Have you ever noticed how a founder can so naturally tell the organization’s story and how others flounder when given the opportunity. Last week I discussed this seeminlgy simple but so difficult task with author, Dan Portnoy. Dan recently wrote one one of the best introductions on how to tell your story as a For-Profit or Non-Profit organization, The Nonprofit Narrative: How Stories Can Save the World. Dan can be found at The Portnoy Media Group
Related Podcast and Transciption: Portnoy on Storytelling
Joe Dager: In the startup world, the founder always has the experience, the vision and that inspiration to tell a story. You talk about the story and how to create it but what makes that so seemingly difficult for others that are in an organization to do that?
Dan Portnoy: They think they’re supposed to be the founder. They think that when they relate the story, it doesn’t have the same, oomph or that same character but the truth is if I tell you, if Scott Harrison from Charity Water tells you the story of how he got started and I tell you the story of how he got started, it’s really only a little bit different, like the impact. As long as I’ve got my facts down, and I can share the information with the same kind of passion, it’s virtually similar. There isn’t somebody who’s going to say, “Wow, I’m definitely going to give to Charity Water now because I’ve heard Scott’s heart or I’ve heard this other guy tell about it.” If they’re going to donate or they were going to be involved with Charity Water, they’re going to do it no matter what, as long as me, as a storyteller, as long as I’m conveying the right pieces, which is not that hard. For me, I don’t think it’s that hard, it’s all about emotional connection. It’s all about the emotion when you hear Scott’s passion, when you hear him share the triumph and the heartache, as there’s an emotional response and as a storyteller, if I’m telling that story, it’s very important for me to make sure I tap into an emotional response because I will get you as the audience to remember the right things and to react the way I want you to. I really want to be careful there because I’m not thinking of it from a manipulative standpoint. I know that if I’m telling you a great story you’re going to be happy when I want you to be happy, and you’re going to be sad when I want you to be sad.
Joe Dager: It’s really about sharing that passion that has to come out of you when you tell that story.
Dan Portnoy: Oh, agreed, and I think, especially with non-profits. I think there’s really no limit to the passion. Most people who are working at a non-profit are involved in the issue that they’re talking about in some way. I mean, I’ve never gone to a homeless shelter or some sort of housing scenario where people who are working there previously were homeless or had a brother or a son or a spouse who was homeless. I mean, the impact is usually pretty great.
Joe Dager: You’re so correct because most people that are attracted to a non-profit has some experience in that area that brings them there. Have you found that to be true?
Dan Portnoy: Oh, very much, very much, I mean, like I would go so far as to say it’s probably 60% of the people who are at any non-profit experienced some sort of massive issue or experienced the help of a non-profit while dealing with the issue that this non-profit deals with or a close relative has and so, it’s very, it’s deeply personal.
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