As online entrepreneurs, we spend our fair share of time staring at a blank screen before we start to write. While doing so, my mind wandered off wondering where the idea for my online business came from.
It became clear my business actually started in kindergarten. The exact day was when I was sent to the principal’s office. I was on the floor playing by myself when they came for me. He had me sit on his lap while he reprimanded me in his stern voice. I never looked him in the eye, but his stiff white collar centered with a red and blue bow tie is a brain image which has never changed over the years. Sorry, I digressed.
The Real Problem
The real problem for us online entrepreneurs is trying to figure out what’s the next piece of great information to write about. Then it’s trying to figure out how to effectively convey this information so readers will be receptive and responsive to our offers.
Most of us take the business approach of providing some form of factual and educational information and using persuasive language to convince readers of the value of our offer.
We understand readers scan so we condense things down to short, concise sentences and paragraphs. We include bullet points, photos, and other visuals – charts, graphs, and infographics – in an attempt to hold a reader’s attention long enough to have our message register.
Yet, despite our best efforts, readers’ brains get distracted and overwhelmed. Focus goes elsewhere and flow into long-term memory gets backed up or never gets there.
What neuroscientists say
If you ask neuroscientists which brain is more fully engaged, holds attention longer, and has greater memory retention when reading, the answer is the brains of fiction readers over non-fiction readers. This seems to make sense since most of us easily get lost in a great story.
Smart internet writers take advantage of this neuroscience and combine the factual with story elements and incorporate it into a marketing strategy.
The story-marketing advantage is that no matter the theme and internal structure, it has the ability to quickly create a bridge between trust, empathy, and rapport within the brain of a reader.
Key Points About Storytelling and the Brain
These are the key neuroscience points you need to know about storytelling and the brain.
- The brain has two dedicated areas to process language and speech
- Wernicke’s Area – comprehension and understanding for spoken and written language
- Broca’s Area – producing words and speech for communication
- The brain itself is unable to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not real
- There’s no difference between reading and experiencing
- The brain can know something is not real but will still process the story line as real
- Whether it’s a physical event or a story with a sensory description the same brain area is activated.
- The brain creates feelings of trust with the release of the hormone oxytocin from a believable story as much as from a favorable real life encounter. [Trust]
- The brain engages more when the left and right hemispheres are in synch with each other. This occurs as it processes a mixture of left brain fact and logic with right brain story elements that tap into emotions, beliefs and memories. [Empathy]
- The brain is always looking to confirm familiar patterns and similarities from either stories or life events when it comes to understanding and making decisions. [Rapport]
- The brain has better memory retention for factual information when embedded in stories. [Memory]
- The brain wants the complete story. If there’s no ending, it will fill in the blank with a story of its own.
As I sat there, I was a compliant and rebellious 5-year-old at the same time. I must have agreed not to bring my imaginary friends to kindergarten because the issue was never raised again. But I took a stance then and there. “If I can’t have my imaginary friends, you can’t have my mind.” So there all you school officials!
Thus was born my business out of my rebellious mind and its growing fascination with how the brain and the conscious and unconscious parts of our mind work.
Thought you would like to know how the story ended.
The Video Explanation
Now, it’s your turn to make you and your offer memorable in the minds of your readers with business stories that build trust, empathy, and rapport.
What’s your next business story?
Resources:
http://www.yesware.com/blog/storytelling-drives-sales/
https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling/
https://www.melcrum.com/research/strategy-planning-tactics/science-behind-storytelling
https://www.ethos3.com/2014/10/the-neuroscience-of-storytelling/
Image: Pixabay 1418613
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I love this Joyce. Particularly amused by your imaginary friend episide and the subsequent growth of your rebelliousness. Great blending of factual and storyvtelling. Definitely keeping this in mind for future blogs.
We all have stories within us but I think a lot of times we feel too vulnerable to share. So, it often becomes a fine line of what we want people to know about us through our stories. However, there are other kinds of stories to tell and since readers seem to respond better when there’s a story, it’s worth exploring how to incorporate them into our blogs. Thanks for taking the time to comment Madonna.
Well done, as usual! Your comment that the brain doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what isn’t is the basis for the Law of Attraction. A great book you may enjoy on the same topic was published in the 1960s by a plastic surgeon: “Psycho-cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz, M.D.
Psycho-cybernetics is a classic. Much of what we talk about today comes out of Maltz’s work. Sounds like we’re on the same wavelength.
I have always been fascinated by story, yet I am a right brain person. It started with my love of reading and then moved into scrapbooking where the story/journalling was the most important. I am trying to figure out how to do both story and facts in my business. Thanks for the reminder to keep both in my writings on health.
I spent a lot of time writing educational materials, so it’s a challenge to start including storytelling. I’m sure we’ll both find a way to make it work.
I was all ready to say that it’s about reaching my reader’s heart that’s important, more important than her brain. Then I read this, and it looks like you used science to show me that they’re completely connected.
Nice.
Thanks.
There’s alot of reseach indicating strong brain-heart connections. If the story reaches your heart, it will reach your brrain too.
Very interesting, Joyce! I have always told stories, whether I was conducting a training session, coaching or writing an article. I certainly relate to your point about how we stare at a blank screen. I love to write, but what I miss with that is the response from my reader. For me, that’s the best part about public speaking, that ability to see the reaction on the faces of your audience. As a writer and blogger, I rely on comments and emails from my subscribers. Fortunately, my community is pretty good about sharing with me.
Yes, as writers and even story writers we need that feedback to know that we are connecting. I love reading comments. They provide so much more rich information about what people are thinking. Often, I find that I spend more time on the comments than reading the original post. Yes, I admit it. I’m one of your comment-reader fans.
Fascinating Joyce and so useful. Thank you for reminding us of the importance of story {and for sharing yours with us}. You’ve illustrated the facts so well by showing us that we feel we know you so much better now and connect on a deeper level, especially those of us who may have shared similar experiences.
Hi Heather, I know our blogging paths have crossed before. Blogging within groups that encourage commenting and sharing open doors to knowing each other better. Especially through the stories we tell. Thanks for being part of the conversation.
Wow, isn’t the brain AMAZING! I’m not sure I know how to write my own blogs with a story in mind, but I’m certainly going to give a try!
Lisa, somethimes we think we don’t have good enough stories to tell. But I’m sure you have lots of stories to share. It may take some time to get comfortable doing it. And, the right story will come along at the right time.
Hi Joyce, The science behind understanding how the brain processes stories and facts is wonderfully explained in your post! There is a part I can add about our whole body and mind relationship too, how the body feels the mindfulness and intuitive aspects of what is being shared based on cellular memories that connect the emotions with the facts. The more aware a person is to the attention of each moment’s interaction the better the story and facts are absorbed. If I had more stories while memorizing multiplication tables I would have done a better job! Love this!
I totally agree, Jilly. There is a deeper level that occurs due to cellular memories that stories tap into. It’s part of the explanation why stories can move us emotionally. Thank you for adding your knowledge to the conversation.
These are very interesting and very informative statistics and wonderful tips to help us get to our reader’s brains much faster !! Great share 🙂
Thanks for the vote of confidence Joan.
I always love reading your posts as I am drawn into learning something fascinating. Bloggers & social media pros talk a lot about ‘tell a story’ but no one ever explained why. This is a masterful post. As I work on our blog posts I am aware of some of the info you presented, only not always able to incorporate it. I see mastering this info in life as well as in marketing as very powerful. You present scientifi info in a way a layman can understand. Thank you & I loved the video.
Roz, I too like to know the reasons “why” as well. You kind of assume the more prominent social media people know what they’re talking about but it really helps to understand why something works. Also, storytelling doesn’t always have to be verbal. I like how you include fashion images with a particular piece of jewelry. You’re suggesting to the brain to complete the story as you pair the image with your jewelry selection.
I think I need to learn more to turn everything off! LOL I’m tired of being responsible for everything and everyone relies on me to as well. My mind goes a mile a minute and I don’t have issues of not knowing what to say or write.. yep.. I’m sort of unique. lol
Sounds like your brain is firing on all cylinders which is a good thing in terms of being productive. Just make sure you give it some loving care so you don’t blow a fuse. We want you around for a long time.
Joyce – Wow, I did not know that the brain processed stories as if they were personal events! It kind of makes sense, in that we put our selves in place of the hero/heroine (if the author has done a good job drawing us in). Isn’t that just too cool, though?! Makes me more determined than ever to retire amongst my favorite stories! Also, I just think that mother nature tries to tell us how important stories are to our very existence by having us dream every night.
Good point, Joan. Most people don’t get that dreams are stories from our subconscious mind. For the some, these storis are fragmented pieces that don’t make any sense. Others, have full stories in vivid color and action which would make great stories to retell. Ah, the brain so mysterious.
It was fascinating to read how the brain works when reading a story, Joyce. I had no idea that fiction would keep the reader more fully engaged with more retention but it makes sense on reflection – engrossing fiction seems to stay with me forever though I can easily forget about something factual I’ve read a few hours ago, Shame on that principal for trying to stifle your imagination – go your rebellious mind. 🙂
There’s nothing like a good story to grab our attention and now we know why. I’m with you about not remebering the factual stuff very well. I’m thinking of adding some kind of story line to factual stuff I have to remember. Maybe I’ll even bring back my kindergaarten friends! Thanks for commenting.
I am working on stories for my sales page, and a speaking engagement coming up! As a creative person, I completely zone out in the absence of a story! Interesting piece!
Incorporating stories into presentations is the most effective way to engage your audience. When Powerpoint came out everyone was excited about this new way of presenting information, but the effect quickly wore off of course because there were no engaging visual images to focus on. Congratulations for already using story telling.
This is great, Joyce and thanks for sharing your ‘story’ and how your business came to be. Life for me is one ongoing story and somehow I see the story in almost everything that happens. My hope with my writing is that I am drawing the reader into my articles and including them in the story. Often people do tell me that they feel like they are part of the story, so it sounds like I am doing what you are sharing in this piece. Although I wasn’t aware of the ‘technical’ aspects of how the brain is processing content and story, maybe by virtue of who I am and how I walk through the world, that is just something that is important to me, resulting in how I share. Enjoyed your walk through our brain and how it processes storytelling!
I thought you would enjoy this Beverley. As I’ve said before, I always have to set more time aside to read your posts because I know there’s going to be a story that I need to pay attention to.
I love reading about neuroscience discoveries. What we know about the brain can change our life. I have been studying some pretty amazing things that can help us tap into the potential of our brains to help us live more satisfying, peaceful, prosperous and joyful lives. Thanks for sharing these tips that can help anyone tap into the internal wisdom of the brain to create powerful stories.
Glad to hear you’re partner in crime when it comes to neuroscience Rachel. You’re absolutely right about tapping into our brain potential to live better lives. So, we just have to keep spreading the word.
This is absolutely fascinating, Joyce! As an avid reader and author of both fiction and non-fiction books, I can attest to how all this manifests, but never knew the whys. Thank you!
Your welcome. Now you know the key to a great read is how much the story engages your brain.