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The Three Pillars Of High Impact Storytelling Will Transform Your Results!

Imagine you’re standing before your ideal audience, giving your carefully prepared and rehearsed presentation. If you nail this one, your impact will be greatly enhanced.

You’re excited about telling your story because you’ve been told storytelling is a vital part of every memorable talk.

But, while delivering your narrative, you notice the audience is restless, even getting distracted. This rattles you, but you plow through your narrative because you’re not sure what else to do.

At the end of your talk, you receive an unenthusiastic smattering of applause.

You feel frustrated and discouraged because you worked so hard and did what everyone encouraged you to do — tell your story.

The result – a.great.big.THUD.

I hope this has never happened to you because I’ve experienced this type of presentation. It’s embarrassing and frustrating, and leads to regret.

The Solution – The Three Key Storytelling Pillars

So, to help you avoid this presentation nightmare, here are three key storytelling pillars. Incorporate these and you’re on your way to meaningful and memorable stories that leave a lasting impact:

Pillar #1: RELATABILITY

It’s important to be genuine and true to yourself when telling a story. This means sharing personal experiences – good and bad, the variety of emotions that resulted from them, and insights you gained that resonate with your audience.

Relatability creates a strong connection with your listeners and makes them want to put down their phones and listen to you. People want to hear stories of common struggle from real people, so don’t be afraid to let your true self shine through.

Pillar #2: STRUCTURE

A well-structured story is essential for keeping your audience engaged and interested. Start by setting the stage — introduce the main character and give the listener context of this person’s ordinary life. Then introduce the conflict – share the problem the problem your character is facing. Build tension and drama as you work towards the climax of your story.

Finally, wrap things up with a satisfying resolution. Demonstrate how the problem was overcome and share the takeaway message.

A clear and organized structure will help your audience follow along and understand the main point you’re trying to convey.

Pillar #3: EMOTION

The best stories evoke powerful emotions in their listeners. Whether it’s joy, sadness, anger, fear, or inspiration, tapping into emotions is key for making a lasting impact.

Invite your audience to feel what you felt, and they’ll be more likely to remember and internalize your message. Don’t be afraid to share your most difficult experience and share your own emotional journey – it’s what will draw people into your world, make your story compelling, and create a deep and long-lasting bond with them.

Time For Action

Now that you know the three pillars of high impact storytelling, it’s time to put them into practice.

Reflect on your own experiences and identify stories that align with your message and goals.

Then, craft those stories using the principles of relatability, structure, and emotion.

Practice telling your stories out loud to internalize the flow of the narrative and to adjust the verbiage until you’re speaking in your natural and conversational style.

My Mentor’s Memorable And Meaningful Insight

Next, record yourself and watch the recording. This may seem obvious, but most people don’t take this step. They find it too painful. If you feel this way, remember the words my speaking mentor shared with me when I told him, “Darren, I don’t really like listening to myself or watching myself on video.”

His response, “Aww, that’s too bad! Guess what? We had to watch you!

Why is watching your video important?

It’s impossible to coach yourself in the middle of your presentation. When you’re less emotionally involved after the talk, you can review your recordings with more objectivity.

Also, when other people give you feedback, you’ll be able to see and hear what they saw and heard.

When it’s time to deliver your next presentation, stay true to yourself, structure your story effectively, and evoke powerful emotions in your audience.

With these pillars in place, you’ll be on your way to better measurable results and leaving presentation frustration and embarrassment in the rearview mirror.

Go ahead, embrace the three pillars of high impact storytelling and watch as your presentations become more captivating, influential, and successful.

Want To Dive Deeper Into Storytelling?

If you’d like additional insights, that will make your stories, more memorable, schedule time to talk with me. CLICK HERE.