Do’s & Don’ts of Crafting Narratives That Elevate Your Company
“When you’re telling the story, it has to be all about them; they have to see where they fit into the story.” —Logan Stout, Founder, IDLife
“Their ability to build and grow a team hinges on whether they can share the multiple stories.” —Michelle Schaffer, CEO, KingdomAlliance
“..at its core, the ‘it’ factor is recognizing that you can’t be everything to everyone—and not just being OK with that but fully embracing it..” —Shelley Rojas, Chief Brand Officer, Impact Health Sharing
“As soon as that story isn’t controlled by the corporate team, it becomes a dangerous weapon.” —Paul Adams, Founder, Adams Resource Group
According to Harvard Business Review, executives can drive change, build loyalty, and connect with customers by utilizing effective storytelling in marketing—and prior to 2020, many direct selling companies considered storytelling a “Direct Selling 101” lesson in creating a successful business.
In the years since the COVID-19 pandemic—with many people home-bound—direct selling has experienced a dramatic shift. Consumer attitudes and expectations have changed, buying habits have changed, and what people expect from employment (and side-gigs) has changed.
Over the next several months, Social Selling News will address how executives can approach the fundamental components of direct selling that help companies re-assert their relevance, grow sales and attract and retain new independent business owners (IBOs).
Storytelling, at its most basic level, involves crafting narratives that resonate with audiences by highlighting struggles, keeping it simple, and focusing on the core message. It also emphasizes understanding an audience’s anxieties, contextualizing the stories, and making them action-oriented.
Cameron Olds, co-founder and president of Protagonist Communications, makes an important distinction about storytelling in the direct selling channel. “Not everyone understands what storytelling means. They may think, ‘Oh, we need to do a better job of telling our when and why we were founded.’ But storytelling is really intention and obstacle, which is more interesting than ‘The company was founded in 1984.’ It’s all about ‘What does your target customer want? What stands in their way of getting there? How do you help them bridge the chasm between what they want and where they’re at right now?’ That’s storytelling.”
Want Growth? Tell Your Story Better
“When I founded IDLife, we didn’t even have anything to sell yet. It was really telling the story of ‘One size fits no one; we’re all unique, we’re all different,’” says IDLife founder and former CEO Logan Stout, who now focuses on consulting, leadership training, and coaching baseball.
Stout believes authentic passion is essential. “The product or service needs to be something that is critical to the storyteller.” He says it has to be so crucial someone would promote it regardless of financial opportunity.
“If you just sell weight loss or vitamins or energy or sleep, everybody in the world seems to be selling that,” he says. “You must have a unique story that piques people’s interest, keeps their attention, and then the magic is mastering how you tell that story—always with a strong call to action.”
Paul Adams, who now leads Adams Resource Group, has spent his career helping companies clarify their stories and messaging. “When you have a story to tell that’s really clear, really concise, and really compelling, then it takes the hard part out of the hands of the distributor. Because they no longer have to think, ‘What will I say?’
“Of course, they have to fill in the blanks about their own personal journey. But crafting the corporate story is crucial for the executive team, because as soon as that story isn’t controlled by the corporate team, it becomes a dangerous weapon.” Adams notes that in the absence of a compelling story, the field will make one up.
Two Worst-Case Scenarios
In these situations, the worst-case scenario is in the most common place—social media. Adams describes a predictable pattern of compliance issues with field activity online: “They start making claims they can’t make, they start saying things they shouldn’t say, and they say things mostly out of order.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) actively investigates consumer claims against direct selling companies for statements made online by IBOs. Even proving that the company was proactive in addressing noncompliance and closely monitors social media will not prevent the FTC from pursuing these claims. As recently as 2023, Neora won its court case against FTC claims, but it cost the company about $20 million, none of which was reimbursed by the government agency.
Adams further explains the second-worst case scenario, which could prove even more costly than $20 million: In the absence of a concise, clear and compelling story, IBOs become ineffective at promoting the business.
“So many Distributors will start talking about themselves, the origin story and all that before anybody cares about it,” he notes. “Yes, those are important foundational pieces, but only after you’ve convinced me that you have something that I might be interested in. Until I know that you have something that solves a problem for me personally, I don’t really care that you’ve won all these awards and you have 87,000 patents.”
Telling the Story Well
Kingdom Alliance’s CEO Michelle Schaffer says excellent storytelling from a field standpoint is crucial. “The story is the most important facet of any leader in network marketing. Their ability to build and grow a team hinges on whether they can share the multiple stories. Without that, they’re dead in the water.”
Adams adds to this, “The best stories are personal, ones that have connected with (the potential customer) emotionally regarding a possible solution. Now that she might be interested, you can tell her why she should trust you—which is the 87,000 patents and the solutions backed by science or whatever the positioning is.”
Shelley Rojas, chief brand officer at Impact Health Sharing, has led storytelling in the direct sales channel for over 20 years, shaping brand narratives for hundreds of companies through a wide range of platforms and experiences. “Storytelling is where it all starts; if the story isn’t compelling—if it doesn’t engage—none of the other elements will land. We are designed by human nature to seek out, to be attracted to stories, and that’s what grabs our attention.”
Referencing a 2019 presentation she gave at a direct selling channel event for executives, she adds, “Some companies seem to have the ‘it’ factor and some don’t. While many variables play a role, at its core, the ‘it’ factor is recognizing that you can’t be everything to everyone—and not just being OK with that but fully embracing it. Whether your message resonates with a niche audience or a few key groups, refine your segmentation and focus on the people you’re truly built to serve. when you try to be everything to everyone, your message gets watered down—and you lose the clarity and connection that make people care.”
Key Factors to an Engaging Story
Authenticity forms the cornerstone of effective storytelling, as Schaffer emphasizes. “First and foremost, it can’t be acted out. People are attuned to authenticity,” she explains. Though great communication skills and charisma are valuable, Schaffer believes genuine authenticity trumps all. Drawing on scientific research, she references the 2017 German SPANE study on emotional frequencies, noting that “authenticity is a frequency that people exude; and I’ve read that it’s a more powerful frequency than even love.”
Her personal preference illustrates this principle perfectly: “I’d rather listen to somebody passionate and authentic talk about dirt than I would like the best speaker in the world just redoing the same speech over and over.”
The audience-centered approach represents another crucial element of successful storytelling. Stout stresses that effective stories must help people envision themselves in the narrative. “When you’re telling the story, it has to be all about them; they have to see where they fit into the story,” he explains. This visualization creates mental space for considering what’s being offered. Stout acknowledges that not every product fits everyone’s needs, making it essential to understand the listener’s personal story first. The fundamental question becomes how to communicate effectively to diverse audience segments, which Stout answers simply: “good storytelling.”
Presenting story elements in the proper sequence proves vital, according to Adams. He identifies a common pitfall where companies present information out of order, failing to establish relevance before diving into credentials. “The fundamental challenge most have is getting storytelling components out of order,” he notes, explaining that many businesses focus too quickly on the doctor or medical expert and are “all about the science” instead of addressing what consumers actually want to know: “Can I lose weight with this product?”
Rojas adds, “Good storytelling helps people see themselves in the narrative. It answers the question, ‘How does this make my life better?’ You’re not just selling something; you’re solving a problem they’ve been living with—or offering a way to achieve something they care about.”
She highlights brands that have done this with bold authenticity: “Cash App leans into cultural fluency without over-explaining. Glossier’s unapologetic approach to beauty and Peloton’s community-driven, motivational messaging didn’t play it safe—they connected by addressing real desires and aspirations in an engaging way. These brands didn’t try to please everyone. They went deep with the audience they were built for.”
To help brands in the direct selling space do the same, Rojas points to tools like audience personas and the generational research from Bridgehead Collective. “Their insights are gold—especially when you’re trying to understand what different age groups value, what motivates them, and how they want to be communicated with. When you use those tools as your guide during the creative process, you stay grounded. You make choices that reflect where your audience actually is in life—and that’s what makes them stop, listen, and think, ‘Finally, someone gets it.’”
Impact
Kingdom Alliance’s Radiant Leadership Coaching program exemplifies the transformative power of effective storytelling in business growth. Testimonials drive the program’s success, as Schaffer explains: “The reason it’s successful is because of the stories of transformation.”
These narratives serve as powerful connectors in their marketing approach. Schaffer believes these stories create a ripple effect of inspiration throughout a participant’s community. “The story is filled with hope. The stories give other people hope,” she notes, describing how these narratives provide potential clients with something tangible to aspire to.
The credibility gap between corporate and peer messaging represents another critical aspect of effective storytelling. Schaffer acknowledges her own authenticity as a company leader while recognizing the inherent limitations of her position.
“It’s one thing for me to say something. Yes, I’m authentic and I know people feel it. But they also know that I’m the owner of the company,” she explains. Customers sharing their experiences without obvious financial motivation, on the other hand, means their testimonials carry exceptional weight, she says.
“When they hear peers sharing stories with each other, that’s the magic sauce,” Schaffer observes, pointing to the genuine passion that drives this organic sharing.
The amplification effect of digital platforms has intensified both the challenges and opportunities of storytelling. Schaffer notes how social media has accelerated information sharing across all emotional spectrums. “We live in a world where bad news travels really, really fast; faster than ever before and spreads like wildfire,” she acknowledges.
However, she immediately counters this observation with an important reminder: “But I think people forget that so does good news.” This balanced perspective underscores her belief in the enduring power of positive word-of-mouth.
Simplifying the Story
Practical frameworks help simplify storytelling for business growth. Schaffer and her team at Kingdom Alliance have developed a structured four-step method to guide field members through creating concise, effective narratives. “We do use a little bit of a template when teaching people how to share their 60-second story,” she explains.
Their framework builds a complete narrative arc beginning with personal challenges, continuing through the human connection that introduced them to solutions, and concluding with vision-casting. This methodical approach ensures stories remain focused and impactful while maintaining brevity. “We suggest that the story be about 60 seconds,” Schaffer notes, emphasizing the importance of concision.
Adams and Rojas highly recommend using established narrative frameworks for their accessibility and entertainment-based structure. Rojas explains, “‘It’s easy to understand, and I love that it’s rooted in the structure of movies—designed to grab attention, hold focus, and guide you through a well-crafted narrative.’”
Adams appreciates frameworks that use sequential organization. “They put everything in sequence so you’re setting things up to offer solutions,” he says. This methodical progression creates a narrative path that leads naturally to concrete action steps, allowing storytellers to conclude with clear guidance: “Now I have a plan. Here’s how we do it.”
Professional expertise in storytelling frameworks has become increasingly valuable in the industry. Cameron Olds at Protagonist Communications has earned certification as a narrative development guide, bringing specialized knowledge to his firm’s consulting work. His team has innovatively combined established storytelling methodologies with artificial intelligence technologies, creating cutting-edge tools that help companies and their representatives craft narratives that are not only engaging but also compliant with industry regulations.
Message clarity and consistency prove especially challenging in organizations with multiple layers of communication. Olds highlights this common obstacle: “It’s important to be clear and different, but it’s also important to be consistent.” He explains that while executives may have well-defined vision, transferring that vision throughout large organizations often proves problematic. This cascading effect becomes particularly pronounced when reaching field members who may have limited direct contact with corporate leadership.
Stories Can Evolve
Rojas concludes, “It all comes back to authenticity. Stay true to who you are. If your brand is evolving, be willing to reset—or at least talk through it. Make intentional decisions. Know why you’re offering this product or service, and be clear on why you’ve chosen this model, especially in today’s landscape. Evolution doesn’t mean chasing the latest trend or algorithm—it means staying in tune with where your audience is, how the world is shifting, and how that’s impacting their lives.”
Schaffer agrees. “Anything that is healthy and living evolves; that’s the process of life when it comes to being in business. For example, as a distributor, I tell people that if you are not evolving with technology, you’ll evaporate—you’re just going to age out because today’s network marketing is much more digital than it used to be. And with companies there should be evolution when it comes to innovation. While some parts of the culture should be foundational and shouldn’t change, the stories, the methods and the mediums can.”
“The world changes,” Adams observes. “What people are looking for changes. It doesn’t mean your product has to change, but the way they view it might be through a different lens. To effectively evolve the story, get buy-in from legacy distributors, then move forward.”
