NeuroMarketing and Storytelling

StorytellingThe human brain is wired for narrative. This is why business storytelling is so important.

People make most of their decisions based on unconscious emotions as opposed to rational logic. Data dumps, dense PowerPoint slides and pure stats do not emotionally connect people with your idea. The best way to do that is with “Once upon a time…”

When absorbed in a story, people detect fewer inaccuracies and inconsistencies. More importantly, they don’t seem to care about the errors. However, when reading dry and factual content, people seemed more critical than when reading a story.

By linking your ideas to commonly known stories, you are leveraging a previously established neurological path in your audience’s memory. They will be able to more easily associate your ideas with that known path provided by stories. This way your ideas become more meaningful and memorable.

Business Storytelling

I like storytelling. I like the journey of the story, the surprises, when things go wrong, the possibilities for the end. I like the hero’s journey. That is one of the reasons I like NPR and Radiolabs. They are great storytellers. Storytelling is one reason why in our show we avoid telling at the beginning what we’ll talk about. Because in storytelling you don’t tell the end before it is time. Businesses need to incorporate storytelling. Some do it really well like Moleskine, Innocent drinks. Tom’s shoes. Do you use storytelling in your business? Stories create emotional connections and these connections will make people buy.