The Art & Science of Storytelling
We are all storytellers and most people sell themselves short by not developing the skill of storytelling...
Ira Glass says “great stories happen to those who can tell them.” Most people and brands sell themselves short by not telling their story in a captivating and exciting way.
Steve Jobs was known as the greatest business storyteller. A storytelling quote that has stuck with me whilst he was CEO of Pixar is:
“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”
After he became CEO at Pixar, he noticed the importance of storytelling. He noticed that people didn’t really care about all the fancy tech stuff that The Lisa Computer could do, they cared about how The Lisa could change their lives. Steve Jobs learnt this the hard way when he took out a nine-page ad in the Wall Street Journal listing out the features and capabilities of The Lisa and it didn’t sell units.
The ad was dull and had no story behind it.
It did not:
Address the audience or speak in their language
Address any of the needs, wants, or concerns of the audience
Make the audience imagine themselves using The Lisa
“1,000 songs in your pocket”
This is one of the greatest stories ever told in marketing. This simple message resonated with millions of people because:
It focused solely on the customer- YOUR pocket
It addressed the problems that customers faced
It allowed the customer to tell their own story and relate to it.
Storytelling is extremely powerful, it can evoke emotions and get your audience to perform whatever action you want them to. When your audience is emotionally invested, they become less critical and objectively observant.
Here’s how your brain responds to great storytelling:
Dopamine- when our brain’s learning systems are activated and arousal or pleasure is experienced. Dopamine causes your audience to feel something that will help with; focus, memory, or motivation. To produce dopamine you need to tell a story that stimulates interest with a hook or twist.
Oxytocin- this evokes empathy. Empathy will help your audience trust you more and become more generous. To produce this chemical you need to tell stories that tug at the heartstrings and make your audience feel more human. Being vulnerable and honest plays a major role in producing oxytocin.
Endorphins- this chemical makes you laugh and be happy. Telling funny stories can put your audience at ease and make them more receptive to what you are saying. Including happy or embarrassing moments will trigger endorphins in your audience.
Storytelling comes to play in various instances, this could be at an interview, a keynote, a marketing campaign.
If you want people to remember you, you need to tell a story.
Have a great week all!