Have you tried to get your child to go to bed on time?
What about enticing a certain someone to date you?
Or…telling senior management that you deserve a raise and a promotion?
How much of your communication involves persuading and influencing others? Think about it. The most efficient and effective way to persuade someone is through storytelling.
Why? Because an excellent storyteller will quickly win over the heart and mind of the listener and influence that listener to see things from their perspective.
How? Although humans have unique experiences, they do NOT experience unique emotions. We all experience the same emotions: sadness, joy, betrayal, surprise, disappointment etc. This universal emotion combined with an engaging delivery of the story in real time (present tense), synchronizes the teller and listener’s brains together in an identical brainwave pattern.
In fact, science has proven it.
Stop now and recall a story that influenced you. The reason you were able to think of that story is because you felt emotions when you heard it. Stories that invoke your emotion increase retention of that story exponentially.
It’s simple but not easy. Telling a story in a manner that’s engaging, moving and relevant is a skill that can be learned. Some people are born with a natural aptitude but everyone can learn how to tell the story. Persuasion and influence are the natural by-product of moving your listener into empathy to your perspective.
