Countless studies suggest that storytelling is the key to motivating, persuading, and engaging others, so being able to tell a compelling story for your brand or business is the key to propelling it to the next level of success.
However, good storytelling doesn’t come easy. Developing narratives that move and inspire people is an art that requires a fair bit of knowledge and experience. But if you don’t have an English degree, don’t sweat it. There are a number of great books that’ll teach you to tell stories with the best of ‘em. Check out our favorites below.
Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals
Quality storytelling involves a lot more than words alone. If you really want to move the folks you’re talking to, then you need to incorporate compelling visuals along with your narrative. This book will teach you how to integrate data visualization to create more context, reduce information clutter, and generally paint a more complete picture of your story.
The Storytelling Edge: How to Transform Your Business, Stop Screaming into the Void, and Make People Love You
This book is all about how to develop stories that’ll better enable people to connect with and care about your business. You’ll learn all about the science behind why storytelling works, what elements make a powerful story, and which methodologies to use in order to grow your business through engaging content.
Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success
There’s truly a story to be found in everything, but finding that story is no easy feat. This book will teach you how to find the story behind any message. You’ll learn where to look for narratives that convey who you are as a business and what you want to achieve, as well as the reasons that other people should be just as invested in your business or idea as you are.
TED Talks Storytelling: 23 Storytelling Techniques from the Best TED Talks
It’s hard to find better examples of excellent storytelling than in TED Talks, and this book breaks down the principles that make these stories so moving and inspirational. Not only will you become a better storyteller after reading it, but you’ll also discover how to deliver and present that story to motivate action.
Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire
In this book, you’ll find a combination of ready-to-tell stories you can adapt to your own business and how-to guidance to create original narratives that sell. Additionally, you’ll find out how storytelling can help you define your culture and values, promote creativity and innovation, and cultivate better relationships among your team.
Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need
Written by comedian and star storyteller, Margot Leitman, this book is as entertaining as it is helpful. It’ll give you a concrete breakdown of what makes a story compelling, as well as techniques you can use to improve your story’s structure and enhance its emotional impact. You’ll also receive a series of exercises designed to help you put all of these valuable nuggets of information into practice.
Want more help developing killer stories? Then check out Ethos3’s Catapult Training.
