It’s a hot summer afternoon in 17001 BCE. I’m on my way back to camp from a morning hunt but am empty-handed. And hungry.
As I walk past a bubbling creek, I spy a small plant with red berries. They have small white spots on them. They look inviting. But when I get closer, my enthusiasm wanes. I’ve been warned about these. In fact, just last year, one of the elders told us about his son. His late son. He too came back from a hunting trip and discovered the berries. He brought them home as a gift for everyone but couldn’t wait. After eating a handful, he complained that his head hurt, and he went to lie down. He never woke up. The elder drew a picture of the berries on a cave wall with a burned piece of wood. Next to it, a crude drawing of a person lying down. Dead. His son.
The cave wall contains lots of warnings. In the form of stories. I’m glad we have this wall. It has saved me more than once from doing something stupid or fatal.
But I’ll never forgot that story. I’m glad I listened. It’s likely saved my life. But fuck, I am starving!
Life is nothing but a story. A story in which we are the central character. In our story, we are either creating our destiny, reacting to our destiny, or being controlled by our destiny.
Since life is a story, that assumes story will be the language of life. We speak our life, reflect on life, and remember our life through stories.
It’s been this way from the beginning. Look at the photo below. These are cave drawings from Altamira. In Spain, where some of the earliest cave drawings can be found.
They tell a story.
A story that’s also a warning. From bottom to top, we are told to not underestimate our prey. Don’t let them get too close. The second guy from the bottom tells you to pack more than one arrow. Sometimes it takes over three to drop them. The next figure up warns against drinking too much coffee before climbing up in your tree stand. The last figure was done by the guy’s wife. She’s saying he’d “forget his own ass if it weren’t attached.”
When we developed written language, stories spread even faster. Now in our generation, we have so many sensory outputs and inputs that it seems stories would be amplified.
But sadly, stories have been silenced.
We go to conferences and presenters read us the same PowerPoint slides we can clearly see with our own eyes.
Our Saturday morning TV programs are interrupted by annoying car dealer commercials proclaiming (in an exaggerated Southern accent) “Come on down to Bates Ford where we’ll trade for anything that don’t eat!”
We assemble for the CEO’s annual address and summarily fall asleep as she drones on about complexities and opportunities and headwinds and efficiencies.
Sunday sermons are an endless pontification on topics and doctrines that have been presented ad nauseum. Important, life-changing truths that have been taught the in the same sterile way for generations. People nod obediently in agreement, but the message doesn’t penetrate as well anymore.
But think about what happens when we find out an old friend has passed away. A childhood friend whom we we’ve had limited contact with over the years. And then, as the news sinks in, we begin replaying the story of our friendship. Think about the last memorial or homecoming service you attended. Likely, it was an emotional outpouring of stories. The memories our loved ones have of us will be remembered in some form of story. Those stories connect with others and soon we’ve created a living memory. One that can be retold.
So yes, life is nothing but a story. We are the central character. We wake up to a new chapter each day. When the day ends, we take a moment to summarize, and then the cycle repeats in the morning.
Knowing that, it seems like a good idea to embrace storytelling. And storytelling beats any other type of communication every single minute of every single day. Here are seven reasons why:
Stories Engage Emotion
What do the ASPCA, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Wounded Warrior Project have in common? Their commercials pull at your heartstrings. And that’s not a knock, just a fact. Stories activate emotion, making your message resonate on a deeper level and fostering stronger connections with your audience. If you want to get people to open their wallets, you need to get them to open their hearts first. Only a story can do that.
Stories Enhance Memory Retention
People forget data and bullet points but remember stories because they trigger multiple parts of the brain. I often tell my origin story which involves me doing a dental procedure on my boss, an actual dentist, back in 1987. You can read it in my book The Art of Storytelling. I mention that when I was about to give him the injection to numb up his tooth that his eyes were as wide as a couple of Oreo cookies. It’s amazing how many can remember that exact analogy. Whenever they go to Walmart, they’ll think of my boss when they go down the cookie aisle. And remember that the secret to being a good boss is to take an interest in the career development of your direct reports. You can read my book to see how this happened.
Stories Build Trust and Relatability
If you spend any time at all on social media, you know that everyone other than you has a better spouse, better kids, a better job, takes better vacations, and overall has a life that’s way better than yours. They tell you this by telling a story. Your job is to realize that about 95% of what your friends tell you is absolute bullshit. If you don’t, their story of their perfect life will do a number on your mental health. And honestly, you already know this don’t you? When you tell a real story, a true story where you’re not the hero and things don’t work out every time, the average human can relate. You look credible. You are just like regular humans. Storytelling humanizes you, helping people see your authenticity rather than just polished professionalism.
Stories Simplify Complex Ideas: You can go back 2100 years for this one. Even if you’re not a religious person, you could learn a lot about communications by studying J.C. You know, Jesus? Keep in mind, he delivered theological teaching to people without any formal education. There wasn’t even a real “bible” to fact check him on. But He didn’t care. He just spoke the universal human language. He told stories. And even if you’re an atheist, you’ve heard the stories. He turned water into wine. He resurrected his friend Lazarus after he’d been dead four days. He kicked ass in the temple when he found the currency exchange was ripping off worshipers. He made theology relevant to the average person. And he did it by telling stories. A story can take complicated information and make it accessible, clear, and relatable.
Stories Drive Brand Identity
In business, storytelling gives your message personality, making your brand memorable and meaningful. Think about it. When you go to the DMV to renew your license or your tags, you know to expect a day-long experience of complete fuckery. Long lines, documents needed that you don’t have, and the ignomy of dealing with impatient, incompetent fools. It’s the thing of nightmares. And even if a fraction of that is true, (and it’s mostly true), you’ll gear up for a rough day if you must do business there. And if you’re honest, most of your reaction is because of the stories others have told you about this experience.
It works both ways. If you’ve heard stories of amazing customer service, you’ll look for it and likely will find it. Makes you wonder why more marketing teams haven’t embraced storytelling doesn’t it?
Stories Facilitate Learning
When I started my career as a management consultant and trainer, I learned the secret to success in training was to connect the unfamiliar to the familiar. I was known for my storytelling. Stories provide context, which is key for teaching and ensuring lessons stick long-term. If you ever took a class from me, you’ll no doubt remember my drawings, but more likely, my stories.
So, there it is. If you want to:
- Convey better ideas
- Be memorable
- Be credible
- Be amazing
- And not be full of shit,
Then become a better storyteller. It’s the universal human language. Your native tongue. Why are you not using your words?