How can one become a better storyteller? That’s the central theme of Sandeep Das’ latest book, How Business Storytelling Works: Increase Your Influence and Impact.

Das is quite clear that every task we perform — be it at the workplace, on social media, or in our day-to-day lives — has some elements of storytelling and that the art of storytelling is inherent in all humans. He stresses the point that we will use art more than ever before in the internet age.

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This is not limited to people — businesses both large and small will look at telling their stories to build their brands and increase sales. Business gurus will use storytelling to write their legacies and to drive change in their companies.

The author points out that to be successful, one needs to master the art and become a good storyteller. Das’ writing style is impressive. The language is simple and casual, and the author often breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly. This keeps the book engaging.

The breakdown

Das is a self-confessed movie buff, and he uses movies to explain how to structure a story.

Invest time in introducing and defining the problem. Then, explore the causes and effects of the problem and build tension around it. The last step is finding solutions.

He asks the readers to focus on the conclusion, as the brain tends to judge experiences by how an event ends compared to other factors, including time. This, he writes, will keep the audience hooked.

The author lays down the foundation of good practices for the readers. The book is almost like a checklist for the reader: incorporate these points and you are off to a good start. Once the reader gets the basics right, they can build on it. However, it tends to get repetitive.

The author often mentions the same names, draws influence from similar examples, and refers to other sections of the book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: I get why he is doing this; it is a great way to create stickiness. I even caught myself implementing his techniques in my own writing!

The golden rules

The core of Das’ book revolves around three rules.

  • The first one is the Rule of 3. Das insists information in a story must be bundled into “groups of three”. If it is less than three, the brain can’t form a pattern and any more than three is too much.
  • Secondly, he urges readers to use anecdotes in their communication, adding that the brain will choose an anecdote over a number every time. He also explains why the reader should include pop culture references as it helps the audience connect to your story better.
  • Thirdly, he wants the readers to embrace minimalism by cutting off the flab to put the point across effectively. He writes that one should use symbols, metaphors, and colour to express themselves clearly.

Das uses several interesting methods to implement these techniques to become good communicators in our daily lives. For example, he explains how one can use his techniques to create a good impression during a job interview.

He explains how his techniques can help answer common, yet dreaded, questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “Do you have questions for us?”. Then, he explains how his techniques can be used to write easy-to-understand documents and make better presentations. He also showcases how to modify these techniques to build brands, including the reader’s personal brand.

Anecdotes from the author’s own life are very interesting: he talks about his interactions with clients which makes me feel like I know the people he talks about. I wish he shared more of these snippets rather than repeating some generic, impersonal titbits of famous CEOs.

I also found some of them problematic. For example, he says that storytelling will backfire, if not done right.

He cites an example of how China nearly blacklisted H&M after the Swedish company warned that it will stop procuring cotton from China’s Xinjiang province over concerns regarding the human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims. To me, standing up for human rights is a good thing, even if you are shut out of one of your biggest markets.

That said, Das’ book is a good read for those who want to improve their communication skills. It provides useful methods to achieve the same. Das’ technique to keep things simple is not a new idea, but he tells us how to do it right.

He explains how we need to put our point across to our audience effectively and efficiently. This book provides some good tips and tricks to do just that.

  • Check out the book on Amazon.
‘How Business Storytelling Works: Increase Your Influence and Impact’ by Sandeep Das
Published: Penguin Business.
Pages: 284.
Price: ₹399.
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