By Jackie Graybill, Toastmasters International
As humans, stories are a part of our DNA. We are drawn to stories. We can never get enough of them. As hunter-gatherers, we likely gathered around the fire to share stories for the purpose of ensuring our survival. From the advent of the printing press in 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg to the birth of moving pictures in the early 20th century, stories remain at the heart of our transmission of information to each other. And what are speeches, but such a transmission?
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The most popular TED Talks contain powerful stories. The most popular TED talk of all time (with over 71 million views), in which Sir Ken Robinson tells the story of choreographer Gillian Lynne to illustrate his point that schools kill creativity in youngsters, is paradigm-shifting, and one of the most powerful centerpieces in his talk.
Can stories be used in wedding speeches, boardroom speeches, school-related speeches, and other contexts? Absolutely. And, I would argue, their inclusion in all speaking contexts is vital! If you want to engage your audience instead of putting them to sleep, if you’d like to keep their interest so much so that they forget about their smartphones, if you crave the experience of having them lean forward in their seats, hanging on your every word, the story is the vehicle to drive your speech there and to keep your audience experiencing an unforgettable ride.
Are all stories created equal though? Unfortunately, not. You’ll likely recall an occasion when you were engaged in a conversation that left you itching to get away because of a story that dragged on and on and was as boring as watching a washing machine spin.
How can you liven up your storytelling and increase your skills? Here are some tips to put into practice.
If you begin in the action and give just enough context to keep your audience from becoming confused, you’ll set yourself apart as a speaker and pique the interest of your listeners. Remember, just like a Hollywood film, you can jump back and forth in time with your story. Start with a dramatic scene and go back to fill in the details. Or try using something like, “later, I would look back on this moment as ____,” filling in the blank with your own appropriate sentiment.
Beginning with a mystery and peppering more mysteries throughout your story creates intrigue, as your listeners want to know what happens and begin guessing at the answer in their own minds. A great start is with something like, “I have a confession to make.” Try working on your mystery skills with the kids in your life. They will enjoy it and you’ll be playing your way to better speaking and storytelling skills in the process.
This is the technique of leaving a mystery unsolved before you introduce another one. You can even leave a loop open until the end and give your audience the satisfaction of solving the mystery at the end. Closure is a beautiful thing, so don’t forget to eventually close the loop.
Do your best to cut out any non-pertinent details that don’t set up your story or drive the action forward. If you feel like you might be adding too much detail to a specific aspect of your story, you probably are.
Using analogies, metaphors, similes, and other literary tools can bring interest and humour to your storytelling. For humorous examples, look at the work of comedian Jim Gaffigan, especially the time a bear looked at him and, as he put it, “I was sunburned so I probably looked like a giant land salmon.”
Additionally, check out the book, Metaphors Be With You, by Dr. Mardy Grothe, for wonderful examples to incorporate into your stories.
Adding the inner voices of characters is a wonderful way to bring your story to life. And you are not required to stick to living characters. As an example, during a recent speech on resilience, I embodied a bowl in a short story that illustrated the Japanese concept of kintsugi. That story was my audience’s favorite part of the speech, and the most memorable for everyone, including me.
Actors and comedians don’t have to be the only ones who have fun with accents, voices, and impersonations. You can experiment with dialects, vocal range differences of high or low, raspy, or clear, different ages, louder or softer voices, whispers, slower drawls… the only limit is your own creativity!
Instead of just telling us what your characters have said, become those characters as they have a dialogue with each other. You can utilize the spatial physicality of characters as they talk with each other by shifting slightly where you stand and where you are looking.
Not only will this help to develop your dialogue skills, but as you retell memorable scenes from the screen, you will also start to pick up storytelling techniques as well as learn what elements are best to include and which are unnecessary and don’t drive the action forward, thus slowing down the pace.
When speaking, a second can feel like ten, and ten seconds can feel like a minute. Accordingly, pausing can feel unnatural and uncomfortable, but it can also be a welcome gift to your audience, as it gives them time to absorb what you have said. Pauses can also be used to emphasize information, phrases, or words in a powerful way.
The PIXAR story formula, made popular by the elements contained in PIXAR films, is as follows:
Practice your stories according to these elements, and you might be surprised to find out how many effective stories follow this formula.
Our five senses have a powerful effect on our human experiences and when any of them are evoked, this can trigger audience members in powerful ways. To practice this skill, take someone on a sensory walk. This could be a description of a delicious recipe you made, a nature walk, or anything that includes multiple of the five senses. Just be careful with this powerful story element, as there are some things you may not want to bring up with your listeners (insert dog poop and other cringe-worthy sensorial triggers).
If you have children in your life, you’re aware that they adore being told stories. This is the perfect atmosphere to test various storytelling techniques as you build your skills, as you likely won’t feel judged by your small listeners and will be less inhibited. As long as the storytelling is age-appropriate, this will be a win-win for everyone involved in the process.
“How was your day?” Can turn into, “you wouldn’t believe what happened today!” followed by an interesting story.
Whenever you are engaged in a conversation and find yourself recalling and sharing a story, add it to your story-bank list. This will prove to be a treasure trove when you are preparing for a speech and need to enliven a particular point. Just visit your story bank (I keep mine in my notes app on my phone) and match a point with a story that illustrates it. Practice telling these stories in everyday conversation and every time you tell it, that story’s impact will become stronger as you adjust the elements in it for maximum impact.
We move through life as storytellers, whether we realize it or not, and by increasing our storytelling skills, our speaking skills are made stronger in the process. Which will you choose to “play your way to success” with, as my speaking coach, Toastmaster Chris Nielson puts it? I hope you’ll try out some of the tips above. You just might find your next audience on the edge of their seats, even if that audience is a friend or family member. Happy storytelling!
Jackie Graybill is a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational program to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest club, visit Toastmasters International.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged as: Guest Post, Speaking, Stories, Toastmasters
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