Presentation Skills and
Storytelling in Business
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When you think about what story to tell, make sure the point it makes fits your audience and their current situation. Far too often people use stories simply to shift the energy or to lighten things up when they could be continuing to teach, sell or inspire with the right story. Consider your audience. They’re busy. Their time is valuable. Don’t waste their time during a presentation with a joke or a story that doesn’t fit.

In the presentation I did this morning I chose to tell a specific story based on the research I’d done about the group. It’s not a story that I always tell, but it fit their situation. In the past, I was far too “structured” with a few stories that I liked to tell because they worked for me. I enjoyed performing them so I just stuck them in everywhere. It was too much about ME and my comfort level and not as much about what THEY needed.

Shrink wrap your story around the needs of your audience or customer.

Would you like to polish your storytelling skills and take your speaking to the next level? I’m hosting a 4-Person Breakthrough to Your Brilliance Coaching Intensive on either June 28 or June 30th. It depends on your availability. Which date do you prefer? Here’s what two recent students had to say about their experience.

“The best things about the 4-Person Coaching Day were the one-on-one coaching; the feedback from the other attendees; and Doug’s methods to physically prepare for a speech.  Speaking in this environment helped me to get over my self-consciousness and become more comfortable (and effective) in my presentation. I had seen Doug before and he met my high expectations. It was an excellent return for the money invested.”
Lisa Cox, Business Mgr, Eastern Business Unit, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Read the rest of this entry »

Watch a 9 minute interview on my storytelling philosophy and methods on Amazon.com. Then, if you will, please post a comment. Thanks.
http://www.amazon.com/review/RCBMTJ5YL7WO7/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

I’ll be hosting a number of storytelling in business public workshops in the near future.

4-Person Story Theater Coaching Intensive - all day workshop includes individual coaching and video taping

Indianapolis - May 21, one spot left

Dallas - June 12, one spot left

Phoenix - June 5, July 9 or 10

Seattle - June 25 - full, call for a backup spot

Columbus, Ohio - August 11 or 13, just announced

I’m also hosting a Story Theater One-day workshop in association with Dallas ASTD.

Dallas One Day - June 16th, open enrollment includes Doug’s book. Early registration May 21st.

Call Deborah Merriman for more detailed information on any of these programs.

719-573-6195

Most people would admit that they love movies. They love the excitement, the suspense, the mystery and the experience of watching a movie. Movies provide as escape. They take us somewhere that is pleasurable. Much like sex.

In a recent interview about storytelling in business I was asked the question, “Why do stories work so well?” The answer I gave was a bit convoluted and cerebral, all about right-brain left-brain integration and the use of emotion and imagery. But what I would have liked to have said, and what I often think about, is that storytelling touches a pleasure center in the brain, much like sex.

When we listen to a good storyteller, it stimulates our imagination. As a matter of fact, I don’t think that our brains differentiate between the pleasurable feeling of watching a movie in a movie theater and watching the movie that is activated in our imagination when listening to a really good storyteller. The trick is to be a really good storyteller.

So the answer to why stories work so well, and why you need to become a really good storyteller, is that stories are like sex. They feel good.

Speakers who numb us with a dense PowerPoint deck of slides make us feel bad. Monotonous speaker who drone on without using any stories make us feel bad. They make us feel bad because they make it hard for us to pay attention and learn from them. If they used stories well, we’d feel good. When we feel the pleasurable sensations in our brains that really good storytelling stimulates, we pay more attention. We learn more when we’re paying attention.

So give the people what they want. Sex!

In lieu of that, take them to the movies.

The best solution however is to learn how to tell them a really good story.

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Doug Stevenson is the creator of the Story Theater Method for strategic storytelling in business. If you want to be a really good storyteller, study with Doug. Call 719-573-6195.

www.storytelling-in-business.com