STORYTELLING
How To Start Storytelling for Beginners
Using This 5 Part Framework
The two most common reasons people struggle to tell stories is because they think: 1) They don’t have a story to tell 2) They do not know how to tell it. But I’m convinced you’re here because you want to learn the basics on how to.
As you make your way in the world your value in social groups or the workplace will be dependent on how well you can communicate, or storytelling to be precise.
When you learn how to tell stories you open yourself up to better relationships and opportunities.
You become the person people look towards when it comes to speaking for the group. You become the person your boss looks to when your company wants to win over a new client. You become a personality.
But most people are not taught storytelling. There is no specific class or module in university where you’re taught the fundamentals let alone the secrets of how to become a world class storyteller.
But what I will do for you is break down a few basics so you can get started.
You Think Your Life is Too Boring to Talk About
Just so we’re clear, you do not need to be Joe Rogan or Kevin Hart to be able to tell a story. Here are a few common reasons why people do not tell stories.
- No one would listen to me
- I’m shy to talk in front of people
- It’s not that important
I’ve been through this as have many before me. But you do not need to suffer these inner contrarians.
Here’s The 5 Part Framework, step by step:
Step 1: What do you want to achieve from your story?
There needs to be a reason for this story, without purpose your story is pointless. You can’t just narrate different events about your Amsterdam holiday (for the art galleries of course) you need to have a point that you want to communicate.
The story acts as a vehicle for your message. When you put your message in the form of a story people will listen to you.
So first, reverse engineer your story.
Let’s say you have the annual company event coming up and you’re asked to give an acceptance speech for an award.
So what boxes do you want to tick from your story? For example: you want to be thought of as funny, persuasive and a thought leader.
But you can’t just state that you’re funny, persuasive and a thought leader because you will be straight up unlikeable.
What you need to do is put these attributes into the context of a story.
Even if it’s not exactly true…don’t worry I’ll explain.
Step 2: The events do not need to be in order.
So here’s what I mean: most people think that their story has to be told in the exact order of events that happened with the exact words that were said with the exact people who said them. This is wrong.
The events do not have to be in order. Your favourite comedian will draw from various experiences to create a story.
You think that every story you hear Dave Chapelle tells happens exactly the way he said it? Life would have a lot less colour if people decided to tell stories like history books.
Here’s an example from a friend (let’s call him Raj):
‘At dinner last night, a guy wandered up to my table to ask me whether it was a good time to enter X industry, I then spoke to him about A, B and C’.
In this example Raj was able to give thoughts in response to a question about the industry he works in. Through this interaction the audience understands Raj to be a thought leader, without explicitly stating it.
Here’s the deal, it doesn’t matter when you were asked. This interaction may not have happened last night. The question could have been asked in a different setting.
A lesson from the masters, when you’re delivering a story you should incorporate different elements which draw from your life experience.
Look back at the events of your life and see how they could form one flowing story.
Step 3: Use anchoring to make the story coherent.
So you’ve uncovered some of the foundations of storytelling, you now know the basics of how great storytellers come up with engaging stories.
But now you need to anchor the story with a date. Remember how we used ‘At dinner last night’ in the example?
You need to have a where and when. This is how you set the scene, it draws your audience into your story by giving them a sense of time and place.
People will listen to you when you make the experience immersive.
Saying last Tuesday on a wintery London night is better than saying 7 years ago in I-don’t-know-when in God-knows-where. It becomes more relevant. It’s one of the best ways to start a story.
Step 4: Do not talk above or below the audience.
Your story is nothing without the audience, because you’re not telling it for yourself you’re telling it for them. Storytelling is not to inflate your ego, it’s so you’re giving value to those willing to listen.
Understand that whilst you may be telling a story to show positive attributes about yourself it’s not about harping on about how great you are. It’s okay to tell stories that go against yourself, vulnerability allows people to connect with you.
Remember this is about being human not self depreciating. Talk about your mistakes so people can connect. You will inspire confidence, not just in others, but in yourself for being authentic.
People will find you relatable and appreciate you for it.
Step 5: You do have stories to tell.
I often hear, ‘But I don’t have any stories to tell’. Wrong. We all do. We would forget how much money we had if we didn’t store it at a bank.
I won’t talk at length about this in this piece but here’s a good practice for having a bank of stories:
Write down the events of your day into a journal and call it your story vault. No matter how mundane or inconsequential you think the events of the day were, write it down.
Upon reflection you will be able to draw meaning or even a clear message from those stories. See how you connect the dots to create the story you need to tell.
Make withdrawals from this vault whenever you’re called upon to tell a story.
If you’re just starting out in the world, or even a professional looking for inspiration this basic framework will get you started on delivering engaging stories.
