In this third tutorial we take a look at another technique to connect with the audience, through carefully crafted story telling.

1. Make Your Presentation Stick (3)
The Art of Story Telling!
 Tell stories in a way that are
persuasive, memorable, &
inspiring
 Reach the hearts & minds of
the audience though well
crafted story telling
“The shortest distance
between two people is a
story.” Terence Gargiulo

2. Once Upon A Time…….
 Story telling has been around since the
beginning of time
 It’s a natural communication method
that we first experience as infants.
Parents build their emotional bonds
through story telling.
 Social & education systems embed
moral & ethical messages through
carefully crafted story telling &
characters, e.g:Little Red Riding Hood,
Don Quixote, Jane Eyre, Sherlock
Holmes, Robin Hood, etc
 In the 21st Century of digital media
dominance, individuals are switching to
digital media to convey their stories, e.g;
You Tube (the leading short-subject
digital story teller)

3. Stories at Work, Stories that Work!
 Stories work for leaders as an effective communication
& engagement technique for 3 key reasons:
 1. Stories convey emotion effectively and emotion
merged with a strong idea is persuasive. We
remember what we feel, so our emotions inspire
us to take action.
 2. Stories are concrete & transport us to a place in
time where we can see the events recalled in our
mind’s eye. This makes stories powerful memory
aids.
 3. Stories represent a pull strategy, unlike the
push strategy we use when we argue a point.
Stories engage listeners, pulling them towards
agreement & persuasion, rather than imposing
opinion, ie; pushing them to resist

4. The Corporate Perspective Of Story Telling
 Stories are part & parcel of successful
business cultures, e.g: 3M thrives on
its reputation as an innovative
company & the well known story of
how Post It Notes came about, serves
as an eternal eulogy
 Successful business leaders use
storytelling as their hallmark, e.g;
Warren Buffet
 Successful commentators engage with
their audiences through their
anecdotal stories

5. 3 Strategies for Powerful Story Telling
Special
Succinct
Successful

6. 1. Special: Anchor It
 Start your story by putting it in a
time & place zone:
E.g.
‘ Last summer, in Alexandria…’
‘Just after Prince William & Kate’s
wedding….’
‘1 year after I left university &
travelled to the US…..’
‘Do you remember the London
Olympics? Well, it was then ….’

7. Alliteration
Use alliterative phrases, to keep
audience attention & aid
retention
e.g.:
Success Stories
Eager Editors
Larger than Life
Powerful Presentations
Magnificent Metaphors

8. Personalise
Make your story about them, not
you, help the audience to see
themselves in the story
 Adapt your story details so it
resonates with the audience’s
experiences & values
 Choose vivid & relatable examples
 Relive it as you tell it – put passion in
your voice as your story unfolds;
make it seem spontaneous to catch
the audience curiosity

9. 2. Succinct: Trim the Fat
Don’t get caught up in too
much detail, the audience will
switch off
Keep it short, corporate life is
about fast things first
Portion control the contents,
don’t overload listeners, break
your story contents into
‘manageable chunks’ & skillfully
feed it in.

10. The Power of 3
 Arrange the details in triplets. Our
brains process information more
efficiently in groups of 3.
e.g.
• Television: BBC, ITV, MBC, CNN
• Business: CEO, CFO; MBO; GDP,
GNP, WWW
• Science: Liquid, Solid or Gas
Animal Vegetable or Mineral
• Government & Law: IRS, FBI, CID,
Dial 999 or 911,

11. 3. Successful Stories
 Link your story to a concrete
outcome or result
 Create a ‘feel good’ factor
 Make sure the underpinning
message is full of optimism &
hope
 Keep it authentic, your audience
will love you for it
 End on a positive note on every
occasion, your audience will
remember you for it

12. Summary
Why: • To build & maintain rapport
• To create authenticity & uniqueness
• To communicate a meaningful &
persuasive message
• A 3 step approach: Special, Succinct &
Use: Successful
How: • Anchor it; Alliterate; Personalise it;
Trim the Fat; Triplets; Say Successful
Stories

13. Hope you found this slideshow
informative
Email: helenat@britishtutors.org