Linda Wheeler CTC, CCC
Sometimes when you think of storytelling, maybe you think of laying on a plush bed with a small child tucked in your arms while you hold a book, reading a much-beloved bedtime story for the 10th time this week. Many times, you think of sitting around a crackling campfire as a teenager, holding a flashlight up from your chin as you tell a tale so scary that every twig that snaps in the distance sends shivers down the spines of your friends. Or maybe, just maybe you’ve mastered the storytelling skills so that when you’re sitting with clients, verbally describing a snapshot of the ideal tropical destination for their honeymoon… your description captures the attention of the couple, where in their mind, they can see, feel, and smell every detail you describe.
Storytelling doesn’t just take place around the flickering light of a campfire or in the soft glow of light from a child’s room. Storytelling is a part of our everyday life, whether we think about it or not. Storytelling lives through the tales we tell our friends and the movies we watch. It’s a way of connecting to people and has become more important in the workplace than ever before.
But what is storytelling and why does it work? Beyond that, how do we tell a story to help our clients?
What is Storytelling?
OK… first let’s get a couple of definitions out of the way.
The Oxford dictionary defines ‘story’ as an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment. (Lexico, n.d.). It’s a narrative account and adds emotion and sensory detail to plain facts. The message of a story must be consistent and authentic.
Storytelling is the act (or art) of telling a story to engage an audience. The storyteller conveys a message, information, or knowledge in an entertaining way.
(Frogleaps, n.d.)
Why Storytelling Works
Storytelling has been around for a long, long time. Long before the written word, people have been sitting together, telling the stories of their people again and again, so that the new generations would not forget the struggles and triumphs of their ancestors. Sure, repetition helps us remember the facts, like when you repeated your multiplication table over and over. But storytelling allows us to remember things without straining our mind to remember the information.
But why does storytelling work? Here are a few answers to consider.
– We’re trained to accept information through stories – We literally grew up learning from stories. If you ask a child what the moral of the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare” is, they will tell you ‘slow and steady wins the race.’ As an adult, we know it as persistence, and persistence wins in the long-run. Most parents wouldn’t expect their young child to remember “persistence wins in the long-run” but they will likely remember that the turtle won because he kept going.
– Stories are entertaining – When a story grabs our attention, we are more likely to absorb the message and meaning in it than if the same message was presented simply in facts and figures. (The Power of Storytelling, 2016). Information, data, and facts by themselves are boring, well, for most people at least. Wrap the information in a story, a good story, and now people will pay attention to the information.
– Stories are easy to remember – It’s true! If you give most people facts and figures, by the next day, a person will have forgotten 40% of what you told them. After a week, they will have forgotten 90% of the information. (Choy, E, 2020) But if you put those facts into a good story, people are likely to remember the information 20 times more. (Boris, V, 2017) People will forget facts and figures, but they never forget a good story!
– Stories can evoke emotion – Even the simplest story can elicit emotion. (Bolander, S, 2017). Many times, to have an impact, you need to first bring out emotion. Let’s face it, when was the last time you were moved by a spreadsheet?
– Emotion can motivate action – There’s a subtle similarity between the words ‘emotion’ and ‘motivation.’ The Latin stem, -mot, means “move.” (Gray et al., 2020) If you are happy, then you are moved to do something to keep that feeling going. If you are upset or angry, then you may act aggressively. When a compelling story is told, we are engaged- we put ourselves into the story. The feeling of being a part of the story can motivate us into action, or a decision.
– Stories allow people to connect to each other – When a story engages our emotions, we often feel empathy with the storyteller. When we empathize with someone else, we see a different perspective of the world. When we see a new perspective, we have connected with another person, whether on a small scale or not-so-small.
How Do We Tell a Story?
Unfortunately, there is not one sure-fire way to tell a story. In fact, for every different person we come across, there will be the same number of ways, or more, to tell a story. We can, however, make sure that we include certain parts of a story that is important for most stories. Stories have five basic elements (The Five Essential Elements of a Story, n.d.):
– Characters – who the story is about (the client)
– Setting – the location of the story
– Plot – the story with a clear beginning, middle, and end
– Conflict – the problem that needs to be resolved
– Resolution – the solution to the problem
As travel advisors, the stories we tell are more of a short story. We give clients a glimpse into a destination to capture a moment and create a certain mood. (Masterclass, 2021) Now the story that we tell must be more focused. We create a vignette, as we sketch in the mind a particular setting or location, capturing a single moment or detail about an element in the story.
So, what do we need to do or include when we tell a story to our clients? What is the benefit of those pieces of the story?
– Create a mood – We want our clients to feel an emotion when we describe a location. Of course, the mood we are setting is totally dependent on what the client wants to experience. (Here is where qualifying the client before the research is paramount!) Does the client want a relaxing vacation where the sand is powder-soft, the cool blue water caresses the feet, and the sun is warm? Or does the client want an adventure-filled vacation where soaring through green, lush canopy of the jungle on a fast-moving zipline and where you can smell the scent of exotic flora as it hangs heavy in the air as it rushes by you? As discussed before, creating a mood, and bringing out an emotion, helps to create motivation to take action.
– Follow the basic structure – The basic structure of any story (or paper!) is to have a beginning or opening, a middle or conflict, and an ending or the “AH HA!” Because you’re telling a short story, you need to be very strategic about what you say. You don’t have a lot of time; everything in the story needs to be vital. Edgar Allen Poe once said, “A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build toward it.” (Masterclass, 2021). What does this mean to us as travel advisors? We need to stay focused. We need to paint the picture of what the client is interested, without “gumming it up” with extra details and information that is not as important.
– Use clear, descriptive language – In order to get your client’s attention, the story you tell needs to be captivating in addition to being informative. Adjectives and nouns are the name of the game here. Of course, not just any adjective and noun, but words that enhance what you are describing. Earlier there were two examples of moments caught in time. If it was said that “an adult was telling a story to a child” would that have brought up a feeling of warmth? Or did the plush bed and the soft glow of light from the child’s room help set the stage? Would the phrase “teens were telling stories” have made the hair on the back of your neck stand up? Or perhaps did the crackling fire and snapping twigs bring you to a time where you were telling the story, bringing shivers down the spine of your friends? Using clear and descriptive language helps to enhance the story and captivate your client.
– Personalize the story – We must be able to put our clients into the setting and the client needs to be able to imagine and see in their mind the setting. If the client cannot imagine themselves in the setting, they are less likely to want to go where you suggest. Again, qualifying the client is paramount. If the client cannot swim and has no interest of being on the water, it will not be important to the client that the catamaran sailing is just down the beach.
– Make the client the “hero” of the story – To take the personalization a step further, the client needs to be the hero of their own story, not the travel agent. The travel agent is merely the guide. Luke Skywalker had Yoda. Frodo had Gandalf. Harry Potter had Dumbledore. To guide the client, you will need to tell the client you know what they want, talk about the “problem” they are experiencing, then tell them how you, the travel agent, are going to solve their problem- through their eyes. (Toth, 2019) Concentrate on what the client gets and not what you provide. You are not the star. You are not the hero. This is not your story. You are merely guiding your client to a decision.
Our clients already have their own story that they are living. For one reason or another, they are coming to you to change their story, even if it’s only for a chapter. We as travel agents aren’t changing the end of their story, just influencing a small portion. The hope is to add something positive to their story.
Conclusion
Stories connect people. They provide a way for people to understand other people. Stories provide an entertaining way to learn and obtain information. Through storytelling, we can share problems and enthusiasm, sorry and joy. We can learn to understand each other, and we can even communicate through stories.
Storytelling can be simple. You can create a mood, bring on a feeling, and make the client feel an emotion. Through this emotion, you place the client into a setting, a destination, using clear and descriptive words. By focusing on what the client gets, you make the client the hero of their story. A travel agent should solve the client’s “problem” and empower the client so they (the client) will win their day.
Remember, stories can change lives. Stories can change minds. And stories, the right stories, can influence buying decisions. (Hansen, 2020) The ability to package ideas into a story and to allow you to communicate these ideas with empathy and emotion, this makes you valuable. This means that you, my storytelling travel agent friend, can be the most powerful person in the world, at least for a moment, or chapter, in time.
Research and References
5 Simple Tips for Storytelling in Sales. (n.d.). The Pipeline. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/storytelling-in-sales
American Society of Administrative Professionals. (2019, March 1). Learn What Makes Stories So Powerful. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from
https://www.asaporg.com/communication/what-makes-stories-so-powerful
Bolander, S. (2017, March 17). Why Storytelling Is So Powerful. Six Degrees. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://www.six-degrees.com/why-storytelling-is-so-powerful/
Boris, V. (2017, December 20). What Makes Storytelling So Effective For Learning? Harvard Business Publishing. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/what-makes-storytelling-so-effective-forlearning/
Chilvers, T. (n.d.). Why Is Storytelling So Powerful? Business Leaders Take Note. The Colin James Method. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from
https://colinjamesmethod.com/why-is-storytelling-so-powerful-business-leaderstake-note/
Choy, E. (2019, December 8). Don’t Overlook Key Leadership Storytelling Moments. Leadership Story Lab. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from
https://www.leadershipstorylab.com/don-t-overlook-these-key-leadershipstorytelling-moments/
Choy, E. (2020, February 9). Why Is Leadership Storytelling So Powerful? Forbes. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/estherchoy/2020/02/09/why-is-leadershipstorytelling-so-powerful/?sh=2f906f2c2e46
The Five Essential Elements Of A Story. (n.d.). [PDF]. Katie Kazoo.
http://www.katiekazoo.com/pdf/KK_FiveEssentialElements.pdf
Frogleaps. (n.d.). What is a Story and What is Storytelling? Retrieved July 29, 2022, from http://www.frogleaps.org/blog/topic/what-is-a-story-and-what-is-storytelling/
Gray, K., Arnott-Hill, E., & Benson, O. (2020). Module 20: Emotions and Motivation: What Moves You? In Introduction to Psychology (1st Ed.). College of DuPage Digital Press. https://cod.pressbooks.pub/introductiontopsychology/
Hansen, J. (2020, September 18). Why Storytellers Are The Most Powerful People in the World. Writers in the Storm Blog. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from
https://writersinthestormblog.com/2020/09/why-storytellers-are-powerful/
Issa, M. (2017, June 25). 4 Reasons Why Storytelling is Powerful. Elephant Journal. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/06/4-reasons-why-storytelling-is-powerful/
Lexico. (n.d.). Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved August 2, 2022, from
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/story
MasterClass. (2021, August 30). How to Write a Short Story In 5 Steps: Writing Tips for Great Story Ideas. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-great-short-story-writingtips-and-exercises-for-story-ideas
The Power of Storytelling. (2016, December 12). The Health Foundation. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://www.health.org.uk/newsletter-feature/power-of-storytelling
The Power of Telling a Story. (n.d.). Story League. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://www.storyleague.com.au/the-power-of-telling-a-story/
Toth, R. (2019, February 28). StoryBrand How-To: 3 Ways to Make Your Customer the Hero. Medium. Retrieved August 7, 2022, from
https://medium.com/clearbrand/storybrand-how-to-3-ways-to-make-yourcustomer-the-hero-ce440f5f2bcd
