The Art of Telling A Story

The Art of Storytelling

Everyone has heard someone tell a story that just goes on and on and on with truly no end in earshot. The story doesn’t have a defined starting place and it certainly has no ending. Or perhaps the person who is telling the story has so much detail your mind starts wondering off. You simply get mired in the minutiae of a story that will certainly fix any sleep deprivation you may be experiencing. We have all learned how to look interested but we truly are not engaged because the person telling you the story has you nodding off. I used to say if you asked my father what time it was he would tell you how to build a clock. You learn the art of asking close-ended questions with a lot of people because you don’t want to waste 20 minutes of your life you will never get back. We have all been cornered by someone who just likes to hear themselves talk and you have no way of escaping the conversation. I often say when someone is verbose and really has nothing interesting or important to say but they feel otherwise, “we have a runaway train and there is nothing stopping it”. So how do you tell a great story? I trust this article provides you some easy tips that will make your stories come to life and you can be the person who everyone wants to gather around because you keep people sitting on the edge of their seat hanging on to every word that comes out from your mouth. The last thing you want to be known for is a valiant or brave storyteller. “He/She took a chance.” “They gave it the old college effort”. You want to be spectacular and insure the buzz is always, “he/she tells the greatest stories. 

Characters

Every story has characters and it is critical those characters come to life every time the story told. Be careful not to have to many characters in a story. It can be confusing and make following your story difficult. There are ways to make the characters come to life. It should be done with voice changes, body language, and mannerisms. Practice, practice, practice. Every story requires rehearsing. Whether you are going to use this story in a public speaking presentation, sales presentation, or just in a social setting, it is incumbent of you to rehearse your story through repetition until you are comfortable and confident enough to deliver the story in a convincing fashion. 

The Story

You have to start with having a great and interesting story. Stories that are personal and are close to you are most often the most compelling. You can’t put lipstick on a pig and you can’t make a weak story come to life. Some stories should not be told. Make sure the story has the ability to emote humor or sadness. The home-run stories are those that conjure and stir both emotions.

Things to Avoid

When telling a story, you will want avoid the following:

Indefinite Statements-Ummms and like’s come to mind. 

Be careful to make sure your humor is not to mordant or edgy.

When using stats or figures in a story, make sure you know the source(s), make sure the source has been vetted, and make sure it’s believable.

Don’t waste words or inject something that into a story that is trite and it really doesn't enhance the story.

Your Voice

Your actual voicebox is the most powerful tool you have in your toolchest.  The voice can and should take your audience on a roller-coaster. I grew up listening to great televangelist’s who used their voice so masterfully. They could raise the voice as quickly as they could soften or quiet the voice.  They were never afraid of silence either. The inflections, dynamics, and command of their voice box was always mind blowing to me. No story is meant to be told in a monotone fashion.  Don’t you remember the high school teacher or the college professor who would put you to sleep in 5 minutes with their delivery style. If you have ever experienced that moment, that alone should convince you to be a better story teller. 

Beginning and End

A story should have a powerful beginning. In the beginning, the characters of the story should be introduced. The setting should be laid out and I like to use a partial hook at the outset. The hook is the part of the story they should never forget. For example:

It was a blistery frozen night in the dead of winter when I was travelling through the middle of no man’s land Nebraska with one of my staff. We had been driving for what seemed like 5 hours with no stops when I looked down and realized the fuel gauge needle was below the dreaded “E”. It was pitch black and I didn’t see the lights of any towns through my windshield and of course I was panicked. Out of nowhere, just over a short hill we came up on a town of about 250 people. I took a hard right and literally coasted into the closest gas station. Of course, there was only one gas station in this town. And that’s all I really needed. I think there were more tumbleweeds blowing down the street than there were people who lived in that town. When I finally got the rental car to the gas pump, I swiped my credit card and nothing happened. I mean nothing! My tank is essentially empty and I can’t go anywhere unless I get some fuel. I walked across the street and walked into the only business that was open and of course that would be the local tavern. I walked up to the bar and asked the bartender through the cloud of cigarette smoke if she knew how I could get some fuel at the gas station. Behind the cloud of smoke from the cigarettes was a silhouette of a lady pouring a drink and I heard a voice ask me the question, “do you have the card”.

In that story I have just introduced the audience to a partial hook with “do you have the card”. No one knows where I am going with the story but they know the card is an important component to the story. I also introduced a character.

With every great story there is a great beginning, there is the middle part of the story or what I like to call the meat and potatoes and there is an end to the story. The middle provides the details, introduces the characters, expands the story setting, and sets you up for a successful and powerful end to the story.

The end of the story should be the best part of the story. It’s the crescendo of Beethoven’s 5th.  It’s that moment when Rocky takes his last swing and knocks out Apollo Creed. It’s the part of the story everyone is so excited to hear. It’s that moment where you put a bow on the gift and tie everything together. The end brings all of the elements of the story together and leaves the audience with an impact they don’t forget. 

Timing

Cadence, inflection and your dynamics are vitally important to the success of the story. Don’t be in a rush. Force yourself to slow down when needed and know there are even rare times when speeding up your voice is important to the story. Most often being deliberate, and having a cadence that is rhythmic is critical to storytelling. Try to tap into your inner clock. We all have one. It’s like tapping your shoe to the beat of a song.

Setting

Try to create a setting when telling a story. You want to extract as many as emotions as you can right out of the gate. It would go something like this…”That reminds me of a story that happened in the fall of 1981, big hair bands, Michael Jackson, Members Only jackets, and parachute pants from Chess King. I know it was the Fall of that year because I remember I was wearing a super hip green turtle-neck sweater with corduroy pants”. You want to ignite the audience’s different senses with every story such as sight, smell, hearing, and touch. This can only be done by putting the listener at the scene of the story.

Body Language

My good friend Bryan Flanagan teaches that your arms are meant to lay by your side until they need to be used. But once they are engaged, they need to be used in a big way. The audience’s eyes always follow hands and arms. This is fine but you don’t want your audience’s eyes to constantly be distracted by flying arms making the audience dizzy. Use sparingly, but when needed, make a splash with your hands and arms. Your face tells the story as well. Your eyes, your mouth, and your overall facial expressions should electrify an audience. Look the audience in the eyes but don’t stare a hole through them. Glance off from time to time and come back to them. No one wants to feel uncomfortable in the audience, whether it’s an audience of 1 or 100. Other body language that can be used are the legs. If your story includes you getting exhausted, bend over with your hands on your knees breathing heavily to drive home the point. Body language is critical to the success of your story.

In Closing

One of my favorite storytellers, Zig Ziglar, always had the ability to capture the undivided attention of the audience. His stories were personal, relevant, and he always sucked you into the storyline. Great storytelling will make or break your ability to connect with your audience. Don’t let your ability to be great, be stymied by lack of desire to rehearse and practice. Once you have mastered the art of storytelling, you will be a much more effective communicator. Good luck and happy trails!!

Written by:

Van Allen

President of The Hire Connection

573-289-2824

 [VA1]