Learn to tell an emotional story. You have value to add to any room.
- Be transparent. I interviewed an executive at Google. He had cancer and it was going to affect both his leadership and his time in the office. He shared it with his team. It created compassion when he said he would be out for chemo.
- Tell a Story. If you are explaining a complicated concept, become more accessible by telling a story to illustrate it. You can tell a story in first person (I), second person (you) or third person (they). Personal stories work best. Because they are yours. I could tell you that “Success is a result of taking it one step at a time.” Or I could tell you that I went on a hike with Lisa this weekend. She is afraid of heights and has bad knees. But she made it up the steep 1050 feet climb and back down without incident. She took it slow. I led the front of the group. Seasoned hiker Melanie rounded up the back. We stopped frequently and checked in with the hikers who varied in their skill level. In the end, we had a successful day with no injuries because of this deliberate leadership method.
- Inject emotion into it. This takes courage. The more emotion you can inject into your story, the more memorable and relatable you will be. How can you embody the characters in your story, with a change in voice or a change in stature? How can you describe the detail that goes into You create a “That’s me too!” Moment when you do this.
- Think of your talk as a gift to the audience. I hear women tell me every week, “I don’t want to put myself out there.” This talk, or post, or speech isn’t about you. It’s about your audience. Once you make that paradigm shift, organize your talk. Each talk should have a beginning (what you are promising me with this talk), a middle ( a story that supports that promise) and an end (this is the gift for the audience they take away and marinate on long after you left the stage). What does your audience need right now? Do you know their pain points? What life lessons can you share by telling your story
- Be you. My general manager from my first tv station told me, “Stop trying to be what you think a TV anchor should be and just be yourself. You are the most unique thing you bring to the table.” Be yourself. You have something of value to say. There are no new stories. There are only new ways to tell the old ones. And that way, is by sharing your stories. Work to have your audience say “Hey, that’s me too!” moments.
Work with me on your public speaking. Info@ladydrinks.com
