You are here

How To Tell A Story (A)

How To Tell A Story (A)

By
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang
2009|Case No.M323A| Length 19 pgs.

Stories are all around us. Stories move us, make us feel alive, inspire us to be more than we would be otherwise. Our appetite for stories is a reflection of the basic human need to understand patterns of life — not merely as an intellectual exercise but as a personal, emotional experience. Learning how to tell a story cannot guarantee the reaching of Truth, but it can help you connect with your audience, move your audience, and make your material more memorable.

Traditionally, business people persuade using only the left side of the brain, or reason. However, persuasion occurs, just as much (if not more) through emotion. By developing the right side of the brain, engagement can be better built through uniting an idea with an emotion. And the best way to do this is by telling a compelling story.

This material is available for download by current Stanford GSB students, faculty and staff as well as Stanford University Alumni. For inquires, contact the Case Writing Office.