Storytelling in everyday conversation

These days, though, people are starting to recognize the value of storytelling in conversation. And although we may have long moved past the desire to (and, in some cases, the ability to) sit crisscross applesauce on a rug with our friends as we hear a tale from the brothers Grimm, we’re reaping the benefits of storytelling all the same.

But what, exactly, is conversational storytelling? Let’s take a look.

Conversational storytelling

In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart couldn’t find the words to define “obscenity” in Jacobellis v. Ohio—but of “obscenity,” he did say “I know it when I see it.” And that’s basically how you’d define conversational storytelling.

It’s a story—usually nonlinear, highly-visual and told in a narrative style. It’s engaging. It can be funny, adventurous, heart-wrenching, dramatic, silly—or almost anything else, but it certainly isn’t bland.

You’ll hear it used at bars and in boardrooms, at schools and skateparks, at cocktail parties and coffee shops—and at dinner tables around the world. And although the humble story is an age-old way to share information and memories, the value of storytelling in virtually every setting may well surprise you.

The benefits of storytelling

 

1. It opens the door to learning.

Barflies, parents, students, engineers and professors, take note! Storytellers create an intimacy with their audience, which helps build trust and allows their listeners to relax and open their minds. Whether you’re belly up to the bar, or giving a presentation—storytelling causes audiences to engage and grasp complex ideas faster than they would if the same information were shared via a chart or a bullet-pointed list.

 

2. It reaches all learners.

Because storytelling helps visual learners conjure up mental images, auditory learners focus on words and kinesthetic learners make an emotional connection—a story can help you reach them all, whether you’re trying to connect with your colleagues, your kids or a friend.

 

3. It elicits emotion.

Whether you’re fundraising, educating, or trying to get your side business moving—when you use storytelling in conversation, you have the luxury of adjusting your tone, inflection and physical expressions to elicit an emotional response. And when you do, you can help your audience feel more connected to your cause or your organization. Just don’t rile them up too much or they might get distracted by their feelings and stop listening altogether.

 

4. It sparks the imagination.

Stories get people’s creative juices flowing—and if you need help finding a solution, there’s no better way to explain the situation than by wrapping your conundrum up in a story. By immersing your audience in your story, they’ll look at your situation from their own unique perspectives and offer ideas or advice to solve the problem. (This works equally for handling relationship issues as it does for developing new learning techniques for your kids.)

 

5. It improves social skills.

One of the least-known benefits of storytelling is that it can help you learn to pick up on nuances, read the room and improve your social skills. Because connection is everything to a storyteller, they become masters at reading facial expressions and body language. By picking up on a few subtleties, storytellers can figure out how to tailor their tales to people’s needs in every situation—making them better friends, parents, business people, even dinner dates.

Whether they’re used to inspire, entertain or inform, stories and the oral tradition are engrained in us. They’re part of who we are. And although some of us may let our skills lapse, with practice, we can build them back up, create connections, improve our social skills and reap the benefits of storytelling in ways we’d never expect.

TIP: If you need to give a speech and you want to use a storytelling style, try practicing it in front of at least a couple of your friends or family—in person or via a video chat. This way, you can not only practice your narrative, but you can try reading the room and adjusting on the fly.