Story Telling

I get my love of storytelling from my father. He can keep an entire room gripped with his adventures as an overland driver in the 1960s/70s from London to Kathmandu. He is energetic in his telling, and it is not unknown that he will pick up his guitar to add a little ditty in the middle

I do not have my father's musical flare (you will all be pleased I do not even try) but I have picked up some top tips when it comes to telling a good story and I would like to share them with you.

• Know your audience, sometimes you do not get the opportunity to know exactly who your audience is, but most of the time you know something about them and what they will be interested in.  Not all stories work for all audiences, and thus you need to think about how the story will land and what is going to be of the most interest to them.
• Choose the right language. (I am referring to the colourful type rather than French or German). However, if your audience's first language in not the same as yours, you need to think about this too. The speed of your delivery and the words you choose to use are equally important, so that they can keep up and enjoy the story, not be trying to process what you have said. Also know that sometimes, colourful language enhances a story when used well, but if there are children in the room, perhaps there are words, you do not want to them learning.
• Use sight, smell, and sound in your stories. You need to create an atmosphere for your story. The difference a few details makes is immense in the mind's eye. The difference between; In the small damp room, where every floorboard creaked, I retrieve the book and I went into the room to get the book, is huge. In one you may be able to smell the damp, you know the room has wooden floors and the book is old and perhaps mouldy. The mind with fill in the gaps and create a full picture but only if you give it a few details to start from.

• Use your body to help tell the story. Whether you are in person or virtual, using your body helps tell the story. Physically using your hand to show how you hold a precious vase or your arms to show how big the fish was, builds out a visual detail to your story without words. Purposeful movement is so powerful. Not all movement is purposeful, be aware of any movement like foot shifting and hair twisting, as this can be distracting.
• Own our story, enjoy the telling. Your own enthusiasm can be contagious. The more you enjoy telling a story, the more enjoyable it is to listen to.

If you are not a natural public speaker, telling stories in safe spaces really help you build confidence, skills and build a kit bag of tools to rely on for multiple audiences.

Telling the story from childhood does not need to be that different from doing a sales pitch. All the above tips are equally important:

• Know your audience: know their interest and pains, speak to those
• Choose the language: technical, business, aspirational
• Use detail: give examples which will resonate.
• Use your Body: Grab their attention.
• Enjoy it: show your passion for what you sell, it will be contagious.

Practice storytelling as often as you can, we all love a good story and the more you practice the better your storytelling becomes.