Author Kate Harrison makes a compelling case for getting better at storytelling.
You are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it has been wrapped in a story.
Why? Because stories are memorable, help us grab the gist of an idea more quickly, and trigger emotions.
How do you build a story in a business environment?
Harrison suggests using these four components:
Setting. This is the attention-grabbing context and parameters about your topic.
For example: More than 80% of agents who start a real estate career are languishing at the end of their first year.
Character. Connect the setting to a real person who was experiencing the harsh realities of the setting.
Meet Sarah, a 35-year-old personal trainer with a large sphere of influence from her previous business…
Conflict. Describe the energy, excitement, and resources.
Sarah poured time, energy, and her personal savings into her real estate business to get it off the ground.
Explain the pain and disappointment she felt when things didn’t work out as she had hoped.
Resolution. Show how you rescued Sarah at her lowest point of despair, and then share how successful she is today because of the help you provided.
After using the story to subtly define utopia, your recruiting prospects will be more open to considering your call to action.
At this stage, it’s appropriate to introduce more data and proof, but it won’t be remembered if the story didn’t initially capture their attention.
