Stories That Stick By Kendra Scott
I have always wondered what made stories so good - the tiny details that we remember and emotional journey we embarked on.
Kendra Scott’s book Stories That Stick has answered a couple of those questions.
Storytelling is co-creative and that’s a win
Storytelling is a co-creative process. As the teller tells the story, the listener is taking the words and adding their own images and emotions to them.
They get captivated in this creation process and they lose themselves and researchers coined this term as a “narrative transportation.” We take people away from where they are and this is what happens when you’re so sucked in that you lose awareness of your surroundings and people miss their stop because of a podcast.
Secret: You travel willingly into the world of the story and it is as this point that attention metamorphosizes into something more valuable → captivation
SYSTEM 1 & SYSTEM 2
From Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking, Fast and Slow” there are 2 systems in our brain
System 1 = cognitive ease
System 2 = is cognitive strain
Cognitive ease vs. Cognitive strain
When you’re telling a story and trying to convince buyers, why would you ever want them to engage their System 2 and cause cognitive strain?
When it comes to creative persuasive messages, the general principle is that anything you can do to reduce cognitive strain will help. While your message may be true, if it isn’t easy enough for your audience to believe it and accept it as the truth with System 1, they will call in System 2. When System 2 gets involved, the likelihood of cognitive train, followed by confusion and agitation greatly increases.
Lists, bullet points, features, benefits… System 2.
4 Stories Every Organization Should Have
Value Story = effective sales and marketing
Founder Story = increase confidence and differentiate
Purpose Story = align and engage the team
Customer Story = better sales and marketing and credibility
Who is the audience?
Who are you telling this story to?
What do you want them to think, feel, know or do?
The art of choosing a story is all about knowing where the audience is and where your objective meet
Telling Your Story
Knowledge is not power; it’s just wasted brain space if you never tell your story.
Don’t be too practiced in presentations - the key is to focus on your message, not the words. Practice until you’re prepared, not perfect. Leave room for spontaneity.
There is a certain pressure that comes with knowing you should be telling stories. Using the right story is as important as using any story.