What are some common storytelling mistakes that can undermine your presentation?

But don't mistake this exercise with the idea that you need to be this transparent with your audience. As tory told well doesn't need explanation by the teller. This work about understanding the purpose of your story is done behind the scenes, before you start. How explicit to be when sharing the story, is a separate question.

I often find that folks get lost in the storytelling aspect when it involves a call to action, or even when interviewing / answering a question. I always try to use the STAR method - a simple, easy way to keep me on track. State the Situation or Story. What was the Topic or Task at hand? What was the Action you took (or how did you Assess the issue)? And finally, how was it Resolved or what was the Result?

The beautiful thing about story is that the audience will populate it with details. Experiment with cutting the details by half and see how the story lands. If it still works, repeat this exercise again--it is surprising how little an audience needs, and when you give them less, they own it more--a good thing!

This method comes from teaching or facilitating, but I suggest looking to the 90 / 20 / 8 rules. Adults can only pay attention for about 90 minutes (I'd say even shorter from all our Zoom years!). But listening with retention is about 20 minutes. And folks need to be involved every 8 minutes. So for a 90 minute session, break things up into 20 minute chunks, and include something the audience can participate in, in about every 8 minutes.

Presentations that are too long, either because they have too many slides and/or too much content on each slide, run a greater risk of burying the lead. There is a famous example of this in a NASA presentation where a key bit of critical information was missed amongst all the other content, and played a large role in the Challenger disaster. Another way this can happen is by using jargon, or terms that are not readily understood. I always work on the basis of allowing three minutes per slide, and a maximum of three points on each slide.

Another reason the STAR method is so great! Having that quick four part story with both a task and a result will really show how your story can be used to problem solve.

Too many people worry about sharing emotions or being vulnerable. One of the biggest goals for delivering a presentation is to CONNECT with the audience. Sharing what happened and how it made you feel humanizes the experience for all.

Set the scene! What moment are you talking about? How were you feeling? Which of the five senses can you describe and connect with? Also, consider accessibility - what can your audience feel with you and what can't they? Metaphors sometimes get lost as well.

??Recreate a particular moment of your life from a phrase that deeply resonates with you and give a play-by-play. Remember, your audience wasn't with you at that time on your Life Rd., so you want to make sure you set the scene. Let them know what you did or did NOT want at that moment. Let them know why! Don't be afraid to pull your audience into that vulnerable space. This is where true connections are made. Take them on the journey with you. And feel free to utilize different modalities of storytelling, like spoken word poetry!

Two very simple strategies I use here are to acknowledge "I-statements" and "expertise". Whenever I'm facilitating a program, I'll start with something that acknowledges that we can only speak from our own experiences "I-statements" and that we all come with good intentions and are here to learn (expertise). We can give ourselves the same foundation - speak from what you know, and be willing to learn (or unlearn) in other areas.

Another reason why 90 / 20 / 8 rule really helps! Make sure your audience can engage with you! I also suggest using technology - it helps introverts engage without having to speak in front of a large crowd. Going back to teaching, think - pair - share will also engage different learning styles.

Mistake #7: Not Understanding your Target Audience Make sure you identify and know your target audience. Who are they? What are their pain points? What action do you want them to take? Be sure to tailor your storytelling to their *specific* needs and wants.