Two sad facts of life; first, life is a first impression business. Fair or not, poor initial encounters can be difficult to overcome. Secondly, most people have poor memories for information as it is usually presented, unless anchored by a compelling story. (this is why you may not remember the name of the person you just met, but a week later you can tell the joke they shared with you. As Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman wrote in “Thinking Fast and Slow”….“No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story.”
Can you tell a powerful story from a weak one (especially the one you’re telling)? Marketing guru Seth Godin understands the power of a great story and offers a one page overview of what a great story is…and isn’t. See if yours “checks all the boxes.”
But understanding what a story should be is not enough….you need to be able to tell one. As Steve Jobs said, “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”
Vistage Speaker Mikki Williams has trained many of Vistage’s best speakers, hundreds of Vistage members, and countless other C-Level Executives. I’m adding her to my Best Blogs list below.
One of America’s greatest novelists, Stephen King, once wrote “It is the tale, not he who tells it.” But tales don’t tell themselves. You do. Are you REALLY ready to tell yours? Mikki Williams’ Speaker School will help you find out.
