Many people think, "Hey I've got my story! Now I'll just put it on my website; or read it, record it, and post it. Then I'll be done!"
But of course, it doesn't work that way. What people really want
is for you to tell the stories about you and your organization directly to
them -- whether it's in a presentation or a conversation.
Learning the right phrases/analogies/metaphors to use, the best
structure, creating a powerful message is all part of developing the
content and delivery of a compelling story. But once that is done, how
do you learn the story so you can remember and tell it at a moment's
notice?
A colleague of mine was talking with me this weekend about preparing for a presentation she was giving soon and we were going over the content. At one point she said, "And of course, to learn a story you HAVE to write it down!"
"Whoa!" I exclaimed. "Maybe for YOU that's important, but that's not the only way to learn a story. Yes, some people need to write it down, but there are plenty of others who can simply visualize the story and follow the chain of images to tell it. Some people just need to repeatedly listen to a story to learn it. So it really depends on your learning style as to which method will work for you."
"Wow," she said. "I never thought of it that way."
What does this mean for you? Simply that when building your storytelling skills, you also need to determine your best method for learning and remembering your stories so you can easily recall and tell them.
What learning style are you -- Kinesthetic (I have to do it and get the physical feel of it) or Auditory (I have to listen to it) or Visual (I have to see it)?
Most people are a combination of the three with one or two that are dominant. For me my strongest learning styles are Kinesthetic & Visual. If I can see the images in my minds eye, and then feel the images physically, then I'm half-way home.
My best method for learning stories is to think about the story I want to tell and how I want to tell it. Then I get out my 3x5 index cards and create a BRIO (brief reminder of image order), a technique I learned from storyteller Doug Lipman
www.storydynamics.com. On each card I write a keyword of the image, or draw a stick figure/diagram/picture of it. No artistic talent is required. These are just my own scribbles. This is my visual learning style.
Then I go on a walk and start telling the story out loud. This is where I get to see if the order I THINK they images should go it actually work out that way. 99% of the time they DO NOT, and as I walk I reorder them.
What I love about this method is that by walking and practicing out loud, I kinesthetically build the story into my body. I find I can recall that story when I need to, and tell it in ways that I know will get results. Once I get to this point, I'm then ready to practice telling the story with a listening partner.
But maybe you are like my friend who has to write down the story first, and then practices it out loud at home until she feels she's got it nailed. Or maybe you need to listen to a recording of a story over and over again (the auditory style) until you are ready to practice it out loud.
Try them all out and see which one works best for you. And here's another secret I'll share with you -- the BEST way to learn a story is not in front of a mirror. Storytelling is a shared experience and it is only in the presence of someone else that we can really understand what grabs another person about the story we are telling.
In the end, a story is best learned by telling it to a trusted listening partner -- someone who you can tell the story to, guage their reactions, and adjust the story in real time to see what works and what doesn't. Don't miss this crucial last step!
Enjoy,
Karen
