A Lesson in Storytelling

This week I was lucky enough to attend a workshop with the LBD Group in Melbourne. Fabulous speakers included Janine Garner, Margie Warrell and Gabrielle Dolan who all shared influential and powerful advice.

As a visual communication expert, I am always looking to grow and share my experiences to help others improve their presentations, so here are my top tips;

Our speakers confirmed the power of visualisation through thoughts and stories. By igniting and engaging our senses we believe and remember – which ultimately empowers us to visualise our reality.

Margie Warrell (Executive Coach & Author) spoke of the ‘power of the mind’. I asked her how my daughter can overcome her mental block of stopping in the run up to the high jump (when she knows she can easily clear the height). 

Her response was to ‘visualise the success’ by imagining clearing the jump. Picturing winning activates the same parts of the brain as if you really did it. This helps build your memory patterns enough to relax and jump like you do when you are training and having fun. 

I'm drawn to that connection of visualisation ~ believing in it, like it happened - it’s what makes it really happen.

Gabrielle Dolan (Storytelling Expert & Author) shared a similar visualisation skill when she gave her advice on using storytelling in business – with a purpose.

Relating a personal story and bridging it to a business message helps your audience connect and understand you at a human to human level.

Sharing a simple story that is short and authentic is what drives an emotional connection, as people can relate with what you are saying. 

It is these emotional connections that are stored in our long-term memory and drive our ability to influence and persuade.

A great story starts somewhere. It has a time and a place and visually describes key elements – characters and props. When the audience is inspired to imagine, they drop their barriers and immediately connect in a personal way.

It is important to share enough detail so your audience can visualise the scene in their own mind. For example, simply describing a ‘red door with a brass letterbox’ helps you picture it in your mind, and also helps you remember and connect personally.

Using visuals in your presentation works on the same logic. Because you can’t tell stories the whole time you are presenting, so using pictures fast tracks visualisation for your audience. Especially as 70% of our senses are visual.

The magic happens when the speaker connects a personal story to the ‘Business Message’ – this is a vital step. The trick is in not being so obvious that you patronise your audience, but in being clear enough for them to see the connection.

There is much hype around #Storytelling right now, which makes it more important for us all to understand the value and key steps in doing it properly.

A great story shifts hearts and minds.

Big shout out to Janine, Margie and Gabrielle for sharing their words of wisdom to helping us all be clearer communicators.