11 Reasons Storytelling in Business Is So Important
Updated: Aug 20, 2020
Storytelling in business has been around for as long as business itself. After all, a good story moves humans to act like nothing else. Because of the power of storytelling in business, you need to tell the stories that are genuine, true, and relevant to your brand, your audience, and your reason for existing.
Here are 11 reasons why storytelling in business is so important.
1. Stories Sell – Human nature is such that it’s natural that people like stories. We want them in all the ways we can consume them: from verbal stories to movies, to books, and more. Because of this fact of human nature, when you engage in storytelling in business, you will make more sales.
2. Stories Connect People – Since most humans are more alike than they are different, a good story can connect people and help advance understanding in a new way. The stories that we end up sharing bring us together and make us feel part of the world we want to be part of.
3. Stories Trigger Emotions – The right story told in the right way can trigger appropriate emotions that cause a person to take any action they might not otherwise choose. This one reason is why it’s imperative to be transparent and honest in your storytelling. It’s that powerful.
4. Stories Give Meaning to Life – All the stories we have throughout life, as well as before, during, and after life, give meaning to life. The meaning we attach to our life helps us make choices, and a good story can add to that by helping guide a consumer toward a specific purchase.
5. Stories Convey Important Messages – Sometimes, it’s hard to understand some messages if we have a lack of experience. But a good story can demonstrate an experience that due to empathy, we can relate to without having experienced the situation ourselves. This type of story helps to convey important lessons for us to follow.
6. Stories Pass on Knowledge – Throughout history, humans have used the power of storytelling to share knowledge. From how and when to plant, to how and when to do anything, it came first from a story we were told or shown.
7. Stories Help Us Understand Our Past, Present, and Future – Using stories to advance understanding is essential too. You can use storytelling in business to showcase how you got started, where you are, and where you want to go as a business due to your mission, vision, and values.
8. Stories Help Trigger Trust – The right story can make the consumer feel understood and heard. They may feel as if you’re reading their mind if you share the right story that resonates with them. That resonance builds trust that is hard to break.
9. Stories Fuel Engagement – When you trigger the right emotions in a person, you’ll not only guide their actions, but you’ll also fuel engagement. The right story will trigger the person to comment, share, and join you on other platforms because they don’t want to miss out.
10. Stories Foster Customer Loyalty – When you share stories that connect you to your audience members, it will also foster their loyalty to you. When they feel like they relate to you and trust you, they will become loyal to you too.
11. Stories Build Teams and Connect People – Sharing the right stories can also help build your team and connect people in a way that enables you to work together in a shared vision and mission.
When you tell stories in business, you must develop your branding in a way that includes brand voice. Keep the story complete, yet simple, relatable and actionable, but with a more subliminal call to action than a typical sales page or sales information. Storytelling works with human nature because we are built for understanding stories, sharing stories, and relating to stories that involve the people, places, and environment around us all.