Why does storytelling matter?

‘Blind man without a pension’ said a sign in front of a beggar’s feet. Lucky for this poor fellow, French writer Jacques Prévert walked by him one day. He proposed an alternative line: ‘Spring is coming, but I won’t see it’. Result? The beggar’s hat filled up 3 times faster.

This is what happens when we move from factual information to stories. Why? All the science shows it: we are programmed for stories. Their fundamental purpose is to convey information to others for survival purposes. That’s why stories about wolves, evil folk and today cyber-crime are so popular.

A story’s second function is to help foster relationships in groups. Stories about national heroes connect us to a country, tales we tell around the dinner table unite a family or a group of friends. Stories are so built into our brains that come night, storytelling continues in the form of dreams !

How is this useful for business? Essentially, a good story connects us to the storyteller – it creates a relationship with that person. So good story-telling brands are more attractive, to both customers and staff. The result is better brand stand-out, often higher sales prices and more loyal staff, all thanks to a good story.

Any story? No. To work, the story needs to touch people’s emotions and be credible. It’s probably reassuring to know that stories that don’t seem plausible are either rejected or ridiculed, and the brand, group or person with it !

Good storytelling can turbo-charge the growth of your business, especially if it has fame potential.

What’s your story? Let’s talk about it.