Whose story can you tell?

All of us have heard others tell great stories. We've read them, seen them performed, and if you are like me, wished you'd thought of them. Some of us may even have resolved to tell a story we've heard.

As a storyteller should you only tell your own stories?

"Whose story do you tell?"

"Is it better to tell the story in another person's voice—someone who's more likely to be deemed credible?"

These were some of the questions that come up, when we discuss having a collection or 'bank' of stories in our Success Through Persuasive Storytelling class.

Let's address the easy part. It is best to tell stories about your own direct experiences.

Not just because you already likely tell them but you can bring an authenticity and passion to them unlike relating someone else's story.

And with practice and repeated telling not only do your stories sound better, they work better too.

When I first met Artie Isaac in #Columbus, Ohio we discussed our mutual backgrounds and shared stories about ourselves. In one of these conversations Artie introduced me to the concept of "Not my story to tell."

Essentially, we hear others tell stories and sometimes we experience things together with them. However, we need to be mindful both of other's privacy and our own motivations in telling a story that is someone else's.

For those of us with children—particularly adult children— it is safe to say most of their experiences, however insightful, are rarely ours to share.

Unless they explicitly permit us to tell them.

And there's no reason we shouldn't extend the same courtesy to our colleagues, family and friends.

Meanwhile a great way to build up your own story bank is to ask these folks, starting with your spouse, and children—what stories do they hear you tell often?

This conversation can also lead you to discussing their stories and seeking their permission to "their" stories.

?? If you are interested in building up your story bank, here is a link to free Story Bank worksheet.

Each week in our newsletter The Storyteller we share a practical technique to become a more effective storyteller and analyze a video that demonstrates its use in the real-world. Subscribe to The Storyteller here.