[from a blog that I am closing] Why is persuasion so difficult, and what can you do to set people on fire? A master storyteller believes that executives can engage listeners on a whole new level if they toss their PowerPoint slides and learn to tell good stories instead.
In his best-selling book Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, published in 1997 by HarperCollins, Robert McKee (the world’s best-known and most respected screenwriting lecturer) argues that stories “fulfill a profound human need to grasp the patterns of living—not merely as an intellectual exercise, but within a very personal, emotional experience.” A digest of thoughts appeared in a HBS Working Knowledge interview.
The book is almost 10 years old but the message remains relevant because it addresses a “profound human need”.
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Speaking is NOT writing