Why Storytelling Is Important for Your Pitch
Tick & Talk
Middle East’s Leading Training Provider for Presentation, Negotiation and Communication Skills via AI-Driven methods.
People love to hear stories, even as adults.
Storytelling has been used throughout history – as early as the first cave drawings - and has served as a powerful tool to educate, entertain, and shape cultures.
By the time you finish reading this article, hundreds of stories around the world will be told, whether through bedtime stories, social media content, or business presentations.
Storytelling entertains all types of audiences because it appeals to the human emotion and forms a connection. Communicating through the language of stories has effectively helped many establish a strong emotional connection that persuades people to take a certain action.
In the business world, it is highly regarded as an essential skill that everyone must have, no matter how big or small their role is.
Business leaders like Steve Jobs have incorporated storytelling to simplify their ideas into digestible and compelling formats, and this has resulted in a memorable influence over the public and the market to this day.
Storytelling can be tailored to suit any kind and any size of audience, as long as it is crafted with purpose to build a certain impression.
?
The Impact of Storytelling
Storytelling is how Airbnb got into the YC accelerator, one of the toughest startup accelerators to join. After having their then bizarre idea rejected by 16 investors, including the YC itself – initially – a simple well-put story created the pivotal point that changed their business forever.
How did it come together?
Before applying, Airbnb founders had been struggling financially and have repeatedly failed to secure funding. So, during the 2008 US elections, they developed an idea to sell cereal in candidate-themed boxes for $40 - a ridiculously overpriced rate considering that cereal boxes cost $4 at the time. However, their idea was so clever they managed to sell $30K worth of boxes.
Months later, when the founders applied to the Y Combinator, YC co-founder Paul Graham was very unimpressed with their idea and rejected them. As they were packing to leave, they gifted Graham one of their cereal boxes and told him the story behind it.
Everything they couldn’t convey in their pitch was carried by this story, which overturned Graham’s preconception and convinced him of their capability as a team to make a success out of Airbnb, just as they managed to persuade people to pay $40 for cereal.
“If you can convince people to pay $40 for a $4 box of cereal, maybe you can get strangers to stay in other strangers’ homes.” – Paul Graham
Read the full story here.
A well-put story was able to illustrate the lengths these group of individuals are willing to go to make their idea work, and this sparked an emotion in their audience, an investor, which inspired him to take an action: investing.
?
What is the science behind it?
1.?????? Psychologically, our brains are wired to process and retain information best when it comes in the form of a story.
When we hear a story, mirror neurons in our brain activate, and this enables us to comprehend and empathize with what we’re observing. Just like how Airbnb founders’ story painted a clear picture for Paul Graham of their determination.
2.?????? Storytelling also simplifies complex ideas, makes them digestible, and in the end: memorable. Your brain is more likely to remember stories over a list of facts.
3.?????? Moreover, it’s been proven to influence decision-making.
How? Hearing a relatable story can appeal to certain emotions, which drives people to take a certain action, just like what happened with Graham. It plays a role in shaping public opinion and persuading people – and that’s why it’s used in commercials.
?
?
Why storytelling works wonders for your pitch?
Depending on where and how you place a story in your presentation, it can add a different effect to your pitch.
1. Hooks Your Audience
If you use a story as an opening to your pitch, a good chance is that it will hook your audience.
And if your audience is hooked, they will be intrigued to know what’s next – and you want to have their undivided attention for the rest of pitch.
2. Builds a Personal Connection
Incorporating a personal anecdote can make your audience engaged with your story and relate to your experience, which sparks a personal bond that is separable from your facts & figures.
领英推荐
3.?Demonstrates Understanding
Sharing a vision story and connecting it with your journey through a well-told story advocates for your understanding of your business, clients, and market.
4.?Stand Out
Overall and after all, a good story creates a unique element to your pitch that helps you stand out and be remembered.
Keep in mind that stories are more easily recalled than facts and figures.
?
Where to begin – 2 types of stories that you can start with
Robbie Crabtree, author of “Competitive Storytelling:?Raise Capital, Win Influence, and Shape the Future”, suggests 2 types of stories you can use in your pitch: your founder story & your vision story. Despite sounding similar, they’re very much different.
Your “founder story” is a personal origin story that in the end connects to your business idea.
Investors invest in individuals – through your anecdote, they learn who you are and how they feel about you. It creates a level of trust between you and your potential investor.
As for your “vision story”, it is more about the “what” and “why” of your business and how it came together.
You vision story should be built around emotional storytelling, rather than stating facts about your journey. The aim is to portray your business as a heroic success story that makes the investor want to join.
?
Your beginner’s toolkit to storytelling
First, start by observing powerful business storytellers – listen to how they structure and sequence their story, and how they use their voice & body language to deliver it.
You can begin with Steve Jobs’s 2007 introduction of the iPhone presentation.
Next, draft your storyboard – craft a compelling narrative and plan out how you’ll deliver it.
?
Lastly, practice, practice, and practice – start experimenting with different storytelling approaches whether in casual conversations or in formal settings to find out which style suits you best.
Don’t forget to practice how you’ll use your body language to make it more confident, influential, and sincere.
?
Your goal isn’t to force everything you know down your audience's throat; it’s to get them to take action after the presentation. They go on a journey with you.” -Matthew Woodget
Storytelling is not just a form of entertainment; it is a powerful tool that drives human connection and emotion, making it a vital skill in personal and professional interactions. Its ability to simplify complex ideas, make them memorable, and influence behaviour is why storytelling is a smart approach to setting your big idea apart in a competitive landscape.
Whether you're pitching a business idea or simply sharing experiences, mastering the art of storytelling can create a lasting impact, ensuring your message is not just heard, but remembered.
Start practicing your stories today and observe yourself as you captivate, inspire, and persuade those around you.
There's a lot more to talk about when it comes to storytelling.
Stay tuned for more from The Presentation Talk!
The Presentation Talk gathers any topics related to preparing, rehearsing, and delivering a presentation - whether if it’s for business, or if it genuinely helps you become a better speaker. ??
Every Sunday, we will tackle a new topic that simplifies presentations and makes them a digestible peace of cake, no matter the context.