"I Thought This Would Be A Bullsh*t Course. This Was Not A Bullsh*t Course."

Hari received this piece of feedback the other day for our one-day Storytelling for Business course. She said at the time she was going to treasure it – and here it is, big and bold on the website! Why treasure it? Hari shares more about the scepticism around storytelling…

It's not unusual to hear the perception of storytelling training as a load of bovine excrement. In fact, I'd wager that a fair number of people who've been sent on communication skills courses over the years have sat in the back row with their arms firmly crossed, thinking some variation of this exact sentiment.

And honestly? I get it.

Storytelling sometimes has a bit of a reputation as "style over substance" - a reputation that I dislike but have to admit is not completely unfounded.

The Storytelling Sceptics Have A Point

Let's be brutally honest here. There are courses out there that treat storytelling as some sort of magic fairy dust you can sprinkle over bad ideas to make them suddenly compelling. Corporate training sessions where you're told to "find your authentic voice" without anyone explaining what that actually means or how to do it. Workshops that focus entirely on dramatic delivery whilst ignoring whether you've actually got anything worth saying.

I've sat through some of these myself. The ones that feel like they've been designed by people who watched too many TED Talks and decided that all you need is a personal anecdote and some strategic pausing. The ones where "storytelling" becomes synonymous with manipulation - packaging rubbish in prettier wrapping paper and hoping no one notices.

No wonder people are sceptical.

Add to that the fact that stories aren't always used for good, and the cynicism deepens even further.

Stories Are Powerful Tools - And Tools Can Be Misused

Con men use stories. Charlatans do. Crooked politicians absolutely do.

Stories can be used for evil. They can be used to promote bias and hatred. They can manipulate emotions, obscure facts, and lead people to conclusions that serve the storyteller rather than the truth. We've all seen it happen. Political campaigns built on carefully crafted narratives that bear little resemblance to reality. Marketing that tugs at heartstrings whilst hiding shoddy products. Leaders who inspire loyalty through compelling stories even as they pursue destructive agendas.

Stories are a powerful tool, and like any powerful tool, they can be used for both good and bad actions.

A hammer can build a house or break a window. A knife can prepare a meal or cause harm. The tool itself is neutral - it's the wielder and their intent that matters.

But here's the thing that the sceptics often miss: the solution to stories being misused isn't to avoid learning about storytelling. It's quite the opposite.

If You Don't Learn The Tools, You're Vulnerable To Their Use By Others

We need to learn to use the tools. We need to understand how the tools work and what they can do.

Because if we don't learn how to use them, we're vulnerable to their use by others.

Think about it. If you don't understand how stories work - how they're structured, how they create emotional resonance, how they can be used to obscure or illuminate - then you're much more susceptible to being manipulated by them. You can't spot a dodgy narrative if you don't know what good narrative structure looks like. You can't identify when someone's using emotional manipulation if you don't understand how emotions function in storytelling.

Understanding storytelling isn't about becoming a manipulator yourself. It's about developing critical literacy. It's about being able to recognise when you're being told a story, what that story is doing, and whether it stands up to scrutiny.

And on the flip side, if you've got genuinely good ideas, genuinely valuable work, genuinely important messages - don't you owe it to those ideas to present them as compellingly as possible? Isn't it a bit of a tragedy when brilliant work gets ignored because it was presented badly, whilst mediocre work with better packaging gets all the attention?

Not All Storytelling Training Is Created Equal

So yes, "I thought this would be a bullsh*t course. This was not a bullsh*t course."

I absolutely love this feedback. Because it acknowledges the scepticism head-on, and then says: but actually, this was different. This was useful. This was real.

What makes it different? A few things, I'd argue.

First, we don't treat storytelling as a substitute for substance - we treat it as a way to make your substance accessible. If your idea is rubbish, no amount of storytelling will save it. But if your idea is brilliant and no one understands it? That's where we come in.

Second, we give you frameworks and techniques you can actually use. Not vague instructions to "be more authentic" or "speak from the heart," but specific structures for organising information, concrete methods for holding attention, practical techniques for handling nerves. The kind of stuff you can take back to your desk and apply immediately.

Third, we create safe environments to practise. Because even if you're a good presenter or public speaker, you can always get better. And getting better means trying things, making mistakes, getting feedback, and trying again. You can't do that if you're terrified of looking foolish.

Everyone Can Get Better

Here's something else I believe deeply: even if you're already a good presenter or public speaker, you can always get better.

I've worked with senior executives who've been presenting for decades. With experienced consultants who've pitched hundreds of times. With marketers who've crafted countless campaigns. Every single one of them found something new to learn, some edge to sharpen, some habit to break or build.

Because communication skills aren't like riding a bike - you don't just learn them once and you're done forever. They're more like playing an instrument. You can always find new techniques, new subtleties, new ways to improve.

And my material and courses are damn good, if I do say so myself.

They're built on years of experience across multiple industries. They're tested and refined with hundreds of participants. They work for technical people who hate presenting and confident people who need to level up. They're practical, applicable, and - apparently - not bullsh*t.

So if you've been sceptical about storytelling training, I get it. Some of that scepticism is entirely justified.

But maybe, just maybe, it's worth giving it another shot. With the right course, you might just find yourself thinking: "Huh. This was not a bullsh*t course after all."

Our popular six-module virtual course introduces the power and value of Storytelling: why it works as an influencing tool and the science behind it - find out more.