DR. WILLIE JOLLEY'S PREP 4 SPEAKING TELESEMINAR SERIES Segment #9 Summary Notes 7 CRUCIAL SECRETS TO STORYTELLING SUCCESS
Our special guest is Presentation Skills Coach, Jennifer Samuel-Chance. Jennifer works with new and established speakers, organizational leaders and professional experts who have to speak WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT! As a professional storyteller, she s called Ms. Jen-Jen. Building The Case for Telling Stories Maya Angelou once said, People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel! Stories create an emotional connection between the teller and listener. That can be called a head and heart connection! 2
We use stories to make sense of our world and to share that understanding with others. Just as our brain detects patterns in the visual forms of nature (like a face, a figure or a flower), our brain also detects patterns in information. Stories help create those recognizable patterns of information. And in those patterns we find meaning. Anthropologists even tell us that storytelling is central to human existence. It s common to every known culture! In a recent New Yorker Magazine article, it was said that storytelling is the Currency of Life! 3
Why Tell A Story? You ask yourself, Why I am I telling this story? Am I serving my audience? A recent Harvard study found that stories add value to whatever it is that you are buying. Stories add connection and meaning. It can even help you sell your products at a higher price! Finding Stories Where do you find stories? First, ask yourself: "Why am I giving the speech?" Once you answer that, you can find stories to support them. Look for the stories inside of yourself first! 4
Note: Every story has a teaching moment in it! When you record the story - include the teaching point or the purpose of the story! Record your information on your phone or in a notebook whatever is handy! Just record as soon as possible so you don t forget! You may be able to use the same story, but with a different point it's called re-purposing! Note: Jaw dropping stories alone are no longer enough to carry a whole presentation for an audience! This is not to disavow the story. But the audience wants to know what s in it for them and why they should listen. You MUST teach them something. Offer your audience more than just the story. Share the tools or techniques that got you through the situation. Perhaps you developed your own tools- and you can now sell them to your audience! 5
Don't Be Obnoxious How do you tell stories without being obnoxious? Remember, it s really not about us the speaker or presenter! It s about your audience. You must want to serve others. 7 Crucial Steps for Crafting a Great Story 1. Why Are You Telling The Story? Ask yourself, why are you telling the story i.e. motivating, inspiring, call to action, etc. Select the right story for the audience and situation. Different type of stories work for different audiences. You must find out about your audience first. Use a pre-audience questionnaire to help collect this information. Or meet and mingle with the meeting planner before the event, maybe it s the day of (the meeting)! 6
2. Develop A Great Story Over Time Pick stories you like to tell. The energy and mannerisms will be there so the audience becomes engaged! Sometimes the best stories may be the ones you don t want to tell. Your message may come out of your mess! 3. Get in Detail Mode Storyboard your stories. Don t memorize your stories word for word. Chunk" the story down. Visualize. Know the scenes. Verbalize. Take your audience on a journey. Tone of voice is important. Your opening sets the tone. Memorize your opening and closing. 7
This will help you get the desired reaction you want from your audiences - every time. Make your stories elastic! Expand or shrink them as time permits. 4. Does the Story Make Sense to the Audience? Learn what key pieces of information take the audience on the journey. Ask yourself: "Have I included every essential piece of information the audience will need?" 5. Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice Out Loud Practice out loud, in front of people and in front of mirrors. Include the body movements and tone, but not in your head! 8
Your story must not sound memorized! Tell your story backward. This helps you feel loose with your stories - and not memorized. 6. Be Authentic Be real. Tell your own personal stories. Being vulnerable may tie you to your audience! 7. Be Aware of Your Energy Be aware of the energy of the audience as well. That will affect the way you tell the story. Willie s Bonus: Know your story so well, you can decide - in seconds- what is essential for a shorter, but equally impactful story! 9
Great speakers find the lesson in their stories. Your stories must be captivating, compelling and life changing. sought after speech-fixer. Jennifer Samuel-Chance Consultant and communication strategist, Jennifer Samuel-Chance (a.k.a Ms. Jen Jen), is an innovative and most Jennifer s 16 years of experience as a speaker, coach and storyteller have enabled her to deliver over 1700 presentations on communication issues around the world. She is famous for creating exponential increases in revenues and profits by helping her clients influence their audiences and prospects to say YES! 10
To get a free 20-minute discovery session to see if Jennifer Samuel-Chance can help you elevate your storytelling skills, send an email to: Jen@MsJenJen.com. Contact Jennifer Samuel-Chance Website: www.msjenjen.com Email: Jen@MsJenJen.com Phone: 813-244-7615 Twitter: MsJenJenSpeaks LinkedIn: jennifersamuelchance 11