Smart Guide To Storytelling For Leaders and Salespeople

Avoid The "S" Word
1
You‘ll find that there aren‘t
many so-called "rules" when
it comes to storytelling.
However, there is one that
is very important and should
be followed religiously: Don‘t
use the "s" word.
Don‘t use the "s" word is
short-hand for don‘t start any
story by announcing you‘re
going to tell a story.
How you would react if, at
the beginning of a stand-up
routine, you heard a comedian
say,"I have a joke to tell you!!"
It‘s a little like saying "Please
laugh when I‘m done.“
Start a story by announcing
you have a story and you‘ll
risk the same reaction. The
most important thing you need
to do when telling a story is
www.story-lab.net
to begin with a statement
that promises, "This is going
to be worth listening to.“
Advertising that you have a
story merely sends a signal to
your audience that this might
be a good time to check your
phone for any new emails.
Fundamental to anything
communicated in a business
setting is the fact that
nobody wants to be pushed
into reacting a certain way.
Instead, they have to be
pulled in.
Here are 2 suggestions on
how to begin a story:
1. Start with a question, eg.
"Have you ever read your
entire homeowner‘s insurace
policy?". From here you can
launch into the time you did
and what you discovered.
"Have you ever....?", "Do
you have....?" or "When was
the last time you...?"are also
good starter questions that
can set up a story you‘d like
20
Better Chemistry Through Stories
to tell. Right away, questions
can hook your audience into
wondering what you‘re going
to say next.
2. Start with a moment in
time eg. "Ten years ago,
my company learned a
very valuable lesson about
customer service," or "October
10, 1999 is a day I will never
forget." Much like starting with
a question, beginning with a
a time marker, intrigues your
audience into wondering,"What
happened next?".
Starting any presentation
with a story is a great way to
captivate your audience. It is
during the first few seconds
of any presentation that
they are asking themselves,
"Why should I listen to this
person?". Make the most of
this very short time-window
with an opening that promises
a reward. The "s" word
will almost always do the
opposite.