Storytelling Power: Secrets for Exceptional Communication

Great stories can move mountains. The best storytellers have the power to persuade people to get behind an idea and give it their total support. Yet the ability to relay a story that people can connect with, are persuaded by and feel passionately about is a rare skill. This seminar will show you how to craft engaging and motivating stories that can spark commitment and passion throughout your organization—and grow your professional influence. Get ready to create your most inspiring messages and convey them with true conviction.

• Use compelling stories to appeal to listeners’ emotions and drive your points home
• Relay information in an experiential manner for greater impact and understanding
• Make a more powerful impression in meetings and presentations
• Win over, influence and gain the trust of clients, customers and colleagues
• Engage listeners with stories that naturally lead them to reach the conclusions you want them to reach

• Developing the mental agility to alternate between objective (facts) and subjective (storytelling)
• Building a bridge of trust with your listeners to carry your facts, proof and benefit messages
• Learning six kinds of stories: who I am, why I am here, my vision, my values-in-action, teaching and I know what you're thinking
• Practicing the six principles of how to construct a story: developmental logic, oral language, intention, imagery, participation vs. control and point of view
• Developing, testing and telling stories that suit the situation

Learning Objectives

• Determine Effective Stories to Tell to an Individual or Group in Any Situation That Will Engage People’s Interest
• Bring Abstract Ideas to Life in a Tangible, Concrete Way
• Frame Issues to Foster Understanding and Agreement
• Create Rapport with Individuals Holding a Wide Range of Attitudes, Dissolving Perceived Barriers
• Bring Up Difficult, Emotionally Charged Issues Without Triggering Defensiveness and Resistance
• Foster Receptivity in Others By Allowing More of Their Authentic Self to Emerge, Thus Making It Easier for People to Relate to You
• Mobilize People to Action Long After Their Direct Interaction with You Is Over

Story Thinking

• Identify the Distinct Advantages of Story to Communicate with Emotional Power
• Differentiate Between the Vicarious, Experiential, and Subjective Nature of Story and More Traditional Business Communication Based on Linear, Objective Analysis of Information

Creating and Telling Stories

• Determine Sources of Anecdotes and Illustrative Samples for Crafting a Story That Is Suited to Your Purpose
• Describe “The Six Kinds of Stories”
• Use the Source Material of Your Life, Organized into “The Four Buckets,” to Generate Ideas for Constructing Your Stories
• Refine Your Stories By Applying the Six Principles of Effective Storytelling

Appreciations and Enhancing Stories

• Identify the Difference Between Constructive Criticism and Appreciative Feedback
• Explain Why Appreciative Feedback (“What Works”) Is So Important for Cultivating Storytelling Skills
• Give Appreciative Feedback to Others
• Receive, Distill, and Apply Helpful Insights from Others’ Appreciation for Refining Your Stories

Refining the Storytelling Craft

• Craft and Ably Tell Stories Appropriate to Specific Situations and Goals
• Apply Both General Principles of Effective Storytelling and Specific Performance Feedback to Your Storytelling