A mini-course on storytelling: Create powerful stories for your prevention practice

The power of storytelling is one of those skills they don’t usually teach you at medical university – but which are crucial for patient communication, navigating your daily work life or managing your daily activities.

What you will learn in the Storytelling issue:

1. Use storytelling to inspire: Facts alone don’t move people, but stories do. They make ideas memorable, build trust, and drive action.
2. Follow the Golden Circle framework: Start with “Why” (purpose), then explain “How” (approach), and finally describe “What” (outcome). Leading with purpose strengthens emotional connection and audience engagement.
3. Know your audience: Adapt your tone, language, and storytelling style to connect with different listeners. Engage the senses, use relatable examples and avoid jargon to improve clarity.
4. Simplify your message: A great story is simple and focused. Avoid unnecessary details and prioritise the core takeaway.
5. Deliver with impact: Telling a story is a performance. Use strategic pauses, voice modulation, a confident posture, and purposeful gestures to enhance delivery and engagement.
6. Amplify your story’s reach: Build a circle of supporters who share your message. Use social media and in-person networking to expand your story’s reach and establish credibility.
7. Practice storytelling daily: The more you practice, the more of a natural storyteller you will become.

Why storytelling matters

In any professional setting, effective communication is key to building trust, inspiring action and fostering meaningful connections. But facts alone don’t move people – stories do. Storytelling is an art that transforms abstract concepts into relatable narratives. Indeed, stories make ideas more memorable and compelling. Whether you’re persuading a client, leading a team, or presenting an idea, mastering the art of storytelling can elevate your impact. Stories connect people with each other.

Storytelling enables you to penetrate the noise and make a strong impression on any audience. Even if you’re not a natural storyteller, with practice you can become proficient enough to enthral any audience, no matter the size or occasion.

As Murray Nossel explains in Powered by Storytelling, storytelling has been central to the human experience for so many millennia it has become hardwired in the brain. Research makes it clear that storytelling is now a basic human “neurobiological function.” Certain networks of cells in the brain are associated directly with storytelling. Neurological research performed using positron emission tomography (PET) scanners shows that specific brain sections light up when people listen to or tell stories. 

“Storytelling has the power to transform… it restructures our communication through our becoming aware of the reciprocal relationship between listening and telling.” – Murray Nossel

You can mine good story material from everything you perceive through your senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. To connect your listeners to the emotional core of your story, plan and structure it to include these sensory elements. Handled right, storytelling is an art form with numerous components: scenes and characters, voice modulation, dramatic use of your body – including gestures, posture and movement – and the emotional connections you must establish with your audience. 

Remember: You don’t just tell your story. You perform your story. Storytelling is every person’s access to creativity.

Part 1: Understand the core of storytelling

This section delves into the fundamental principles that make stories resonate and build connections with your audience. 

The Golden Circle: why, how, what

One of the most powerful frameworks for effective storytelling is Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle” (you may watch his famous TED talk here). Like a target, the Golden Circle starts with a small bull’s-eye with “Why” in the centre, surrounded by a larger circle marked “How” and then surrounded by the biggest circle labelled “What.” The model breaks down communication into three layers:

• Why: The core belief or purpose behind your message. Ask yourself: “Why do I get out of bed every morning?”
• How: The approach or method used to achieve your goal. Applied to promoting a product or service, ask yourself: “In what ways is my product or service unique and desirable?”
• What: The tangible product, service or result. Ask yourself: “What are the main distinct characteristics of my product or service?”

Many professionals start with the “What,” highlighting features and benefits. However, powerful storytelling begins with the “Why.” Leading with purpose sparks emotion and fosters a stronger connection with your audience. To craft a compelling story, first explain why it matters, then outline how you tackle the challenge, and finally reveal the outcome.

Knowing your audience: the key to connection

Storytelling is most powerful when it speaks directly to the hearts and minds of your audience. Whether you're explaining a procedure to a nervous patient or motivating your team, tailoring your story ensures it resonates and leaves a lasting impression. Here’s how:

1. Set the right tone

As Nossel explains, without audiences to receive them, stories do not exist. Storytelling influences listening, and listening influences storytelling. Thus, you must carefully assess your “listening environment” before you tell your stories. Should your story be warm and reassuring for an anxious patient, or rather light-hearted and humorous? Or professional and educational for a fellow oral health professional? Adjusting your tone to fit the situation builds trust and enhances understanding.

2. Engage the senses

People remember stories that evoke emotions and sensory experiences. When telling a story, engage multiple senses by describing sights, sounds and other impressions. A well-painted scene is far more memorable than abstract facts. Instead of relying on dry facts, paint a vivid picture. For instance, compare plaque buildup to “sticky honey trapping bacteria on your teeth” or describe the fresh, clean sensation after a professional cleaning. The more senses you engage, the more memorable your message becomes.

3. Use relatable examples

Consider this transformation:

1. “A regular, professional teeth cleaning prevents plaque buildup and gum disease.”
2. “Imagine your teeth as a castle. Over time, invaders like plaque and bacteria gather at the gates, wearing down the defences. Regular professional cleanings act like the royal guard, sweeping away the threats before they can breach the walls, keeping your smile strong and healthy."

Clearly, the second approach makes the procedure tangible and relatable. By knowing your audience and adapting your storytelling style, you can turn routine conversations into meaningful connections – whether in the treatment room, with colleagues, or even in marketing efforts for your product or service. When telling a story, avoid jargon and opt for a conversational speaking style. Use short sentences composed with simple language. Illustrate your points with analogies and metaphors. Facts and logic always take a backseat to emotions.

“Storytelling joins the head to the heart – it brings to life with emotional power the data, facts and figures embedded in concepts such as cost-benefit analysis.” – Murray Nossel

Part 2: Make your stories clear and impactful

This section focuses on how to shape your stories and enhance their delivery based on the core principles of storytelling.

Keeping it simple: the art of clarity

A great story doesn’t need to be long or complex. Simplicity is key. The best communicators distil their messages down to their essence, avoiding unnecessary jargon or complicated explanations. To communicate simply, start by identifying the core message – what is the one thing you want your audience to remember?

Once you have this, remove any extraneous details that don’t serve the main point. Instead of overwhelming listeners with too much information, focus on clarity and brevity. A clear story follows a natural progression that keeps the audience engaged. In Lead with a Story, Paul Smith describes the three basic components of a story as “Context, Action, Result,” or CAR.

1. Context: Introduce the problem or challenge and provide context.
2. Action: Describe what happens in the story while showing the obstacles, conflicts and emotions involved.
3. Result: Highlight the resolution and its impact. The plot’s outcome should reveal the reason you told the story or the message you seek to get across.

Avoid unnecessary details that dilute the main message. Ask yourself: If my audience remembers just one thing from this story, what should it be? Keep your story focused on that core takeaway. By following this structure, your story remains clear, engaging and easy to follow.

“A well-told business story isn’t the same as a romance novel or a Hollywood movie. It has a simpler structure.” – Paul Smith

In The Art of Explanation, BBC News editor Ros Atkins offers practical tips for honing your ability to explain yourself clearly and concisely. He recommends that you prepare your communication using these ten questions:

1. “Simplicity” – Could you phrase your explanation in a way that is easier to comprehend?
2. “Essential detail” – Which details are most important to communicate your message? 
3. “Complexity” – Are there any aspects of your subject you don’t understand? 
4. “Efficiency” – Could you phrase your message more succinctly?
5. “Precision” – Do your words convey precisely what you want to say? 
6. “Context” – Why does your explanation matter to your audience? 
7. “No distractions” – Have you omitted all redundant words and graphics that could distract your audience from your explanation?
8. “Engaging” – Can you identify any points where your audience could lose interest in your explanation?
9. “Useful” – Does your explanation address people’s questions in a helpful way? 
10. “Clarity of purpose” – What is your message trying to achieve?

Part 3: Share and amplify the reach of your stories

The last section focuses on how to put your stories out there by building connections and leveraging different platforms, both in person and online.

Everyone who runs a practice or clinic, or who shares responsibility for the financial success of the practice or clinic, will need to find ways to make their practice or clinic stand out. What makes you unique? What makes you special? Why are you passionate about what you are doing?

“Storytelling humanises us and therefore creates more meaningful bonds.” – Paul Smith

Indeed, stories are a powerful way to introduce you and your practice, and explain what you do and how you do it. Compelling stories help build relationships and increase people’s trust in your product or service. In Sell with a Story, Paul Smith suggests five storytelling approaches to weave into your sales pitch:

1. “Invention or discovery story” – Find a personal narrative, such as the story of the product’s inventor.
2. “Problem story” – If your product solves a specific problem, describe customers who had that dilemma and solved it. Emphasise the difficulty and any associated problems the situation created, so your product or service stands out as a clear solution.
3. “Customer success stories” – Show potential future patients how current patients in similar situations found resolution by using your product. Make videos of patients describing their experience and share them with potential future patients.
4. “Two-roads stories” – Cite a past patient who experienced both a problem story and a success story. This highlights the utility of your product.
5. “Value-adding stories” – Improve the appeal of your product or service by showing some unusual, unique or unexpected benefit.

“Stories sell. And the people who can tell a good sales story sell more than people who can’t.” – Paul Smith

Building an inner circle: amplifying your story

Great stories don’t just stay within a conversation – they spread. Surrounding yourself with allies who believe in your message helps amplify its reach. Building such a circle requires actively engaging with like-minded individuals, both in person and online. Seek out mentors, colleagues and industry leaders who can reinforce your message and help it gain traction. 

Social media plays a powerful role in expanding the reach of a story. You can use platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram to share compelling narratives, industry insights and behind-the-scenes experiences that humanise your work. By engaging with comments and participating in online discussions, you can extend your message’s influence. 

Moreover, digital platforms help you establish yourself as a thought leader and enable you to reinforce your story and build credibility. In Superconnector, Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh explain how you can leverage technology to communicate your unique message and find the people ready to receive it:

• “Research” – Conducting some research on social media helps you learn about other people, who they are and what matters to them. An online search or a visit to LinkedIn often reveals quality information about people you don’t yet know.
• “Engage” – Cleverly attract attention. In his younger days, CMX Media CEO David Spinks would query high-profile CEOs and start online conversations with people who didn’t know that he was only 19 years old and had no power or influence. He was charming, and people were happy to communicate with him.
• “Convene” – The internet offers knowledge-sharing and value exchange, which is why CMX developed the CMX Hub group on Facebook, a growing organisation with more than 6,000 members.
• “People, not money, are your most important assets; great things in business happen when the right people come together.” - Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh

When others share your story, it gains credibility and momentum, making it even more impactful. 

Dive deeper: Further reading

The “how” of storytelling: delivering with impact

A well-structured story is only part of the equation. It’s effectiveness, however, hinges on how you deliver it. Consider these techniques, as described by Steven James and Tom Morrisey in The Art of the Tale:

1. “Recite less, respond more” – If you overpolish your speech, it’ll become rigid, and you won’t be able to adjust it to reflect the nuances of the occasion. But your delivery should consider four factors – the story, the audience, the context and the storyteller – and adapt accordingly.
2. “Concentrate less, relax more” – Athletes practice drills so that, come game day, they can get in the zone of peak performance without overthinking. The same is true of storytelling.
3. “Pretend less, believe more” – Step into your story. Become the character whose tale you’re imparting. If you truly believe the words you’re saying, you’ll appear natural and at ease.
4. “Explain less, evoke more” – Let your story speak for itself. Don’t insult your audience by trying to explain the moral of the story.
5. “Imitate less, embody more” – Embrace your uniqueness. Don’t try to mimic someone else. Let your authentic self shine through.

“An effective storyteller understands his audience, addresses their needs, and prepares his material with them in mind.” - Steven James and Tom Morrisey 

When it comes to the nuts and bolts of delivering your story in person, take Richard Newman’s practical tips to heart, which he explains in You Were Born to Speak:

• Pacing: Vary your speed – slow down for dramatic moments and speed up for excitement. A fast pace creates a sense of urgency or excitement, and a slow pace indicates seriousness.
• Pauses: Pause for emphasis. Strategic pauses create suspense and allow key points to sink in.
• Voice modulation: Use changes in pitch and tone to convey emotion and maintain engagement. A high pitch tends to sound uplifting, excited or joyful, while a lower pitch emphasises seriousness, wisdom and authority. A variety of pitches engages your listeners.
• Stand tall: Ensure your posture is confident. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift up your whole body, hands above your head, up on your toes, then relax to achieve the “ready position” before speaking. When you achieve proper body alignment and relaxation, your voice will sound relaxed. 
• Use gestures: Thoughtful gestures reinforce your message. Keep your hands open when asking a question or use both hands to emphasise a point. Spread your hands wide to show growth or bring them together to suggest limitation. As you become more comfortable speaking, your arm movements and gestures will flow more naturally.

“Ideas will not speak for themselves. You have to do the speaking.” – Richard Newman

So… what’s your story?

Storytelling is a skill that enhances communication, builds relationships and inspires action. By leading with purpose, knowing your audience, using metaphors, simplifying your message, mastering delivery and creating a network of supporters, you can transform the way you communicate. Whether in business or everyday interactions, great storytelling is an ancient and enduringly powerful tool to engage, persuade and leave a lasting impression.

Start small – tell a story today. The more you practice, the more natural it will become. Soon enough, you’ll see the profound impact of a well-told story in your professional and personal life.

The most impactful stories become folklore. We would love to hear yours and share them with the pioneers of human-first dentistry.

The content of this course benefits from the expertise of Sara Küpfer. As an author at the Learning & Development platform getAbstract (2017-2024), she created hundreds of business knowledge summaries, whitepapers, microlearning courses, and business-focused blog posts.