The power of a story

I was waiting for a tram with this guy I've been working with lately. The sun was shining, but since it's autumn the weather was rather nippy. I was shivering and he said I'd need more clothes. "Or more body fat", I answered laconically. He didn't agree and said some people just get easier cold and some keep warm in any weather. I made a remark of how I don't think I've got much blood circulating my extremity and how I always have cold hands.

Reminded by this I told a story, which went something like this: A young nurse was working in an hospital where an old and grumpy man had just died. As everyone was pretty sure he was gone, the young nurse leaned in to take his pulse for the very last time. To show the relatives he had really passed away and that everyone was sure about this. At the moment the nurse touched the old man, he startled and yelled: "Damn you women with your cold hands!"

The young nurse in my story was my mother, sometime way before I had born. I told my audience I wasn't quite sure of all the details. Not even if the nurse in the story was my mom. He replied it didn't matter. It was a great story.

We love stories. Not only movies or books. Also jokes, analogies, myths... You name it. An interesting, funny, or empathy invoking story is the way to captivate and stop people for a second there. Laughing, gasping and crying are the signs of the best stories.

That is what you want to do: Make people stop. Make the rest of us take a pause and pay attention to what you have to say. The best way to catch the attention is to tell a story. [Tweet this] A short one, a long one. Something that will cause an emotional response.

Stories are powerful. As they captivate us they also create memories and associations. [Tweet this] When you want your brand to be remembered, tell a story. When you want the people to have interest in your marketing efforts, tell a story. When you want the attention, tell a story. And when you do, tell one that has heart and soul in it.

[Tell a story and show your personality with these 5 blog post ideas.]

Photo by Giulio Bernardi under Creative Commons license.