Book Review: Unleash the Power of Storytelling by Rob Biesenbach

Unleash the Power of Storytelling by Rob Biesenbach is a fast read with well-organized talking points woven into story examples that teach on every page. In fifteen chapters, this conversational textbook cuts through the hype to clarify and demystify the who, what, when, where and why of storytelling. It’s a step-by-step roadmap for finding, shaping and telling powerful stories. This no-nonsense handbook belongs on everyone’s bookshelf.

Why are we reading this book?

We know the importance of stories – Biesenbach claims that 63% of articles with stories are retained compared to 5% retention of articles with stats. We concur with him that the importance of emotion simply cannot be underplayed in an effective story because “emotion drives decision-making.” And it’s the stories that ultimately break through the noise barrier that offer meaning and significance.

Backstory:

Rob Biesenbach took up acting in the early 2000s and became a businessman by day, an actor by night. That’s when he recognized that business and acting have a lot in common. He found that he became a better communicator when he applied proven acting techniques. Even though there are 82 different definitions of story and 17 million google entries about stories, Biesenbach stakes his reputation on the importance of three basic storytelling elements – character, goal and a challenge.

Challenge:

Estela’s story is about a factory worker who inspected gum packages before they left the plant. Each gum package had an inspector identification code that her children searched for when they were at a store. Which makes for a better story? A corporate-like explanation of how employees are passionate about quality or that the gum is good enough for “your family” because every day Estela is making sure that it’s good enough for hers?

Solution:

Estela’s story is an example of what are necessary elements for powerful stories.

Tap into emotion to provoke empathy and unlock decision-making.
Put a face on the issue by embodying the idea, initiative or brand in a relatable character.
Connect people to stories that we can identify with, relate to.
Humanize people with a glimpse into who we are and what we value.
Raise the stakes and appeal to universal values that unify us with one another.
Tell stories that lend power to words – be funny, talk intelligently, create word pictures.

Summary:

When you harness the power of storytelling, you can be more persuasive, move people to action, promote a brand, establish common ground or show others how humanly real you are. You’ll have the ability to motivate a change in behavior, inspire a team, or establish trust and credibility with a customer. Stories are fundamental to persuasion and that’s how you Unleash the Power of Storytelling to “win hearts, change minds, get results.”