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Tips and Techniques for Better Storytelling

I was speaking at a business event the other day and afterward someone said, “I’d love to have some tips that I could work on, so I can tell better stories. Do you have a newsletter you can send me?” I told him about the weekly inspirational thought that you can sign up for on the website – and I totally suggest you all do that – it’s great to get an inspiration thought with a call to action each week, right in your Inbox box. But, I started thinking about his request for story tips – because that’s not what comes in the weekly inspiration.

Why not do a whole podcast on story tips?  I thought. So, here it is – our first set of story-telling tips. Stay tuned for some tips and techniques for making your stories super effective – powerhouse stories – remember what we say—Story power serves you best when you know how to use it.

Stories are our lives in language. Welcome to the Love Your Story podcast. I’m Lori Lee, and I’m excited for our future together of telling stories, evaluating our own stories, and lifting ourselves and others to greater places because of our control over our stories. This podcast is about empowerment and giving you, the listener, ideas to work with in making your stories work for you. Story power serves you best when you know how to use it.

When I was just starting out in real estate, and for years actually, I would present listing presentations with facts, figures, charts, and statistics. These are the things I thought people wanted to hear. When you are competing for a listing and you want to illustrate what you stand for, and you know you’ll be put up against the other competing agents, you’re going to say, “Of course I’m concerned with client connection and I’ll take your calls.” But, every agent is going to say that. What kind of different response do you think I get when instead I share an example of taking a client’s call at 10:00 pm to discuss a last-minute concern. Or when I tell a story about the time that I helped my client clean up his home when he was short on time in getting moved out? Points are scored and made when a potential client can see your claims in action by the stories you tell. It’s no longer just a statement or a stat – it’s sharing your work in action.

This is just one example of hundreds that could be given. But the point is that there is no space in business where having a skill set that allows you to tell the right story in the right way isn’t going to be the most powerful play you can make. This is why these tools matter in the real world. So here we go – do you have your notebook ready?

1. Technique # 1 – Find your stories ahead of time so your quiver of stories is full. As a Realtor, I know the concerns of my clients and potential clients. They want to know that I can get them top dollar for their property, or negotiate the best possible deal on a purchase. They want to know that I will be honest with them. They need to trust that I know and understand the contracts and that I can protect them contractually throughout the negotiation process. They want to know that I’ll take their calls and that their best interest matters to me. Because I know these concerns, I can plan ahead and be prepared with stories that illustrate my values and performance in these areas. I’ve taken the time to dig for and pinpoint the experiences and stories that can help them get a good feel for how I do business and how I will take care of them. Do the same in your field of work. If you work for a non-profit and you are constantly talking to potential donors, have stories prepared that show their hard-earned dollars at work and the difference their money can make. Think about it ahead of time, plan and prepare. That’s what we do that makes us good. It is literally the quiver full of arrows that the hero will shoot to hit his/her mark.
2. Technique # 2 – Get to the action....