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Storytelling is an incredible skill that once you master, you could (potentially) get anything you want. When I asked my Chief Gaming Officer, Check Ho, about why he is willing to give up a salary position to give his heart & soul to Bountie Gaming, he said it’s because he believes in the vision that Lex shared when they first met.
Lex was able to paint his vision for the company from day 1. He told a story so great that even after a tech giant offered Check a job, he turned it down.
“What do you do?”
This is a question I get asked a lot. I’m sure you do too. Whenever I’m lazy or not wanting to network, I’ll reply with, “I write”. That’s it. Most of the time, people will leave you alone or ask on the surface questions.
However, when I do feel like sharing, I’d say…
“You know how there are a lot of “too good to be true” product reviews with incorrect facts? I’m building a tech review site to give readers an authentic, in-depth look into how the products fair.”
And when they ask how I do it…
So, I spend a week or two researching, testing out gadgets, pushing it to its limits and seeing who would benefit from the products. So that I can share with my readers whether it’s something suitable for them. That way, you know what you’re actually buying into.”
Which has more impact? Definitely, the second answer which tells a story of what I do, why I do it and how I accomplish it.
WHAT I do: Answers their question.
WHY I do it: Allows me to connect with them on an emotional level because it could solve their pain point.
HOW I accomplish: Validates my why through justifiable actions.
Storytelling Is Used By…
Right off the bat, I can tell you Steve Jobs won our hearts with his presentations. Instead of spitting facts and specs, he would share the story behind the product.
Even posting on Medium is considered storytelling because we publish “Stories” rather than articles. That’s one of the many reasons why I love Medium.
When Do You Use Storytelling?
Almost all the time. It is highly effective when you want someone to believe in your mission. You would typically use it to hire the best talent, to get investors to believe in you, to get customers to buy into your product, etc.
Who should master storytelling?
Everyone. I can’t stress this enough. Doesn’t matter if you’re a retail staff or filmmaker… you need to learn how to capture your audience through storytelling.
So, now you know the importance of storytelling but how do you tell a good story?
Effective storytelling involves a deep understanding of human emotions, motivations, and psychology in order to truly move an audience. — Brian G. Peters, 6 Rules of Great Storytelling (As Told By Pixar)
Referencing from my other story, “That One Thing You Need In Every Article”, you need the human touch in your story.
Adding that human touch will help the other person to relate to whatever you’re saying. How do you add the human touch? By describing your story to satisfy a person’s 5 senses.
I have more examples in the story below if you want to check it out.
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This post was previously published on www.medium.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Shutterstock.com