When you decide to build or refine your corporate narrative, you’re not starting from zero. Unless you’re launching a startup, you have a basic version of your corporate narrative already. When someone asks what you do, and where you work, you don’t have to think about your answer: “I’m a sales rep for a pharma company”, or “I handle marketing for a medical device manufacturer.” And everyone at your company, from your receptionist to your CEO, has their own tailored version: “I manage customer support for our hospital customers” or “I develop software for a mammography system.” These statements are short and sweet, and they get the message across.

Do you need a corporate narrative? As B2B marketers, we’re all storytellers, shaping and sharing the stories of our companies, customers and products. But there’s another story that is just as integral to your organization’s success. Your corporate narrative is much larger in scope than the stories you tell about your company’s innovations, or your customers. It’s not your mission statement, and it’s not a history of your company and its rise to success. Instead, your corporate narrative explains nothing less than who you are, and how you are changing the world. There isn’t a fixed beginning or end, as this story is still evolving.