You know what I’ve realized over the years? People don’t remember stats. They don’t remember pitch decks, feature lists, or your 20-slide strategy. But they remember stories.
And I’m not talking about fairy tales. I’m talking about real, raw, relatable stories, the kind that stick.
Whether you’re trying to build a brand, sell a product, or lead a team, storytelling isn’t just a soft skill anymore, it’s a business tool. One I wish I’d understood better when I first started.
The good news? It’s never too late to start using it. Even one honest story can do what a hundred facts can’t.
When Fancy Pitches Don’t Work
Let’s be honest, most of us have been guilty of overloading our pitches.
You’ve seen them: presentations packed with every possible stat, chart, and keyword… basically built to impress Google, not real people.
And yet, the response?
Blank stares. A few polite nods. Maybe a “we’ll get back to you”, but they rarely do.
The problem isn’t always the product. Sometimes the product is genuinely great. It solves a real pain point.
But if you’re not making people feel something, you’re not giving them a reason to care.
Because people don’t connect with features, they connect with meaning.
Here’s a piece of advice that’s really stuck with me:
“If they feel it, they’ll believe in it.”
And in business, belief is everything.
What Makes a Good Business Story?
Let me break this down, not like a marketer, but like a founder who’s learned the hard way.
A good business story has:
- A real problem – One that your client or team deeply relates to.
- A human angle – A face, a feeling, an emotion.
- A journey – How you got from chaos to clarity.
- A takeaway – Something that inspires action or trust.
I’m not saying cry in every meeting. I’m saying let people in. Show them why what you’re building matters.
With Clients: People Buy Belief
Here’s something most people miss, clients don’t just buy services or products.
They buy belief.
They pay attention when you talk about real outcomes, not just pricing or features.
Like when you share how someone saved hours of manual work…
Or how a small business used the tool and grew faster than they expected.
Not numbers. Just real people, getting real wins.
That’s what makes others believe it can work for them too.
Because in the end, you’re not just selling software, design, strategy, or whatever it is you offer You’re selling a story of what’s possible.
And people buy into that.
With Your Team: Vision Only Works if They Can Feel It
Here’s a mistake I made early on:
I’d tell the team the goal. I’d show them targets, charts, OKRs.
But I wasn’t telling them why. The story behind the mission.
And if there’s no story behind the goal, the work feels… like just work.
Now?
Before we launch anything new, I start with a story.
It might be about the customer who inspired this idea. Or about the first time I felt the frustration we’re solving.
Sometimes, it’s even a personal story from my own struggles as a founder.
Because when your team feels the mission, they don’t just work for the brand, they start working for the belief behind it.
But Wait -“I’m Not a Storyteller”
I hear this a lot.
And I get it. You might not be a writer or a speaker. Neither am I.
But storytelling isn’t about being poetic. It’s about being real.
It’s as simple as saying:
“I remember when we were struggling with this exact issue. Here’s what we did, here’s what went wrong, and here’s what finally worked.”
That’s it.
That’s a story.
You don’t need fancy words. You need clarity, honesty, and a little emotion. If it came from a real experience, it’s already powerful. It’s not about big words, It’s about real talk.
The Stories That Stick
Here are a few story types that always work for me in business:
1. The “Why We Started” Story
People love origin stories. People connect with the real stuff: the breakdown before the breakthrough, the idea that sparked it all, and the guts it took to follow through.
2. The “We Almost Failed” Story
Vulnerability builds trust. It’s okay to share the failures that came before the win.
3. The “Customer Win” Story
Real people. Real results. Share these often. Let your users be your heroes.
4. The “Behind-the-Scenes” Story
Let your clients or audience peek behind the curtain, into your process, your team, your values. It builds connection.
My Go-To Formula (When I’m Stuck)
When I’m sitting in front of a blank page (or a blank slide), here’s the simple formula I use to pull a story together:
- Start with a moment: Something real that happened.
- Add emotion: What did it feel like? Confusion, excitement, fear?
- Show the shift: What changed? What helped?
- End with meaning: What did you (or your customer/team) take away from it?
It doesn’t need to be long. Just needs to be true. Sometimes, it’s the tiniest story that creates the biggest impact.
And the more you practice this, the more natural it starts to feel.
Storytelling Isn’t Just For Branding, It’s Leadership
You want to lead?
You want your team to rally behind you?
Do you want clients to trust you?
Then don’t just tell them what to do or what you offer.
Tell them why it matters.
Tell them what it means.
Storytelling bridges that invisible gap between information and inspiration.
And in a world full of noise, it’s the story that people carry with them when they leave the room.
If You’ve Read This Far…
Thank you.
That probably means you’re someone who wants to lead with heart. Who wants to build something that lasts.
Don’t wait until you’re “good” at storytelling. Just start sharing what’s real.
The small wins, the messy middles, the lessons you learned the hard way.
Because those stories? They’re what make your business unforgettable.
I’ll be back soon with more views, reflections, and behind-the-scenes lessons.
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