Business Storytelling (BWR207)

Learn to tell a cohesive business story

Business storytelling is aimed at anyone undertaking marketing, public relations or copywriting who wants to create a cohesive story across all elements of their work. It is an increasingly important skill to have in engaging with your customer base and in effectively communicating with staff. The course introduces the use of the nature of storytelling and literary devices used in creative writing in  a business context, with the aim of helping business writers enhance their skills and develop new approaches to communication.

The course looks at each element required for a business to best tell its story incorporating lessons in character, plot, themes and styles to best prepare the student for creating an effective story. Studying these different aspects provides students with a deeper understanding of how to approach clients, customers and staff with marketing or brand stories they can empathise with.

Learn how to effectively tell the story of your brand or business to your target audience using the appropriate tone of voice, context, and delivery, including copywriting, public relations, marketing communications or any other forms of communication. This course is a must for anyone who is responsible for communications, business decisions and marketing within a business.

What the Course Covers

There are eight lessons as follows:
1. Scope and Nature of Storytelling Introduction to Storytelling Storytelling at Work Difference Between Storytelling and Story Writing Applications of Storytelling at Work Using Storytelling in Commercial Situations’ 2. Character Development Introduction to Characters The Characters in Our Business Story Brand Ambassadors and Influencers Our Customers in the Story Developing Your Characters 3. Plot Development Introduction to Understanding Plots The Audience Conflict The Seven Basic Plots Seven-Point Plot Structure I and We 4. Themes Introduction to Themes Universal Themes Identifying a Theme Themes and Brand Messaging Common Story Themes Developing a Theme 5. Styles Introduction to Styles Selecting a Narrator Selecting a Tense Presentation - Oral, Written or Visual Your Storytelling Style 6. Literary Devices Introductions to Devices Used to Transmit a Story Similes and Metaphors Personification Symbolism Colloquialism Archetypes Rhetorical Questions Chekhov’s Gun Other Literary Devices 7. Building Dramatic Tension Introduction to Tension Craft Character and Internal Tension Trust and Rapport 8. Delivery and Engaging with Your Audience and Final Project In-Person Delivery Telling Our Verbal Story

Workload

Study when, where and however much you want. For most students, the course can be completed with a total of around 100 hours of study; and a commitment close to that may be needed to achieve desired learning outcomes.

Extra Reading

The following books, available through this web site are relevant supplementary reading for this course:

• Marketing Psychology
• Modern Marketing
• Psychological Profiling
• Creative Writing
• Professional Writing

Assessment

Self Assessment Tests are presented throughout the course. These are essentially an automated quiz. When you undertake a "SAT" or "Self Assessment Test", you will be able to see what you got correct, and what was incorrect; and in that way, you can identify your weaknesses.

Eight Assignments are given, one at the end of each lesson. You should complete this assignment, paying careful attention to follow what is asked of you. It can be just as important to learn to work to specification, as it is to learn about the topic you are studying. Graduates who develop a habit of working to specification in the field of project management, will impress employers, and will be more efficient when self employed.

A Final Exam is offered upon satisfactory completion of all assignments. This is optional. If you choose to apply for and do this exam, you will have the possibility of obtaining a "formal credit" or "Pass Certification" for this course. A fee applies. The exam may be sat under prearranged conditions anywhere in the world. This college will award you a formal transcript, upon successful completion of the exam, as proof of your results.

Recognition and Ethics

This college is a member of the ACS Affiliates Network; a group of colleges from several countries, affiliated with each other through ACS Distance Education.. Courses are developed with input from all of these colleges, aspiring to reflect internationally accepted standards and needs.

A strict "No Plagiarism" and "No fraud" policy exists. Assignments are checked for plagiarism, and assignments will not be deemed to have been completed, if work is not your own original creation, and is found to have been copied from elsewhere. If the person doing the course is discovered to be different to the name enrolled, the enrolment and any results will be recorded as invalid and any fees paid will be forfeited.

Refund Policy

A full refund less expenses (up to 15% of fees applied) is provided to anyone wishing to withdraw from a course, within 2 weeks of enrolment. This does not apply after the first assignment has been submitted and marked; or after the two weeks has expired.

What is different about this institution?

We believe that we have an ethical responsibility to make good use of the fees you pay and the time you invest into an education through our college. To this end, our first priority is always your learning. This comes before issues such as formal accreditations, speculative marketing and bureaucratic processes which all too often add considerable costs to the running of colleges, and take resources away from the provision of more valuable services to the student.

This college focuses on facilitating your learning and support to optimise that learning. We recognise that learning is all about improving knowledge and skills in your long term memory. While some colleges may focus on getting you to pass exams, by committing knowledge to short term memory; we understand that such an approach is not true education, and does little to improve your long term career or business prospects.

Gives you the diverse skills needed to effectively manage projects whether large or small, for business, private or public functions. Lots of practical hands-on tasks in this course allows you to apply the skills you learn!