Reading List: The Story Factor By Annette Simmons

We have a client who was born in Louisiana. Even though he is a very technical person (a PhD in Applied Mathematics), he is also a great communicator. One of the reasons is that he is forever using analogies and stories to explain highly technical concepts. It makes him more effective and, frankly, more interesting. I thought of this client and his investors (also from Louisiana) when I read this book. Just for the record, I don’t know for sure that being from Louisiana makes you a better story-teller but after a few very entertaining business dinners with them, I definitely saw a pattern.

Ms. Simmons tells us that stories are an ideal way of influencing other people because they give the listener room to think for themselves. She illustrates this through (of course!) a story. She asks the reader to compare the effectiveness of an order to a manager (“stop criticizing your employees”) with a one sentence story ( “In Washington, D.C. last week, I had a Haitian cab driver who shared his grandfather’s favorite saying with me, ‘The man who beats his horse will soon be walking.’”) Same message, very different impact.

This book will help you think about how to find and build your own inventory of stories that will help you connect with and influence people in a whole new way. Visit the author’s website for more information.