Week 4 Post

Pages 204-227 of Made to Stick describe the positive ramifications that can result from storytelling. According to the Heath brothers, stories are “sticky.” In other words, people are more likely to remember a well-told story than a list of facts. After reading this section, I was able to realize the impact that storytelling has had on my career as a motivational speaker.

Every time I finish giving a presentation, I receive positive comments from audience members about a particular section in my speech. In this section, I provide stories of successful people who have overcome various adversities on their journeys to success. Such people include Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Barack Obama, and Michael Jordan. I tell all of these stories with one common theme: No matter what adversity you may face in life, you can still achieve great success.

I have used these stories as a way to engage my audiences for years; however, I never completely understood why the tales resonated so well with my listeners. I now understand that stories can provide a “sticky” way to inspire people to chase after their dreams. When individuals listen to such inspirational stories, they feel empowered to overcome their own adversities. For example, I spoke to an inner city school a few months ago. At this school, a 12-year-old girl approached me as I was about to leave and said, “I really loved your story about Oprah. If she could come from poverty and become a billionaire, then I can make something of my life, too.” In other words, a simple story was enough to inspire a young girl to do something great with her life.

Now that I am conscious of the positive impact of stories, I will definitely make an effort to further utilize storytelling in my future presentations. I will also employ other useful ideas that Made to Stick has to offer. I feel that this book is a great guide to creating an idea that will ultimately “stick.” I am anxious to continue reading about the various tactics that the Heath brothers recommend.