One of the best story tellers I have heard is Ed Tate, the 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking.
As you watch notice three story telling tips:
Enjoy!
“Yesterday, I made a stupid mistake.”
When was the last time you listened to a speaker who actually held your attention for almost the entire presentation?
Just five hours ago, I was listening to a speaker who grabbed my attention and held it. Yes, he was good, but it was not because he was using a lot of slick or advanced public speaking tips.
He was using one of the most powerful public speaking formulas a speaker has in his/hers arsenal.
Hour after hour, this speaker would tell stories and make points. Sure, he took time to define his content, use quotes, and make some humorous comments. However, He probably had a different story every 5 minutes or so.
After telling a story using effective story telling techniques, he would pause and drive home his point. Next, he would pause to let the point sink in.
Did it work? Yes.
Why is this public speaking tip powerful? Stories automatically hold people’s attention, especially if we use some good story telling techniques. All we have to do as speakers is weave our point into the story or bring it home at the end in a powerful way.
However, we must be careful not to make the mistake that many advertisements make. Do you remember the commercial about cowboys herding cats? How about a more recent one that features a white duck? Here is the million dollar question: what are those stories/scenes representing or selling? I must confess I have no clue about the herding cats commercial and just recently remember what the duck stood for.
We must tie the story and point together so well that if the audience remembers the story, they’ll for sure remember the point.
How can we apply this tip?
(C) Arlen Busenitz – 2011
http://www.SpeakingInfo.com
Storytelling ability separates the pro speakers from the amateurs. A good story told in a gripping way will hold attention, connect with the audience, and make the point stick.
But how do we tell interesting stories when speaking? A simple way to improve your storytelling is to make sure each story has suspense.
Suspense means the audience feels a strong desire to hear the outcome of the story. Do this and you will become a gripping story teller. Consider this example
At 11:30 on a cold February night, my wife and I were sound asleep. Suddenly, I was jolted awake by a crash in the next room.
Are you curious what happens next? Do you feel the suspense?
When telling a story, you and I want the audience to feel suspense almost immediately. Next, we seek to build that until it is revolved by the climax of the story. Suspense keeps the audience interested in the story.
- Launch right into the story.
- Start with a suspenseful question. “Have you ever been so scared you were ready to call 911 or pickup a baseball bat?”
- Give a tease line right way. “I was scared. At 11:30…”
Once the suspense is started, you want to follow Craig Valentine’s advice and stir up the conflict and increase the suspense/tension.
Thoughts flashed through my mind. Is it an intruder? No one else should be here. Should I call 911? Where is my self defense weapon? Should we exit through the window?
This all builds suspense.
As you tell the story, use well placed pauses. Pausing will increase anticipation and suspense.
Suspense is very important, but so is the resolution.
Resolution relieves the tension and completes the story. If you don’t its like being at a movie theater and the owner kicks everyone out 20 minutes before it is over.
Suddenly I realized what likely caused the crash. I grabbed the baseball bat and inched out of the bedroom on a reconnaissance mission. In the dim light, I saw the shadow of the intruder. Mixie, the new cat….
See how powerful suspense is? Put it in your stories and you will tell interesting stories.
(C) Arlen Busenitz – Speaking Info.com
