Storytelling in business is one of the most powerful techniques we have as humans to communicate, motivate and grow trust in our business.

Before we delve into why you need storytelling to grow trust in your business, let’s dig a little deeper into the science behind stories and storytelling.

Stories are everywhere, and storytelling has been in existence since the creation of mankind.

We are constantly creating stories to make sense of the world.  When we wake up, we work out a narrative for our day.  If we’re unwell, we work out a narrative for how it happened and how we can get well.  On a wider scale, we construct stories of our lives and how we became who we are today, and where we are going.

It’s estimated that as much as 65% of all human interactions take the form of storytelling.

So let’s look at 3 reasons you need storytelling to grow trust in your business.

Tip #1 Stories speak to your heart

Facts speak to our mind, but stories speak to our heart. 

We tell each other stories everyday. 

Why?  Because a good story will engage the listener and make a connection.  Think of the time when you told stories to your children - you had them right there in the palm of your hand for the entire duration of the story - and that’s because storytelling speaks directly to the heart, makes a connection, and the listener feels part of the story - like he’s there, in it, taking part.

Put simply, storytelling activates the emotional zone.

Storytelling will connect to your audience with emotion that will help them to remember you and build trust in your business.

Tip #2 A story has a stronger impact on your audience

It’s a proven scientific fact that storytelling will engage your brain in a deeper way than facts alone.

It’s quite simple.

A Powerpoint presentation with bullet points and facts activate the language processing parts of our brain - decoding words into meaning. 

And that’s it.  Nothing else happens.

But when we hear (or read) a good story, not only are the language processing parts of our brains activated, but also, any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story.  A story can put your whole brain to work.  

And it gets better.

When we tell stories that have helped us shape our thinking and way of life, we can have the same effect on our audience too.  The brains of the person telling the story and listening to it, can synchronise.

“By simply telling a story, the woman could plant ideas, thoughts and emotions into the listeners’ brains.”

Uri Hasson from Princeton - describing the brain activity of an audience when listening to stories.

Evolution has wired our brains for storytelling.

Think about how powerful this is in business.  Storytelling will engage your audience - they will spark interest, they will surprise.  They will persuade - and a good story will inspire action.

Tip #3 Good stories stick longer

Storytelling has the power to move your audience and trigger an emotional response - think follows, likes, purchases, recommendations.

“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou - novelist, poet and civil rights activist.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful techniques we have as humans to communicate and motivate - and this is why storytelling is the most powerful strategy we can adopt to grow trust in our business - but don’t take my word for it, take a quick listen to what Simon Sinek says on the subject here.

Anne is a brand photographer working across Essex and London delivering a photography experience that provides business owners with a curated image collection that tells their unique brand story and coaching on how to use them effectively across social media and websites.

Read more of Anne’s story here.

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