Great leaders utilise stories to help their audiences connect to their message. A great story is not just heard; it’s felt. Stories can persuade, convince, and convert. For some guidance when it comes to spinning a tale, Will Storrs, journalist and author of A Story is a Deal, shares four storytelling techniques to move people to action and drive results:
- Make Your Audience the Hero: Your audience must identify with the protagonist or the struggle if you want to persuade them. People engage when they see their own issues reflected. And, as a BBC Storyworks study confirmed, an emotional relationship to a story enhances the listener’s long-term memory.
- Keep it Simple: When crafting a story, keep it clear and concise. Avoid jargon and overly-long, abstract descriptions. Reality is complex, but it can be edited for clarity.
- Clarify Obstacles and Goals: In a business context the story should have a lesson that relates to a solution offered by your service or product. This encourages belief and prompts action.
- Be specific and Concrete: Specifics are memorable because they activate the brain’s visual imagination.
