Combine stories with statistics to increase impact
Summary
- Short concise stories are effective in conveying messages in a memorable way
Details
- you are 22 times more likely to remember statistics if they are combined with a story.
- When you tell a story, the listener experiences the same emotions that you do
References
Quotes
Storytelling is a powerful way to get your achievements across, but you don’t have to impress and entertain others by spinning elaborate, grandiose tales. In fact, shorter, more concise stories are often the most effective in the professional context. This could be as straightforward as sharing a brief anecdote about a challenge you overcame or talking about a project you’re proud of in a conversation, in a meeting, or even in an email. Listeners are twenty-two times more likely to remember statistics combined with stories than facts alone. What’s even more surprising is that when you tell a story, your listener’s brain will actually start to sync with yours, a process known as neural coupling. This means that when you substitute “I talked to the vendor about our contract” with “I know revenue has been down this year, so I negotiated a 25 percent discount for the next year to bring us in under budget and offer some positive news we can share with the board,” your boss doesn’t just hear about what you did, but they experience the same positive emotions––excitement, inspiration, and relief––that you felt.
Related
- Story Bias
- A good story is always the most powerful way of conveying ideas
- What is a good story - John le Carre
- Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off - Anton Chekhov