The importance of leveraging the power of story when presenting

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“Facts tell, stories sell.” This quote by Bryan Eisenberg reinforces the importance of leveraging the power of story when presenting. Why? Because leveraging stories makes your message memorable. Memorability is the holy grail of presenting.

Here are three things to think about when telling stories:

1. When should you use stories? Answer: Early and often. Hall of fame speaker Bill Stainton says, “Start with your second best story . . . finish with your best one.” This technique has been leveraged by comedians for decades. People tend to remember the first thing (primacy) and the last thing they hear (recency).

2. How long should your stories be? Answer: It depends on the time you have. Practice stories in different levels of detail given different times. This allows you to manage time on the fly. Allow for three minutes, but have a one minute and a 10-minute version as well. The moral/lesson doesn’t change.

3. What’s your role in the story? Answer: You are the Guide. Donald Miller of Story Brand states, “To enter into our customer’s story, we should play the role of guide.” The fatal mistake is positioning yourself as the hero in a story instead of the guide. You are Yoda, not Luke.

What’s your advice on using stories when presenting?

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Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

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