You want your audience to say yes to your idea, your offer, or your call to action. But how do you persuade them with your words and stories? In this article, you'll learn four storytelling techniques that can help you get your audience to say yes, whether you're writing a blog post, a sales page, a presentation, or a pitch.
One of the most effective ways to get your audience to say yes is to explain why your idea, offer, or call to action matters to them. People are more likely to agree with you if they understand the benefits, the values, and the purpose behind your message. To use the power of why, you need to craft a compelling story that shows how your idea, offer, or call to action can solve a problem, fulfill a need, or create a positive change for your audience. Use examples, anecdotes, and testimonials to illustrate your points and make your story more relatable and credible.
To get an Yes from your audience, you have to first make them believe you understand their problems. Most consumers are a solution-aware. But what extra you can give, is the question. Let them know you understand their problems. And the best way to do that is to share your story when you face a similar problem. If you're able to convince them that you know the problem and that's why you have the best solution, voila! It's easiest to get a Yes then!
People don’t buy Volvo. They buy the feeling of safety. People don’t buy iPhones. They buy the feeling of being different. People don’t Chanel. They buy the feeling of luxury. People don’t buy things. They buy feelings, impact, and identity. So don’t sell the offer. Sell the emotional connection.
To be clear - no one should be forced to say "yes". it should be a natural and self made decision based on the information and evidence provided. With that caveated, It is important in this scenario that your desired impact of your storytelling is to "persuade". By knowing this at the outset, it means that you are able to craft your storytelling with that impact front of mind. Your content and flow should all be geared around persuasion.
Another way to get your audience to say yes is to appeal to their emotions. Emotions are powerful drivers of human behavior and decision making. They can influence how your audience feels about your idea, offer, or call to action, and how they respond to your message. To appeal to emotions, you need to use words and stories that evoke the desired feelings in your audience, such as curiosity, excitement, trust, empathy, or urgency. You can also use contrast, humor, surprise, or suspense to create emotional impact and engagement.
Absolutely! Appealing to emotions is a potent way to resonate with your audience and drive them to say "yes." It's about fostering a genuine understanding of their emotional landscape. Here are a few pillars that we usually use in explainer videos: -The thrill of a new adventure -The compassion for a common challenge -The urgency to take action -The comfort of familiarity -The anticipation of success -The resolve to make a difference -The delight of shared laughter -The spark of inspiration
Emotional connections are incredibly powerful, as is eliciting hormones within your audience. All will aid the stronger feelings towards persuasion through the building of trust, relationship and connection. By incorporating this into your storytelling you will stand a better chance in shifting your audience to an agreeable position.
A third way to get your audience to say yes is to create a connection with them. People are more likely to say yes to someone they like, trust, and relate to. To create a connection, you need to use words and stories that show your personality, your values, and your common ground with your audience. You can also use questions, feedback, and dialogue to invite your audience to participate and share their opinions and experiences. By creating a connection, you can build rapport, credibility, and loyalty with your audience.
Human connection thrives on emotional investment, and stories serve as bridges to this connection. Craft narratives that invite your audience to share experiences with you. By doing so, you foster empathy, weaving a tapestry of relatable emotions. This shared journey transcends mere transactions, anchoring a genuine connection. Remember, the power of persuasion lies not just in the proposition but in the ability to make your audience feel a part of the narrative – where saying "yes" becomes a natural continuation of the shared story.
Much like the importance of emotions as already shared, this will in turn lead to a connection. The greater the connection you have with your audience as a storyteller, the greater the level of trust, relationship and relatability is formed. These factors will foster connection and in turn a higher chance of your audience aligning and agreeing to your position / story.
A fourth way to get your audience to say yes is to use the power of yes itself. Yes is a positive and affirming word that can create a momentum and a mindset of agreement and action. To use the power of yes, you need to use words and stories that reinforce the benefits and the value of your idea, offer, or call to action. You can also use techniques such as repetition, framing, and social proof to amplify the power of yes and make it easier for your audience to agree with you.
By using these four storytelling techniques, you can get your audience to say yes to your idea, offer, or call to action. Remember, storytelling is not about manipulating or deceiving your audience, but about communicating and influencing them in an ethical and effective way.
In improv theatre, the most powerful two words are “Yes, and…” which is the act of continuing the story. This is what we want our audience to do, not merely to say yes and have it end there but to continue, carry on, and create a new chapter to our call to action. How do they see themselves in this? What other ideas has our message soaked in them?
Social proof shows your audiences that many others—people just like them—have benefited from your product or service. Sharing testimonials, reviews, and endorsements increases their trust and confidence in saying yes. You can also showcase the number of customers who've bought your product (i.e. "trusted by 10,067 fellow cat dads") and list awards and recognition. Another way to draw people toward a yes: Write conversationally. Write as if you're talking to a good friend. Ask a question (because isn't that how we talk in conversation?). Vary sentence lengths to pause and create rhythm. Loosen up your writing and avoid being stuffy. The more relatable your voice and tone, the more likely people will say yes to your offer.
In business, your goal SHOULD NOT be to get a person to say YES- that can often lead down a road of information overload or to a negative perception of being “pushy” Instead, strive to get the audience to say “TELL ME MORE”
Instead of focusing on getting audience to say ‘Yes’, the focus should be on building credibility and trust with your authentic content. For a successful relationship with the customer, the storytelling skills and content strategy should be focused on a long term strategy not a short term one.
No one talks about how exactly to do it to get YES. Here's how you can strategically manage the substance on your story: Before you start writing your story post: Identify the overall pain points → Are you trying to educate your audience? → Or are you trying to promote a product? → What's the main goal of this post?