The new material for this revised edition offers an expanded case study of storytelling in action that focuses on one of Simmons’s success stories. Over one hundred stories drawn from the front lines of business and government, as well as myths, fables, and parables from around the world, illustrate how story can be used to persuade, motivate, and inspire in ways that cold facts, bullet points, and directives can’t. These stories, combined with practical storytelling techniques show anyone how to become a more effective communicator. From “who I am” to “I-know-what-you’re thinking,” Simmons identifies the six stories you need to know how to tell and demonstrates how they can be applied. This revised edition offers a guide to using storytelling in specific business circumstances, including corporate reorganizations, layoffs, and diversity issues.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Nearly everyone responds to a good yarn, and that's precisely the point behind The Story Factor by Annette Simmons. A "collaborative behavior" consultant to public and private organizations, Simmons argues that storytelling may just be the best management tool available to modern business leaders because it exerts influence in ways that other techniques cannot. And she doesn't suggest that stories be exclusively reserved for formal presentations, either; on the contrary, Simmons shows how they can be used effectively in small group settings and even one-on-one situations. She begins by describing six basic types that can be adapted to any circumstance (Who I Am, Why I Am Here, The Vision, Teaching, Values-In-Action, and I Know What You Are Thinking). She then offers pointers for finding them and advises that ideas be jotted down whenever they appear, built upon consistently, and practiced in private until the telling comes naturally. To that end, she includes helpful tips on presentation, noting that the words are only part of a package that includes body language, clothing, tone, and other components. Follow her lead and you'll likely never relate to any individual or group in the same way again. --Howard Rothman
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
In this highly readable book, business communications consultant and author Simmons (Territorial Games) pitches storytelling as the modus operandi for business success. Identifying six stories one must learn how to tell "Who Am I," "Why I Am Here," "The Vision," "Teaching," "Values in Action," and "I Know What You Are Thinking" Simmons illustrates how they can be applied under any circumstance. A successor to Dale Carnegie's classic How To Win Friends and Influence People, this work follows the format of a traditional textbook, mirroring a PowerPoint presentation with minimal text and maximum graphics, bullet-pointing, etc. Potentially useful as a communications text, this is a viable selection for public libraries looking to strengthen their business communications collection. Robert Moore, Itworld.com, Southboro, MA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
165 of 173 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although I read about three books a week (over 120 per year) it is only once a year on average that I find one against which to lodge the following complaint. This book throws my reading schedule completely off track. When you find one that is so well written and so full of useful information you tend to slow down your reading speed to make sure that you don't miss anything important. What should have been a couple of hours to read ended up taking over a week as I read one part, digested it, then went back to read another one.
The text covers the most important story types to tell in order to exercise influence over others, gain credibility, etc. It also defines a story and how it can influence in ways that bare facts cannot, provides information on the psychology of how a story influences, and the important "dos and don'ts" of a storyteller. Annette Simmons provides multiple examples throughout the text so the reader understands how to apply the principles right away.
If you are studying storytelling, how to inspire others, how to influence others, how to change corporate culture, or any other aspect of change on a personal or organizational level then your education will be lacking if it does not include the information in this book. "The Story Factor" receives the highest recommendation that I can give.
69 of 73 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As Simmons explains in her Introduction, "This book [shares] what I have learned over the last eight years about story and about the power of story to persuade and influence. My personal story is to learn, share everything I have learned, and earn the right to learn more. You will find here [in The Story Factor] everything I know about using story to influence others."
How many books on the subject of leadership does Amazon now offer? I just checked. The current total is 16,159. Who were history's greatest leaders? (My own list includes Alexander, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Mohandas Gandhi.) What do all of them share in common? Each was a great storyteller. Each used one or more of the six types of stories which Simmons brilliantly explains in her book:
Who I Am
Why I Am Here
The Vision
Teaching
Values-in-Action
I Know What You Are Thinking
To these six I presume to add I Know What You Care About. Point is, great leaders have a clear identity as well as a clear purpose and a compelling vision, use relevant information effectively to educate others and use a narrative effectively to anchor a necessary course of action within a human context because they thoroughly understand the given audience. As Simmons correctly asserts, persuasion must begin with trust and immediately fails without it. Hence the importance of credibility. Persuasion then requires that the "message" resonate with what is of greatest importance to the given audience. Hence the imperative need for relevance as when Roosevelt (during his "fireside chats") and Churchill (during his speeches in Parliament) told their listeners what they must understand, not necessarily what they wanted to hear.
Throughout her brilliant book, Simmons rigorously examines the basic components of effective storytelling. She explains what a story is and what it can do that facts alone cannot. She suggests how to tell "a good story," in process explaining the psychology of an effective story's influence. She offers excellent advice on how to influence the unwilling, the unconcerned, and the unmotivated. Simmons also devotes an entire chapter to "Storylistening as a Tool of Influence," then in the next chapter identifies a number of storyteller Dos and Don'ts. She concludes her book with insights which have their greatest value only if considered within the context created by the previous chapters.
For whom will this book be of greatest value? Certainly to those who must regularly communicate with others and currently lack the skills to do so effectively. Also to those who are required to make a major presentation of some kind such as when attempting to persuade a supervisor to approve a significant course of action or persuading a customer to make a major purchase. In fact, there are countless other situations in which the skills which Simmons explains and the tools which she provides can also give those who master them a decisive advantage.
Keep in mind, however, that "story" is but one of several factors in communication. Long ago, John Wiley Hill (founder of Hill & Knowlton) defined public relations worthy of the name as "truth well-told." Simmons leaves absolutely no doubt whatsoever about the importance of a truthful "message" communicated by a trusted "messenger." Credibility is absolutely essential and can only be earned by a combination of trust and expertise. What I also appreciate about Simmons' approach throughout this book is the conversational tone she establishes and then sustains. There is a refreshing absence of preaching. She is convinced (and I totally agree) that each person has her or his own "story" to tell. It remains for each person to select the most appropriate style was well as the most effective tools to tell that story well. Who are you? Why are you here? What do you REALLY care about? It remains for each reader to answer questions such as these and, obviously, the answers will vary significantly. Whatever the answers may be at any given time, Simmons urges that they be celebrated...and cherished.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check others such as Doug Lipman's Improving Your Storytelling (he wrote the Foreword to The Story Factor), Stephen Denning's The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, and Storytelling in Organizations co-authored by John Seely Brown, Denning, Katarina Groh, and Laurence Prusak.
How many books on the subject of leadership does Amazon now offer? I just checked. The current total is 16,159. Who were history's greatest leaders? (My own list includes Alexander, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Mohandas Gandhi.) What do all of them share in common? Each was a great storyteller. Each used one or more of the six types of stories which Simmons brilliantly explains in her book:
Who I Am
Why I Am Here
The Vision
Teaching
Values-in-Action
I Know What You Are Thinking
To these six I presume to add I Know What You Care About. Point is, great leaders have a clear identity as well as a clear purpose and a compelling vision, use relevant information effectively to educate others and use a narrative effectively to anchor a necessary course of action within a human context because they thoroughly understand the given audience. As Simmons correctly asserts, persuasion must begin with trust and immediately fails without it. Hence the importance of credibility. Persuasion then requires that the "message" resonate with what is of greatest importance to the given audience. Hence the imperative need for relevance as when Roosevelt (during his "fireside chats") and Churchill (during his speeches in Parliament) told their listeners what they must understand, not necessarily what they wanted to hear.
Throughout her brilliant book, Simmons rigorously examines the basic components of effective storytelling. She explains what a story is and what it can do that facts alone cannot. She suggests how to tell "a good story," in process explaining the psychology of an effective story's influence. She offers excellent advice on how to influence the unwilling, the unconcerned, and the unmotivated. Simmons also devotes an entire chapter to "Storylistening as a Tool of Influence," then in the next chapter identifies a number of storyteller Dos and Don'ts. She concludes her book with insights which have their greatest value only if considered within the context created by the previous chapters.
For whom will this book be of greatest value? Certainly to those who must regularly communicate with others and currently lack the skills to do so effectively. Also to those who are required to make a major presentation of some kind such as when attempting to persuade a supervisor to approve a significant course of action or persuading a customer to make a major purchase. In fact, there are countless other situations in which the skills which Simmons explains and the tools which she provides can also give those who master them a decisive advantage.
Keep in mind, however, that "story" is but one of several factors in communication. Long ago, John Wiley Hill (founder of Hill & Knowlton) defined public relations worthy of the name as "truth well-told." Simmons leaves absolutely no doubt whatsoever about the importance of a truthful "message" communicated by a trusted "messenger." Credibility is absolutely essential and can only be earned by a combination of trust and expertise. What I also appreciate about Simmons' approach throughout this book is the conversational tone she establishes and then sustains. There is a refreshing absence of preaching. She is convinced (and I totally agree) that each person has her or his own "story" to tell. It remains for each person to select the most appropriate style was well as the most effective tools to tell that story well. Who are you? Why are you here? What do you REALLY care about? It remains for each reader to answer questions such as these and, obviously, the answers will vary significantly. Whatever the answers may be at any given time, Simmons urges that they be celebrated...and cherished.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check others such as Doug Lipman's Improving Your Storytelling (he wrote the Foreword to The Story Factor), Stephen Denning's The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, and Storytelling in Organizations co-authored by John Seely Brown, Denning, Katarina Groh, and Laurence Prusak.
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having loved stories as a youngster (especially the Greek myths as related by my mother), I lost sight of the power of stories until I became a management consultant. I realized that the sales and education process both relied on simple, powerful stories rather than rational evidence. I again forgot about stories until I heard Howard Gardner talking about their primary significance for leaders. I then made a point to write all of my books by using as many complex, nuanced and persuasive stories as possible. Many people have praised me as a natural story teller, so I thought was done with the subject. Then, just last month, I heard Steve Denning talk about his experience in using stories to launch knowledge management at the World Bank. Oops! Here were new story ideas for me.
I ordered Denning's excellent book, The Leader's Guide to Storytelling . . . and decided to check out Amazon.com to see who else had written highly rated books on the subject. Annette Simmons' The Story Factor jumped out at me. When I examined both books, I realized that The Story Factor should be read first. It provides the overview that we all need on this subject as speakers and writers.
Ms. Simmons begins by describing six archetypal stories that we need to know how to tell: Who I Am; Why I Am Here; Vision; Teaching; Values-in-Action; and I Know What You're Thinking.
I was impressed to see these categories in print. As a consultant, I have been coaching leaders for over 30 years on how to fill in their repertoire of stories from categories that they usually ignore (especially, I Know What You're Thinking).
Having laid out that agenda, the rest of the chapters focus on "what" and "how to" elements:
What Is Story?
What Story Can Do that Facts Can't
How to Tell a Good Story
The Psychology of Story's Influence
Sound Bite or Epic?
Influencing the Unwilling, Unconcerned, or Unmotivated
Storylistening as a Tool of Influence
Storyteller Dos and Don'ts
The Life of a Storyteller
The book also contains a valuable bibliography that is worth the price of this volume.
Having read this book, I think I've finally gotten the point that I need to work on my stories . . . and not just every 15 years or so.
Give this book to those you love . . . and keep a copy for yourself!
I ordered Denning's excellent book, The Leader's Guide to Storytelling . . . and decided to check out Amazon.com to see who else had written highly rated books on the subject. Annette Simmons' The Story Factor jumped out at me. When I examined both books, I realized that The Story Factor should be read first. It provides the overview that we all need on this subject as speakers and writers.
Ms. Simmons begins by describing six archetypal stories that we need to know how to tell: Who I Am; Why I Am Here; Vision; Teaching; Values-in-Action; and I Know What You're Thinking.
I was impressed to see these categories in print. As a consultant, I have been coaching leaders for over 30 years on how to fill in their repertoire of stories from categories that they usually ignore (especially, I Know What You're Thinking).
Having laid out that agenda, the rest of the chapters focus on "what" and "how to" elements:
What Is Story?
What Story Can Do that Facts Can't
How to Tell a Good Story
The Psychology of Story's Influence
Sound Bite or Epic?
Influencing the Unwilling, Unconcerned, or Unmotivated
Storylistening as a Tool of Influence
Storyteller Dos and Don'ts
The Life of a Storyteller
The book also contains a valuable bibliography that is worth the price of this volume.
Having read this book, I think I've finally gotten the point that I need to work on my stories . . . and not just every 15 years or so.
Give this book to those you love . . . and keep a copy for yourself!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Fabulous Power of Story Telling
More than 20 years ago, a wise elderly uncle gave me his impression of "how-to" books. He said you almost have to be the author himself to do what he prescribes. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Allan Cox
Influence through Storytelling
As the title indicates, this is a book about the power of storytelling as an influencing tool. As Annette best tells it: "People don't want more information. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Omar Halabieh
Not really a book that shows you how to write stories
Even though this has many 'bulletin points' about what you should put in your story, it fails at the most important element which is to really give you page by page examples of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by M. Morris
Too general, not enough specifics.
I was disappointed in this book, it discusses too much how and why story telling is important (something I already knew), and less about how exactly to tell a good a good story. Read more
Published 1 month ago by DL
The author should have started wrapping it up around page 45...
The author hooked me and raised my expectations during the first 30 pages or so. And then the pitch started about the importance of storytelling above all else. Read more
Published 3 months ago by BN
Getting the Story
If you're new to story-telling, which is an indispensable skill for managers of anything and anyone, you'll like the simple theory and examples described in this book by a master... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Philip Vassallo
Not instructional, but well written
Simply put, I found little instruction on how to be a good storyteller. That being said, this book is well written and gives a good argument about the importance and helpfulness... Read more
Published 11 months ago by John Fields
Specific advice on telling stories
Story telling is supposed to work in context. Out of proper context, it can be counterproductive. Annette Simmons tells the reader a lot of rules that apply to storytellers to... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Citizen John
Be More Effective at Persuasion
If you've ever wondered why you have a hard time getting others to see your point of view, you may be using too many facts and not enough relevant stories. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Pamela Ziemann
If the most resilient parasite is an idea, then story telling is the...
If you are familiar with the movie Inception then you know the line "What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mark Ruzomberka
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Skip looked into the sea of suspicious stockholders and wondered what might convince them to follow his leadership. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
straw pig, blame stories, genuine listening, better storyteller, successful influence, fear stories, vision story Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Children's Miracle Network, Martin Luther King, Mary Magdalene, Old Joe, The Psychology of Story's Influence, Uncle Horace, Betsy Ross, Doug Lipman, North Carolina, Studs Terkel, Tipper Gore New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Skip looked into the sea of suspicious stockholders and wondered what might convince them to follow his leadership. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
straw pig, blame stories, genuine listening, better storyteller, successful influence, fear stories, vision story Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Children's Miracle Network, Martin Luther King, Mary Magdalene, Old Joe, The Psychology of Story's Influence, Uncle Horace, Betsy Ross, Doug Lipman, North Carolina, Studs Terkel, Tipper Gore New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 49
books:
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41
books
cite this book:
See all 41 books citing this book
- Peace Tales by Margaret Read MacDonald in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Far Side ® by Gary Larson on page 87, and page 237
- Wisdom Tales from Around the World (World Storytelling) by Heather Forest in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Spear of Destiny: The Occult Power Behind the Spear which pierced the side of Christ by Trevor Ravenscroft on page 228, and Back Matter
- Right Mind by Robert E. Ornstein on page 118, and Back Matter
See all 49 books this book cites
- What's Your Story?: Using Stories to Ignite Performance and Be More Successful by Craig Wortmann on 7 pages
- The Francis Effect: The Real Reason You Hate Public Speaking and How To Get Over It by M. F. Fensholt on 5 pages
- Doing It Right: Realizing Your Company's Potential by Daniel D. Elash Ph.D on page 24, page 38, and page 198
- Re-Visioning The Way We Work: A Heroic Journey by Ginger Grant on page 111, page 120, and page 161
- Storytelling in Organizations: Why Storytelling Is Transforming 21st Century Organizations and Management by John Seely Brown on page 176, page 179, and page 182
See all 41 books citing this book
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