One of the goals of storytelling is to inspire your audience to take action. The only way of achieving that is by telling an influential story that keeps your audience absorbed.
An effective story is one that keeps people interested in what you are saying. It captures, directs, and sustains their attention and keeps them excited about what you are going to say next. So, learn to tell your story in a way that influences your audience to act, have faith in their capabilities, and think differently.
Most people fail to command the attention they desire from their audience because they haven’t mastered the art of telling influential stories that have the power of not only captivating people’s attention but getting them to take necessary action.
If you are struggling to share your story with the world because you don’t know where to start, gain the confidence you need by learning the most effective ways of storytelling. If you desire to tell stories that inspire action, learn the best ways of doing so, and begin influencing your audience the way you desire to.
The most effective steps to telling an influential story
#1 Understand your core message
Most storytellers make the mistake of going off-topic or feeling the need to mention every detail of their experience while telling their story. That is a mistake you don’t want to make because your ability to engage your audience and keep their attention depends on understanding that there is no need to get into all the nitty-gritty details. Just focus on the core message.
People disengage and easily get exhausted when they feel you aren’t going anywhere with what you are saying. Therefore, decide what your central message is, understand, and stick with it. Ask yourself three questions; “What is my core message?” “What important points must I mention?” and “What do I want to achieve from telling this story?”
#2 Include your personal experiences
Influencers know that the best way of capturing people’s attention and keeping them engaged is by sharing personal experiences. This is also true when telling influential stories that leave people thinking differently and taking the advice they get.
Including personal experiences such as your misfortunes, failures, and successes in your storytelling is the key to telling an influential story. It keeps your audience thinking “There’s someone who understands me” “Someone has fought and won. So, I can overcome “”I have come so far” and “I can do this.”
#3 Engage your audience
The importance of connecting with your audience and keeping them engaged can never be stressed enough. You will only have the kind of impact you desire to have on your audience by mentioning them in your storytelling or involving them in some way. For instance, maintain eye contact and ask rhetoric questions or questions that keep them engaged and participating as you share, if you have a live audience.
If you are sharing your story through a narrative podcast, pay attention to the way you express yourself. For instance, the tone of your voice and the way you get your audience to connect emotionally.
Getting your audience to participate or getting them emotionally involved in what you are saying makes it easier for them to easily understand your message and apply the advice you give.
#4 Understand your audience
Sometimes the only thing that makes it difficult for you to tell stories that inspire action is that you don’t understand your audience. Knowing your audience and structuring your story in such a way that speaks to their hearts or minds is the key to telling an influential story. “Who is my audience?” “What is the most effective way of getting through to them?” “What do they expect from me?” and “How can I use my story to influence them in such and such an area?” are questions you need to ask yourself as you draft your story and prepare to share it with others.
#5 Learn from influential storytellers
Lastly, the best way of excelling in any area of your life is by learning from those who have already accomplished what you desire to accomplish. So, the smartest way of telling an influential story is by learning from highly-inspirational and successful storytellers. Study their methods, learn from them, and implement what works for you.
Pay attention to how they structure their stories, captivate their audience, and keep people attentive to what they are saying. Pick what works and apply it in your storytelling process.
Remember, the only way of accomplishing what you desire with your story is by structuring it in such a way that motivates, encourages, strengthens, assures, and influences action. So, prioritize telling inspirational stories that keep your audience thinking “This is attainable” and “Nothing is impossible.”
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