Quick Insight
The most powerful stories aren’t the ones someone tells us. It’s the ones we tell ourselves. Once a storyteller sways us, we subconsciously look for and believe facts to match the story we believe. We don’t look for or see facts that contradict our story. Think of ways that would prove the story false or incorrect. Challenge your biases. This is the fastest way to tell if the storyteller has spun true gold or fools’ gold.
It happened more than I want to admit. I would come to the meeting loaded for bear with data. At the meeting, I unloaded graphs, stats, and numbers that clearly pointed out the way we should go.
Then someone would tell some anecdotal story about a customer, employee, or their grandma that contradicted my story. Game over. The room sided with the storyteller.
We love stories. They help us make sense of our world. They sway our heads and hearts. We’ve long known the power of stories in sales and marketing.
The most powerful stories aren’t the ones someone tells us. It’s the ones we tell ourselves. Once a storyteller sways us, we subconsciously look for and believe facts to match the story we believe. We don’t look for or see facts that contradict our story. And so we believe even fairy tales.
How can we break the fairy tale’s spell? Instead of looking for ways to show the story is true, think of ways that would prove the story false or incorrect. Challenge your biases. This is the fastest way to tell if the storyteller has spun true gold or fools’ gold.
I wish you a true story that leads to a happy ending. I wish you well.
- Rob Stephens
Further Insight
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