The fundamentals of storytelling

SpeakingWriting
Written By Liam Sandford

“People don’t remember what you say, but they remember how you made them feel.” — Carl W. Buehner.

If people are going to forget what you said, how do you create the feeling that they remember? That is the power of storytelling. But you don’t just want to tell any old story — it needs to be relevant, and told in the right way.

The killer of attention is too much detail, context, or waffle, but this is the trap most speakers fall into. Attention is what you need, and is exactly how every James Bond movie starts — with a bang. Start your stories with a bang and people won’t be able to help themselves. Before they know it they are gripped.

Trigger an emotion

You want to make your audience feel — that is how you make your message memorable. But what emotions are you trying to trigger?

  • Laughter

  • Sadness

  • Happiness

  • Tense

  • Relief

This list could go on. The main thing is you know what reaction you are looking to evoke with your story. If you know the people in your audience you can tailor make the story to something relevant to them — this is particularly useful in a workplace setting.

Keep the story moving

You don’t want your audience to be bored. They do not need every detail, just the defining moments in the story.

Context kills attention. When planning your stories everything you are going to say should come from two lenses:

  • Is this a defining moment in the story?

  • Does this lead to a defining moment in the story?

If it does not move your story onto the next moment it does not need to be said. Remember that when you tell the story it is not about you, it is about your audience. Give the audience what they need without being longwinded.

Take them on a journey

The reason people love a story is that it gets them to dream.

‘Maybe I could do it too.’

So how can you tap into this?

  • Tell them your start and finish point

  • Include some struggles along the way

  • What were the defining moments/key turning points on the journey?

  • How did you feel at each step?

The best thing about this is you can use stories from everyday moments. That is what people resonate with most because they experience everyday moments too. Make it applicable to the lives of your audience and you can truly capture them to ensure they remember how you made them feel.

Actionable takeaways

  • When telling stories avoid giving too much detail, context, or waffle. You should open with a bang and capture their attention from the outset.

  • Keep the story moving — if it does not add value to the audience don’t say it.

  • Make your story a journey. This could be overcoming challenges, learning something new, or how you turned the ordinary into the extraordinary. The key thing is sharing some actionable items that will help your audience go on a similar journey.

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Liam Sandford
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