In this Expert Insight Interview, Guillaume Wiatr discusses how to sell innovation with a strategic narrative. Guillaume Wiatr is the principal and founder of MetaHelm. He teaches CEOs, leadership teams, and entrepreneurs how to create a strategic initiative.
This Expert Insight Interview discusses:
- The difference between a story and a narrative
- Why narratives are more important now than ever before
- How narratives are conveyed in the business world
Story vs Narrative
If you look in the dictionary, “story” and “narrative” have very similar definitions. Still, there is one slight nuance in the term “narrative” that makes a big difference in the business context in terms of launching new products and ventures. Namely, a narrative conveys a particular point of view.
When we talk about a narrative in an industry, we refer to a set or system of conversations. The fact that it is a system means that you can break it down, reconstruct it, and shape it strategically for the benefit of something you are putting out on the market.
Importance of the Narrative
Things in the business world have evolved to the point where a narrative is more important than ever before. Part of the issue nowadays is that people have this perception that products and services are heavily commoditized and that they’re pretty much all the same.
Therefore, the narrative that you present and the experience of working with your customers and listening to them are the things that capture people. These things have come to the fore as being more critical than ever.
Higher Purpose
Narratives are conveyed through telling stories and the living of said stories. Companies have shifted their spending considerably towards experiences, including sponsoring and supporting events representing their purpose and message.
On the other hand, people want to work with companies that invite them to their narrative. We want to be part of a larger idea and belong to a group of people who share the same values and purpose. This trend existed before, but it has been magnified during the pandemic, as evidenced by the Great Resignation and other similar shifts.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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