Why you should use storytelling in your communications

As communicators, we’re under constant pressure to get people’s attention and keep it long enough for our messages to land. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: facts alone rarely stick, and data or bullet points are quickly forgotten. What people remember are the stories we tell.

Which is why storytelling isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s an essential skill if you want your messages to be relatable, memorable and impactful. Whether you’re writing a company-wide email, presenting to the board, pitching a new strategy, or explaining complex data, the right story can make the difference between heard and ignored. 

So, why does it work and how do we do it? We asked an expert and TedX Coach,  Soundari Mukherjea, for her thoughts and this is what we got.

The science behind why stories work

It’s not just theory - there’s real brain science behind why stories work. When you share a story, you engage multiple parts of the brain:

• The Wernicke’s area, which handles language comprehension.

• The amygdala, which sparks an emotional response.

• The hippocampus, which helps turn short-term memories into long-term ones.

• And even mirror neurons, which help us empathise with the storyteller and feel what they’re feeling.

That’s why a story doesn’t just convey information, it sticks because it becomes an experience that your audience can feel, recall, and retell.

Everyday stories work best

One of the biggest barriers people have to using storytelling is they think it has to be grand, dramatic or complicated, but the truth is: everyday anecdotes are your most powerful tool. Think about it, which sticks with you longer:

• “We need clean, accurate data.”
  or

• “A bank once discovered that 37% of its customers were listed as astronauts. Turns out, the dropdown list on the form made ‘astronaut’ the first option and busy staff picked it to speed things up. So yes, clean data matters.”

A simple, relatable story makes the point clearer, and impossible to forget.

Stories make the complex, simple

Good communicators know how to simplify complexity. Stories do this brilliantly. One product manager explained machine learning to his grandmother like this:

"It’s like when you try a new recipe, Grandma. You make it, we all taste it, and give you feedback — more salt, less spice — and next time you make it better. The machine does the same — it learns, adjusts, and improves over time."

Analogies like this transform abstract ideas into something people can see and understand.

Stories move people to act

If you want people to change behaviour or try something new, a story is far more powerful than a list of instructions. When GE wanted to reduce the weight of a fastener for airplane engines, a small change that could save airlines millions in fuel costs,  they didn’t just rely on their own engineers. They opened the problem to the world with a contest. The winning solution came from a 21-year-old Indonesian student, who reduced the fastener’s weight by 80%.

Sharing this story inside GE inspired teams to look for solutions beyond their usual circles. It shows the power of open innovation in a way a PowerPoint slide never could.

Stories bring strategy to life

Here’s another place where many organisations go wrong: launching new strategies with dry slides full of numbers, targets and buzzwords but no human connection. A big goal like “becoming the most digitally transformed company in our sector” means nothing if people can’t see how it affects them day to day. 

Sharing real stories of teams already doing things differently, of customers impacted, of lessons learned, makes it real and personal. Especially when you introduce change, because there’s often pushback. Stories help people lower their defences and reflect on what’s possible. As one leader said: “Sometimes it’s better to bring in an example from outside — it feels safer for people to discuss and see what it means for them.”

Stories build trust and tackle bias

Stories also have a unique power to surface unconscious biases and shift perspectives. Take the example of Betsy Holden, who once headed Kraft Foods in the US. 

When she was pregnant with her second child, she told her boss she wanted to apply for his role as he moved on. He hesitated: “We’ve never had anyone with two kids handle that job.” She simply asked, “Bill, how many kids do you have?” He had two. That moment made him reflect on his own bias and changed how he looked at promotions.

These small but powerful stories create those penny-drop moments no training module can replicate.

Leaders need to tell more stories, and we need to help them

As communicators, we often need to help leaders become better storytellers too. Some recoil at the idea because they think it’s about oversharing personal details or spinning big, crafted narratives; the reality is: the best business stories are small, true, specific moments that make a point. Data with a soul, as Brené Brown puts it.

Good stories don’t need to be long, in fact, when telling them in a business context, they shouldn’t be. A five-minute anecdote at a bar might need to become a crisp 30-second story for the boardroom which obviously, takes practice.

So give your leaders permission, and support, to find and test their stories. Like stand-up comedians testing jokes, leaders can see what lands and refine it over time.

Yes, AI can help, but your voice matters

Some people worry AI will replace storytelling. The reality? AI is a great co-pilot. It can help you brainstorm metaphors, find surprising examples, or turn raw notes into a first draft, but the voice has to be yours to convey the warmth, and the truth, that only a human spark can bring. Use AI to help you scale your ideas, but don’t use it to convey them.

Start small but practice often

No one is born a master storyteller. We learn to do it by noticing small moments, shaping them, and sharing them.

Start by:
- Adding a short anecdote to your next team meeting.
- Using an analogy to explain a complex topic.
- Replacing one bullet point in your slide deck with a story that makes the point stick.

Stories don’t just fill time, they drive outcomes and help people think differently, feel differently, and act differently. So next time you write a message, ask yourself: Where’s the story here? Then tell it well.

Need help building your team’s storytelling skills? Contact us here to level up your storytelling skills!