Three Stepping Stones to Great Storytelling

Hail, fellow storytellers!

And let’s be honest, you’re all storytellers! Who doesn’t love a good story?

The twist is… many of your daily business interactions already are storytelling. Taking a client from problem to solution; showcasing the journey a project can take; building momentum through a series of small wins that lead to big change; presenting a data point, interpreting it, and turning it into action... Sound familiar? And yet, how often do we consciously treat these moments as stories? Let me tell you this, when you do, your game instantly ramps up.

A shortcut to help you get started: focus on three universal story themes: Truth, Tension, and Transformation. Or, if you like things in plain English, ask yourself:

• What makes it real? The human insight that sticks.

• What’s at stake? Why does this matter now?

• What’s changed? What can your client or audience do now that they couldn’t do before?

  
  

Once you’ve internalised these three anchors and made them a habit in your thinking, you can hang your story on any framework you like… the Hero’s Journey, Three Acts, Flywheel, Before-After-Bridge… you name it. Suddenly, storytelling stops being something you “do” and starts being something youlive in every interaction.

Pro tip: sprinkle in a little humour, a surprise twist, or even a tiny moment of vulnerability. It’s amazing what that does to engagement.

Three Stepping Stones to Great Storytelling

Scared to be too bland or basic? There's always a story if you look for it carefully enough.

TRY IT OUT! 💘 Our weekly tip, from applied improv to you. 

Truth Dynamite ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ When you drop a moment of truth into a story, you trigger real emotion. And emotion makes stories unforgettable.

How to play:

1. Pair up and choose a random, low-stakes topic to chat about.

2. Each person draws a secret “The truth is…” statement from a hat. ***

3. At any moment in the conversation, slip it in by saying: “The truth is…”and then read your statement aloud.

4. Make sure both of you reveal your truth at some point.

   
   

Debrief:

• How did it feel to reveal your “truth”? Did it shift your emotional state?

• How did the conversation change afterwards? Did the moment feel more real, surprising, or engaging?

• What does this tell you about the power of authenticity in storytelling?

  
  

Have fun with those truths!

Download the Truth Dynamite crib sheet from the IMPROV Inc. Activities page.

Something in the history…

Earlier this week I [Paul] was rehearsing a storytelling technique at an improv class... It goes like this; half way through a scene you are thrown under a bus by one simple question.

“I’d like to hear the history of that” asked my improv partner.

“Ah, would you now!”, I replied.

Now, this question is a technique designed to open up a scene and to give the players a POV (point of view), a perspective, or a back-story to hang a bit of their character on. At first it may feel like your partner has set you up to fail, because suddenly you now have to create some kind of history. The truth is… it’s a golden chance to embellish and deepen the scene and create some kind of gravity or pre-existence to the whole context.

Done well, this elevates the scene and also provides more ‘shiny-bits’ to help build plot, meaning and momentum. Why not try it out this simple question in your workplace. You’ll be surprised at what you can reinforce and reveal at the same time.

Ain’t that the truth!

Paul n Vic

#StorytellingInBusiness #TruthTensionTransformation #LeadWithStory #BusinessNarratives #MakeItMemorable #AppliedImprovisation #YesAnd #BusinessSkills #ImprovComedy