Storytelling that connects: How to tell a business story that people remember
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Posted: Thu 18th Dec 2025
Last updated: Thu 18th Dec 2025
10 min read
When you tell a story, have you noticed that moment when the air goes still and the people around you are leaning just that little bit closer?
Their eyes are on you, they look more comfortable, maybe they're enraptured. Perhaps they're wearing a smile or a look of concern.
It's magic, isn't it? The most compelling tool we have. As the story unfolds, we draw people to closer to us. And as people, we remember stories, not statistics.
For example, do you remember quarterly figures? Well, maybe some of you do. But put a story behind how those figures came to be, and that changes everything. With stats, often our brains shut down. Stories, meanwhile, hit our brain in its emotional parts.
In this blog, I share with you some of the ideas and experiences I've gained from my own business that kept me going for three decades.
Stories that linger
Stories that linger do so because they touch something chemical. My friend David once said, like a lovable mad professor:
"Neuroscience shows that when we hear a story, our brains light up like a city at night. The brain isn't just processing language, it's immersing us emotionally."
He knocks off on his four fingers:
Dopamine kicks in when the story builds suspense.
Oxytocin flows when we feel empathy for the characters.
Cortisol spikes when there is tension or conflict.
And when resolution comes, we get a hit of endorphins – oh! that warm, satisfied glow.
In business, you shouldn't see storytelling as something that might be nice to do occasionally. Instead, view it as a strategic tool that shapes perception, builds trust and helps customers feel emotionally connected to what you offer.
When used well, it becomes the bridge between what you do and why it matters.
We remember stories because they're sticky. Not gum-on-your-shoe sticky – more like soul sticky. Oxytocin sticky. Emotion is the glue of memory.
When you share a story, you're inviting people to connect at an emotional level. And as a business, that opens new possibilities for your company culture, your profitability and your growth.
Five ways to create your own storytelling legacy
Below, I set out five practical and hopefully thought-provoking key points that I hope will help you:
reposition your business and your brand
build long-lasting trust and connection with clients
position you in your own marketplace in a way that makes customers remember you
create your own story legacy to inspire and guide others along their own business journey
1. Be authentic
Align your story with your brand values. Identify your core story, mission and uniqueness.
Authenticity is the foundation of all powerful storytelling. Customers can sense when a story is inflated, vague or borrowed from someone else.
What they want is truth – your truth, your beliefs, your example to help them gain new strengths and a clear path forward.
As a business coach and mentor, there have been several occasions when mentees have asked me, "How do I connect with my client, as I feel we're on not on the same page?" And I ask, "How interested are you in what they're saying?"
Why does authenticity matter?
Authentic stories build trust faster than any marketing tactic.
They set you apart in a crowded marketplace.
They help customers understand your offer, not just what you sell.
Practical ways to deepen authenticity
Write that "key starting moment". Not your whole biography – just the moment you realised this business mattered to you. The fire that uncoiled and shot out into the world emblazoned up in the sky for all to see.
List your non‑negotiable values. Then check: does your current messaging reflect them?
Identify your "only you ness". What's the one thing only you can say, because of your lived experience, background or worldview?
Rationalise your content. Do your website, social media and email carry the same tone?
Ask yourself: If my business were a character in a novel, what would its backstory be? What wound, desire or mission drives it forward?
VIDEO: Storytelling and why it matters in business
In this webinar, I explain how to tailor your story to fit your client's audience's needs – whether you're inspiring, selling or building your brand:
2. Know your audience
Understand their motivations, pain, shaky confidence, challenges and aspirations. Tailor your story to them.
A story only works when it connects to the heart of the listener. That means knowing who they are – not in a demographic sense, but in a human sense.
Why does it matter?
People pay attention to stories that reflect their own struggles or dreams.
When customers feel "seen", they become loyal advocates.
Tailored storytelling increases engagement, conversions and word-of-mouth.
Practical ways to understand your audience
Find your key customers and have a purposeful conversation with them. Ask what they were struggling with before they found you.
Create a "day in the life" sketch. What does your ideal customer worry about at 3am? What excites them?
Map their transformation. Where are they no and where do they want to be?
Use their language. Pay attention to the exact words they use to describe their challenges.
Imagine your customer as the hero of the story. What quest are they on, and how does your business act as the guide, tool or companion?
3. Make your message clear
Keep it simple. Focus on the core message you want to convey.
Clarity is kindness. When your message is simple, your clients can repeat it, remember it and act on it.
Why does it matter?
Confused customers don't buy.
Simplicity creates clarity.
Practical ways to sharpen your message
Write your message in one sentence. If you can't, you don't yet have the clarity you need.
Remove buzzwords. Replace industry terms with everyday language.
Test it on someone outside your field. If they don't understand it instantly, refine it.
Use the "so what?" test. After every sentence, ask: Why does this matter to the customer?
If your business had to communicate its entire purpose on a banner in the sky, seen for three seconds, what would it say?
4. Appeal to people's emotions
Emotion is the engine of memory.
People may forget facts, but they remember how you made them feel.
Why does it matter?
Emotional stories create connection and loyalty.
Vulnerability (used wisely) builds trust.
Shared experiences create community.
Practical ways to build emotional resonance
Tell a "before and after" story. Show the struggle, not just the success.
Share a moment of doubt. It humanises you and makes your success relatable.
Use sensory detail. What did the room smell like? What did your heart do?
Invite your clients to share their own turning points or challenges.
Think of a moment in your business journey that changed you. How can you tell it in a way that helps someone else feel braver, wiser or less alone?
5. Aim for visual and verbal cohesion
Use images, videos and written content consistently across channels.
A story becomes stronger when every element – visual and verbal – pulls in the same direction.
Why does this matter?
Consistency builds recognition.
It reinforces your brand identity.
It creates a seamless experience across platforms.
Practical ways to create cohesion
Choose a visual style. Colours, fonts, photography style – keep them consistent.
Create a "story bank". A folder of images, quotes, anecdotes and metaphors that reflect your brand.
Align tone across platforms. Your website, Instagram and emails should feel like the same person speaking.
Use storytelling formats. Before/after reels, behind-the-scenes photos, customer stories, founder videos.
If your brand were a film, what would its aesthetic be? Warm and earthy? Clean and modern? Bold and cinematic?
In summary
With a deep understanding of these five principles, you'll start to see storytelling as a strategic asset rather than a creative extra.
It becomes a way of thinking, a way of communicating and ultimately a way of building relationships that lead to growth.
By the same author
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