We hear this a lot today. Storytelling is where it’s at.
Companies are using videos to tell stories, to make their brands memorable.
Listeners don’t remember your main points but they remember the stories you tell.
Professional speakers need to have good storytelling skills.
But how to improve your storytelling skills.
My best suggestion – have a 5-year old. Of course I say that facetiously because everyone knows you need to have 4- and 3- and 2- and 1-year old before you can have a 5-year old.
No kids? How about grand kids? How about nieces and nephews? How about volunteering to teach Sunday school or read books at a local preschool.
Kids are terrific listeners. And very patient. They also give tremendous feedback.
Related: How the Professional Speaker Can Improve Listening Skills
“Why is her hair blue? What did they trip over?” And so on. Kids will tell you what details to include and which to leave out. And they will tell you with their butts if you are interesting or not. Boring? They will leave. Interesting enough and they will crawl up on your lap to feel the vibration of you vocal chords and the bouncing of your knee to the rhythm of your story line.
More practice? Read story books in the preschool section at the local library. Read books that tell stories.
One of my all-time favorite stories is the “Woodcutter’s Story.” You know, the guy who saved Little Red Riding Hood. This story alone opened up a world of ideas for me.
Even more practice? Live life to the fullest. Great experiences make for great storytelling … if you live to tell them.
I was once picked up by the KGB and taken out in the dead of night to meet a witch. True story.
How do you improve your storytelling skills?
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