What does successful communication look like? Is it merely about conveying specific bits of information? If you’re a computer programmer, maybe. But as human beings, we tend to want something more out of our conversations with others. As listeners, we want to be inspired and engaged. As speakers, we want to drive action. How do both sides of the conversation get what they want? Through storytelling in communication.
Storytelling in communication is about striking an emotional cord in the listener. It helps form a connection, builds trust, and motivates the other individual to act in the desired way. Storytelling communication is how companies, celebrities, and influencers can effectively communicate with colleagues, customers, and followers.
4 Reasons Why Storytelling in Communication is Important
Storytelling is not just for Hollywood’s elite, and it’s not just for the Steven Kings of the world. It’s for everyone who wishes to have better communication with others. Whether you’re a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a professor at a community college, or a beauty influencer on Instagram, storytelling communication is critical to your success. Here’s why:
Stories Help you Get your Point Across
One of the biggest reasons stories are so powerful in communication is that they help you get the point across that other forms of communication can’t. So be sure you HAVE a point you are trying to convey. Don’t tell a story because everyone tells you how powerful they are and that you should be. Tell a story to get your point across!
Stories are Memorable
If you’re like most people, you can’t remember half of the facts you learned in your 10th-grade history class. But you can probably remember your favorite TV shows or movies from that period. And that’s because facts don’t stick in our minds, but stories do. And they do so through emotions. When you can make someone feel something, you have a greater chance of getting them to remember what you’ve said.
Stories Persuade
You’ve no doubt laughed out loud or even cried at a movie or book you were reading. And that’s one of the most powerful things about stories – they elicit powerful emotions within the listener/viewer. Leaders can use stories to tap people’s emotions and persuade them to think of something differently or take a specific action.
Stories Build Connections
Many will say that money makes the world go around when in reality, it’s connections. Without connections, there are no business deals, no customers paying for products and services, and no investors buying into another’s dream and passion.
When emotions are created, bonds are built too. As a leader and storyteller, focus on telling personal stories with authenticity and humility, and others will see your humanity.
The Features of Storytelling Communication
So what is it exactly that makes a great story? There is no one particular feature of great storytelling. Instead, there are multiple features that make storytelling in communication effective:
Emotionality
Stories are not about facts; they’re about eliciting emotions in others. Save the facts for your Powerpoint presentations (and even then, you should use stories to convey your data!). Remember, it’s ultimately strong emotions that create bonds and drive action. When searching for stories to share with your team, think of events in your own life that made you joyful or sad, or frightened. What challenges have you faced that brought you to your knees, and how did you overcome them? By stirring these emotions in others, you activate and empower them for change and action.
Structure
Storytelling in communication relies on a solid story structure that helps the audience follow along and perceive the point you are trying to make. There are 4 simple steps you can use to structure a compelling story:
- Choose Your Message
Begin your storytelling by asking yourself two questions:
- Who is my audience?
- What is the message I want to share with them?
Don’t skip this step. This is the foundation of the stories you choose to share.
- Make it Personal
Next, find a personal example from your own experience that will help you convey your message. Just be sure not to make yourself the hero. Your audience is the hero who should be able to relate to your struggle and resolution.
Also, be sure to look for experiences where you experienced strong emotions. It is through emotion that you will connect with your listener.
- Have a Beginning, Middle, and End
Your story should follow the classic structure of beginning, middle, and end. The hero has a problem (beginning). The hero struggles to find a solution (middle). The hero finally finds the solution (end). All three parts are needed for a satisfying experience.
- Keep it Short and Sweet.
Watch you don’t ramble on with your story or risk putting your audience to sleep. Offer just enough information and details to set the stage and introduce the conflict and resolution.
Knowing the Audience
If you want your story to resonate with listeners, you’ve got to know something about them. What are their characteristics, behaviors, preferences, struggles, and values? The best way to get the answers to these questions is to do a bit of research on the people who you are trying to communicate with. If your audience is your employees, then be sure to spend time listening (really listening) to what they have to say. Invite them into a conversation with you and take note of their concerns and any emotions that come up.
The more audience insights you can glean, the better you’ll be able to craft a compelling story relevant to the listener.
Surprises
If the same thing happened over and over again on a TV show, you’d become easily bored and stop tuning in. Human beings love being surprised. It gives us an adrenaline rush and keeps us engaged.
Be sure to include something surprising in each story. It could be an ending to a personal story the audience can’t see coming. Or it could be the first few words out of your mouth. Be sure to stay away from cliches and be unique in your storytelling.
Authenticity
When looking for story inspiration, look to your personal or professional life. By sharing your own experiences, you become authentic in your listeners’ eyes. It helps them trust and relate to you. If you have difficulty thinking of stories to share, look for those challenges you or your organization have faced and overcome.
Problems and Resolutions
Your story should have a hero who must come up against a problem. By the end of your story, he or she will have found a resolution to the problem. Every book, TV episode, or film ever made has had problems and resolutions. Be sure your story has them as well.
How to Develop Storytelling in Communication
You know what is storytelling and why storytelling in communication is important and have learned the specific features all good stories must have. Now it’s time for you to begin your own storytelling communication journey. Here are some tips to get started:
Understand Your Audience
Imagine if you bought Super Bowl tickets for your family. On the big day, you drive to the stadium, park, and slowly make your way to your seats, fighting the throngs of other excited sports fans. The National anthem is sung, and it’s time for the players to take the field. But instead of pro-football players, 100 ballerinas in pink tutus dance onto the field. For the next hour and a half, you and your family sit confused and disappointed as the ballerinas’ twirl around the 50-yard line.
Don’t confuse and disappoint your audience. Give them something they want and can relate to. Get to know who they are and what they are dealing with in their own life so your story offers information and hope for change.
Use a Hook
You only have a few seconds to engage the listener and get them to care about your words. The simplest and most effective way to do this is by using some sort of hook at the very beginning of your story.
As an example, which would make you sit forward in your chair and listen intently:
“Our quarterly earnings report suggests we are on track to….”
OR
“ One time, I jumped out of an airplane, and my parachute didn’t open.”
Hook ‘em early and keep engaging them all the way through your story. Make that your goal.
Be Concise
Why have Youtube and TikTok videos become so popular? It’s because people can feel something and be thoroughly entertained with a small bite of story. It’s the same reason why some people prefer to read short stories as opposed to full-length novels.
Great stories don’t have to be long. In fact, if you ramble on and on, you’re apt to put your listeners to sleep. Work on streamlining your story until you are telling only the information that needs to be told.
Pace Yourself
Good storytelling communication is as much about HOW you tell your story as WHAT you say. Pacing is a storytelling technique you can use to keep your listeners engaged. Be sure to slow down, use pauses, and speed up again to make your audience keep up with you.
In addition to pace, play with volume. At certain points of your story, make your voice quiet. In other parts, get louder, then much louder. This helps to surprise your audience every once in a while.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Once upon a time, someone tried to tell a story for the very first time, and they weren’t very good at it. But they didn’t give up. They kept practicing, and eventually, they were a great storyteller who moved their audience to action.
You’ll need to practice – a lot – to gain the skills and confidence to be a compelling storyteller. Practice telling stories to friends, family, and colleagues. You can also videotape yourself telling your story and watch it with a critical eye.
Conclusion
Storytelling communication is powerful and effective for anyone who wants to impact others. Through stories, you can emotionally engage your audience, make a connection, and drive massive action. You may stumble and fall a few times at the beginning of your journey, but keep at it. With a little practice with our storytelling coach consultants, you’ll have people hanging on your every word!
