The only pitch that sticks
Storytelling expert Matthew Dicks teaches us how to create stories that convert for our businesses
Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Brand | Matthew Dicks
"We are wired for story. … When we hear a story, the neurons in our brains fire in the same patterns as the neurons in the storyteller's brain via a process known as neural coupling. …If you want to be remembered, and if you want to be memorable, you must tell stories."
Have you ever found yourself struggling to articulate your brand's unique value, or perhaps puzzled by why even well-crafted content sometimes fails to resonate? Matthew Dicks's Stories Sell is the book you need. The author, a celebrated master of narrative, skillfully adapts his proven "Storyworthy" techniques for the business world, illustrating how authentic, specific, and thoughtfully constructed stories can uplift your brand, invigorate your team, and inspire your audience to act.
Why this matters matters
Dicks's methodology provides a veritable guide to developing narratives that feel genuine, relevant, and truly memorable, then weaving them consistently into all aspects of your business to foster connection and build enduring trust. What’s truly striking isn't just the inherent power of storytelling, but how infrequently it's fully utilized.
He passionately advocates for integrating storytelling into a company's very fabric—sharing tales in team discussions, sales pitches, hiring processes, and customer interactions. Why such an emphasis? Because stories tap into emotional depths. They disarm skepticism. They demonstrably impact outcomes. As Dicks explains, “people don't remember data; they remember moments." He also meticulously details common pitfalls: narratives that are overly polished, emotionally detached, or excessively self-promotional.
The most effective stories, he contends, are often small in scope, highly specific, and charged with clear stakes. Crucially, they are always designed for the audience, not merely by the storyteller.
The essential element: building trust
At its core, Stories Sell posits that genuine, emotional trust is the primary driver of business decisions. This trust, Dicks argues, is cultivated through the evocative power of stories. He illustrates this with an example of a company whose sales team, after being trained in story structure rather than just product features, saw a significant jump in conversion rates within months.
They credited their success to building a deeper connection with customers. The narrative wasn't focused on the product itself, but on a problem the customer experienced, and how the product became part of its resolution, making the solution tangible and relatable.
Five key insights
Stories are your ultimate asset. Forget crafting the perfect tagline for a moment. If you can deliver a compelling 90-second story that showcases how your company genuinely solved a problem for a real individual, you've already gained a substantial advantage. Dicks provides the framework for unearthing and refining these powerful narratives.
Your origin story is just the beginning. Many organizations stop at recounting their founder's journey. Dicks asserts the need for a rich "story library"—tales of resilience, learning from setbacks, customer triumphs, and embodied internal values—that can be strategically deployed throughout every department.
The narrative belongs to them, not you. Effective business storytelling avoids self-aggrandizement. Instead, it centers on the audience's aspirations, challenges, and objectives. Potent brand narratives subtly communicate, "I understand you," rather than overtly stating, "Admire me."
Storyworthy moments are more common than you realize. A pervasive error is believing your own experiences aren't dramatic enough. Dicks demonstrates how seemingly ordinary instances, when skillfully framed, can become profoundly unforgettable. The true magic lies in structure, not spectacle. (This was a subtle but invaluable point made explicitly in the book.)
Storytelling is a collective endeavor. Cultivating a strong company culture isn't solely a top-down initiative. When teams openly share meaningful stories internally, they achieve greater alignment, clearer communication, and stronger bonds. Storytelling transforms from a mere marketing tactic into an ingrained organizational habit.
Who should read the book?
I'm inclined to call Stories Sell the best book I’ve read on business storytelling. It certainly stands out as the most accessible and practical. (This is a significant statement, given my recent dives into works like Will Storr's The Science of Storytelling and The Story is a Deal.) Anyone working to create a memorable, genuinely understood, and deeply trusted brand will discover an invaluable guide in Stories Sell.
(For non-readers: Storytelling Expert Matthew Dicks introduces STORIES SELL)