Tell Me a Story

Thanks to NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof for providing me a timely hook to the concept of communication via stories. His column today ponders why the American public (and White House) has been so slow to act on the genocide taking place in Darfur. I’ll pass on the political issue and instead focus on a less contentious angle.

(You have to pay to read Kristof’s piece online, so I’ve posted the text here.)

He cites a study that found that people tend to connect less (and therefore care less) about large faraway issues no matter how terrible or important they are. Unless the issue is tied to a compelling and personal story.

I’ve cited this research myself….here’s the basic premise of the study, conducted by the Wharton School and Carnegie Mellon in 2004.

Students were asked to complete a short survey on technological products and were given five one-dollar bills upon completion. They could donate some, none or all of it to Save the Children.

Half the participants were given a solicitation letter full of powerful statistics asking for help to address hunger in Africa. The other half of participants were given a solicitation letter that focused on how the donation would help a single girl named Rokia. The letter told the story of a 7-year old in Mali facing starvation unless outside help came soon.

Participants left money in sealed envelopes without researchers present. Those who read the “statistic letter” donated, on average, $1.14. Those who read the “story letter” donated an average of $2.38.

Kristof’s piece is about the Darfur tragedy and America’s response to it. But it is an excellent illustration of the power of narrative. Study after study shows that despite our addiction to stats and facts, stories “perform better.”

In the cause or issue community, you cannot get someone to think about something they don’t first care about. And stories are how humans have gotten other humans to listen and care for thousands of years. It’s hardwired into our DNA. Before PowerPoint and the invention of the bullet point, we told stories to share information.

So if you’re trying to get people to listen to your cause, tell them a story first that will get them to care.

And now, a shameless plug.

I conduct a workshop called “Storytelling as Best Practice,” that was developed by my good friend Andy Goodman. Andy is known within the national “cause community” as Mr. Story, and his storytelling seminar is a hit everywhere I’ve seen or conducted it. You can read more about the workshop and process at Andy’s website.