You already know WHY story is so useful to your communication. Yet sometimes we get stuck on the details and cannot/don’t implement story. Here’s some tips to get you rolling.
1. Tell a story where you learned the same lesson you want your audience to learn. This makes you relatable and creates trust. You once did not know this thing you are teaching and you probably had to learn it the hard way yourself. Lean into that. The audience will love you for it.
2. Showcase your audience as the hero by telling a story about someone else using your services (or product) and getting great results. Yep, this is a TESTIMONIAL. They work. Collect them and tell them regularly. Don’t skip the messy middle.
3. Make sure the story you use either is REAL (really happened to you or to someone you know) or is clearly a parable. Stories build trust, but only if they are transparently presented.
4. Open with a story. Stories pull people out of their pattern and open them up to receive information. A story will capture their attention and set you up to deliver.
5. Keep your story short, but not so short that you can’t develop the things that make it a good story. Think and deliver like a comedian (amazing storytellers, great story role models). Give us the details which make the story relatable and skip the rest. You don’t have time to meander around. Ideal story length is 2-3 minutes. That is A LOT of time really.
6. Close with a story. End on a high note with hope in the air and possibility surrounding your audience.
