Do Stories Always Win the Day?

The business book “Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins” by Annette Simmons got me wondering. While it sounds good, is that true?

A class on freelance writing I attended came to mind. One night, several recent college graduates left scathing evaluations. They hated the anecdotes that middle-aged adults loved. They wanted nothing but practical to-do’s.

I thought also about the TV show “Shark Tank.” Often the “Sharks” become enchanted by a contestant’s story. But they then decide because of unsatisfactory answers to questions like, “Do you have a patent?” “How many have you sold so far?” “What’s your manufacturing cost?” or “How is this scalable?”

A “Shark” may invest because of the contestants’ story, despite such answers. Most of the time the unsatisfying answers prompt, “I’m out.”

Whether stories produce results depends on the context and the audience. So don’t put all your hopes on storytelling!