Anyone who's traveled the road to home ownership could instantly feel those words—because it is a little terrifying to buy a house. The announcer's narration evoking the buyer's perspective had me tuned in and wanting more. That's the secret to storytelling success: the ability to convey personalized nuggets up front to gain someone's attention, followed by a well-designed narrative that drives action. A good story makes us feel something, and in business that can be transformative. Stories that allow us to relate to each other and share common experiences are the most influential because we, the audience, can see ourselves in those stories. And those relatable nuggets can come from anywhere. Getting Started Not sure how to get started? At the core, storytelling requires a firm understanding of your audience—who they are and why they should care. Emotion: How will you make them care? Getting your audience to feel something will instantly connect them to your story.
Want to know a secret? A lot of business success can be attributed to the unwitting storytellers among us: leaders who passionately narrate their visions to inspire change; account reps who conceptualize products or services through real-life examples; trainers who design engaging, scenario-based learning…
A simple example of the power of story: I was recently cruising along an empty Texas road, singing along to the song on the radio, when the song ended and an announcer said, “Buying a house is exciting, and by ‘exciting’ I mean ‘terrifying.'” Anyone who’s traveled the road to home ownership could instantly feel those words—because it is a little terrifying to buy a house. The announcer’s narration evoking the buyer’s perspective had me tuned in and wanting more.
That’s the secret to storytelling success: the ability to convey personalized nuggets up front to gain someone’s attention, followed by a well-designed narrative that drives action. A good story makes us feel something, and in business that can be transformative.
Stories that allow us to relate to each other and share common experiences are the most influential because…
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