In 1871, a saloon owner named James Ritty had a problem - his employees were stealing money they collected from customers.  As a small business owner, every cent collected was important, but he had no way of knowing for certain just how many cents his employees stole.  One night, when talking to his brother Ernest about the problem he was having with his employees, they came up with a plan.  Ernest was a mechanic and he helped Ritty create "Ritty's Incorruptible Cashier."  The machine accurately recorded the number and cost of individual sales.  Use of the "Incorruptible Cashier" dramatically increased Ritty's revenue and business success. 

Even though this is the first time you've probably heard the story of Ritty's invention, you probably won't forget the origin of the cash register.  Or at least you are much more likely to remember it because it was told to you as a story rather than a set of bullet points or in another equally boring information based form.
 
The reason you are more likely to remember this story is because your brain is wired to become more active when reading or hearing a story.  Storytelling has been a primary mode of communication for more the 25,000 years, since people were using cave paintings to tell stories.  Information-based communication is a more recent invention and our brains process it differently than the stories we have been telling for millennia. 

THE BRAIN ON STORY

When listening to a story, more of the brain is activated.  If you talk about how something feels, it activates the audience's sensory cortex.  When you feel those emotions the insula, a part of the brain that interprets emotion, activates in you and your audience.  Storytelling fires up more brain activity than information-based presenting.  

The key is recognizing the simple story in every point you make.  Each beat of your interview (precon, site logistics, design, safety budget, schedule, disruption avoidance, etc.) is like a scene, and each scene tells its own complete story. 

STORY TELLING DISRUPTS AUDIENCE OBJECTIONS

Princeton psychologist Betsy Levy Paluck studies a real-time human tendency to form a counter-argument automatically when another point of view is being expressed -- the kiss of death to traditional presenting.  However, story disrupts that tendency.  Paluck's studies showed that "people consumed stories in this qualitatively different way.  Their defensiveness is disabled.  Their counter arguing is at rest."  Storytelling allows presenters to guide audiences through entire ideas without contending with objections or counter-arguments.  

Presenting only points and stuff to decision-makers can interrupt the flow of the presentation and opens the door to questions and objections.  Building the presentation around a series of stories creates the memorable and meaningful experience of moving the prospect forward from what they worry about toward what they want. 

Housekeeping Note:

If your address, phone number or email
address has changed please notify your credentials agencies.
_____________________

Now delivering
Business Credentials Compliance services

 

Professional legal services for business credentials compliance includes:

 

* Existing corporate credentials registration compliance review

* Corporate credentials quarterly maintenance

* Corporate credentials documents filing

* Potential new corporate registration legal research with recommendations

 

Your questions and critical issues will be addressed with exceptional personal service when you call 913-608-7880.


________________________

If your license renews on your date of birth this month, or by state requirement when your license origination occurred, it's time to renew.

_____________________