Stories that Persuade: Accessing the Power of Influence
Those who can persuade possess the ability to influence change and mobilize people into action. The power of persuasion is undeniable. It’s an essential part of leadership, and those who foster it within themselves are able to rise to great heights, often much faster and with more ease than their less persuasive counterparts.
Persuasion is rooted in storytelling. It’s the ability to use the right stories to change someone’s thoughts around a particular topic.
What makes a story persuasive?
How can you harness the power of storytelling to influence others?
Let’s dive in!
Key Elements of Persuasive Storytelling
A persuasive story is a story on a mission. Its purpose is to share information in such a way that it influences or even changes its audience’s perspective on a particular topic and inspires action. Due to this requirement, a persuasive story needs to be engaging and entertaining in addition to being informative and convincing. Here are some of the key elements to implement into your storytelling if you want to persuade.
Emotional Appeal
Emotionally Resonant Characters: Compelling characters that the audience can empathize with.
Conflict and Resolution: A clear conflict that evokes emotions, followed by a resolution that satisfies those emotions.
Emotional resonance is a key element of persuasive storytelling. To create emotional appeal, craft characters that the audience cares about. These characters should be relatable, compelling, and evoke strong emotions. By developing characters that resonate with the audience, you create a deeper connection and increase the impact of your story.
A persuasive story also needs a clear conflict that evokes emotions. Whether it's a personal struggle, a moral dilemma, or a societal issue, the conflict should be something that the audience can emotionally invest in. It’s important for the resolution of the conflict to also be emotionally satisfying. As they say, 50% of storytelling is the story itself, the other 50% is the ending. A great, satisfying ending will cement your perspective and your mission in your audience’s mind.
Credibility and Relatability
Personal Connection: A story that feels relatable to the audience, either through shared experiences or shared values.
Credible Narrator: A trustworthy narrator or source that adds credibility to the story.
Credibility and relatability are crucial for gaining the trust and attention of your audience. To establish credibility, create a personal connection with your audience. You can do this by telling a story that feels relatable, either through shared experiences or shared values. When your audience members see themselves reflected in your story, they are more likely to be receptive to your message.
A persuasive story should also have a credible narrator or source. Whether you're the narrator yourself or you're citing credible sources, it's essential to establish trust with your audience. A trustworthy narrator adds credibility to the story and helps build rapport.
Clarity and Simplicity
Clear Message: A story with a clear and concise message that the audience can understand and remember.
Simplicity: Avoid unnecessary complexity to ensure the message is easily digestible.
A persuasive story is clear, concise, and easily understandable. To achieve this, have a clear message that your audience can grasp and remember. Your story should convey this message in a straightforward manner, avoiding unnecessary complexity or ambiguity. A clear message ensures that your audience understands the points you're trying to make and increases the likelihood that they'll be persuaded by your story.
Simplicity is key when crafting a persuasive story. Avoiding unnecessary complexity ensures that your message is easily digestible. This allows your message to resonate deeply with your audience and leaves a lasting impact.
Examples of Persuasive Stories
1. "The Tortoise and the Hare" - Aesop's Fables:
Emotional Appeal: The story features relatable characters (the slow but steady tortoise and the overconfident hare) and a clear conflict (the race).
Credibility and Relatability: The moral of the story is timeless, teaching the value of perseverance and hard work, which many can relate to.
Clarity and Simplicity: The moral, "slow and steady wins the race," is straightforward and easy to understand.
2. "I Have a Dream" - Martin Luther King Jr.:
Emotional Appeal: Dr. King's speech evokes strong emotions through vivid imagery and powerful rhetoric.
Credibility and Relatability: Dr. King's personal experiences and his role as a civil rights leader lend credibility to his words, while his message of equality resonates with many.
Clarity and Simplicity: The speech delivers a clear and concise message, making use of repetition and simple language to drive home its point.
3. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf":
Emotional Appeal: The fear and consequences faced by the boy when he finally tells the truth elicit strong emotions.
Credibility and Relatability: The story teaches the importance of honesty and the consequences of deceit, which are universal values.
Clarity and Simplicity: The moral of the story, "Don't cry wolf," is straightforward and easy to understand.
How to Use Persuasive Stories
Now that you understand what makes a story persuasive, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice. How can you use this knowledge to become more persuasive yourself? Here are some additional tips to consider:
Define Your Outcome: Persuasive storytelling starts with the end in mind. Ask yourself, “What’s the outcome I’m trying to achieve?” The answer to this simple question will guide your decisions every stop of the way. It’ll help you narrow down what story to tell, which characteristics and conflicts to focus on, how to build credibility, and what your final message or call to action should be.
Know Your Audience: If you want the greatest impact from your persuasive storytelling, it’s very important to craft your story with a specific audience in mind. Ask yourself, “Who is my audience?” and “What action do I want this audience to take?” The answers to these questions will help you tailor your narrative to resonate with the values, beliefs, and experiences of your audience. This way, you’ll establish a deeper connection and increase the effectiveness of your message.
Focus on Emotion: Once you know your outcome and your audience, it’s easy to choose the story beats that elicit emotion. Remember that emotions drive action and influence decision-making. To create a compelling narrative, focus on evoking emotions through vivid imagery, relatable characters, and emotional storytelling. Paint a rich sensory landscape and develop characters that elicit empathy. These tools will help you captivate your audience and draw them into your story.
Keep it Simple: In a world inundated with information, simplicity is key to cutting through the noise and delivering a persuasive message. Craft your story with a clear and concise message that is easy for your audience to grasp and remember. Avoid jargon, unnecessary details, and convoluted plotlines. This ensures that your message remains accessible and impactful.
Provide Social Proof: People are more likely to be persuaded by a story when they see evidence that others have been persuaded before them. Provide social proof by using credible sources, testimonials, or personal anecdotes to add authenticity and credibility to your story. Social proof comes in many forms. You can share research studies, your own success stories, or showcase testimonials from past customers. Use these tools to strengthen your argument and build trust.
Practice and Refine: Finally, keep in mind that storytelling is a skill that improves with practice. Take every opportunity to tell your story and pay attention to how your audience responds. Experiment with different storytelling techniques, pacing, and delivery methods to see what resonates most with your audience. Pay attention to when people are leaning in and when they seem disinterested. If you feel comfortable, ask for feedback and use it to refine your skills.
Storytelling connects us to others. When you use storytelling deliberately as a tool for persuasion, you gradually become more influential. It might feel unnatural, forced, or overwhelming at first. Stick with it! Trust your instincts. Analyze your decisions and their outcome. In time, persuasive storytelling will become second nature. This is an important and worthwhile skill to develop!
If you need help with crafting and delivering persuasive stories, book a time on my calendar at meetwithellie.com.