WHY TELLING YOUR STORY ENGAGES.

Imagine you’re at a friend’s backyard get-together. The sun is shining, and the BBQ sizzles with burgers and dogs. You’ve said hello and chatted with several of the guests you know. You turn around and bump into someone new. “Hi, I’m Mike.” Hi, I’m Peter, nice to meet you.”

The conversation takes the familiar path. How do you know the hosts? What do you do? Where do you live? Peter seems nice. Has a sense of humour. The conversation continues and you ask Peter does he play golf, tennis, pickleball?

Peter tells you he plays some golf, but his passion is flying. He goes on to tell you that he has a share in a small private plane with some friends. In fact, he’s got time booked for a flight tomorrow morning at 11. Peter says “Hey Mike, why don’t you come? My buddy who was coming had to back out.”

Your mind races with questions. “How long has Peter been flying? Where did he learn to fly? How come his buddy backed out?”

You respond “Well thanks Peter but I’m tied up tomorrow.” You in fact, have absolutely nothing planned and are looking for something to do!

What happened?
The “proposal” came too soon!

It’s no different than you walking into a store and an exuberant staff member comes up and says “Hey, we have a sale on this new line of the latest and greatest power bars that just came on the market, you don’t want to miss out.”

In both cases, the relationship and trust have not been established. Therefore engagement will not happen.

People buy on emotion.
And the most powerful of those emotions is trust...

Storytelling is a compelling way to develop a relationship and earn trust.

We’re wired for stories. Since the dawn of time, humans have used storytelling to pass down knowledge, share experiences, and build communities. Stories resonate because they’re relatable, memorable, and emotional. They go beyond the surface, reaching into the heart of what it means to be human.

In the end, storytelling isn’t just a way to communicate—it’s a way to build trust. When done right, it transforms a brand from a name and a logo into a trusted friend. It creates a narrative that customers can believe in, connect with, and be loyal to.

Every brand has a story, but not all stories are created equal. A great brand story isn’t just a history lesson or a dry list of facts. It’s an experience. It’s the “why” behind the “what.”

Think about it: why do we love hearing about how Steve Jobs started Apple in his garage, or how Nike’s iconic swoosh was created by a college student for just $35? These stories aren’t just about the facts—they’re about vision, creativity, and determination. They’re about people.

You might be wondering, why are stories so powerful in brand building. The answer lies in psychology. Stories engage more parts of our brain than straightforward information. They trigger emotions, make us care, and are easier to remember. Studies show that we’re 22 times more likely to remember a fact if it’s embedded in a story. That’s the difference between saying, “Our product is eco-friendly” and telling the story of how a plastic bottle was transformed into a jacket that saved 30 gallons of water in the process.

In both the backyard and power bar examples, the lack of trust comes from the fact that they were both asking us to engage without developing a relationship and building trust.

Tell the story, and build the relationship. Then go for the proposal.

Let’s build your story together. Talk soon.