Become a Great Storyteller

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Storytelling has tremendous benefits for children. It can help them learn language skills, develop their memory and their imagination and can even serve as the delivery mechanism for them to learn history. As adults we sometimes put less importance on our ability to tell a good story. If you become a great storyteller you open yourself up to tremendous opportunities in business and in life.

People are drawn to great storytellers. Telling great stories makes you a more interesting person and puts you in the center of attention in social settings. If you want to attract more friends or potential love interests, telling great stories can be one of the greatest tools you have. My friend Randy is a gifted storyteller. I’m convinced that this skill has been the catalyst for landing him tremendous job opportunities and for much of his success with the opposite sex.

Storytelling in business: In order to get people to do business with you, people must hear about your product or service. In the age of sound bites and Twitter, people have very short attention spans. Compelling stories provide a way to hold their attention and can serve as a powerful catalyst for delivering your message.

Anyone can become a good storyteller. Unlike my friend Randy, I was not born as a gifted storyteller. I would get out of sequence, my endings would often fall flat, and I was not particularly interesting to listen to. When I was taking on high profile sales role, my mentor sat me down and told me that in order to be successful I had to master the art of storytelling. I worked hard to develop the skill. I began by focusing on my structure, I practiced my delivery, and I honed the skill of distilling good content.

To create a compelling story, begin by writing it on paper the way you would say it out loud. This forces you to look at the quality of your content, ensures that your sequence is in place, and forces you think through your story before you deliver it. Once you have the content in place, practice it out loud. If you are using your story as part of a group presentation, do it at least 20 times in the mirror. I would even suggest recording yourself. When you listen back you will probably find things that you can improve. Many people use crutch words, including “um,” “ah,” “like,” or “you know.” Listen for these in your recording. To break this habit, have someone listen to you and ring a bell or blow a whistle every time you use a crutch word. Your bad habit will be broken in short order. Also, check your energy level. You can be far more animated when delivering a story to a group than you can be in normal conversation. People will be drawn to your energy and it will compel them to listen. Modulating your voice and using volume can also ensure people stay engaged through your entire story.

When you are deciding on your story, try to pick content that is relatable to your audience. Your experience on a kite board is not something that is relatable to most people. In contrast, the turbulence you experienced on a flight is something with which most people can relate. If your listeners have had similar experiences and can insert themselves into your story, than you have succeeded.

If you are looking for a way to bring more positive attention to yourself, influence others, and become more successful in business, then commit to become a great storyteller. Even if is doesn’t come naturally, you can get there by building some practice and discipline around the concepts we discussed.