The Power of Storytelling

Last week, I had the opportunity to hear actor, storyteller and best-selling author, Matthew Taylor at a story and leadership conference in Vail, Colorado. In his presentation, Taylor explored the art and science behind storytelling, looking at how and why stories work and how to leverage them in our daily lives and business practices.

So, why do stories work in life and in marketing?

“A story is a vehicle that allows you to put the facts in emotional context.” - Peter Guben

Storytelling is natural. We’re used to operating through stories. We tell stories all the time. The next time you’re in a conversation with someone listen for those stories. That’s how we communicate.

Taylor started out by focusing on the science behind storytelling and the human brain. He coined the acronym CPR to get his point across.

Connection:

Stories allow us to connect with each other as human beings. In fact, a team of researchers at Princeton University released a study suggesting that storytelling builds empathy. In a nutshell, the researchers had a woman tell a story while she was in an MRI scanner. She told the story first in English, then again in Russian. The people listening only understood English. Brain activity showed how the brains of the listeners and the storyteller synchronized as they were listening and able to connect to the story. When the storyteller’s prefrontal cortex (the area that makes up much of our personality and behavior) lit up, the listeners brains lit up as well. Conversely, when she told the story in Russian they weren’t able to relate and that area of their brains scans was inactive.

Think about the last time you told a story to a friend. The conversation may have gone something like this:

“The craziest thing happened to me last night. A bat flew in my bedroom window and I couldn’t get my family to help me get it out. They just stood there screaming.”

“That’s funny! The same thing happened to me at my cabin last summer. Everyone was so freaked out that they just took off screaming and left me to deal with the bat.”

Sidenote, this is a real story. Last week, my 7th grade son, Leo, knocked on my bedroom door and said, “Mom, I think there’s a bat in my room.” Leo and I just stood there screaming (behind a tightly-closed door) and left David (my husband) alone to catch the bat, which he did without harming it, and released it into the backyard. The whole time I was wishing that my brother in law, Scott, who is a wildlife biologist with a specialty in bats, could have suddenly appeared. Our other son, Jackson, slept through the whole ordeal.

Think about my story and try to retell it.

Do you see what happened there? When you tell a story, the details of your story transfers to the person you’re telling it to because they are engaged. They are able to truly comprehend and relate to your story because they’re on the same wavelength of sorts.

Persuasion:

A great story can persuade people to believe something or to take action. This may be because people inherently want to have a purpose and storytelling can propel them to take initiative. Personal stories are authentic and memorable because they give your audience something to which they can relate. They show you are human.

In her TED talk, presentation expert, Nancy Duarte, shows how some of the most compelling speeches and talks use a common structure. The structure starts with the “what is,” or the current situation, and moves to “what could be.” The gap between the “what is” and “what could be” persuades people and according to Duarte, “just works.”

Recall:

We tend to remember a good story. One way we do this is through retelling it. A good story contains lots of “furniture” so that it’s easy to remember and share with someone else. Using names has a way of making stories come alive.

Taylor talked about Freytag’s Pyramid and how most good stories follow this structure.

Take a moment and watch this video. You may remember seeing it from the 2014 Superbowl. Consider how it follows Freytag’s Pyramid.

What did you notice about the story?

How to apply storytelling to your digital strategy:

So, now that I’ve convinced you that storytelling is an effective method for getting your point across and persuading someone to do something, what are you going to do about it?

Weave in some storytelling best practices to bring your story to life:

1. Whether you’re writing a success story, case study or personal testimonial, don’t be afraid to use real stories with real people.  A case study written in an abstract format is boring and not nearly as compelling.
2. If you’re stuck, try reading your story out loud. Recording and transcribing your story can make it easier to hear and see the story’s structure and arch.
3. Details, details, details. Adding details to your story makes it easier for people to remember it.
4. Structure your story to use the “what is” and “what could be” concepts.
5. Use Freytag’s Pyramid to create an arch to your story. Do this by setting the stage, letting your story unfold, building to a climax then resolving for closure at the end.