Storytelling is the most underrated thing when it comes to business, it is everything when trying to convey emotion and attachment to your brand and in today’s world a Press Release is JUST not gonna CUT IT!
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Enthralling speakers interweave captivating stories into their key points.
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What are the nuances that distinguish an entrancing story from a boring one?
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How can you craft your stories to make your points — and you — more memorable?
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Three master storytellers tell their secrets to ensuring stories are memorable and engaging.
Each has a different slant on the topic so hear their ideas and adapt them to your style.
These questions and many more will be answered in this trio of teleseminar recordings.
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• “Digging for the Treasures in Your Stories” with Emory Austin, CSP, CPAE
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• “Add Oomph to Your Stories by Bringing the Characters Alive” with Jon Schwartz, a.k.a. Vinny Verelli
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• “Creating Emotional Triggers to Make Your Stories Memorable” with Doug Stevenson
Special price! Get all three programs, in MP3 format, for only $34. Order now.
This article is aimed at people working with children, but would be just as effective for a group of adults. Storytelling is such an important skill for the public speaker, that any of these ideas could stimulate an improvement
Oral storytelling is one of mankind’s oldest traditions. It’s probably the origin of teaching too. Storytelling skills are excellent ones for children to learn, and attending storytelling sessions given by an adult will pay dividends. Kids learn to improvise, gain an understanding of basic story structure, sequence a story correctly, speak with confidence and engage an audience.
When it comes to persuading others, rhetoric has its limits — it can sound didactic and boring. Stories are a much more effective way to convince others of your point of view. Here are three tips for shaping and telling a story that influences: http://bit.ly/mgKbX8
by Martin Jugmans
Everybody has a great story. To tell a story well it must be lovingly crafted and tailor-made.
We want to capture the audience’s attention and convey a memorable message.
Preparation:
We need to know who the audience is and what is the purpose of our story. Will it be a group of workers on an oil rig or school children? By making references within our story that directly relates to the audience’s interests will keep them engaged. Asking and remembering people’s names and asking questions we can get a good idea of who will be present.
By writing down the purpose of the story in one short sentence, we establish a clear direction that our story will take.
As an example, we are going to speak to a group of teenagers about “The Power of Writing Down Your Goals”.
What would interest a group of teenagers to write down their goals? What are their dreams and desires, to be a great football player, to have the latest gadget, money or a new car, travel or clothes? What are their fears? Exams, failing, lack of self-esteem. Doing this research pays dividends.
Before creating the actual content we need to determine how we want the audience to feel at the end of our story. Write this down:
We want the audience to feel empowered and inspired.
Content:
Now we can start looking for a story in our own personal experience that shows the benefits and illustrates “The Power of Writing Down Your Goals”. We want our story to show the audience that they can attain their goals and dreams and it starts by forming a clear picture in their minds.
If you don’t have a story of your own, (which I’m sure you do) perhaps you have a friend who in spite of hardship and difficulty went on to be great. Adapt the story.
The opening is vital. Pause for a breath or two and begin. Ask a question or invoke the audience’s anticipation and curiosity.
To make our story work we inject liberal amounts of sincere emotion and feelings. Excitement, difficulties and obstacles, disappointment, courage and joy. Above all, humour. Used appropriately, showing sincere emotion in tone of voice and body movements will colour our story and paint pictures in the minds of the audience. Find ways to include fun twists and turns and use an element of surprise. Make descriptions vivid and use poetic licence. Pauses and voice variations can be used to enhance effect. Consider yourself doing a masterful performance.
Masters practice and refine.
Eliminate all that does not help to convey the message (in this example) of empowerment and inspiration. Mould the story until it really begins to shine.
Spend time formulating a conclusion that is grabbing. We want to give our audience something to remember. A conclusion that wraps it all up, is decisive and leaves the audience feeling empowered and inspired.
Jay O’Callahan writes:
When my own children were young they would ask me at dinner to “tell when you were bad, Daddy.” Recalling small things that happened to me as a boy allowed them to have fun but also to see that I, too, was small and worried and hurt and naughty. Suddenly, I was no longer just “Daddy” but a friend sharing a world they knew.
When my son was a third grader, he used to come home each day telling ordinary stories about his teacher. “Mr. McCurdy is making Portuguese bread again tonight. It’s an egg bread and sticky. He had to answer the phone last night just when both hands were covered with a sticky mess. . .” Or, “Mr. McCurdy doesn’t like New York City. His wife has to hold on to him on the sidewalk there ’cause he gets terribly dizzy.”
We are all human – and stories remind us of our humanity, our sense of fun and wonder and struggle. The stories you begin to collect can be personal, folk, adventure, mystery. It depends on you, your students, your interests and theirs. But tell them, tell them, tell them.
in an article 16 Storytelling Tips for the Tellerwhich is not only hugely valuable for storytellers, for speakers using stories, but also for improving public speaking itself.
The truly successful speaker understands the power of story. Most speeches or presentations overflow with facts, figures and information. We’re bombarded with data.
But before your audience can believe in your facts, they need to believe in you. Telling stories is a good way of helping your audience get to know you – which is the first step towards believing you.
Stories don’t have to be long. Just make sure the anecdote or story is simple, clear and relevant. (And won’t alienate any group within your audience). Stories:
• are a good way of engaging the audience;
• let the audience know you can be trusted;
• give structure to information and make data memorable;
• help keep the audience constantly engaged;
• are a wonderful teaching tool;
• touch us in a way facts don’t.
Parkinson’s Disease is a fact. Actor Michael J. Fox’s struggle with Parkinson’s Disease is a story that drives medical research, agitates for political change, and has people reaching into wallets and purses to finance the search for a cure.
Try to tell a story at least every 5 minutes in your speech or presentation.
Even accountants have stories
I worked with one group who said: “We are accountants. We don’t have stories.” Believe me, even accountants have stories. Anyone who achieves a personal or professional goal, but has to overcome difficulties to do it, has a story. Because at the heart of story is a character confronting difficulties to achieve something worthwhile.
Put a human face on your data. Convert your facts and figures into a story people will remember and your audience will hang on to every word you say.
Facts tell – but stories sell.
Neil Everton is a media skills trainer and presentation skills coach with Podium Media & Communications Coaching
Kate started out with a powerful quotation ….
“The highest-paid person in the first half of the next century will be the ‘storyteller.’ The value of products will depend on the story they tell. Nike and many other global companies are already mainly storytellers. That is where the money is — even today.” -Rolf Jensen, futurist and author of The Dream Society
She makes the point
Not all stories are created equal. A good story is indeed powerful, but what many people call stories are not complete. They are just reports or facts. Many are just set ups for the real story. So what makes a good story good and also useful?
• Get the whole story
• Evoke an emotional response
• Deliver it well
Get all the details here http://bit.ly/c1M8q5
This is an mp3 album.
Some of the topics:
10 Tips for Speakers
6 Questions That Professionals Speakers Answer
Easy Ways to Remember Your Speech and Other Material
How to Handle Questions During a Presentation
How Free Speaking Gigs Will Help You
How to Deal With a Negative Audience
How to Market Yourself As a Professional Speaker
Successful Transitions for Your Presentation
The Real Message the Professional Speakers Send
Where to Find Professional Speaking Jobs
Get more information here or you can buy it from Amazon
Patricia Fripp once said to me, “Craig, people will not remember what you say as much as they will remember what they see when you say it.” In other words, we have to make our speeches very visual in order to have the deepest impact. Here are 4 ways to accomplish this: