Tell an Interesting Story to Explain Someone’s Mistakes
Whether it’s sandwich criticism , direct criticism, or persuasion techniques , there are many strategies you can use to convince someone to change their lifestyle. Tell someone an interesting and compelling story so they can see the consequences of their actions and changes.
Whether you share your past lessons or someone else’s , good persuasive stories can change the way someone perceives their own actions. Think about the boy who cried wolf, and how he made you and the other children to understand how severe the consequences might be a lie. Sometimes stories are the best way to educate someone about their mistakes. Tyler Tervuren of The Good Men Project explains why stories are sometimes better than other forms of criticism:
- He removes direct confrontation. When you tell a story, you no longer tell someone what they should or shouldn’t do. Instead, you set out a scenario that they can follow that will lead them to the desired outcome. But will they listen? Because …
- This forces the listener to participate in the story. If I tell you about a friend of mine who built a successful business in a year by getting up an hour earlier every day, you can’t help but get into this story. You see yourself waking up early. You see how you type and write notes. You see yourself checking your growing bank account
Try telling the story the next time you want someone to understand their mistakes, make a big difference in their life, or look at the situation from a different perspective. Pulling them out of a hot chair and giving them the viewer’s point of view can teach them a lesson that they would otherwise have to learn the hard way.
Want to change the way people think? Start with a great story | Good People Project