Thursday, March 15, 2018

Do Your Stories Boost Your Image?

Do you include stories in your business presentations? For years, I shied away from telling stories in my speeches. I didn’t think I could tell a great story. I was right. Then I discovered how to take my stories from good to great. What made the difference?

There are five things I added to breathe life into my stories. Have you ever had a tall, cold glass of Hi-C? That fruit-juice flavored drink leaves a great taste in your mouth! Well there are five C’s that will make your stories as memorable and refreshing as a cold glass of Hi-C!

Great stories, like Star Wars or Black Panther, have the power to capture your imagination. And you can capture the attention and imagination of your audience by using the five C’s of storytelling. They add so much power and passion to your stories, you’ll also get a lift. When you’re known as a great storyteller, you’ll boost your image as a leader, communicator and an expert.

To take your stories from good to great, add these five C’s:

1 – Curiosity – Before you start your story, ask a question that makes your audience curious so they can’t wait to hear what you have to say next. You want them thinking, “Oh please, tell me more”.

2 – Characters – Make your characters believable by describing their appearance, personality and mindset. You want your audience to see themselves and others in your characters.

3 – Conversation – Add conversation between one or more characters. Dialog is a great way to generate a laugh and drive home your point.

4 – Conflict – Make sure your story has a problem or conflict the audience can relate to. Your audience should see themselves in your character(s) struggle to fix their problem.

5 – Carryout message – Summarize the message your story delivers in an easy-to-repeat slogan that is short and catchy (10 words or less). You want your audience to walk away repeating your carryout message or catch phrase.

For more easy-to-use storytelling tips, go to www.portercoachyou.com and sign up for free Better Speaking Skills business presentation tools.