Becoming a partner

How we started

When Anecdote was formed in 2004, we dedicated ourselves to helping restore humanity to the workplace.

Initially, we focused on large-scale change programs using ethnographic techniques—collecting anecdotes from employees and customers to uncover insights, and to inspire people to take action based on what was discovered.

We resisted teaching storytelling for several years, as we were worried about the potential for it to be misused in the workplace. In the end, our clients convinced us to develop the Story-Powered Leadership® (SPL) program, which we have been running since 2007. But we did it almost as a sideline to our main business—strategy and change consulting.

Our intention

In 2012 we turned the SPL program into a full product, making it a key part of our business. In 2015 we added Story-Powered Sales™ (SPS) and then, in 2019, Story-Powered Strategy™ (SPX).

We soon realised that if we just delivered our story programs ourselves, we would never have the impact we were hoping for. So we set about building a global network of partners to help us sell and deliver the programs.

We did so with one clear principle in mind: we wanted to foster a community of partners, and their accredited practitioners, whose members work collaboratively as part of a network of peers. We truly believe that this community orientation delivers benefits to all members of the network.

We want to help our partners be successful. That way, we will all succeed, both financially and by doing rewarding work—helping restore humanity to workplaces around the world.

Our approach

Our training programs help leaders and sellers become better oral storytellers. We want them to stand up and think and speak without PowerPoint crutches.

Despite its title, the SPL program is not just for executives. It’s designed for leaders at every level of an organisation. We have delivered it to CEOs and to front-line supervisors.

SFS is designed for any group of sellers.

Our programs are based on adult learning principles, so there’s a strong emphasis on activities that get participants to practise storytelling. We want them to leave the workshop and the program with skills they can apply immediately.

And our training programs are designed to change behaviour. That’s why they are 4–6 months long and centre on activities to encourage practice.

Our partners

We have two types of partners: corporate partners, who operate inside a company and deliver the training to their fellow employees; and direct partners, who sell and deliver our programs to their clients.

We seek the following from all our partners:
  • You have a proven ability to facilitate discussion and lead activities that contribute to effective learning—we want excellent facilitators, not just trainers.
  • You have a collaborative mindset—this is important as we want to create a community of partners.
  • SFS partners will need to have appropriate sales experience.
From our direct partners:
  • You can successfully sell projects to clients—most sales will be off the back of your own efforts. That said, Anecdote gets many leads and we can share these with you.
  • You will not offer any competing products (naturally).
  • You are comfortable working in corporations and experienced in working with senior executives—many of our workshops are for senior teams.

Mark Schenk, Managing Director, Anecdote

If this interests you, please send our Managing Director, Mark Schenk, an email at mark.schenk@anecdote.com and start the conversation.