Post by account_disabled on Jan 22, 2024 23:07:22 GMT -5
After finally asking the young lady for a date, the nervous young man asked his father how to avoid moments of awkward silence. His father quickly responded, “Son, when it comes to conversation, all you have to remember are three things: food, family, and philosophy, and you’ll have plenty to talk about” The night of the date came, and so did the awkward silence. Recalling his father’s advice, he quickly asked about food: “Mary, do you like asparagus?” “No,” she replied.
“I don’t really care for it.” Met with more silence, he asked about family: “Mary, do you have any brothers?” “No,” she replied. “I don’t have any brothers.” With no luck, he turned to philosophy: “Mary…if you had a brother…would he like asparagus?” And that, my friend, is philosophy. That simple story is better than any textbook for explaining what is philosophy. Indeed, ancient cave paintings have long affirmed modern neuroscience—humans learn and communicate best through stories. People will remember your name when it’s connected with a compelling story; you’ll bore investors with facts and figures but capture them if they’re wrapped in a story. Whether it’s creating a memorable brand or connecting deeper with customers, here are seven essentials for effective storytelling.
Opening and closing the curiosity gap What if I told you your income could be tripled in less than one month? It may be snake oil, but it perked enough of your interest to hear the rest of the story and pitch. Storytellers call it an “inciting incident.” We have curiosity wired into us, tapping into that through provocative questions opens the window wide for the rest of your elevator pitch. 2. Evoking VAK Psychologists and therapists use VAK—visual, audio Country Email List and kinesthetic modalities to immerse a person into a desired experience or state. When the mind begins to imagine and think through emotional and sensory experiences, parts of the brain light up as if they’re actually happening. Using these cues by describing the adrenaline racing through your body, or the tragedy that brought you to tears, will immerse a person from passively listening to the story, to feeling like an active participant.
Conflict and resolution Whether it’s your business proposal or product demo, two traditional storytelling elements you don’t want to leave out are conflict and resolution. Have you identified a problem, and explained how your product brings a resolution? Shawn Coyne from The Story Grid says a common mistake for entrepreneurs is presenting heavily from a developer’s angle and ignoring a consumer’s perspective. Approach conflict and resolution like a consumer, and tell your product’s story like a satisfied customer. 4. Appealing to the higher self Whether crafting your own personal goals or presenting a vision to a company, we can’t fight our survival mechanism’s self-interest. So why not leverage selfish motives? Fuel for achieving a future goal comes with presenting a better version of ourselves.
“I don’t really care for it.” Met with more silence, he asked about family: “Mary, do you have any brothers?” “No,” she replied. “I don’t have any brothers.” With no luck, he turned to philosophy: “Mary…if you had a brother…would he like asparagus?” And that, my friend, is philosophy. That simple story is better than any textbook for explaining what is philosophy. Indeed, ancient cave paintings have long affirmed modern neuroscience—humans learn and communicate best through stories. People will remember your name when it’s connected with a compelling story; you’ll bore investors with facts and figures but capture them if they’re wrapped in a story. Whether it’s creating a memorable brand or connecting deeper with customers, here are seven essentials for effective storytelling.
Opening and closing the curiosity gap What if I told you your income could be tripled in less than one month? It may be snake oil, but it perked enough of your interest to hear the rest of the story and pitch. Storytellers call it an “inciting incident.” We have curiosity wired into us, tapping into that through provocative questions opens the window wide for the rest of your elevator pitch. 2. Evoking VAK Psychologists and therapists use VAK—visual, audio Country Email List and kinesthetic modalities to immerse a person into a desired experience or state. When the mind begins to imagine and think through emotional and sensory experiences, parts of the brain light up as if they’re actually happening. Using these cues by describing the adrenaline racing through your body, or the tragedy that brought you to tears, will immerse a person from passively listening to the story, to feeling like an active participant.
Conflict and resolution Whether it’s your business proposal or product demo, two traditional storytelling elements you don’t want to leave out are conflict and resolution. Have you identified a problem, and explained how your product brings a resolution? Shawn Coyne from The Story Grid says a common mistake for entrepreneurs is presenting heavily from a developer’s angle and ignoring a consumer’s perspective. Approach conflict and resolution like a consumer, and tell your product’s story like a satisfied customer. 4. Appealing to the higher self Whether crafting your own personal goals or presenting a vision to a company, we can’t fight our survival mechanism’s self-interest. So why not leverage selfish motives? Fuel for achieving a future goal comes with presenting a better version of ourselves.