Story impact, from good to great...

 

They say a story is a person with a problem, whether it’s ET making his way home, or a customer that needs better service. The construct remains the same, there is always someone, somewhere with a problem. So far we have identified that problem, have prototyped and shared it with others. Now it’s time to really motivate the audience towards action.

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• Make it personal – Personal stories are what resonate with us and move us as human beings. For example, take Anna who is struggling to eat well, really loosing the battle. She works really long hours and comes home every night starving, she finds herself rummaging through the cupboards like an angry bear because she just doesn’t have the time or energy to cook something for herself.
  
  Painting an image like that, of a real woman with real issues is a lot more powerful than saying, 72% of 30 year olds struggle to eat well.

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• Get emotional – People may tell you otherwise, don’t show emotion. But fact is the opposite is true, you don’t have to be melodramatic but you should allow yourself to be vulnerable, that emotion, that realness will help your audience meet you half way. People are often swayed by the passion and conviction in the stories they hear, bring enthusiasm and energy to the front of the room.

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• Use anecdote and reflection – The stories that grab us most use these two basic components in different combinations. Anecdotes are the “put you in the room” moments, where you describe something that happened in visual, sensory detail.
  
  Reflection, the part of the story where you help the audience make sense of what they just heard – you want your audience to feel what you’ve described.
  
  When you balance these two components, switching back and forth between the two you get really powerful stuff.

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• Make it visual – You don’t have to be a graphic designer to make a visually compelling story. It’s all about choosing images, both visually and verbally to paint a picture for your audience.

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• Give a call to action – People often get so caught up in the presentation they are making and getting all the facts in order that they forget what they are trying to achieve. Always, Always remember to have an ask at the end. Something like “Here’s what I want you to remember” or “If you do one thing, do this". Don’t leave room for ambiguity, tell them how to get involved.

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• Stay inspired – Remember story telling is a creative act, and it’s pretty hard to feel creative when you brain is dried up. So give your story space, get some fuel for your creative engine, listen to your favourite song, exercise, take a walk outside, read or even leave work. Ever wondered why your best ideas come in the shower or when you are out on a run. When you get up and go and do something else your brain can let things perculate in the background and the ideas start flowing. Take notice of the world around you, there are stories everywhere, sometimes you just have to look around for them.