Whether you’re selling a product online or explaining a concept to colleagues, one of the best ways to get your message across is through a story. Storytelling is second nature to us. We tell stories—and listen to them—every day. It’s how we learn, teach, communicate, entertain, and understand. And in business too, there are real benefits to using storytelling to communicate information.
Why is storytelling such an effective way of transmitting information?
Is that storytelling engages every part of the human brain. Unlike a non-narrative presentation, a well-told story speaks to both the left and right sides of the brain. Hence, the listener can process an event and analyze it at the same time. It’s because storytelling is such a natural human process.
Is that storytelling fosters deeper connections between people, which ultimately builds empathetic relationships with the audience. In contrast to a standard, formulaic presentation of information, an engaging story fosters a sense of camaraderie and shared experience.
For example, you’ve probably seen how sharing stories between team members is a great way to build team spirit and empathy. Suppose with a team project well underway, you discover that the requirements are suddenly changing, negating several months’ worth of work.
Sharing a story of a previous project in which a similar abrupt change of direction ultimately led to a greater level of project and company success can help foster empathic connections and facilitate understanding and mutual support, which in turn mitigates against the potential for frustration and anger.
And that brings us to the next reason why storytelling is so effective at communicating information: it engages the listener on multiple levels. Notice how engaged listeners lean forward when listening to a story. That’s because a good story engages us fully: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Appealing to a listener’s emotions makes any story more memorable.
Storytelling is an effective way of transmitting information because it increases the perceived value of the subject. Storytelling can be particularly useful in sales, for instance. Telling an interesting story about a product makes customers more inclined to buy it. An engaging narrative is often one of the deciding factors when people buy a product or service.
For example, look at how life insurance is marketed: a story or narrative is presented about how insurance protects families and loved ones. A story about something we care about is used to get us to think about a product we’d really rather not think about. And then we buy it. Ultimately, when you connect a business objective to a story, the perceived value and appeal of the product increase.
Storytelling isn’t limited to generating sales, of course. It can be used in project management, training, customer service, planning, and virtually any other area. It’s a valuable tool for most any business practice. Stories connect us.
It’s not as simple as “once upon a time.” Using effective storytelling within a business context takes some preparation and practice. It takes effort. But it’s worth it. Instead of merely relaying facts, telling a story makes things memorable, understandable, compelling, and relatable. And more than anything, it engages the listener.
Building a career as a storytelling writer is about blending your skills with job-seeking strategies. Stay proactive in learning, networking, and showcasing your abilities. With a blend of effort and strategy, you can land a storytelling writing role that’s the perfect fit for you.
If one of your goals is to find a flexible job with a better work-life balance, FlexJobs can help. With legitimate jobs posted daily in over 50 career categories, there’s something for everyone. Take the tour and discover a better way to job search!
