What’s your story? Who are you? Where do you come from? What do you want? When you seek to influence others, you face these questions and more. Whether you’re proposing a risky new venture, trying to close a deal, or leading a charge against injustice, you have a story to tell. Tell it well and you will create a shared experience with your listeners that can have profound results.In this highly accessible and groundbreaking book, Annette Simmons reminds us that the oldest tool of influence is also the most powerful. Showcasing over a hundred examples of effective storytelling drawn from the front lines of business and government, as well as myths, fables, and parables form around the world, Simmons illustrates how story can be used to persuade, motivate, and inspire in ways that cold facts, bullet points, and directives can’t. A great read, The Story Factor will guide and inspire you to become a more effective communicator. Nearly everyone responds to a good yarn, and that’s precisely the point behind The Story Factor by Annette Simmons. A “collaborative behavior” consultant to public and private organizations, Simmons argues that storytelling may just be the best management tool available to modern business leaders because it exerts influence in ways that other techniques cannot. And she doesn’t suggest that stories be exclusively reserved for formal presentations, either; on the contrary, Simmons shows how they can be used effectively in small group settings and even one-on-one situations. She begins by describing six basic types that can be adapted to any circumstance (Who I Am, Why I Am Here, The Vision, Teaching, Values-In-Action, and I Know What You Are Thinking). She then offers pointers for finding them and advises that ideas be jotted down whenever they appear, built upon consistently, and practiced in private until the telling comes naturally. To that end, she includes helpful tips on presentation, noting that the words are only part of a package that includes body language, clothing, tone, and other components. Follow her lead and you’ll likely never relate to any individual or group in the same way again. –Howard Rothman
The way to capture passion is with a story I must confess that I’m a little surprised at the occasional dissent from the almost unanimous praise this book has received.Â
The book simply repeats that stories are valuable Not very useful to read unless you want to teach someone why storytelling is useful. The book goes on and on telling why storytelling is useful, by telling a lot of stories, but it is more than irritating eventually as the guidelines are buried.
Specific advice on telling stories Story telling is supposed to work in context. Out of proper context, it can be counterproductive. Annette Simmons tells the reader a lot of rules that apply to storytellers to keep them on the straight and narrow.Â