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The Power of Storytelling in Business

Sandeep Das’s ‘How Business Storytelling Works’ is a reminder of the power of effective storytelling as also its impact on and relevance in all walks of life

Updated on: 12 August 2023 4:47 am

How Business Storytelling Works

Stories are a great way to give lessons, make a point, inspire, connect, etc. In fact, as Sandeep Das, the author of How Business Storytelling Works, suggests in his book, it is storytelling that brought humans together and has kept them that way.

In the book, Das has identified 10 golden principles of storytelling which have numerous applications not just in the world of business but also in sports, evolution and even the world of movies.?

On why storytelling is important, Das writes, “No one has an attention span of more than a few seconds. … Hence, if you need to stand out amidst this noise—as an entrepreneur, as a marketer, as a writer, as a politician, as a digital consultant, as a recruiter, as an influencer, as a student or in any other profession, you need to learn to be a good storyteller.”

“Storytelling is fundamentally about understanding how the human brain is wired, not just yours but your audience’s too. It has often been associated with charisma and eloquence but actually it is a science of managing chemicals and understanding the biases of the human brain,” says Das as he talks about the crux of the book

An excerpt from the book:

How does the sexiest organ in your body react to storytelling? I am referring to the human brain. When we look at the concept of storytelling and its applications, the reason this chapter gets so much traction in workshops I conduct is because of how the human brain is wired. More importantly, you as a storyteller should understand how the sexiest organ in your audience’s body operates, along with its whims and fancies.

To start with, as I explained in the previous chapter, stories lead to various chemicals being released in the brain. Hence, the stickiness factor of a good or a bad story can affect your brain. A good thrilling story that drives focus releases dopamine. A good set of jokes from concocted stories by a stand-up comedian releases endorphins. A story where you empathize with the protagonist releases oxytocin. A story about how you suck in life releases cortisol.

Classroom Inspiration

The inspiration to write the book came from the several storytelling workshops at leading business schools and corporates, Das reveals. “The session at the National University of Singapore had gone particularly well. And hence, I decided to capture these learnings and interactions in the form of a book on storytelling,” he adds.

On a personal level, Das loves having new experiences. “I have always believed in seeking new experiences and learning every day. A new experience can be a new place, a new restaurant, a new park or a new book. For me, learning is not about the world of business or reading the latest bestseller. I am curious about everything—a deck of cards, a game of chess or even an astrological reading,” he elaborates.

On his agenda next is not a new book but connecting with more people. Das wants to scale up his LinkedIn network. He says he has around 42,000 connections currently and hopes to expand the number to one lakh by next year.