Stories Sell

1. Storytelling is the Ultimate Business Superpower

The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.

Beyond mere entertainment. Storytelling transcends simple entertainment; it's a fundamental tool for business growth and personal influence. The author's own journey, from an inexperienced wedding DJ to a sought-after corporate consultant, demonstrates how stories can build brands, attract clients, and command higher prices, even against established competitors. This power stems from stories' unique ability to forge deep human connections.

Connect, persuade, remember. Stories are inherently memorable and persuasive because they engage emotions, not just logic. They allow individuals and companies to stand out in a crowded market, making their message stick long after facts and figures are forgotten. This is why the author's DJ company, despite lacking experience and fancy equipment, achieved a 97% conversion rate by focusing on personal connection and unique narratives.

A universal language. Whether you're a CEO, a salesperson, a teacher, or an entrepreneur, the principles of effective storytelling are universal. They enable you to communicate ideas, inspire action, and build trust in ways that traditional presentations cannot. Embracing storytelling means transforming how you interact with customers, employees, and partners, turning every interaction into an opportunity for meaningful engagement.

2. Data Alone Fails; Emotion and Connection Win

You thought data and charts would defeat a story. You took a knife to a gunfight.

Logic's limitations. People often mistakenly believe that decisions are based purely on logic and reason, especially in business. However, behavioral economics consistently shows that human beings are not rational decision-makers; emotion and instinct play a far greater role. A compelling story can easily override a year's worth of data and research, as seen in the school board example where a single emotional anecdote defeated a data-driven proposal.

Wired for narrative. The human brain is uniquely wired to process and retain stories. This evolutionary trait, developed over hundreds of thousands of years, means stories are our most ancient and effective form of communication for passing on vital information. In contrast, our brains are not naturally predisposed to remember PowerPoint slides, bar graphs, or abstract data points with the same clarity or longevity.

Emotional chemistry. When a story is told, the listener's brain releases dopamine (enhancing focus and memory), oxytocin (increasing trust and bonding), and endorphins (relieving stress and creating well-being). This chemical response predisposes the audience to like, trust, and connect with the storyteller, making them more receptive to the message. This "manipulation" of brain chemistry is why stories are so powerful in sales, marketing, and leadership.

3. Cultivate Your Personal Story Bank Relentlessly

What we touch is gold.

Everyday moments are gold. The most impactful stories often come from the seemingly ordinary moments of our daily lives, not just grand adventures. These "gold" moments are the anecdotes, examples, and metaphors that drive business forward. The problem is that most people fail to notice, recognize, or record these precious experiences, letting them slip into forgetfulness.

"Homework for Life" method: To combat this, the author developed "Homework for Life":

• At the end of each day, ask: "If I had to tell a five-minute story from today, what would it be?"
• Record a brief snippet (1-3 sentences) in a spreadsheet.
• Never judge the moment's perceived importance; just collect it.
  This simple, consistent practice sharpens your "storytelling lens," revealing the abundance of meaningful moments in your life.

Expand your story arsenal. Beyond daily reflection, other exercises like "First Last Best Worst" (e.g., first kiss, last car, best pet, worst injury) and "3-2-1" (telling a story from random prompts like "muskrat" or "vending machine") help unearth forgotten memories. These tools not only build a vast repository of stories but also foster self-awareness and a deeper appreciation for one's own life experiences.

4. Every Great Story Centers on a "Five-Second Moment"

All great stories — regardless of their length or depth or tone or context — embody a five-second moment of transformation or realization.

Transformation or realization. At its core, a true story is defined by change over time. This change manifests as either a transformation ("I used to be one kind of person, but now I'm different") or a realization ("I used to believe one thing, but now I believe something new"). Without this fundamental shift, a narrative is merely reporting events, not telling a story.

The pivotal instant. The "five-second moment" is the instantaneous point within a story where this transformation or realization occurs. The entire purpose of the story is to bring this singular moment to the greatest clarity possible. For example:

• In Jurassic Park, it's Alan Grant's realization in the tree that he loves children.
• In the author's Datsun accident story, it's the emergency room doors opening to reveal his friends, signifying he has a family.
• For a business, it could be the moment a founder realizes a market gap or a product's true potential.

Focus on the small. Storytellers often mistakenly focus on the "big" events (car crash, dinosaurs, exotic travel) rather than the small, human moments of internal change. These seemingly ordinary internal shifts are what resonate most deeply with audiences, making a story relatable and unforgettable. The "big" events merely serve as the backdrop or catalyst for the true, internal story.

5. Craft Stories with Stakes, Suspense, and Surprise

When we surprise people — when we offer the most delightful things that a storyteller can ever give an audience — they love us, and when they love us, they will listen to us, believe us, respect us, support us, and remember us forever.

Engage the audience. To keep an audience captivated, stories must be infused with stakes, suspense, and surprise. These elements compel listeners to wonder what happens next, making them emotionally invested. Without them, even important information can be ignored or forgotten, as seen in many unproductive business presentations.

Stakes and anticipation. Stakes are the "why" an audience listens – what's at risk, what's desired, or what problem needs solving. They can be introduced early (the "Elephant") and evolve throughout the narrative. Backpacks load the audience with hopes and fears before a pivotal event, while breadcrumbs hint at future developments, building anticipation. For example, in "The Spoon of Power," the initial stake is the author wanting the spoon, which later shifts to the spoon's magical power.

The power of surprise. Surprise is crucial for eliciting genuine emotional responses (laughter, tears, anger). It's achieved by upending audience expectations, often by strategically withholding information or presenting a twist. Businesses frequently ruin surprise by leading with thesis statements or telegraphing outcomes. Instead, allow the audience to experience the revelation organically, beat by beat, just as the storyteller did.

6. Build Narrative Momentum with "But and Therefore"

It’s the causation, or the causal links between sentences, paragraphs, and scenes that make a story.

Beyond "and then." Many people connect narrative elements with "and," resulting in flat, list-like recounting of events. Effective storytelling, however, uses "but" and "therefore" (and their synonyms) to create dynamic movement and causal links between sentences and scenes. This principle, also recognized by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, ensures that each event logically leads to the next, creating a compelling flow.

Creating narrative tension. The "But-and-Therefore Principle" continuously cuts against the grain of the story, introducing shifts, conflicts, or consequences. This creates a serrated line of progression rather than a flat one, keeping the audience engaged and wondering about the unfolding changes. For example, "I loved Heather, but she was never mine" is more impactful than two separate sentences.

Business application. In business, this principle makes pitches and strategies more robust and harder to dismantle. When each part of a proposal is causally linked, it forms an unbreakable chain of logic and emotion. This prevents the "bloating" of presentations with irrelevant slides, ensuring a cohesive and persuasive narrative that resonates deeply with stakeholders.

7. Stories Live in the Mind, Not on Slides

A great storyteller creates a movie in the mind of the audience.

Cinema of the mind. The ultimate goal of a storyteller is to create an uninterrupted, vivid "movie" in the listener's mind. This mental visualization is what makes stories memorable and impactful. Relying heavily on slides, however, often hinders this process, as the audience's attention is split between reading text on a screen and listening to the speaker.

Location and action are key. To keep the mental movie running, always provide a physical location for every moment of your story, and describe people doing things. Starting with "I'm standing on the playground..." immediately activates the imagination, allowing the audience to populate the scene with their own details. This is far more effective than abstract descriptions or voice-overs.

Slides as support, not substance. Slides should support the story, not be the story. They should be minimal, with few words, and used sparingly for images, diagrams, or key phrases. If your story cannot be told effectively without slides, it's not a true story. The best presentations feature a human storyteller at the center, with slides serving as subtle, visual enhancements.

8. Leverage Humor and Vulnerability Strategically

Humor is always advisable regardless of the business.

The power of laughter. Humor is an incredibly potent tool in communication, releasing dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins in the brain. This makes audiences like, trust, and perceive the speaker as intelligent, enhancing receptiveness to the message. In the business world, where communication is often "round, white, and flavorless," even mild amusement can make a speaker stand out.

Strategic placement. Effective humor isn't constant; it's strategically placed:

• Early in a story: To chemically prime the audience to like and trust you.
• Before/after difficult moments: To enhance contrast or break tension.
• During boring parts: To maintain engagement and prevent minds from wandering.
• When stakes are low: To keep attention before the next major plot point.
  Avoid ending a story with humor, as the conclusion should be reserved for emotional impact or transformation.

Vulnerability builds connection. Sharing personal struggles, mistakes, or moments of doubt (like Domino's admitting their pizza sucked or a CEO discussing a family member's botched surgery) demonstrates confidence and authenticity. This vulnerability fosters deep, indelible connections with the audience, earning respect and loyalty in ways that perfection never could.

9. Choose Tense and Perspective for Maximum Impact

When it’s your story, it should always be told in the first person, and every story you tell, speech you deliver, and earnings call you make should, at least at some point, contain a story about you.

Present tense for immediacy. Telling a story in the present tense ("I'm standing...") creates a powerful sense of immediacy, making the audience feel as if the events are unfolding in real-time. This "temporal magnet" draws listeners into the story's time and space, enhancing engagement. It also allows for seamless shifts to past tense when providing backstory, clarifying the timeline.

First-person for connection. The first-person perspective ("I") is crucial for personal stories, placing the audience directly into the storyteller's mind and emotions. This fosters vulnerability, authenticity, and a deep connection. Even in business contexts, incorporating "I" stories (e.g., a CEO's personal inspiration) humanizes the message and makes it more relatable than generic "we" statements.

Second-person for direction. When telling a story about someone else (e.g., a customer or competitor), the second-person perspective ("you") allows the storyteller to act as a cinematographer, directing the audience's gaze and focus. Phrases like "I want you to see..." or "Listen now as..." guide the listener's mental movie, ensuring they focus on the most impactful details and experience the story as intended.

10. Foster a Storytelling Culture from the Top Down

Nothing is better than leaders at the top modeling the practice.

Sustaining the shift. Implementing storytelling is one thing; sustaining it is another. Without consistent support, structure, and a cultural shift, new storytelling practices often revert to old, ineffective habits. Change is hard, and people naturally gravitate towards the path of least resistance, which is often the "round, white, and flavorless" communication style.

Leadership is paramount. Cultural change must be driven from the top. Leaders like Boris Levin, who actively model storytelling and insist on its integration, are essential. When CEOs, founders, and managers consistently use stories in their daily practice, it incentivizes employees to commit and invest in the skill. This top-down approach ensures storytelling becomes an integral part of the organization's DNA.

Actionable strategies: To embed storytelling into a company's culture:

• Start meetings with a story (e.g., a patient's experience in a hospital).
• Integrate stories into training (e.g., a nurse's near-tragedy leading to a new procedure).
• Dedicate time for story sharing (e.g., "sharing the gold" sessions for sales teams).
• Host internal storytelling events to showcase talent and reinforce importance.
  These practices create opportunities for widespread adoption, making storytelling a shared value and a powerful competitive advantage.

11. Learn from Master Storytellers like Steve Jobs

Jobs was a storyteller that day. In the same way I tell stories about stripping in McDonald’s break rooms and discovering the magic of a simple spoon, Jobs did the same. His content and purpose were different, but his methodology was identical.

Performance, not presentation. Steve Jobs's 2007 iPhone keynote is a masterclass in storytelling, demonstrating that every public speaking opportunity should be treated as a performance. Jobs meticulously prepared, focusing on delivery, engagement, and entertainment, rather than merely presenting information. This mindset is crucial for anyone wanting to captivate an audience.

Jobs's universal methodology: Jobs deployed every storytelling principle:

• "I" perspective: "This is the day I've been looking forward to..." immediately humanized the announcement.
• Stakes & suspense: He built anticipation by mentioning "two and a half years" of waiting and hinting at "three revolutionary products."
• Expertise & universe building: A brief history of Macintosh and iPod established Apple's legacy and market understanding.
• Surprise: The reveal that the "three products" were actually one iPhone was a perfectly executed moment of unexpected delight.
• Humor: A janky iPod with a phone dial provided a well-timed laugh.
• Minimal slides: His slides were sparse, supporting his narrative with images and few words, keeping the focus on him.

Timeless principles. Jobs's success wasn't just about groundbreaking products; it was about his ability to tell compelling stories that resonated deeply. His methodology, identical to that used for personal anecdotes, proves that storytelling principles are universal. By studying masters like Jobs, anyone can learn to transform their communication, making their message unforgettable and inspiring.

Last updated: January 19, 2026