The Power of Stories
Glenda grew up in a small, dusty Mexican pueblo. Her family was so poor, they couldn’t buy her a backpack, so she went to school with her supplies in a plastic bag.
Nobody in her traditional Mexican family had finished high school. Women were expected to get pregnant young and care for the home while the men worked.
The kids at school teased Glenda mercilessly for being so poor. So she decided to change her story and excel and got perfect grades. When she finished high school, she knew her family couldn’t afford college, but she wanted a different path than what was expected of her.
One day, she was playing soccer and met a woman named Nicole who had started and ran the local community center. When Nicole heard her story, she said, “You can go to university. Come to Entre Amigos next week where I work, and we’ll figure out a plan for you.”
Fast-forward six years. Glenda is now a college graduate, one of the new directors of Entre Amigos and a leader in the community. And her parents, who never learned to read or write, have gone back to school, inspired by their daughter.
This is the power of stories. The most influential executives, salespeople and leaders–like Glenda–are all great storytellers.
But why are they so important, and why should you become a better storyteller?
Because stories move people. They cause us to care, act, buy and donate. Just by telling the right story, you can affect people’s motivation, persuasion and even memory. Brain imaging and neuroscience have even shown that there are physiological changes that take place in our bodies when we hear stories.
So how do we get better at this ancient mode of communication? The best step would be to sign up for our Presentation Skills Training, where we teach and practice this art. But until you can arrange for us to come to your company and run this engaging one-day program, here are a few tips:
Begin collecting stories. When anything happens that grabs your attention or makes you cry or gasp or laugh out loud, put it in your Story File.
Make your stories entertaining. As Steve Martin said, “Be so good, they can’t ignore you.”
Add helpful details and edit the rest. It’s not important what Glenda was wearing when she met Nicole, but it is worth saying they met playing soccer.
Embellish as needed. Take a bit of artistic license to add to the impact. For example, stories are more interesting if they just happened than if it was two years ago. I’m not encouraging you to make things up, but you know what I mean…
Frame your stories. Let your audience know what the point of your story is. You can do this in the beginning or at the end. It helps people categorize your story and set the hook for greater retention.
Practice telling your stories. Like any other skill, you only get better at this by practicing. Tell stories around the dinner table or over drinks and see what kind of response you get. For real objective feedback, turn on the video camera.
Not long ago, Glenda was cleaning homes for wealthy tourists, looking down the road at a life of domestic duties. Thanks to her telling her compelling story to someone who cared, today she is a leader and an inspiration to her community.
If you want to learn to leverage stories in your presentations, check out our Storytelling Workshop or simply reach out to us.