I was certain this interview would explore a new sales technique that could be seamlessly applied to everyday customer interactions to maximize profits. I encourage you to read it—if only to see how mistaken I was. My interlocutor – Magdalena Petryniak, head of Story Seekers® Poland – brilliantly proves the importance of emotions, human relations and honesty in business. Storytelling, which formally is the main topic of our conversation, turns out to be just a useful tool to achieve a more important goal.
Magdalena Petryniak is one of the experts of Game Changers Academy, a unique training program prepared jointly by the Training Games Studio and The Heart Tech.
Who are your customers? What are their needs?
Our clients are primarily sales and marketing leaders from technology organizations, telecommunications, IT, biotech, various industries, and even banking—sectors that are rapidly growing and highly innovative. Sales managers approach us because their existing sales models are no longer effective. They have shifted to selling solutions and consulting services, which poses challenges for teams that were once experts in product and technology. Meanwhile, marketing heads seek our expertise to foster stronger collaboration and communication with sales teams, ultimately enhancing lead generation and driving business growth.
Do you mean to say that you have solutions for B2B sales?
All of my clients operate in the B2B space. I exclusively work with those who either currently sell consultatively or aspire to do so with their business solutions or products. Storytelling is one of the key tools we use to reshape the narrative. We advise clients to move away from focusing solely on their products, features, and benefits, and instead center the conversation on the customer. Through storytelling, the customer is enabled to envision not only how they can leverage the solution but also how their business might evolve in the future.
In which areas does your offering provide value to customers?
B2B sales professionals I work with encounter two significant challenges. The first is reaching business decision-makers rather than technology decision-makers or end users. Traditionally, they have been targeting IT and technology departments, but for innovative solutions, purchasing decisions are increasingly made at the board level. This shift necessitates that sales professionals speak the language of business rather than technology.
The second challenge is relationship building. In sales, particularly during initial meetings, establishing trust is paramount. Salespeople must present themselves as reliable advisors, not entertainers. As Mike Bosworth, the creator of the Story Seekers method, states, people follow those they trust.
Another key area where we apply this method is leadership. Organizational leaders can be effective in two distinct ways: one is what Jacek Santorski describes as “folk leadership,” where followers act out of fear rather than shared belief or a common goal.
In your opinion, does it work?
In some companies, this approach works—unfortunately. However, in others, wise leadership prevails, where people follow a leader because they believe in their purpose—the why behind their actions. I deeply resonate with Simon Sinek’s famous maxim: People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.
The foundation of effective communication, particularly through storytelling, is to convey why we do something—why I, as a leader, believe in it and why it truly matters.
Now that we’ve established who this method is for and what its purpose is, please tell us what it looks like in practice.
In Singapore, I had the opportunity to work with RSA—one of the largest cybersecurity companies, operating in a highly innovative and specialized industry. One might assume that professionals in this field would communicate in a highly technical, complex language.
During our meeting, David Castignola, RSA’s Vice President of Marketing and Sales, shared a story he uses to open conversations with CEOs of banks, public institutions, courts, and major organizations.
The company’s origins date back to the 1990s when three MIT scientists developed an unbreakable encryption algorithm. By the early 2000s, as electronic banking emerged, there was a critical need for security. In response, RSA created a device to encrypt banking transactions—a token—which became a global success.
Everything was going smoothly until 2011, when their databases were hacked. That’s when David received a shocking call from the CEO of the Bank of China. On the other end of the line, he heard: We have locked your employee inside our offices and will hold him hostage until you guarantee that our customers’ transactions are secure.
When discussing the impact of a hacking intrusion on an organization, David draws from his own experience—having felt firsthand the consequences of reputational damage and a sharp decline in stock value. He illustrates how RSA navigated this crisis by embracing innovation. The company acquired a firm that had been working with the Pentagon, enabling them to develop new security solutions.
By sharing this story, David Castignola reveals his true self and demonstrates authenticity. This reinforces the idea that storytelling is not just a polished way to present a product, nor is it merely about engaging or entertaining an audience. Instead, storytelling is a powerful tool for building authenticity, showcasing who you truly are and how you operate.
In today’s world, people no longer trust marketing clichés—they trust what is real.
According to you, is it a skill, or can it be learned? Do you need any natural aptitude for it?
Yes, it is the oldest human communication skill, older than the first symbols and writing. The Homo Sapiens species has been functioning for about 200,000 years. Writing was invented 6,000 years ago. So the question arises, how did humans transmit knowledge and skills for these 190,000+ years? They used stories. Through them they learned, but they also built communities, and often had stories that built their identity. Note that the best storytellers are leaders of religious movements.
So the New Testament parable is a form of storytelling in your opinion?
Absolutely. The entire Bible is a powerful testament to the impact of storytelling, demonstrating its profound influence. This mechanism is scientifically proven and rooted in the structure of our brains.
The oldest part of the brain, the reptilian brain, is responsible for survival instincts. The next layer, the limbic brain, is where emotions reside, while the neocortex governs rational thinking. When we process information, decision-making is significantly influenced by the limbic system—where emotions play a central role. That’s why emotions are the key element of a compelling story.
The structure of storytelling has been studied since ancient times. One of the earliest frameworks for a well-crafted story appears in Aristotle’s Poetics. Over the centuries, this model evolved, and in the 20th century, American writer and mythologist Joseph Campbell introduced The Hero’s Journey—a universal narrative structure that has been widely adopted in popular culture. Star Wars, for instance, was built on Campbell’s model.
At Story Seekers, we apply a structured approach to storytelling known as the Storyboard—a method borrowed from screenwriters. However, in our work, it serves as a strategic business tool rather than just a cinematic technique.
What does the construction of such an ideal story look like in the Story Seekers model?
These are 5 key elements: (1) the introduction to the story, (2) adversities in the hero’s path external risks or internal dilemmas – in a business story it could be a market competitor, for example, or some regulation that enters the market (like RODO, PSDII). (3) The third element is the watershed moment, when we find a solution ourselves or with the support of an external advisor. (4) The solution is the moment when our hero has achieved his goal, it is the hero or the organization after the transformation. Every good story has a moral(5), a message with which we want to leave the listeners. What determines whether we want to listen to the story and enter into it are the emotions.
As the story progresses, tension rises, reaches a climax, and subsides after the resolution.
There is another very important aspect to these stories, important especially in leadership….
Which one?
You know who wasn’t in the first part of the Superman comic book? That first part sold very poorly. The authors quickly realized and corrected the mistake. Thus was born one of the greatest icons of pop culture.
Who?
Clark Kent—an ordinary guy who transforms into a superhero. Someone the audience can relate to. I often share this analogy with CEOs, who frequently present themselves as supermen—all-powerful, infallible, and in control of every aspect of their business.
But if we want to build trust, we need to show who we truly are. The era of authentic leadership is here. Real leaders are human, and storytelling is a powerful tool for sharing vulnerabilities, lessons learned, and personal transformation.
What was your journey? What led you to storytelling?
What drives me most in life—though it may sound idealistic—is the desire to make a positive impact on the world. My first step in this direction was through social activism and public communication.
In 2005, at the end of my studies, I founded an association. One of our first initiatives was advocating for a law to ban smoking in restaurants…
So that’s you…
Yes! (laughs) I always get one of two reactions when I share this story—either “So it’s your fault!” or “Wow, that’s amazing! Thanks to you, we can finally breathe clean air.”
It all started in the most ordinary way. My friends and I went to a pub, and suddenly, people around us began smoking. It was unbearable. When we complained to the manager, instead of addressing the issue, he threw us out. We decided we wouldn’t let it go.
That’s when we created our first Google app—a city map highlighting non-smoking venues. What began as a small initiative quickly grew into a major movement. We collaborated with the Ministry of Health and the WHO, and even secured a grant from the Michael Bloomberg Foundation.
Years later, I realized why people—whether in parliament, on TV, or on the radio—listened to us. It wasn’t just about facts or arguments. What truly convinced them was our motivation—why we believed in this cause. They bought into our vision of a smoke-free future in public spaces.
Despite facing powerful opposition from the tobacco industry, we succeeded. Through that experience, I learned how to drive large-scale systemic change. That was my most valuable lesson.
Later, when I transitioned into business, leading marketing and communications, I noticed something missing. The messaging was what Prof. Blikle calls “adjective-based”—focused on products and corporate prestige, but lacking a deeper purpose. And that’s what I truly missed.
When I invited Mike Bosworth to Poland for the Harvard Business Review conference, my perspective on communication changed completely. Mike emphasized that trust, empathy, and connection are the key elements of both sales and leadership—and that truly resonated with me.
Inspired by his approach, I decided to develop and introduce his Story Seekers method in Poland.
Let me ask a provocative question—Is a storytelling-based approach truly better than an adjective-driven one? Is it about creating a better world, or simply about selling more effectively?
Our approach isn’t just about storytelling, nor is storytelling an end in itself. It’s simply a tool for building trust and relationships.
In consultative selling, the customer is the priority. That’s why we call our approach Client Hero Selling—shifting the focus to the customer’s perspective rather than our own or the features of our products and solutions.
Aren’t you concerned that you’re giving people a dangerous tool that can be used for manipulation?
I’m glad you picked up this thread. Indeed, the button with the word “emotions” gives the opportunity to manipulate the audience. For me, the key in both life and business is truth, authenticity and ethics. The Story Seekers approach assumes that all stories must be true. Story is an element where emotions but also empathy are important. I am aware that there are people who may indeed try to manipulate, but such plays have short legs. It is rewarding to be honest and not calculating.
Interviewed by Kuba Kujałowicz
Magdalena Petryniak – president of Story Seekers® Poland, owner of SAPR Group. Manager with many years of experience in management. Certified trainer of Mike Bosworth Leadership in the Story Seekers® methodology. Using this method, she has led projects and workshops for companies in many countries, including the US, Singapore, the Czech Republic and Poland. For the past 10 years, she has been implementing marketing and social communication projects. While running her own company (SAPR Group), she conducted more than 50 marketing and PR campaigns for companies and institutions, and coordinated a lobbying campaign that led to a change in the law. For 3 years she managed special programs and conferences of the “Harvard Business Review Poland”. Co-founder and host of more than 30 conferences with international experts of “Harvard Business Review Poland”, high-class speaker and presenter. Trains and actively supports managers in the field of communication, based on the Story Seekers® method. Graduate of the Cracow University of Economics, Cracow Business School, Leadership Program at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the USA or ICAN Institute Innovation Academy. Actively involved in social activities.
