3 Proven Pillars Of High Impact Stories: Shortcuts To Immediately Increase Your Storytelling Influence

When you implement these 3 proven pillars, you’ll be able to create high impact stories that persuade people to take action.

Pay close attention to my favorite, Pillar #2.

Let’s dive in:

High Impact Pillar #1: Get Emotional

Why would you want to get emotional in your story?

There’s an adage in the professional speaking world:

Get ‘em laughn’ one minute and cryin’ in the next.

Although it’s OK to laugh and shed a few tears, what if you're someone who rarely cries?

I never have been. Early in my speaking career, I believed I couldn’t succeed as a speaker because of this.

Fortunately, I had a terrific coach at that time and he corrected my inaccurate belief. He taught me that there are more emotions than happiness and sadness.

There are six common emotions we share:

???????Happiness

???????Anger

???????Sadness

???????Surprise

???????Disgust

???????Fear

Include one or a combination of two or more of these emotions.

This creates the “hook” that causes people to set down their phones, lean in, and listen to your narrative.

Implementation idea:

Include at least one of the six common emotions in your narrative.

High Impact Pillar #2: Beware of Your Knowledge

How could your knowledge hurt the impact of a story?

The Curse of Knowledge

In their classic book Made To Stick, authors Chip and Dan Heath describe this concept. It can be a leading cause of miscommunication. As they explain it:

“Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. It’s difficult to share our knowledge with others, because we can’t readily re-create our listeners state of mind.”

It’s impossible to un-know what you know. This can make it difficult to communicate your knowledge with others. To get your ideas across, present your ideas from their perspective.

Implementation idea:

Use stories and metaphors to create concrete examples of your ideas. This gives the listener a clear picture of the idea you wan to convey.

High Impact Pillar #3: Don’t Stuff Your Audience

What does it mean to avoid stuffing your audience, or as I like to call it, The Lunch Buffet Effect?

Think about buffet restaurants. Pre-pandemic, these were popular places to grab a meal.

If you’ve ever been to one of these, you know how easy it is to grab a plate, and have access to a multitude of foodstuffs.

It’s also easy to have this thought halfway through eating your meal:

"$14.99 is a lot of money to pay for one plate of food. I’m going back for more…"

Three plates and three desserts later, what condition are you in?

Overstuffed. Bloated. Ready for a nap.

Now think about an information-packed presentation you’ve heard. After an hour or two of an ongoing stream of ideas, how do you feel?

Overstuffed. Bloated. Ready for a nap.

How does that make you feel?

Have you ever presented a talk that left your audience feeling overstuffed?

I have. Many times early in my career. I regret the pain I inflicted on those audiences.

Contrary to popular belief, audiences today don’t want more information. They can get that on their mobile devices faster than you can deliver it.

What they want is your experience and perspective on your topic. You are fresh take might be the breakthrough they need.

They don’t want long and drawn-out narratives. Clear and concise is what most appeals to them

Implementation idea:

For every 10 minutes of speaking time, share one supporting point. This provides enough to give your listeners what they need without overstuffing them.

Bonus Pillar: Open With A BANG

How do you open with a BANG?

Think about the way most speakers begin their speeches:

“Thank you. It’s great to be here.”

“Wow. What a great introduction!”

“Hello. I’m <fill in your name here>.”

Why should you never open your story like these examples?

They're dull, boring, and make you sound like everyone else.

Depending on which study you read, you have 7 to 30 seconds to grab audience attention. Create curiosity, and keep their interest. Don't do this and you create the thought, “Sounds like everyone else.”

If you want to grab your audience attention and immediately stand out, open in a unique manner.

Implementation idea:

Begin your story with a quote, startling statement, or question. Or jump into the first words of your narrative.

Be sure your opening is relevant to and sets up your foundational concept. Beginning with words that don't set up your main topic will leave the audience confused.

Implement these proven pillars of High Impact Storytelling. You’ll earn audience trust and attention. You'll become a more confident and impactful presenter.

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