Leadership is a word that is thrown around quite a bit with little regard; however, true leaders have always been men and women that were effective at generating buy-in through communication, mainly using stories. Be it buy-in to an ideal, concept, or action. When looking back at history many of us can recall instantly recall some of our most notable leaders quotes be it Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" or F.D.R.'s famous quote "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." Effective leaders use communication to create hope and dreams, and they weave stories that will trigger a response in camiseta chelsea 2008 the targeted audience, humans think in stories, memories, and images. Great orators since the dawn of civilization have known that if you can create a story your audience can relate to they are more likely to buy-in to whatever the speaker is selling. "It is impossible even to think without a mental picture" (Aristotle). Every
While creating buy-in can often lead to very good things such as civil rights, great leaders have also manipulated the masses to commit horrible crimes. "Adolf Hitler's strength as a leader is that he almost always works through the power camiseta chelsea 2008 of his persuasion; rarely does he command" (Hess, 1934). Hitler was a monster; however, he using the power of storytelling convinced a nation to follow him down some very dark roads, always promising for a better tomorrow over the next horizon. His interpersonal skills allowed him to rise from virtual obscurity to control an entire nation. Using his knowledge of human behavior and group processes, he was able to use his skills as a storyteller to appeal to the motives, attitudes, and feelings of the people.? With his well practiced oral communication he was able to successfully influence large groups of people (Yukl, 2006).
Stories inspire action and give the listener a context for the message; they engage the listener and allow them to see themselves involved. People by their nature are storytellers, in my line of work (automotive sales) stories are what sells to the majority of buyers, and they are not looking for a car many are looking for an image, a lifestyle, or ego boost.? Guiding the conversation a good salesperson can integrate the story of the car and the consumer until the consumer is convinced that they are sitting in absolute happiness on the test drive. "Telling a story, whether it be where the dealership came from, or what its purpose or vision is, can be a powerful and emotional hook for potential consumers that simply shouldn't be ignored, especially as consumers have more options than ever before"?(topdealerseo.com, 2008).
When I was on the sales floor I would start with a story right from my introduction to meeting customers on the lot, by starting with "Welcome to ABC Motors, my name is Michael what sales person are you here to see?" The customer (if they were not there to see someone) would look at me strangely, and generally state that they were not there to see someone. If they asked me why I asked, I would parlay right into my next part of their story, if they did not ask I would just jump into it anyways. "I asked because 75% of our business comes from our repeat and referral customers, and since we are not on commission, I always ask to make sure that if you have shopped with us before you will get back to your original sales person you know and trust." Thanks to that line I could then roll right in to finding their wants and needs, building my story as a go, "this Ford Explorer will be great for family vacations" or "this Lincoln will be the most impressive car in the parking lot at your office." Be it leading a customer down the path to a sale, or motivating a sales staff that is fighting for every deal, storytelling is the most effective way of relaying a message, and creating buy-in.
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