Storytelling is an effective way to be persuasive because stories are easy for people to understand and relate to in a way that transports their mind to another place. To create better stories, build suspense using techniques like the Zeigarnik effect where people are inclined to finish what they started. Literary techniques like metaphors and irony can also make stories more engaging. When telling stories to an audience like lawyers, focus on delivery, imagery, realism, structure, context, and the intended audience to maximize effectiveness. However, facts still matter as people make decisions emotionally first and then rationalize them with facts.
4. Why tell stories?
• It works!
• Trumps facts/data
• Easy to understand/relate to
• Transport mind to another
place
• Moral of the story is…
5. How to create better stories?
Suspense
• Definition:
– Suspense is a quality in a work of fiction that
arouses excited expectation or uncertainty about
what may happen
• Zeigarnik effect:
– People are inclined to
finish what has already
been started
6.
7. How to create better stories?
Literary techniques
• Metaphors, irony…
• Pigs taking over a farm → Tale on how political
dogma can be turned into malleable propaganda
8.
9. Lawyers’ concerns
• Delivery
– Pace and “flow”
• Imagery
– Expressive language
• Realism
– Evoke “human” element
• Structure
– Logical and with suspense
• Context
– Seem sincere and
credible enough
• Audience
10. Facts still matter
We make our decision emotionally (and, to varying
degrees, unconsciously), and then let our rational
processes justify that decision with facts.
