Story is the ancient secret of communication. And it’s a
universal language.
Cultures and religions from the earliest times use story.
Story gives meaning to the facts and the figures, to people
and events. People remember things better when they
are presented in a narrative rather than as a list or in an
expository paragraph.
Stories persuade in a subtle way, because the listener
gets involved in the story, what is taking place, and what the
underlying meaning is. It’s best to show, not tell, so that your
listeners come to the conclusion themselves. You don’t tell a
prospect that your product is better, you tell a story that
leads her to that conclusion herself, so that she owns the
decision.
You’ve got to become a good communicator to be a
good leader, a storyteller who can build a narrative around
your vision and goals. Strategic storytelling is at the heart of
any great pitch, presentation, or meeting. You’ve got to
develop and tell stories that sell your business, your
products, and yourself to investors, to customers, and to the
media.
Stories allow you to say what you want to say in a
memorable way. In a story well told, listeners can be
transported to a different state of awareness.
That’s why the creative teams and executives at advertising agencies are
not only master storytellers for their brands, they are master
presenters who use stories to sell their creative marketing
ideas to their corporate clients.
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