I woke up really early this morning, my brain buzzing with ideas for writing this article. It was dark and cold outside and quiet all through the house. I had some thoughts about writing about sales persuasion techniques. Typing "persuasion" into the Google search engine, I found Dave Lakhani, Internet marketer and persuasion expert at www.howtopersuade.com.

On his homepage there was an interview with Lakhani that I could play on my computer. Dave began by telling of growing up in a cult in Idaho. He described how he moved there with his mother, how people acted in the tightly controlled environment, and the circumstances surrounding his leaving at age sixteen.

Lakhani told a compelling tale. I was fascinated and began to believe the guy had something interesting to teach. About halfway through the interview, Lakhani was asked what were the persuasion techniques he could not live without. He answered, "Number one is stories and storytelling. The better storyteller you are, the better you can influence. Stories slide in under our emotional BS detectors. People listen to stories."

Later at the office, I remembered I had seen an article about storytelling called "Let Me Tell You a Story…." In it, Doug Stevenson wrote, "You can give a speech about your book that's a dazzling display of your vast intellectual knowledge, but when all is said and done, people remember stories."

Storytelling is more than just an entertaining way to get attention. Stevenson continued by saying, "You memorize and retain chunks of information contained in the story because you see the images, hear the sounds, and feel the emotions. The story engages your attention for a sustained period of time, so when the storyteller makes the point, the learning sticks."

Stevenson takes this a step further in his Story Theater Workshops ( www.storytheater.net). "Rather than narrating these moments, the storyteller 'steps in' to the imaginary reality of the moment and re-creates it in real time. These moments transport the listener to an active state of participation." (Members can find Doug Stevenson's article archived in the Members Only section of the SPAN Web site.)

Stories are the superglue that makes your points stick, Stevenson concludes. "They inspire people to take action-in your case, to buy your book."

It's the end of the day and I'm back at my home computer, as my chicken casserole bakes and I sip my afternoon coffee. I've been sitting here awhile and thinking about how publishers can use stories to market better.

Verbal stories are the first place to start. Speeches, radio and TV interviews, and book signings are all places publishers meet their customers. Since we are talking about storytelling to persuade, let's also include networking events, phone calls, business meetings, and conversations.

Dave Lakhani believes even written communication is processed verbally by the brain. This gives writers tremendous opportunities to use the tool they know best and to persuade in their written marketing efforts. Web sites, brochures, e-mails, Internet newsletters, direct mail letters, news releases, book jackets, and above all, books should be filled with stories.

Both experts emphasize that your stories should be relevant to the point you are trying to make. Although funny stories and jokes can break the ice, they positively work like magic to strengthen your case and persuade your audience.

The sun is setting here in Colorado Springs and I have to get dinner on the table. I feel like I shared a part of my day with you. I hope you learned something about persuasion. I'll let you know how the casserole turned out.