How Well Can You Tell a Story?
One of the greatest skills in life is the ability to tell a story. All great leaders do it in some form or another.
When telling a story, you need to focus on three things:
- Repeat the main point
- Make it personal
- Make it emotional
Let’s drill into each.
During the most recent presidential campaign, Barack Obama did an excellent job of drilling home his main point. Everyone knew what his main point was. In speech after speech he said the word that summarized what he stood for – Change!
In the 1980s, Reagan introduced a technique in the state of the union where he would mention one person and their heroism. He knew how to make it personal. Ever since then, politicians have talked about folks like “Joe the Plumber”.
Lastly, a story will only hold your attention if it has an emotional hook. You have to care about what will happen to the people involved. For example, think about what you remember in your life. Do you remember where you were on 9/11? It’s those deeply emotional events that stick with you. It’s just part of how we’re wired.
Businesses use all of these techniques when marketing their products. Marketing is telling the story of your product. What was the main theme of Steve Job’s speech when he introduced the iPhone? “Today is the day that apple Reinvents the Phone.” He probably said that phrase five times, but he drove the point home!
In fact, even many charity organizations have been using these techniques. Rather than saying that X number of people will die of hunger each year. Instead they show you a picture of a specific child and tell you her story. That’s what compels people to act!
If I look at the mass, I will never act but if I look at one, I will
-Mother Theresa
