The Irresistible Power of Stories

“In a galaxy far, far away…”

That opening line to Star Wars began a story that shaped the minds of a young generation. It began a tale of light vs darkness. A tale of hope vs despair. Of freedom vs imperial servitude. 

And the story was so powerful that it is even now, more than 40 years later, it continues to capture the imagination through spin-offs on Disney Plus.

Why? Why do certain stories endure the test of time?

It’s because of this…

Stories don’t just hold power. They ARE the power of human emotional connection. 

Have you ever heard of “mirror neurons”?

Have you ever cringed while someone told you about how they cut their hand while cooking dinner? Did you notice that the more detail they went into, the more it affected you? That’s the effect of mirror neurons at work. Mirror neurons allow us to see/hear something in the life of another and to translate it into our own life. 

Even if you’ve never had an actual experience like the one the other person had, your brain is able to adapt the information to what you have experienced in your own history. 

Try to recall some of those movies you’ve seen. For example, do you remember the scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Luke found out Darth Vader was his father? While you personally have never hung by your arm on a rail over a drop more than 100 meters in the belly of a city flying in the sky while a sith lord talks with you and tells you he’s your father, you can still feel the danger of what might happen if Luke let’s go. 

The better a story taps into your imagination, the better you are able to feel like you are there. 

Feel. That’s the key. 

Scientists are discovering that mirror neurons may be the basis of empathy. 

Empathy allows us to feel what it’s like to be in the shoes of another. 

(Keep that in mind as we move on.) 

Did you know that people don’t make decisions rationally, but emotionally?

Yeah, that’s a surprise for many. When the rubber hits the road, people don’t rely primarily on the facts of a situation to make decisions, but rather on how they feel about it. 

It’s the same with language. Whenever people process language, they do so in this order: first, emotions, then meaning. 

Emotions, THEN meaning.

Perhaps the most important emotion for people to feel is “safe”. We are naturally suspicious of new things, because (in the interest of safety) we need to take time to assess how we feel about them. In order to stay safe, human beings are actually wired to avoid things that are dangerous. 

Let’s take this into marketing

Here’s a situation to think about. Imagine trying to sell a product or service to people who do not yet know how valuable your offer is because they have not yet bought it. (Not much of a stretch, is it?)

Notice the Catch-22 here. On the one hand, people need to experience its value before they buy it; but on the other, they need to buy it in order to experience its value.

How in the world are you supposed to overcome that? 

First, identify the key problem:

The problem is that people want to feel safe when they purchase, and since your offer is still an “unknown”, it is by default “potentially not safe”. Their natural tendency, then, will be to outright avoid it.

Second, identify a solution:

You need to find a way for people to have a pre-purchase experience that communicates how your offer how will make them feel once they use it. 

Seems impossible, right?

But it isn’t.

Let’s go back to something I said earlier…

Stories don’t just hold power. They ARE the power of human emotional connection. 

Stories enable you to bypass the concerns about safety by allowing potential clients to feel the win before they actually get it. 

The best stories to achieve this goal are recommendations and reviews. 

Think about what is happening in the mind of a reader when they come across a review by a raving fan. 

As they read the words, they process the emotions first. Their mirror neurons allow them to empathize with those raving fans as they experience success vicariously. 

If you work with larger businesses, you can do the same with case studies. However, these are a bit trickier since you need to get special permission before publishing them.

Another option might be to tell the story about how you came up with your product. As you talk about your own struggles, readers can empathize and share in the joy of having found a solution that works. 

So, I want to say this one last time…

Stories don’t just hold power. They ARE the power of human emotional connection.

In marketing, human connection is key

In a sense, all of marketing is about helping people to overcome their fear of the unknown and feel safe enough to make a purchase. In accomplishing this, one of the most powerful tools you have in your toolbox is your website.

We want you to have a website that can get you the leads and clients you need to crush your goals, scale your business, and achieve financial freedom.

It’s time for you to get on our calendar for a free, no-obligation 15-minute Clarity Call. On that call, we’ll determine how we can help you reach your business goals and grow your business like never before. Just click the link below and start the ball rolling. We look forward to hearing from you.

https://wiseowlmarketing.com/clarity/