Storytelling: how to make it exciting?

Blog by Huib Hudig

'How is this going to end!'

'Tell more, quickly!'

With every good movie we've ever seen, every story we've heard, these thoughts run through us. We are ín the story, we desperately want to know how it ends.

Stories are, it has been scientifically proven, the best way to convey information. Humans are the only creatures that can transfer information through a secondary world in our brains. But people will only really listen to your story if you make it important, if you evoke excitement. How do you do that? And how can you apply this in your presentation?

1.Create a world with images and details
Make the audience empathize by naming objects, smells and colors. Giving lots of details will make people identify with the story. So don't talk about an agricultural farm, but a chicken farm. Bill Clinton, at Helmut Kohl's memorial service, talked about how it took him to his favorite restaurant in Washington.

2.Make sure there is a problem, and raise the stakes
The moment everything goes well, it gets boring. We want drama! So make sure something is threatening to go wrong, and raise the stakes. Also in your presentation, try to outline a threat, an obstacle, and make it palpable. Jimmy Nelson, coached by Speak to Inspire, told at TEDx Amsterdam how he saved himself from a dire situation.

Throw questions at
Release your information step by step. By doing so, you maintain the tension, and make your audience hungry. Consider this TED Talk by General Van Uhm. By raising questions, he keeps the audience active. He displays his rifle and says, 'I chose this instrument. I chose the gun.' The audience thinks: why? All those questions lead to his core message: 'I chose the gun to stand up for the freedom we have.

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Tension works. By speaking evocatively, providing threat and raising questions, you keep your listeners engaged. Try it, your audience will hang on your every word.

Want to learn more about the art of storytelling? Sign up for our free workshop here or contact us at 020-4204068/ info@speaktoinspire.nl