Steve Multer, Human to Human Engagement: Nothing Gets Sold Until the Story Gets Told – Innova.Buzz 590
Steve Multer, Corporate Storytelling.
Our guest in this episode, is the energetic and passionate Steve Multer, founder of Steve Multer Corporate Storytelling. We delve into the power of corporate storytelling, highlighting its deep historical roots and its ability to build trust and create meaningful connections with audiences.
Here are three key points we discussed:
- Corporate storytelling is a powerful tool for building trust, loyalty, and human connections with customers and employees.
- Overcoming the fear of public speaking comes down to providing value to the audience and realizing they want the speaker to succeed.
- Sharing personal stories within a corporate environment can create leadership, foster unique problem-solving approaches, and build stronger connections with colleagues and customers.
From overcoming the fear of public speaking to the importance of personal storytelling, Steve offers valuable insights and practical tips for anyone looking to make an impact in the world of business and communication.
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Human to human engagement is the secret sauce in marketing and communication. Connect authentically and watch the magic happen. #AuthenticEngagement #PowerOfHumanConnection @stevemulter on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To Tweet
Show Notes from this episode with Steve Multer, Steve Multer Corporate Storytelling
In episode 590 of the Innova.Buzz podcast, host Jürgen Strauss welcomes guest Steve Multer, an expert in corporate storytelling. Steve shares his insights and experiences in this fascinating discussion.
Steve points out that although many stories have been told before, it’s the way we tell our own stories that showcases authenticity. Steve recalls a moment when he was inspired by Melissa Manchester, a pop star from the 1970s who learned from Paul Simon that the mark of authenticity lies in presenting a unique perspective on common themes. Steve encourages individuals who may hesitate to share their own stories, assuring them that their experiences hold value and can offer a fresh take. Within the corporate world and for entrepreneurs and business leaders, Steve emphasizes the importance of sharing personal stories to share unique approaches to challenges and problems. By sharing our stories, we not only empower ourselves but also inspire and lead others.
The conversation with Steve also touches on the impact of the global pandemic, which has accelerated the transition to digitization. He highlights the positive aspects of this transition, including the strength of technology for communication and business engagement, as well as humanity’s ability to create solutions and inventions in times of crisis.
Steve traces the origins of corporate storytelling back to John Deere in 1895, who used content storytelling to connect with farmers by sharing stories about their lives on the land. This concept of storytelling has evolved over the years, and today, it is about combining the details of a topic with personal experiences to create value and passion for the audience.
According to Steve, relying solely on numbers, data, and metrics is not enough to stand out in the marketplace, as competitors have their own data. Instead, building trust and understanding with the audience is key. Corporate storytelling allows for creating partnerships with customers rather than a transactional approach.
Steve emphasizes the effectiveness of human to human engagement in marketing, as opposed to a corporate to human approach. He explains that humans process information on three different levels: personal, consumer, and employee. Most advertising and marketing efforts usually go into the low value or no value bins in our brains. To be in the high value bin, marketing messages need to align with personal beliefs, be worth the audience’s time investment, and make business sense.
The importance of understanding the audience before creating content or delivering a message is another key point raised by Steve. He highlights the need to determine the motivation, communication style, and desired outcomes of the audience to tailor the message for their benefit.
Steve also explores the power of public speaking as a means of delivering success and benefiting others. Whether the audience is global or localized, he believes in taking a step back to understand their needs and perspectives, and to build trust and respect. He explains that the selection of a speaker for a talk is often based on their involvement and knowledge of a particular topic or project.
Fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, is a widespread fear experienced by many. Steve discusses the fear of negative evaluation (FNE) as a learned concept rooted in childhood experiences. He advises overcoming this fear by focusing on delivering value to the audience and realizing that the audience want the speaker to succeed.
Steve’s personal journey adds depth to the discussion. He emphasizes that anyone can speak in public, as long as they share their authentic personal views and perspectives. That willingness to share of yourself both positive and negative to expose your heart a little bit and create that connection between speaker and audience, it’s riskier, but it’s also where the gold lies, it’s what really does connect the audience to the speaker.
In conclusion, Innova.Buzz episode 590 with Steve Multer offers valuable insights into the power and importance of corporate storytelling. Steve’s expertise and experiences provide a wealth of knowledge for marketers, speakers, and individuals seeking to connect with their audiences and achieve success.
Public speaking is an opportunity to benefit others and achieve success. Take a step back, understand your audience, and tailor your message for their benefit. #PublicSpeakingSuccess #AudienceEmpathy @stevemulter on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To Tweet
The Buzz – Our Innovation Round
Here are Steve’s answers to the questions of our innovation round. Listen to the conversation to get the full scoop.
- 1 thing to be more innovative – Think on behalf of the other person, not on behalf of yourself.
- Best thing for new ideas – Listened to my clients and customers and listened.
- Favourite resource – Terry O’Reilly’s show “Under the Influence”
- Keep project/client on track – Get them to turn outward and focus on their marketplace and on human connection.
- Differentiate – Tell a story rather than share a pitch – an honest story from the heart that captures the imagination of someone else.
Action
At your next opportunity to communicate or interact with someone else – step number one: trust that your story has incredible value. Stop judging yourself. Stop worrying that other people are judging you as well. Simply go out and share what you know for the benefit of others, whatever your next opportunity to do that is, whether it’s tonight, tomorrow, a week from now.
When you get the opportunity to share your knowledge for someone else’s success and benefit, seize it, grab it, trust yourself.
Reach Out
You can reach out and thank Steve through his website.
Suggested Guest
Steve suggested we have a conversation with Terry O’Reilly – podcaster and author of the books The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, This I Know: Marketing Lessons From Under The Influence, and My Best Mistake; AND Don Colliver, author of Wink: Transforming Public Speaking with Clown Presence on future InnovaBuzz Podcast episodes.
Links:
- Website – Steve Multer
- Website – Corporate Storytelling
- Five Paths to Passionate Storytelling – use the code “soldtold23”
- Twitter – @stevemulter
- Instagram – @stevemulter
- YouTube
- Uri Hasson, This is Your Brain on Communication (TED Talk)
- Dave Stachowiak – Coaching for Leadership Podcast
Books
- Nothing Gets Sold Until the Story Gets Told: Corporate Storytelling for Career Success and Value-Driven Marketing by Steve Multer
Cool Things About Steve
- Steve was an actor for the first 30 years of his life.
- Steve has spent over 20 years as a face and voice for some of the world’s most powerful brands, delivering more than 20,000 live and broadcast presentations across the US, Europe, and Asia to over 2M customers, partners, analysts, and media.
- Steve co-wrote a musical Buried in Prosperity, which has been performed at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, the New Musical Theatre Festival at Ball State University, the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival, and was given a workshop/reading by Pittsburgh’s Point Park University as part of their New Musical Laboratory.
Tell your story passionately and genuinely, regardless of your expertise. Share your unique perspective to create connection and engage your audience. #AuthenticStorytelling #UniquePerspectives @stevemulter on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To Tweet
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