Toastmaster September 2012

Change Language: Choose

MANNER OF SPEAKING
Allen Schoer
MASTERING STORYTELLING
Know the three Is: invitation, imagination and impact.
Youre on the road to becoming your companys Chief Storyteller. Lets begin with some good news: Youre already better
than you might think. You tell stories every day. Here, well explore three capabilities that will take you well on your way to
becoming a professional storyteller. Remember the three Rs of your early education: reading, writing and rithmetic?
Now consider the three Is of storytelling: invitation, imagination and impact. Heres how you can master them:
1 Invitation. Remember Steve Jobs famous invitation to Pepsis then- CEO John Sculley when he lured him to Apple by
asking, Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?
Engage your listeners by stimulating their curiosity and asking them to share in something exciting with you.
2 Imagination. Enlivening peoples imaginations is easy. What happens before you visit the doctor? Or when youre
waiting for the boards reaction to your latest strategic plan? Your imagination puts on quite a show. Who needs
PowerPoint or technological wizardry?
In 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy recognized the need for a new narrative to galvanize the space race. Before a
joint session of the U.S. Congress, he boldly announced that by the end of the decade the country would be dedicated to
landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. Despite widespread doubts, and the fact that the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had not yet even sent a man into orbit around the Earth, he electrified the
collective imagination of the country.
Imagination is the direct access point to our creativity. Simply say Imagine this ... and peoples creative juices start
flowing. Theyre transported to a different and vivid new reality without leaving their seats.
3 Impact. We crave impact. We want to be seen and know that what we do has meaning. In baseball terms, its called
looking the ball to the bat. As a storyteller, that means watching your audience closely to see how your content is
affecting them.
In 1995, South African President Nelson Mandela knew he had to shore up his governments tenuous hold on post-
apartheid unity. Adopting the strategy of Dont address their brains. Address their hearts, Mandela convinced the
Springboks rugby team, until then the countrys symbol of white supremacy, to join him. At the commencement of the
Rugby World Cup final being held in South Africa, Mandela and the team symbolically broke all barriers by singing Nkosi
Sikelel iAfrika, the anthem of the black resistance movement, to a stilldivided nation and a worldwide television
audience. The Springboks won the World Cup, and South Africa moved toward reconciliation.
Brilliant ideas without brilliant human connection usually die fast. That connection builds trust and cultivates relationships.
When you see how you move others and are moved by them, you grow in stature and authority.
Keep this in mind: What youre saying isnt for you. Its for your team.
Practice Time
Try these techniques at your next team or client meeting and note what happens:
Be an investigator not a content dumper. Ask, dont tell.
Watch carefully how what youre saying impacts your team.
Dont leap to the next point until you see people absorb the previous one. Dont assume everyones with you. Ask
questions like Are you with me? or How do you relate to this?
Slow down. Dont race your narrative simply to get to the end. Consider practicing on someone first.
Create images to get the client engaged in your story: Imagine this ... or Picture that ...
Stop occasionally and observe your effect on everyone in the room.
VIEW ALL ARTICLES
Remember, your team and your clients are your creative partners. Actress Katherine Hepburn said, If you give
audiences half a chance, theyll do half your acting for you.