How to create stories that sell
Storytelling has become a must-have leadership skill. It gives you the power to change opinion and behaviour, to persuade and motivate and connect your people with your vision.
Leaders who have sharpened their storytelling skills are able to better engage employees, recruit better, create distinct competitive positioning, have a stronger corporate culture and deliver a positive investment return.
You don’t have to be a superhero to deliver powerful stories, but you do need the right tools and processes.
I’ve created The 6C’s of Strategic Storytelling™, a practical handbook to help you become more authentic, meaningful, and powerful by communicating your messages using storytelling. This FREE resource is ideal if you want to become more influential and powerfully persuasive in business.
Now I need to be honest with you.
Persuading with a story is hard. But here are some ways you can make a start:
Start collecting stories
To be a good storyteller, you need to start collecting stories. When interesting situations happen, make a note of them. When you come across interesting people, take a visual picture in your head. These people will eventually become your characters and the daily situations you find yourself in will form a narrative that will help you communicate your messages.
Some of the situations you find yourself in may not seem interesting at first, but then when you need to make a point to your audience, you can draw on them. It’s like having your own playbook of stories.
The 6C’s of Strategic Storytelling™ will help you turn these situations into great stories and leave a lasting legacy.
Analyze stories
Now that you’ve started collecting interesting stories, start analyzing them. Do any of the characters resonate with you? Do you empathize with them? What made the characters take specific actions? The more analytical you can be with situations and people around you, the more you’ll start to become a better storyteller.
Test your stories
Tell your story to a test audience. Ask them how the story makes them feel, what they remember. What do they take-away when they hear your story? This will help to see whether you’re making your points effectively.
Having a great story in your head is one thing, but telling it in an engaging and persuasive way is quite another!
I offer presentation coaching for senior leaders who want to deliver polished, high-impact presentations and public speaking engagements, whilst emotionally connecting with their audience. My style is engaging, interactive and highly personalized to my clients. I also combine thorough strategic analysis to help leaders deliver the right approach for the right audience.
