Storytelling: Three tips to help you master the skill

Storytelling is the answer to so many problems in the business world.

Need to connect with a customer? Storytelling.

Looking for a way to better explain a complicated issue? Storytelling.

Wondering how to elevate a sales pitch? Storytelling.

At Pink Elephant, we often look at storytelling as the icing on the cake of a job well done.

Telling a story well can put you above the competition and turn a good presentation into a great one.

But it’s a challenge and we appreciate just how difficult it can be.

Here are three tips to help you turn your storytelling dreams into reality.

1. Who is your audience?

Regardless of the situation, it’s impossible to decide on what to say without first asking this question.

Our audience determines absolutely everything we do.

The stories you tell your children, friends, colleagues, and customers will all vary.

And, for good reason.

When it comes to deciding what story to tell and how to tell it, this is where to start.

qrf

2. What is my message?

Once we’ve decided who you’re talking to, it’s time to decide what we want to say.

Are we looking to gain a new customer?

Perhaps, you’re ready to clinch a deal that you’ve been working on for months.

Or, maybe, you’ve been given the difficult task of introducing a complicated new procedure to your colleagues.

Before you begin, ask yourself what your audience really needs to know.

What key message are you looking to deliver and what story would help you to highlight that?

3. How am I going to say it?

You know who you’re talking to and what you’re talking about.

Excellent.

You’re almost there.

Before we begin, the final piece of the puzzle is to determine how you’re going to say it.

For storytelling to be effective, the story needs to make sense.

It sounds obvious but it’s staggering how many people forgot to be sensitive to the audience.

Or, who plucks a story from thin air and jams it in as best they can.

Think long and hard about how to weave that story in.

Is it where you begin?

Is it an example that crops up in the middle?

Perhaps you want to finish strong, and storytelling is the way to do that.

Decide before you begin, then practice, practice, practice.

Looking for more help with storytelling?

Our storytelling training courses help you to put these skills into practice.

Email us today to find out how we can transform your storytelling ability.

Photos in Media training: why is it so popular in 2024 blog by Pink Elephant Communications. 
Media training: why is it so popular in 2024 blog written by Maxine Montgomery.
Media training: why is it so popular in 2024 blog edited by Colin Stone.