Why Storytelling Matters Now More Than Ever: Insights for 2024

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Is the year 2024, we are bombarded with information and automation.

[00:00:06] [SPEAKER_00]: But the one thing that sets us apart is our ability to tell human stories.

[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Whether you are a leader looking to inspire your team, a brand trying to connect with

[00:00:19] [SPEAKER_00]: customers or a professional building your personal brand, storytelling is the key to

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_00]: cutting through the noise and making an impact.

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Join me in this episode as we explore why storytelling is more powerful than ever, how it builds trust

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: and how you can use it to stand out in the digital world.

[00:00:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's get started.

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Confident Storytelling Podcast.

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: The podcast will store each shape, leaders, ignite change and connect us all.

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00]: I am your host Harito Srivastava, a storytelling and public speaking coach.

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Whether you are a professional, an entrepreneur or a coach, this is your space to discover

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_00]: how to craft and deliver stories that inspire, build trust and influence those around you.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Here we'll dive deep into techniques, real life examples and personal experiences that

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: will elevate your storytelling skills and boost your confidence.

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's transform the way you communicate one story at a time.

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Hi there, welcome to another solo episode of Confident Storytelling Hub.

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Now in this episode as I said I am going to cover 10 aspects where I feel that the

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_00]: storytelling matters in 2024, matters now more than ever.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you go through all of these 10 points I am sure you will also agree that this is

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_00]: the era where we need to be human more.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I was talking to one of my clients and he was saying that oh I want to take a session

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_00]: which is different and I said why don't you take a session on human AI, human intelligence

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: because that's something which is less talked about right away.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_00]: So let's get started.

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_00]: The first thing that I believe where solo telling matters more than ever is because

[00:02:25] [SPEAKER_00]: we have got the digital shift, we have got the information overload.

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Now we are living in an era where there is no shortage of information.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_00]: We have abundant information but the challenge is how to get people's attention because

[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_00]: attention spans are getting shorter than ever.

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Now if you are a brand or if you are a person who wants to cut the noise, the best tool

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: for you would be storytelling which can help you cut through the noise.

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_00]: You can build some emotional connection.

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Think about the best advertisement that you see and that makes your message memorable

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_00]: and impactful.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_00]: So when you want to transform your data into relatable experiences, storytelling is the

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_00]: tool for you.

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's talk about the second one which is humanizing technology and AI.

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_00]: As I said I was talking about human AI.

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_00]: So AI, automation, technology advancement these are critical but there is one more critical

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_00]: element that we seem to be missing nowadays and that is the human element in communication.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to build trust, if you want to have empathy, one of the best ways is to

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_00]: use a story, a personal story which can help you connect with humans which AI has got

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_00]: some work to do.

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_00]: It will be there I believe but it has got some work to do.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you want to connect with human as human the best way is tell your personal, authentic,

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_00]: vulnerable story.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's talk about the third thing and that is using storytelling as a tool for leadership.

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_00]: If you are working in a team, if you have to lead a team, you want to inspire your

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00]: team, you want to drive some change, you want to foster loyalty.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: So one of the ways that you can do very effectively is by sharing your authentic personal story.

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Because as they say, one of the best way of communication is through the story because

[00:04:41] [SPEAKER_00]: human brain and it has been scientifically proven understand best in the form of stories.

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you want to build your trust and influence on your team, the best way is

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: by telling your personal, authentic and relevant stories.

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Now so far we have covered three, we have got seven more let's get going.

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_00]: The fourth way that storytelling matters more than ever now is when it comes to brand

[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_00]: storytelling because we are talking about 2024 where people are looking at authenticity,

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00]: we are looking at purpose.

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you are a brand who wants to build trust, who want to set your identity out there,

[00:05:29] [SPEAKER_00]: the best way to differentiate yourself from others is by telling your brand stories.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_00]: That is why you see all these brands are coming in with amazing story.

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know whether you saw this story on Parle G, the advertisement by Parle

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00]: G on the teacher's day.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a beautiful storytelling narration and that was critical and that really made

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_00]: all of us emotional whenever we had worked with a teacher who made a real impact to

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_00]: us.

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: So that way Parle G without telling Parle G anywhere in this whole add of two, three

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_00]: minutes was able to build a really deep connection.

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: So as a brand you want to build your trust and connection through the power of storytelling.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's go to another aspect which is very related to that is the emotional connection

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_00]: in marketing.

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Now we all know that the traditional marketing tactics are losing, people do not trust

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: the marketers.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_00]: In fact if you say you are a marketer people get really worried about that.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_00]: I am sorry if I am hurting anyone's feeling but as a marketer also you need to evolve and

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_00]: that is why where you need to be able to craft your emotional compelling narrative so that

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_00]: you can relate with your audience.

[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The audience can relate with you.

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_00]: So as a marketer it's very important that you work on storytelling tell some compelling

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_00]: stories.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Now next one is very relevant whether you are an entrepreneur, whether you are a leader,

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_00]: whether you are a professional you need to have a personal brand because we are talking

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_00]: about 2024.

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_00]: If you need to stand out you got to be able to articulate your journey.

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_00]: You should be able to tell your values and mission and this is where your personal

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_00]: story, your brand story matters the most because you remember people who have some compelling

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_00]: stories in this crowded market.

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you are an individual who want to build a personal brand the best way is start building

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_00]: a personal narrative, start building a story and start sharing that so that you are

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_00]: fostering trust, you are building your credibility whether it's with your audience, with your

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_00]: client, with your team, with your employer this is going to make you stand out.

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's talk about globalization.

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_00]: We all know that in 2024 we are in a globally connected world which means that the boundaries

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_00]: the traditional ways of connecting is fading away and it is so much easy for you to connect

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_00]: to any person in the world on the other side of the world itself.

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean my journey is an example of that for about two and half years I was in the UK and

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_00]: I was able to connect with most of my clients based in India through a Zoom or team or any

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_00]: other virtual calls.

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: How is it possible because of the technology of great and globalization?

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_00]: So in this world when it is becoming more and more global and if you want to promote

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00]: your culture, if you want to really bring the humanity this is where you need to start

[00:09:12] [SPEAKER_00]: sharing your stories because storytelling can be the bridge between the cultural gaps

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_00]: and promote understanding.

[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Very simple example is that you may be doing something which may be putting somebody

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_00]: from other culture off but if you start telling your stories there is a good chance that there

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: will be an understanding developer.

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Lot of I think gap in the current world exists because people are not able to tell their

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_00]: side of the story and it's as a human being I think it's very important that we hear

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_00]: all sides of stories.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_00]: So the number seven reason that why storytelling matters more than ever is because we need to

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_00]: globalize stories, we need to connect across culture.

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's talk about number eight which I think is very dear to my heart and that

[00:10:06] [SPEAKER_00]: is storytelling for change and social impact.

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Now I will tell you a very simple example one of my friends his name is Kiran Verma

[00:10:15] [SPEAKER_00]: he's doing a band India walk on foot just to raise awareness about blood donation but

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER_00]: what I love about is that almost every day he's posting something on say Facebook or

[00:10:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Instagram and telling stories and that's how people connect more.

[00:10:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's assume he doesn't keep sharing all this insight he may be doing a great job

[00:10:42] [SPEAKER_00]: he's working for a great cause but people will not get to know so if you want your

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_00]: cause to become accessible to people if you want your cause to have bigger impact you

[00:10:55] [SPEAKER_00]: need to tell stories because stories amplify your voice.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: It can help you drive change very very easily and it can have emotional engagement and

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_00]: empathy.

[00:11:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's talk about the second last which is storytelling for job hunting and career

[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_00]: growth.

[00:11:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Now in this era I was talking to somebody yesterday who had been on a career break for

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_00]: a year.

[00:11:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Now I asked him what's your side of story how are you going to justify and he did

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_00]: not have a clear answer.

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_00]: As a candidate who has a gap in the journey it's very important that you build a

[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_00]: narrative around and don't you don't have to tell a lie but even what you're

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_00]: telling truth you can build in a way that adds to your success.

[00:11:52] [SPEAKER_00]: So in 2024 or in this era career success is very much tied to the

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_00]: ability to tell what you stand for who you are and this is what makes you build

[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_00]: a positive impression in your interviews and your networking events and also in

[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_00]: your personal branding.

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_00]: So as a professional you need to learn the critical skill of storytelling.

[00:12:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let me go through the last but no way the least the 10th reason why

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_00]: storytelling is more important than ever is we all know the this is the era where

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_00]: we are we're doing so bad when it comes to mental health and well-being of people

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_00]: and that is one of the reason we need to build more global awareness because

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_00]: have you ever felt that when you hear someone's story it eases your pain it

[00:12:57] [SPEAKER_00]: makes you feel a little bit away from whatever you're going through I mean

[00:13:01] [SPEAKER_00]: going to movie watching web series is a great example of that so apart from

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_00]: that when you tell better stories it builds deep connections people will come

[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_00]: to you and people will connect to you more.

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you want to raise awareness about mental health and in general the

[00:13:21] [SPEAKER_00]: overall well-being storytelling can be a great tool.

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_00]: So I hope you enjoyed and I'm just going to give a summary of the 10 reasons why

[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_00]: storytelling matters now more than ever.

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Number one is that it is the era of the digital shift and information overload

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_00]: and if you want to cut out of that you need to work on storytelling.

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to humanize the technology and artificial intelligence

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER_00]: you need to take into account the storytelling part and human element of

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_00]: that then as a leader you need to be able to tell better stories.

[00:14:02] [SPEAKER_00]: This could be a great tool in your arsenal to inspire your dream to

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_00]: drive change and to foster loyalty.

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Then if you are a brand if you want to build your trust and identity

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_00]: and cut through the noise storytelling or other brand storytelling

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_00]: is the key for you and similarly related to that is the marketing part

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_00]: where if you want to go away from the emotional sorry the traditional

[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_00]: marketing tactics then you need to work on a compelling narrative

[00:14:35] [SPEAKER_00]: compelling story so that you can connect with your audience build

[00:14:40] [SPEAKER_00]: and relate to the story and create lasting impression.

[00:14:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Similarly if you want to build a personal brand the best way is to

[00:14:49] [SPEAKER_00]: have a clear compact and vulnerable stories.

[00:14:55] [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to connect across cultures then you need to share stories of your culture

[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and to be able to listen stories of other cultures.

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Storytelling is also going to be critical when it comes to having any

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_00]: social impact and changes in society that is where storytelling is going to be

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_00]: the key driver.

[00:15:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Then we talked about the professional so if you are looking for a new

[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_00]: job or career growth storytelling can help you get significant advantage

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_00]: whether it comes to interviews networking personal branding

[00:15:30] [SPEAKER_00]: this is going to be a critical skill and last but not the least

[00:15:35] [SPEAKER_00]: storytelling is important because of if you want to build awareness

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_00]: about mental health and overall wellness when people share their stories

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_00]: of struggle and growth they can break stigma

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_00]: they can build supportive communities and that's how you can

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_00]: promote the mental well-being and overall well-being of people.

[00:15:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Now before I finish this episode I have to say that if you are

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_00]: listening to this episode before 29th of September

[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_00]: I would love to invite you to come to our 100th Mastermind session

[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_00]: which is scheduled on 29th of September 2024

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_00]: generally these sessions are for my paid community only but this

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_00]: is the 100th one a milestone for us so I have made it open for

[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_00]: anyone and everyone so if you are there the link will be in the show

[00:16:34] [SPEAKER_00]: notes feel free to register and join and if you want to take

[00:16:39] [SPEAKER_00]: your storytelling to the next level I would invite you to

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER_00]: be part of the Confidence Storytelling Hub because here

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_00]: we have a mix of working professional entrepreneur coaches

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_00]: and so on so forth there is a lot of things that you can work

[00:16:58] [SPEAKER_00]: upon and we have 5C support in form of course coaching

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_00]: challenges certification as well as community support

[00:17:07] [SPEAKER_00]: so I am very very sure that this can take your journey to

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_00]: the next level and I am so confident because I have

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_00]: testimonial and proof and documents of people who have got

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER_00]: so much of success and I can't wait for you to be part of the

[00:17:24] [SPEAKER_00]: community and become another success story so if possible

[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_00]: join the 100th Mastermind session and if you are listening

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_00]: to this after 29th of September then come and be part

[00:17:40] [SPEAKER_00]: of Confidence Storytelling Hub we are very close to getting

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_00]: 100 members and I would love for you to be part of the

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_00]: first 100 members of the community I wish you all take care

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_00]: stay safe and stay blessed