How I Discovered the Power of Storytelling in Public Speaking
The Moment Everything Fell Flat
In 2010, I was standing in front of an audience on a Sunday morning, trying desperately to deliver a sermon. The situation was dismal. I wasn’t connecting.
As their pastor since 2005, I had stood in that very spot at least twice a week to speak to them. I had passion, conviction, and a mountain of data. I was well studied, well practiced, and well…failing.
As I spoke, I saw people falling asleep, looking out the windows, or just staring with a glazed look that said they had checked out. I knew something had to change.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever had a message that you felt was important, but you couldn’t get your audience to tune in?
I went home after the service and did what every good leader does. I complained to my spouse.
I blamed the people for not being interested. I blamed attention spans for not being what they used to be. (By the way, that old trope is probably not even true.) I found a way to make the problem all about the audience. Somehow, I failed to turn my gaze inward.
My wife simply listened and then encouraged me to continue working to figure out a way to solve the problem. Then she went to bed. I don’t blame her.
As I sat sulking on the living room couch, I began to think back to the people who had influenced me as a boy and young adult. Who did I remember? Whose words still rang in my ears today, and what were those words? I didn’t arrive at an answer that evening, but over the next few days, I continued to chew on the problem. I narrowed down the speakers I remembered, and I questioned why that might be.
Then, the answer materialized, almost like magic.
Stories.
The people who connected, and the people I remembered, told stories when they spoke. Could it really be that simple?
You Were Made for Story
I come from a long line of storytellers. That doesn’t make me special. Human beings are wired for stories. That means we all have storytelling in our DNA. For some, it’s a recessive gene, but it’s there.
Since that day in 2010, I have worked to learn and grow as a storyteller. I didn’t abandon my message. I just found a more effective vehicle to deliver it. I started telling stories.
Storytelling is the number one way to connect with an audience. Stories make us human, and humans connect with other humans. It’s that simple.
Of course, there are outliers. You might be one of those rare individuals who connect with data, but then again, you’re reading this article, so maybe not.
When I started incorporating targeted, well-crafted stories into my messages on Sundays, more people started to listen. More people remembered what I said. Just recently, someone who sat under my ministry in 2015 told me a story they remember me telling and the lesson it taught them. That happens a lot.
Storytelling isn’t a gimmick.
It’s not a time filler. When done well, it’s powerful.
If you have to stand in front of an audience of any size, then it’s worth the effort to learn storytelling. If you are trying to promote a product to a noisy world, then it’s worth learning to tell good stories. If you want to be remembered, then you need to learn the art of storytelling.
If you’re ready to learn more about how to do that. I can help.
