Stories are powerful.
They can be more effective than rational arguments in convincing people and getting others to see things your way.
Take a look at this video ad, using storytelling to connect.
Did you smile or laugh at the end? I did. And I even forwarded it to others. Then we laughed together.
Do you use stories to connect with your members, your customers, your event attendees?
Here are four reasons you should use stories and storytelling to connect with others.
- Stories are universal, crossing age, culture and language barriers.
- Stories help people understand concepts, more than logic and analysis.
- Stories help define our identity and connect us with each other.
- Stories build and preserve community, creating emotional connections and shared purpose.
Our minds think in narrative structures. The effective use of stories and storytelling naturally imprint the message and concept in our minds. When shared with others, stories can have a profound impact on how well we move forward together in today’s ever-changing world.
How does your association, community benefit organization (nonprofit), event or organization use stories to emotionally connect with others and affect a behavioral response?
Jeff, as soon as I saw your post, I thought…this reminds me of an email I received yesterday that had me cracking up. Sure enough, we have the same warped sense of humor.
Storytelling is super powerful! Here’s a link to an article I wrote earlier this year that ads to your post above. http://www.velvetchainsaw.com/articles/Storytelling%20for%20Busi_Impr.pdf
Dave Lutz – @velchain
@Velchain
What a great way to connect with people, through stories and humor. Yep, looks like we both laugh at the same thing. Interesting enough, I just discovered that Danny Brown, another great blogger that I read regularly, had a post on story telling this week too, He uses a video to illustrate how stories connect people emotioanlly. Check it out: http://dannybrown.me/2009/10/21/all-you-need-is-the-story/
Also, thanks for sharing the link to your article. Good stuff there.