In an exuberant blog entry called The Chemistry of Storytelling, Marguerite Grant has created an inspiring list that answers the question, “Why story?”
We don’t just buy a product, we buy the story behind it.
We don’t just join a company, we join because of its story.
We don’t just join a cause, we join the story behind it.
We don’t just vote for a presidential candidate, we buy into his story of what the future holds.
We don’t just follow the leader, we buy in to the story behind her vision.
We don’t learn best by hearing a theory or concept, we learn best by hearing stories that demonstrate the concept.
We don’t just see a movie or read a novel, we lose ourselves in a good story.
Based on the fact that we buy stories, it’s not the best product that will sell; it’s the product with the best story behind it. It’s not the best employer that attracts the most candidates; it’s the one who knows how to tell a story through its employment brand.
How have you’ve applied good storytelling in your life?
I especially like the fact that Grant is blogging on the blog of Talent Culture, a careers-related community that offers “the latest perspectives of what it means to find meaningful careers and use them to grow.”
Her statement, “It’s not the best employer that attracts the most candidates; it’s the one who knows how to tell a story through its employment brand,” can be turned around for job-seekers: It’s not the best candidate that gets the job; it’s the one who knows how to tell a story through his or her personal/career brand brand.