Why storytelling is a hot commodity

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“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it.” - Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale

Before humans invented writing, we told each other stories to teach lessons, justify a ruler’s reign, or rally people to a cause. We still enjoy these stories today. Take the nearly universal story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf from Aesop’s Fables, told in the 500s BCE and written down three centuries later.

How has such a simple story lasted thousands of years? We all relate to stories because we all have our own stories to tell. Stories persuade us by connecting to our imagination, creating new memories and triggering old ones. Every person, business, organization, and country has a story. Weaving your story with flair connects you to others.

What separates a good storyteller from a great one?

Anyone can write. Anyone can put words on paper that conveys information. However, it takes time and practice to mold that information into a delicious story. A good storyteller shapes information that connects with people.

But what makes a great storyteller?

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A great storyteller understands and targets the audience, tapping into their emotions. They

will begin with their own story or the story of their business and the problem they face. They build suspense to reach a solution, leading to a mission that leaves the audience looking forward to the tale.

How storytelling transforms organizations

Every organization benefits from storytelling, even B2B organizations. You might market to a business rather than consumers. However, you are still interacting with people, and people are influenced on a human level by storytelling. Put in one of my favorite quotes from The Office:

“A good manager doesn’t fire people. He hires and inspires people. And people will never go out of business.” -Michael Scott

Let’s look at a case study: Apple, more specifically, Steve Jobs. Jobs is a household name, credited for creating the smartphone revolution. At the same time, Android and Samsung had their lines of smartphones that did just as well. However, most of us don’t remember a name synonymous with those brands. So how did Jobs achieve this?

He introduced storytelling to the smartphone arena.

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When most of us think of Steve Jobs, we imagine him in a turtleneck and jeans, telling the story of Apple and where they are going next. No gimmicks, crazy special effects, or props. He famously put his blood, sweat, and tears into preparing his presentations to deliberately connect with his audience. After he used a narrative to set up a problem and create suspense leading to Apple as a solution, he stated a clear mission for the future.

You can take this to your organization. With the advent of social media, we seek excellent storytellers more than ever. The internet connects us like never before, and brands that use storytelling will have the competitive edge. Get behind a keyboard today and build that writing muscle, and soon you’ll become the hot storytelling commodity.