'Facts and figures are forgotten. Stories are retold.' -Jeffrey Gitomer
If you're mathematically oriented then MAYBE you'll remember the charts and graphs someone shows you in a presentation. And sometimes charts and graphs are really necessary to get to the specifics, but the real power of persuasion in presentation is the story.
Not long ago, I used to believe I wasn't very good at telling stories. It wasn't a shyness on my part or esteem issues, but I didn't really understand that my stories were actual stories, that my stories were the real deal, the lifeblood of persuasion.
We all have stories. It might not be the most obvious story, but something tangential to your life. . . maybe your grandparent's struggle, or a triumph over adversity or something very simple. If you are a financial adviser maybe your story is about how your family struggled financially when you were young. Or for realtors, maybe it's about how you changed lives when you found the perfect home for a client.
Your object in telling a story is first to get the listener to agree with you. Once that happens, persuasion is inevitable.
Having a point is the most important aspect of your story. A long, meandering, pointless tale is not going to persuade.
Another important aspect is that our stories have to have a similarity to the situation to at hand in addition to the important aspects of 'The Hero's Journey'. (If you're not familiar with 'The Hero's Journey' by Joseph Campbell, become familiar with it. It's available on DVD or in print.)
With a story, you don't have to start at the beginning. In fact, there's usually a lot of wasted words at the beginning of a story. A writing teacher I once knew had a general rule that the first paragraph or two of a story was completely dispensable. By starting in the middle, or even practically in mid-sentence, the audience is compelled to listen intently. 'What did I miss? What do I need to know for this to make sense? What's going on here? I can't wait to find out.'
You can also start out your story with 'the point' and work your way back. The outcome is what you want to use to teach, it's the ultimate goal, and so it's very important that the point be crystal clear.
One of my coaching club students reverse engineers his stories. The first thing he determines is the outcome. Then he works back through the hero's journey to the point of beginning.
Ultimately, to write it out, you have to begin by beginning. Write, write, write. Once it's written, read it out loud. Then as you read, you'll see where it needs to be edited.
Article Source: http://www.articleyard.com
Information about the Author:
Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of affluent prospects using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies.
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