Back in 2008, when Greg Thompson—then Director of Corporate Communications at Chick-fil-A—asked me to come on as a visual communications consultant, he didn’t just want pretty pictures. He wanted results. And the question he kept asking me until it finally clicked was this:
“How is this proposal going to help operators and Chick-fil-A sell more chicken?”
That’s a tough question for a storyteller whose background was solidly in journalism, where the audience was familiar, and the objective was simply to inform or enlighten. But in corporate and strategic communications, you have to know two things before you ever begin crafting a story:
- Who is the audience?
- Why should they care?
Without those answers, you’re just creating content for content’s sake.
AJ Harper’s “Reader First” Philosophy
Author and editor AJ Harper teaches a powerful idea in her book Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own:
“A book is not about something–a book is for someone.”
That insight is simple, but it’s gold when you apply it beyond books—especially in business communications. AJ’s point is that even if you have a wealth of knowledge or ideas (and most storytellers do), writing for yourself or about your topic isn’t what makes a book transformative. It’s writing for the person whose life you want to change.
Another quote from the book that really applies to corporate storytelling is this:
“You are not the hero of this book. They are. You are not the focus of this book. They are. And they need you to help them get where they want to go.”
Replace “book” with “presentation” or “campaign,” and this becomes a strategic lens for every story you tell for leadership and clients.
Why C-Suite Executives Ask Tough Questions
When a Chick-fil-A operator, or a CEO, asks, “Why should I stop and look at this?”, what they’re really asking is:
- How does this move the business forward?
- What problem does it solve?
- What result does it deliver?
They’re not interested in your genius unless it’s directly tied to something measurable, like revenue, engagement, operational efficiency, reputation, or competitive advantage.
That’s why shifting from what you want to say to what they care about is so valuable.
Applying the “Reader First” Mindset to Strategy Conversations
Here’s how to operationalize AJ Harper’s ideas with executives:
1. Define the audience upfront.
Just like AJ says, you should know your ideal reader before you write a book; you must know the decision-maker and their priorities before you tell a strategic story.
Instead of broad demographics, think about psychographics—their goals, fears, and what success looks like to them. Harper emphasizes this in her work: your reader’s problem, desire, and challenges are what unify them, not superficial traits.
2. Find the strategic hook.
Greg’s question, “How does this help sell more chicken?” was essentially asking for a strategic hook—a clear, measurable reason someone should pay attention. Harper would call this aligning your promise with your reader’s expectations.
3. Ask the right shaping questions.
One of the best habits I picked up was asking teams, “When we’re done, what does success look like to you?” That simple question forces people to define goals before they start shaping content around them.
4. Tell the story that delivers on that promise.
AJ puts a huge emphasis on delivering on your promise—if your book promises transformation and then fails to deliver, readers don’t trust you. The same is true of business stories. If your communications promise clarity, insight, or decision support, your story must follow through, or you lose credibility.
Storytelling That Meets Strategic Needs
Journalists are trained to think about the audience, but in many editorial environments, the audience rarely changes. In higher ed communications, the shift from recruiting to alumni to investors was a step in the right direction. But corporate communications requires an even sharper focus on what a specific stakeholder needs right now.
When you do that, you flip the question from:
“What do I want to say?”
to:
“What do they need to hear?”
And that’s where storytelling becomes a strategic asset instead of just creative output.