Want to Move People? Tell a Story Based on Shared Values

We tell stories for a lot of reasons: to entertain, to explain, to connect. But one of the most powerful reasons to tell a story is to accelerate the speed of change.

Whether it’s a nonprofit, a brand, a politician, or a child pleading in the checkout line, stories are often designed to do one thing: influence behavior. And they’re not the only ones trying to sway us.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, your brain processes about 60,000 thoughts per day — many of them sparked by messaging crafted to shape what you believe or how you act.

Consider these three examples:

• A conservation nonprofit urges: “Be the voice for those who have no voice.”

• A candidate fires up a crowd: “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change — I’m asking you to believe in yours.”

• A child pleads at the grocery store: “You don’t love me, Daddy. If you did, you’d buy me the candy.”

What do these wildly different messages have in common? They all focus on ideas that resonate with nearly everyone. Things like fairness, freedom, love, empowerment, family, and hope.

All of these messages have a common thread. They touch on positive universal values (PUVs); concepts and ideas that have a positive value for nearly every member of our target audience.

In the nonprofit’s message, we connect with the deeply held belief that everyone deserves a voice. In the campaign speech, we’re invited into a vision of shared agency and change. And yes, even in the child’s plea, our love — and guilt — are activated by one of our most primal values: family.

Storytelling builds commonality and commonality builds trust.

Trust activates the brain’s limbic system and makes us more open to influence. That’s not manipulation; it’s connection.

When you pair your message with a PUV, you create emotional alignment. Your audience is more likely to lean in rather than pull away. Politicians do this constantly. Watch a candidate greet a crowd: they ask where you’re from, then try to name a person, place, or shared value they can connect to. It’s not just charm, it’s strategic empathy.

Brands do this too. Take Whole Foods: “We believe in real food.” That’s a tough one to argue with. Even if you’ve never shopped there, they’ve already found common ground. You may not like their prices, but they’ve planted a seed: we believe what you believe.

Your turn.

The next time you’re crafting a speech, appeal, or campaign, try building around a PUV. Introduce it early. Let it guide the body. Return to it at the close. Just don’t overdo it — subtlety beats pandering every time.

And if you try it, we’d love to hear how it goes.Reach out. We’re always up for a good story!

Photo credits: Be the voice (WWF), Obama quote (QuotesPic.com), Whole Foods ad (Whole Foods Market Inc.)