs the mystery of a great story, and
presents compelling, practical techniques to make your message stand out and
sink in. It will be required reading for members of my organization to enrich
both their presentations and their one-on-one communications.”
—Rose Fealy, CFO, major Chicago cultural institution
“In this book Esther Choy gives us a lively lesson in storytelling. Let the Story
Do the Work gives you the tools to bring your own story to life, and to influence,
engage, and inspire with your stories.”
—Andreas Kuster, Owner of Jakob’s Basler Leckerly, Switzerland, Founded
in 1753
“Esther Choy convinced me to use storytelling in teaching quantitative methods
and talking to industry practitioners about big data and other modern data
science concepts. While I was skeptical at first, the storytelling worked! Now I
regularly use Esther’s ideas—clearly laid out in Let the Story Do the Work—
when I need to talk about difficult technical material. Read this book, try it out,
and observe how Esther’s approach to storytelling will work wonders for you as
well.”
—Karl Schmedders, Ph.D., Chair of Quantitative Business Administration,
University of Zurich; Director of Knowledge Transfer, Swiss Finance Institute
“This book debunks the myth that storytellers are born and not made. Esther
Choy empowers us with formulas and tools that will make us better storytellers
—able to craft impactful ‘yarns’ that can inspire audiences. Having had the
opportunity to test the three-act storytelling process and the various templates in
the book, I can say from experience that these concepts make a significant and
immediate difference. I wish I had access to this book decades ago.”
—Justin Craig, Ph.D., Co-Director, Center for Family Enterprises, Kellogg
School of Management, and coauthor, Leading a Family Enterprise
“Esther Choy shepherded me through an MBA rebirth story—and my admission
results at top-tier business schools went from “all denied” to “all accepted”! In
doing so, she also gave me storytelling tools that have equipped me for my post-
MBA executive quest. She’s packed that panoply and more into Let the Story Do
the Work so you can arm yourself to write your own business success story—
among others.”
—James Immordino, marketing executive at a major global media company
“It’s no secret that stories make facts memorable and relatable. But most people
who consider themselves not creative struggle to create narratives that convey
facts in a way that engages the listener. Let the Story Do the Work offers
frameworks for structuring crisp stories that flow and leave the listener with the
most important takeaways. This is a powerful, yet accessible book that will
motivate and help anyone seeking to excel in the art and science of storytelling.”
—Michael F. Malone, Associate Dean, EMBA and MBA programs, Columbia
Business School
“Let the Story Do the Work deftly marries the art of storytelling and the science
of persuasion. With compelling insights, Choy demonstrates how to use emotion
to gain the attention of any audience, even in a world crowded with so many
competing messages, products, and services. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the
fabric of stories Choy weaves together to illustrate the most important elements
of storytelling. Her book will inspire anyone looking to break through the clutter
and become the author of their own success.”
—Kate Smith, Assistant Dean, Admissions and Financial Aid, Kellogg School
of Management
“I was very skeptical that Esther’s storytelling techniques could make a
difference for me and have an impact on engaging and enrolling an audience into
my mission. After all, I had made successful business presentations for decades.
BUT, the teachings in her book have made a real difference to my stakeholders
and, subsequently, to me. Setting the ‘hook’ was a game changer. After telling
one story, the audience was impressed; however, after setting the hook for a later
presentation, the expressions on the faces in the audience were priceless—and
the positive feedback was overwhelming. I was ‘hooked’ and no longer
skeptical. Let the Story Do the Work is a powerful yet enjoyable read, and it will
help your stories sing and your audience applaud!”
—Tony M. Orlando, Director, United States Auto Club
“Practical and empathetic, Let the Story Do the Work is an important guide for
anyone seeking to improve their storytelling skills. The insightful stories Esther
tells effectively teach the reader and keep the pages turning. The clear tools and
step-by-step templates that she shares convert theory into action and will keep
readers returning to this book time and time again.”
—Stephen Shih, Former Head of MBA Career Services, Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology
“Storytelling is more important in business today than ever. It is indeed a critical
skill—especially for talented entrepreneurs building the next generation of high-
growth startups who share their vision with customers, investors, and potential
employees every day and need to nail it. In her inspiring new book Let the Story
Do the Work, Esther K. Choy shares countless examples from the front lines that
will forever change your perception on why telling your story more effectively
can be the difference between success and failure. In this book Choy provides a
simple framework for bringing stories to life, along with practical
recommendations on how we all can become better storytellers and be more
successful in business and in our personal lives.”
—Kevin Willer, Partner, Chicago Ventures
“Having recently reviewed dozens of resumes to select a handful of applicants, I
now understand exactly why Esther Choy’s Let the Story Do the Work is a must-
read for anyone who wants to present him/herself to a stranger. It’s impossible to
fathom why one should meet a candidate based solely on a list of data on a page.
More broadly, really thinking about the audience and what is likely to create a
lasting impression is an invaluable exercise when presenting facts. The book is a
must-read for anyone who wants to make information memorable—and who
doesn’t fit that description?”
—Maura O’Hara, Executive Director, Illinois Venture Capital Association
“If your goal is to inspire others to take action, Let the Story Do the Work is a
must-read. In a world where making sense of complex data is more crucial than
ever, your audiences will greatly appreciate your newly-honed skill of
connecting the dots through the magic of story. This book is filled with very
practical guidance underpinned by concrete examples. Fun to read, Choy has
organized each chapter and topic through stories. You’ll want to turn to the next
page, and the next page, and the next. . . .”
—Britta Rendlen, Head of Sustainable Finance, World Wildlife Fund,
Switzerland
“Esther Choy has figured out the primary role of story: how what we tell each
other about one another, and the world around us, is the communication that
binds us, and what makes the tangle of individual networks into the fabric of a
society. Enjoy this useful and entertaining deconstruction, to your benefit.”
—Leigh Bienen, author, Florence Kelley and the Children
“Esther Choy hits the nail on the head: ‘At the heart of leadership lies
persuasion. At the heart of persuasion lies storytelling.’ As our world becomes
more polarized, storytelling provides the ability for diverse perspectives to be
understood, if not united. In this book, Choy outlines how you can improve your
ability to connect with an individual or group through storytelling.”
—Brian Halloran, Colonel, US Army
“Starting off in financial services, you are rewarded for your technical expertise.
As you advance, you are more likely to find yourself presenting financial results
to clients, pitching new project work to prospects, and coaching team members.
Critical to your long-term success is your ability to tell a story. That ability
enables you to connect, to persuade, and to grow your business. That’s why you
need Esther Choy’s book. Let the Story Do the Work not only articulates the why
of storytelling, but also provides the how—to successfully add storytelling to
your professional (and personal) toolbox.”
—Rissa Reddan, Chief Marketing Officer, Performance Trust Capital
Partners, LLC
“As subject matter experts, we often assume people around us are also fellow
experts, and mistakenly give them an expert-level volume of details at an expert
level of complexity. This spraying-and-praying approach ironically obfuscates
the true value of our work in the eyes of key stakeholders. Not only does Let the
Story Do the Work heighten our awareness to avoid this communication trap, it
also provides repeatable frameworks and flexible templates so that we, the
experts, can inspire and influence decision makers regardless of their level of
expertise.”
—Janet Kong, Head of Supply Chain Management, Integrated Circuit
Materials, Merck Group
“Just another how-to book, you think? No. An engaging, easy-to-read book from
master story facilitator, Esther Choy, that will quickly draw you in with wide-
ranging and absorbing stories, while simultaneously teaching and modeling
Choy’s valuable techniques to help you bring your own stories to life.”
—Linda Akutagawa, President & CEO, Leadership Education for Asian
Pacifics, Inc.
“Success depends on engaging people’s attention and having influence.
Storytelling humanizes business communications—and Let the Story Do the
Work demonstrates how to engage and influence people through storytelling. A
fun read with useful tips that make you want to write down your own stories in
mid-chapter.”
—Julia Tang Peters, international leadership consultant, and author of Pivot
Points: Five Decisions Every Successful Leader Must Make
“Take a minute and recall the last time you were inspired and compelled to
action by someone. Chances are, it was because the person gripped you with a
magnificent story. In this book, Esther Choy dissects the ‘art’ of storytelling and
transforms it into a repeatable ‘science.’ She then guides us through constructing
our own extraordinary stories . . . that we can use to more effectively inspire and
compel others to action.”
—David Wong, Senior Director, Innovation & Acceleration Lab, Chicago
Mercantile Exchange Group
LET THE
story
DO THE
WORK
The Art of Storytelling for Business Success
ESTHER K. CHOY
For Dad
The best storyteller I know.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It really took a village to help me complete this book. So my deepest gratitude
goes to:
All my clients, colleagues, and friends who so generously shared their work
examples and personal stories so I could bring my storytelling concepts to life.
Don Norman, my mentor and design thinking professor, who put the idea of
writing a book in my head—and heart—in the first place.
Brooke Vuckovic, executive coach extraordinaire, who has nudged me to step
into my own spotlight.
My agent Janet Rosen at Sheree Bykofsky Associates, who believes in me
and in the book’s potential to enrich and enhance readers’ careers.
My editor Ellen Kadin and her team at AMACOM Books, whose patient and
firm guiding hands have “raised” the book to be clear, concise, and, if I may say
so, brilliant.
My team Sachin Waikar, Becky Talbot, Reena Kansal, and Sara Dennison for
your coaching, editing, researching, proofreading, and nerve calming.
My dear husband Bernhard Krieg for your unyielding support. Thank you for
taking the kids for a whole month so I could focus on writing! What would I do
without you?
Last but not least, my readers, whose affinity and curiosity for business
storytelling fuel my passion for this topic. I hope this book will help you travel
far and well on your career journey.