Last week, yours truly traveled to Chicago to attend Feeding America’s annual Mobilizing the Public conference, ready to hobnob and learn from the more than 400 food bank communicators and fundraisers who have come together for this event.

One of the most buzzed-about workshops was “Effective Storytelling,” presented by Roger Fishman, founder and CEO of ZiZo Group. His workshop was not initially on my go-list, but by day 2, with glowing reviews and comments like “his last session was standing room only,” it seemed ridiculous for me to miss it.

As it turns out, Mr. Fishman has quite the pedigree (marketing and media veteran, published author, and a famous wife), but instead of starting off with a run-down of his impressive resume, he chose to open the session by telling us a story about his mother, his childhood and his family’s struggle to get by.

He told us how as a kid he couldn’t afford lunch, but was too ashamed to stand in line for a free meal, so he skipped lunch altogether.  He told us about his elementary school principal who showed incredible kindness by giving him a quarter each day to buy lunch so he could eat and not be teased by other kids.  He told us about the importance of dignity, even for a young boy like him, and how his childhood experience affects the way he thinks about his own charitable giving today.   He told us about how much he admired the work of the food banks because they allow people to hold on to their dignity.

As he finished his intro, I looked across the room and saw 50 pairs of eyes glued onto him, some even glistening with tears. Wow, this guy’s good.  He obviously did his homework and knew that his personal story is the best way into the hearts and minds of a group of compassionate food bank employees. 

So how can storytelling be effective?  Mr. Fishman offers the following:

• Know your audience.  Everything starts from here because we all make decisions emotionally.  Without an emotional benefit, all the facts in the world won’t make an ounce of difference.  Find out what moves them, bring it to life and then make it personal and relevant.
• Do your homework. In addition to knowing your audience, know your competition, know your environment, and know your goals.
• Get to the point.  Time is precious.  Be quick and be authentic.
• Story sharing vs. storytelling: A story should be a two-way exchange.  We are all incubators for stories… encourage participation from your audience, and find out what’s their story?
• Think laterally: Don’t just be linear in your storytelling—if it feels familiar, it probably has been done before.   Repackage your story and frame it in a new way. 
• Firsthand stories beat secondhand any day.  If you cannot be present—ask for specific details before retelling.
• Always be relevant, different and important to your audience.

He closed his workshop by saying that all of us have our own personal and professional experiences that shape our narrative.  The important thing is to do the research, take the time to get to know your audience, and make your story relevant.