Author Paul Smith On "Why Tell Stories?"

From Paul Smith's new book, Lead With A Story, here are the 10 reasons for embracing storytelling as a business tool:

Storytelling is simple
Storytelling is timeless
Stories are demographic-proof
Stories are contagious
Stories are easier to remember
Stories inspire
Stories appeal to all types of learners
Stories fit better where most of the learning happens in the workplace
Stories put the listener in a mental learning mode
Telling stories shows respect for the audience

Smith goes on to say that:

you don't need a degree in English to tell a story
stories can spread like wildfire
lessons from a story are remembered more accurately, and for far longer, than learning derived from facts
stories spark curiosity and interest rather than the urge to evaluate or criticize
stories get your message across, without arrogantly telling listeners what to think or do

Smith is Director of Consumer and Communications Research at The Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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