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Friday, June 13th, 2025 Edition
Facts Don’t Change Minds. Stories Do.
When I started in technology sales, I thought I was crushing it.
I memorized every technical spec. I had pitch decks packed with competitive matrices and feature-benefit comparisons. I could explain our solution blindfolded.
But my close rate? Flatlined.
Then, everything changed during a customer engagement with a veteran sales pro and founder of the software company. Same product. Same buyer. But he didn’t sell.
He told a story.
A story about a similar customer who lost sleep for months after a tough experience with their broken processes. A story of a team that bounced back by rethinking their entire business posture with one platform. A story that didn’t mention a single acronym.
The customer leaned in. Trust was built. The deal moved forward.
That day changed my approach forever.
Here’s the real shift:
It’s not just about what you sell. It’s about how you connect.
This is what storytelling really does:
Shared Stories = The Bridge
Humans & Storytelling: A Brief History
The Big Idea
About 70,000 years ago, something remarkable happened to humans:
We learned how to tell stories about things that aren’t real. And that changed everything.
Why Stories Matter
Think about it:
Animals can only talk about real things (e.g., “Watch out! There’s a lion!”)
Humans can talk about made-up things (e.g., the future, countries, companies, and money)
This might sound trivial—but it’s how we went from scattered bands of apes to modern civilization.
Without storytelling, humans can only collaborate in small groups of around 150—the limit of how many people we can personally know.
(Harari, Sapiens)
But with stories?
We can scale collaboration to thousands—even millions—through shared belief:
Ancient tribes united around spirits and ancestors
Modern societies rally around ideas like democracy, human rights, and brands
Stories Beat Tools
Here’s the wild part:
Storytelling mattered more for survival than fire or weapons.
Why? Because 500 people aligned by the same story can:
Fight together effectively
Trade and cooperate with strangers
Pass down knowledge across generations
Build complex systems, laws, and organizations
Meanwhile, scattered groups of 50—no matter how sharp their spears—couldn’t compete.
The Bottom Line
Every human institution—from ancient religions to modern governments—runs on shared stories.
They may exist only in our minds, but they shape how we live, work, and lead.
That’s the real human superpower:
We can create shared imaginary worlds that become real through belief.
“Stories are 22x more memorable than facts alone.”
— Stanford Graduate School of Business
The Neuroscience of Why Stories Work
It’s not magic—it’s your customer’s brain in action.
Stories Trigger Oxytocin
Oxytocin is the “trust chemical.” Research shows that stories activate it—boosting empathy, openness, and emotional alignment.
Trust → Alignment → Action
They Activate the Whole Brain
fMRI studies from Princeton show that stories light up emotional, sensory, and memory regions—not just language centers.
Your customer doesn’t just understand your product—they feel its relevance.
Storytelling in the Wild
I've seen this work again and again:
✅ A rep who reframed sandbox tech as a hero’s journey to protect a hospital’s most vulnerable.
✅ A SaaS security rep who turned their pitch into a narrative of resilience after a breach.
✅ A state government deal that hinged on a citizen-impact story around public trust.
Why does this work?
Because:
Stories build emotional connection
Stories simplify the complex
Stories are memorable
Stories activate a shared vision of what’s possible
Your Turn
In a world drowning in dashboards, whitepapers, and jargon...
Your buyers won’t remember what you said.
They’ll remember how you made them feel.
If you want alignment, connection, and momentum—don’t just sell a solution.
Tell a story worth believing in.
P.S.
What’s the best story you’ve used to connect with a customer?
Hit reply and let me know—I read and respond to every one.
—
The DR Team
/smb
PS: Ivy knows a little bit about this too…
