Simon Sinek argues that one specific story beats any statistic. He contrasts 5,000 Ukrainian casualties with the story of Cammy, who sat with an 18-year-old hit by a car until he died. Speakers and sellers should tell one memorable story about someone they helped, not recite numbers or credentials.
Chapters
The more you can connect it to a real human being, the more you will feel it.
And I'll prove it to you. Stalin said.
Stalin said the death of one man is a tragedy and the death of a million as a statistic. Right? So I'll tell you two stories. Both are true.
Right now what we are witnessing in Europe is a horrible event of this war in Ukraine. And we see a proud people standing up to defend themselves against this oppressive regime that is invading their country unnecessarily. And the conservative estimates now are, you know, I think the last one I read was about, you know, 5,000.
Men and women killed rising up against the despotic regime. Right. That's a fact. Those are numbers. Now let me tell you another story. I have a friend named Cammy who.
Lives in San Clemente, California. And she was driving home from work one day and she, as she turned the corner, she came upon a car accident that had just happened.
Where a 17 year old driver had hit an 18 year old pedestrian. And this 18 year old girl was lying on the street, her leg at a 90 degree angle, unconscious, and the ambulances hadn't arrived yet. Cami pulled her car over and got out and sat with the girl and just sat with her until the paramedics arrived. Eventually the paramedics arrived and took her away. And a few days later she was curious what happened to that girl. She went online onto the blotter and found out that that 18 year old girl had died. Okay, what made you feel more? Thousands of people who died standing up against oppressive regime to defend their lifestyle and their democracy, or one 18 year old girl who got hit by a car in California. That's my point. Which is when you tell a story about a specific person, you feel it way more than telling statistics of all the people you helped or all the homes you've sold. I don't care about how many homes you've sold or how many families you've helped. Tell me about the one you remember. You know, that's the one you tell. And when somebody says, what can you do for me? I've lived in this neighborhood for 30 years and I have a greater knowledge of this neighborhood than anybody else. And I've sold more houses and I'll get you the best deal. And then you get a cynical bastard like me who goes, your business model encourages you not to get me the best deal. I mean, that's the way I think. I apologize because you want to keep the price up because that's what makes you more money. Like I know. Like, I get it, right? It's like, therapists don't want to get you better because they get paid by the hour.
If they did, flat fee, we'd all be fine.
But if you walk in and say, if somebody says, why should I do business with you? Right, you'd be like, three years ago, I met this family, the Joneses. Oh, what a wonderful couple. Two kids, Lucy and George, and just the best. And you tell a story about what you got to know about them and what they were looking for and how you spent the time with them. And. And people will relate their experience to the Joneses, not to the 55 houses you've sold or the 30 years you've been in business. Because I don't care. I just need one. And so the more you can tell a specific story, the more people can feel it.
