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H umans have been communicating through stories for more than 25,000 years. The medium in which stories were told was somewhat different – think cave walls – but this old fashioned, powerful tool has survived the test of time. Storytelling, part 2 Do you want to win a project, identify a new service offering, or attract a new employee? Pick the right medium and have at it!
backs on. It is important, however, to make sure you tell the right stories; a boring story, a story out of context, or one told to the wrong audience has the potential to backfire and cause confusion. It’s also not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When it comes to effective communication, the passion you bring to the story makes all backfire and cause confusion. It’s also not just what you say, it’s how you say it.” “A boring story, a story out of context, or one told to the wrong audience has the potential to
As mentioned in last week’s issue of The Zweig Letter , stories give us the power to move people, get them excited, and change the way they act. The success of storytelling, however, isn’t just hullabaloo concocted by market researchers – it’s proven through cold, hard science. Last week’s article noted that stories stimulate and engage the entire human brain. Psychologists and neurologists have found that when we hear powerful and emotional stories, our brain releases dopamine to help us remember the experience with better accuracy. During a character-driven story, our brain also produces oxytocin, a feel-good chemical that promotes connection, heightens empathy and motivates us toward cooperation. With all of this research rooted in science and the increasing need to stand apart from our competitors, storytelling is quite hard to turn our
Kelly Thompson GUEST SPEAKER
See KELLY THOMPSON, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER October 16, 2017, ISSUE 1220
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