Use Storytelling to Get Ahead at Work

There’s a piece of lore around Airbnb that I’ve always loved. When they first launched their home-renting service in 2008, they struggled to attract customers. In 2013, the co-founders decided what they needed was a story. They wanted to do more than win minds with logic, facts, and figures; they also wanted to win hearts. They needed prospective renters and property owners to feel something that would compel them to engage with the service.

Airbnb wanted to do more than win minds with logic, facts, and figures; they also wanted to win hearts.

The company shifted its focus from highlighting facts—like the practicality of renting rooms or homes instead of hotels—to telling stories about the power of belonging.

"Belong anywhere" became the official tagline of Airbnb and led to the creation of their new logo and brand story. Their focus now was on helping people to feel at home wherever they were. Customers began sharing their own stories of belonging. Suddenly, business was booming.

Telling great stories—investing in winning hearts as well as minds—isn’t just for brands. As this Inc. article claims, storytelling is one of the most critical business skills we all need today:

Stories help us understand the world, find our place in it, and even convince others to buy into our ideas and products. ... Your stories make you relatable. They show people why something is important rather than telling them.

The two questions we all need to answer are:

1. How do you choose the right moment for a story?
2. How do you craft and deliver that story for impact? 

When do you tell a story?

As this Harvard Business Review piece explains:

The art of persuading by winning hearts is about connecting people emotionally to your idea or position.

Sometimes we do want to lead with rational logic and facts. Need to make a data-driven decision on which marketing campaign delivered the best results? Hard data is your friend. But in other moments when your objective is different, a story—a way to connect with someone’s emotions—may be just the thing.

Here, HBR continues, are some of the moments best suited to heart versus mind-winning:

• Introducing a new idea and trying to pique interest
• Gaining support...

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips