There’s nothing like a good story.
I grew up with a father who was a well known “story teller.” He rarely started a conversation without the words, “Did I ever tell you about the time that..,,,,.” Though I was sometimes embarrassed by this practice over the years, I now realize that I remember almost every one of those stories.
The reason is that good stories stick.
Every Thursday morning, I start my day by joining my friends at the Daybreakers Toastmasters group here in Albuquerque, NM. This group has allowed me to make new friends and continue to work on my speaking skills. I was recently reminded that starting out with a good story can really make for a memorable speech.
One fellow Toastmaster spoke about “critical points” in his life where he quit things too soon out of fear or frustration, starting as a young teenager in football to moments in his career. Another Toastmaster shared a story of growing up in a family in which no one had an education beyond high school. She was not originally a motivated student, and yet one teacher in junior high made all the difference by pulling her aside and telling her that she was smart and had potential which ultimately thrust her into a successful college journey and professional career. Each speaker walked us through the details of their stories in visual, concrete ways. Not only did you feel that you were there, but each story left you wondering how you could help others overcome obstacles in their lives.
Sometimes we get too tied up in facts and statistics, which are all helpful at times, but often don’t stick with the intended audience. The power of story telling can evoke emotion, create empathy and encourage people to take action. In their book, Made to Stick, authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath remind us that it’s more than just to say stories make us see pictures in our heads. Stories need to stay in the audience’s head and make them think and/or act. The authors provide a key formula to making any message stick, including in stories. Their SUCCESs checklist calls for stories to be Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and to tell a Story in which a protagonist overcomes big odds.
For those of us who have to communicate key messages in our careers and personal lives, and that’s just about all of us, taking steps to make messages stick is important. Regardless of the issues we’re talking about, whether it’s climate change, human rights issues, access to health care or just trying to sell a product. As I work on clean energy policy issues at the state level, I’m trying to incorporate short stories with “stickiness” that help people remember why these issues are important and the impact these issues could have on their lives.
We all love to share our facts and statistics to make compelling arguments. But the next time you’re thinking about persuading someone about an issue, ask yourself, “how can I share a story that relates to them and what’s in it for them?” Think about the great stories you have to share going forward.