Jump straight in. And six other tips for telling great stories
In a work setting, when you share something from your personal life it builds engagement with those around you by helping them understand your values, where you’re coming from and what’s guiding you.
I did exactly that recently, using a series of personal stories to illustrate my message when I gave one of the most important talks of my life: ‘Wake Up! Ten Lessons on Being Alive’.
Stories work because we all understand the premise and structure. They’re a unique communication device that can beautifully, eloquently and clearly illustrate what you want to say.
In any situation and occasion - an all-hands meeting or in an online post - stories bring concepts to life and draw the audience in.
If you’d like to make a talk memorable and engaging, here are my seven tips to help you tell a personal story.
Jump straight in. Start at the heart of the action. In ‘Wake Up’, I walked onto the stage, turned to the audience and began: “So the doctor said I was a five”. I put the audience at a crucial moment as I got the results of a test. Launching mid-story, at a key moment, can have a strong impact that grabs attention. No time is lost with preamble or explanation. Going in to the heart of the matter gets your audience engaged.
Paint a picture. Provide all the relevant details to anchor the story in time and place. “It was a Tuesday morning in September in the green foothills of the Bavarian alps.” Or “It was a grey, miserable Monday morning in a Soho cafe when I got the news.” Be specific about the time and date, what the weather and location were like. Such details make your stories relatable.
Provide value to your audience. Unearth one of your life stories to illustrate your message, concept or idea. What we experience and learn in life will resonate with others: we all feel similar emotions and have the same pressures and experiences. Use your life experiences to show the lessons behind them. Then your audience can see how your story relates to them.
Be honest. In ‘Wake Up’, I was vulnerable in sharing a personal story about my health. Being open in this way is my way of connecting with the audience. I’ve had positive feedback from people who’ve watched ‘Wake Up’ on YouTube who’ve shared their own difficult experiences. Find your level of vulnerability you’re comfortable with and see how it invites people to reciprocate.
Chunk it up into chapters. In Wake Up, I segmented the talk into ten stories. Breaking it down into clear sections gives the talk a structure and flow. It helps the audience know what to expect. And it makes a 45 minute talk more navigable.
Use picture slides. Slides will bring your talk to life and give the audience a focal point. Not with bullet points or graphs, but something visual - photos and/or slogans. Stories love juxtapositions so ‘then and now’ contrasting photos can be a nice storytelling device.
Endings matter. Finish strongly. Make the end upbeat, rousing. Give the audience something meaty to go away with - a call to action or a feeling about the future. Deliver it confidently, so people know not only that the show’s over but that it’s also over to them, to process what they’ve heard and learned.
What stories can you tell?