Studies Prove: Stories Sell

In honor of World Storytelling Day, two quick stories about the profit-generating power of stories…


STORY #1


Neuroscientist Paul Zak ran a simple experiment: he showed people a short, emotional story about a father and his young son with terminal cancer. Then he measured their blood.


After watching the story, participants’ brains released oxytocin — aka “the love hormone” or “the trust molecule” that promotes feelings of love, bonding and well-being.

In the experiment, participants’ oxytocin levels were 47% higher than before they watched the story-powered video.


After the video:

• People gave money to strangers they would never meet
• Many donated to charities unrelated to the actual people in the video
• Some gave away everything they earned in the experiment

The moral of this story (supported by additional studies): When we tell powerful stories, those who hear them like and trust us and want to cooperate with us more. Stories don’t just “engage.” They chemically prime people to care — and act.


STORY #2


At Stanford University, Chip Heath asked his students to give one-minute speeches that contained three statistics and one story. 


Some time after the speeches, Heath quizzed students on what they heard. 


Only 5% of listeners remembered a single statistic. 


On the other hand…


…63% of listeners recalled the STORIES. 


Our brains remember stories.


63% vs. 5%. That’s a 12.6x difference.

The moral of this tiny tale: Stories stick.


We humans are wired to remember stories.


So humans who weave more stories into their marketing content will…


…be more memorable,


…more stand-out-able,


…and more hire-able.


Storytelling is a critical part of every successful marketing strategy. You need good stories to attract leads, nurture them, and inspire them to act.


You also need the right tech to deliver your stories to the right people at the right time without headaches and hassles.


And you need teammates to help you implement quickly and efficiently — unless you want to do EVERYTHING yourself.


I have spots available in April for my new program where my team and I help you implement it all — client-getting, story-powered strategy, tech that saves time and money, and teammates who do the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.


If you want to know more: Book a complimentary Plan and Prosper Blueprint Session.


In this 1:1 session, I’ll review your business, identify your highest-leverage opportunities, and hand you a personalized “Plan to Prosper” Blueprint — a clear roadmap combining the right strategy, the right tech, and the right team to simplify and accelerate your growth.


This is not a cookie-cutter solution based on generic assumptions about you and your business. This is a tailored plan, based on the facts we unearth when we meet.


Click here to book now.