There’s an old saying you might have seen floating around the internet that states, “Those who tell the stories rule the world”.
Humanity has always inherently known that people crave and seek out great stories almost as much as food and water. And the people (and brands) who can tell the most compelling stories are able to command the most influence within their community.
As Seth Godin famously articulated “Marketing is no longer about the product or services you sell but about the stories you tell“.
WIIFM? Whats In It For Me is the question the audience or the reader or the listener or the user wants to know when you tell your story. The story is about them. Something that they align with and find it worthy of sharing.
Most of us are not born with the skill of storytelling(except for grandmas and grandpas perhaps?)- it is an acquired skill built on the scaffolding of authenticity, honesty and the energetic quest to engage and connect meaningfully. Leave something inedible in the listener’s or viewer’s mind. So that she carries the baton forward and brings in more community into the mix. And contrary to what perception is, the believability of your story comes more from a place of vulnerability than a place of authority or personality.
“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it.” – Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale
In the end, we all become stories! Begin now.
ENDS