The power of storytelling.

Storytelling is universal. It speaks to human experience. Stories establish relationships as well as make sense of the world.

They transmit knowledge and build culture. They simulate the real world as well as project new possibilities. They impart morals as well as generate emotions. They can heal. They can make us laugh… and cry. Storytelling connects us to each other across time and space. We love stories because they link us to our human nature.

The power of storytelling is especially relevant in the modern world of complexity and global networks. Ideas of narrative are experiencing a critical resurgence across many disciplines. Telling stories for the sake of telling stories is a worthwhile endeavour. But it is in their capacity to make sense of the world that stories perhaps offer financial professionals some unexpected benefits.

For financial professionals, stories can be used with each other to build a robust professional culture – who are we, what is our purpose, where are we going? Stories can also be used to give meaning to the complexities of the contemporary financial market – stories can simplify the proliferation of data, they can link otherwise unconnected ideas, they can direct action towards certain choices. For clients, stories can be persuasive and can powerfully convey important points. The story avenue provides financial professionals with a tool to guide a client through the labyrinth of information and problems towards a positive solution.

Storytelling can help yourself and your clients to cope, to connect with each other, to make meaning of the world, and to have fun. A story will also stick in the mind of your client. Neuroscience tells us that we waken the sensory processing part of our brains in addition to our language processing functions – we activate the entire brain! So what does this mean, practically, for financial professionals? It means stories can be used to frame financial problems, develop financial advice, drive your own and your clients’ motivation and connect with your profession. A quick piece of advice. Financial professionals can develop and tell stories themselves, but they should also ask clients and partners to tell their stories. This creates a powerful medium for motivation and ownership. Stories actually encourage listeners to relate the story to their own experiences and ideas. In sharing stories, we participate in an incredible cerebral exchange that creates shared meaning and emotion. You and your clients won’t forget a good story and it will prompt you to make sense of the financial world in new ways.

Stories are not just for children and they’re not just entertainment. The three important words “what happens next?” drive each one of us to wake each day and to live life. It is also the impetus that drives storytelling. It is perhaps this storytelling aspect of financial advice that we can best concentrate on if we want to find inspiration and move humanity forward to achieve its financial goals, one story at a time.

So, for you, your professional financial advice practice, your business stakeholders and your clients …… “What happens next”?

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