How To Tell Stories That Are Emotional, Not Transactional

By Jen Jamula

While storytelling is no longer the buzzword du jour, stories remain powerful vehicles in business settings for transporting audiences – engaging and ultimately persuading them. The science behind storytelling supports this sense of being lifted up and taken somewhere else. It turns out that when one hears a story, the region of their brain activates that corresponds to the story (e.g. the motor cortex engages when hearing about an intense bicycle ride across a city) and listeners have a felt sense of experience. Even more magical, the listener shares that cerebral experience with the storyteller, as if they were there in the moment together!

For storytelling to work in professional settings, however, one can’t just keep it all business. (Cue personal tale of woe here – vulnerable and real – that ends in: “And that’s why you need to buy xyz product, perfect for all of your needs!” Also: cue facepalm.) Stories feel disingenuous if they become too transactional. 

Read on for tips on how to infuse emotion and connection into stories, so they don’t ring hollow and fall flat.

Don’t Rush The Beginning

People are often shy about telling stories, sensing from those first few words that all of the attention is now on them and there’s an expectation that this is going somewhere. The result is that they often rush the beginning of a story, diving right into the tension-filled middle without taking time to set the scene.

Indulge details for audiences at the beginning. In particular, give them a sense of place by focusing on how one might engage their five senses in this world. What would they see? Give them visual details. What would they hear, smell, taste, and touch?  What time of day, time of year, or time in history is it (“it was late in the day…the shadows grew long on the ground and the apartment was eerily quiet”)? With setting, mood is just as important as geography. Think of one’s words as a portkey to another universe. 

Highlight What A Character Wants

It’s easy to assume people understand one another’s intentions and motivations, but humans aren’t as transparent as they seem. Similarly, with stories, tellers of business tales often forget to give their characters a clear need — and not just any need, but a driving need that propels them. Without a motive, characters are one-dimensional and forgettable. 

Ask oneself: “What does the character want more than anything in the world?” Is it acceptance, knowledge, defeating the odds, transformation or survival? Highlight what a character wants in stories because, as grandiose as it might sound to talk about a need to “return home and make things right” in a pitch, the big motivators are what general audiences find relatable. Well, that and the simple human need for cheese, chocolate, and Netflix.

Tell It With A Purpose

Similar to knowing what their character wants, a storyteller should know what they want from their audience when diving into a workplace narrative — and that shouldn’t just be to make a sale. 

Consider how an audience should be fundamentally transformed by hearing a story. Is the purpose to challenge them, caution them, or show them what’s possible? Or is it to make them laugh and give them relief? A story with a purpose forges human connection, and that’s what drives sales — not just dropping in one’s product at the end. Speak passionately, with a perspective and a purpose, and business will come. 

If it’s still unclear if a story is transactional instead of emotional, try this gut check: Ask oneself if a story feels methodical, predictable, or overly focused on facts. If any ring true, slow down and connect with the why – tuning into relationships, motivations, and passion – and get ready to see audiences really going somewhere.