My tips for better storytelling

A lot of my work these days involves telling stories. Whether it’s in a media interview or speech, a blog post, newsletter or on social media, I’ve learned a lot about what excites people, what makes them feel connected, and what makes them jump right out of their seats and want to act.

I think being able to effectively communicate the value of what you’re offering is a vital skill in business and life.

I want to share with you a bit of what I’ve learned along the way.

Facts tell, stories SELL. A good example of this is the letters you get in the mail from charities. What’s more impactful – a couple of statistics about global poverty OR a story of a little girl who has to walk 20km a day to get water? I try to remember this in all of my content and marketing.

My speech coach told me a great technique for storytelling – that every story must contain ‘heart, smart and fart’! I sometimes tell the story of how, when I was in hospital recovering, I created a ritual that involved walking the hospital stairs:

1. Heart – gotta have something that people can relate to
   We can all relate to the feeling of slow progress / how our goals can seem so far away / feelings of annoyance and frustration

1. Smart – gotta have something a bit meatier
   I talk about how important rituals are, and the untapped human potential

1. Fart – gotta have something funny
   I say ‘screw you’ to my surgeon!

Whether it’s a speech or blog post, you can keep an audience interested with humour and by doing the unexpected. When people feel they know ‘what’s next’ they zone out or lose interest.

All the best with it champs!

Until next time,
Turia x

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