CREATING YOUR STORY

Tell me a story. Keep it simple. Make it about me

Why a story? Because humans have used stories to communicate with one another essentialy forever. The importance of storytelling as a way of communicating is hardwired into our brains. Good stories have a beginning, middle and end - and they provide anchor points for our memory. Tell me a story to help me remember what you said. Keep it simple to help me understand what you said. Make it about me to give me a reason to care so I'll listen to what you have to say. So, if you want to be heard, understood and remembered tell me a story, keep it simple and make it about me.

Where do you start?

Start with five questions:

– What’s your objective? Getting a “positive” story isn’t specific enough.

– Who’s your audience? Who are you trying to communicate with?

– What’s your headline? This is your main message. Be able to say it in 15 seconds or less or I won’t be able to remember it.

– Other messages? If you have more than three messages (including your headline), you aren’t focused enough.

– Messages to avoid? An important question. Will your opponents or critics attack part of your story? What’s your response? Sometimes it’s worth including this rebuttal without waiting for the critics to have their say, sometimes not. But it’s always worth thinking about so you’re prepared.

Don’t let the facts get in the way of your story

Not letting the facts get in the way of our story isn’t about being dishonest or misleading. It’s important to tell the truth. But don’t get so bogged down in “facts” that you forget to tell your story. Include enough facts to tell the rest of us what we want or need to know. But too many facts will get in the way of telling your story.

TELLING YOUR STORY

Telling your story to reporters: interviews

– The reporter’s in charge of the questions during the interview and the story that gets written after the intrview. You’re in charge of your answers. Take charge of your answers.

– Get to the point. Make your point first, then give your reasons -- not the other way around.

– Tell the truth. You’re entitled to a point of view. And you’re entitled to state it. Reporters won’t hold that against you, although they’ll take it into consideration as they weigh the credibility of your answer. But don’t lie or mislead. You don’t like people who lie to you. Neither do reporters.

Telling your story to a live audience: speeches

You don’t have to be a great orator to be a great speaker. Focus on having something worth saying, being human and being credible.

– Something worth saying. What’s worth saying? Anything relevant, interesting and useful to your audience. Focus on what your audinece wants or needs to know. If what you have something to say is interesting enough to me, I won’t care whether you’re a great orator.

– Be human. Your audience will judge you as much for who they think you are as for what you have to say. You don’t have to be perfect, just likable. One way to be likable is to let yourself be vulnerable. You flubbed a line in you speech? Make light of the mistake and correct it. Your audience won’t mind.

– Be credible. Have you ever heard a speaker who’s delivery is impeccable, but you don’t believe a word they said? Me, too. It’s more important to be credible than to be a smooth talker. How do you do that? Be honest and stay within the limits of your knowledge.

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