One of the most powerful forms of communication is storytelling. 2014 is considered “the year of the story,” according to Entrepreneur. Rob Biesenbach explained at Friday’s luncheon that 63 percent of members in an audience remember stories, compared to 5 percent who remember statistics.
Stories can help accomplish many things when told correctly, including the ability to tap into peoples’ emotions, put a face on issues, connect us, humanize us with what we stand for and raise the stakes in a situation.
The proper structure of a story usually consists of a character(s) in pursuit of a goal while encountering an obstacle.
When telling a story, think about how your audience will react and what you want your audience to know, feel and do after they hear the story. Try to use your own personal experience and feelings to try and connect the audience with what you are expressing. And remember that less is more. Keep your stories concise and to the point.
With that, I will leave you with some tips from Rob Biesenbach:
- Passion and emotion sell
- Be original with what you are telling
- Always be looking for new topics to discuss with others
- Get personal with your audience