We all love to hear a great story, but the story is only as great as the storyteller. Storytelling may not seem like a skill you may need in life but if you think about it, we tell stories all the time. In fact, humans have been telling stories from the beginning of time so why wouldn’t we want this as a soft skill in our toolbelt?
Context
When you tell a story make sure you’re providing context. Don’t jump in with character names and settings if the people you’re speaking to have no idea what you’re talking about. Make sure you include the who, what, why where, and how before you delve into details any deeper.
Know the audience
We talk about knowing your audience in reference to many contexts. This time, the audience is important because storytelling is a personal thing, and can sometimes light personal feelings in others. Think about your audience and whether or not the story you’re about to tell will be of service to them, or if it will make them upset. Remember there’s the right time and place for everything so be cognizant of that before telling tales.
Use a Hook
The hardest part about storytelling, other than telling the story is to engage the listener. In order to do that you need to hit them with a hook that makes them want to know more. You’ve probably heard the classic, “You would not believe what just happened to me” or “Boy have I got some news.” These are all statements that instantly make the listener engaged with what they hear.
Keep it Concise
When telling a story make sure you keep it concise. Of course, it’s fun to embellish a little and even a little fun however, it’s important that you’re not veering away from the topic at hand. Avoid tangents and stick to the key plot points. You can always come back to tell the other stories later.
Be Considerate of the other people in the story
When we tell stories its very rare that we’re the only characters involved. We typically have other people who also play important roles in the story. It’s important that these people are spoken about with respect and that you’re not sharing something that others wouldn’t want to do. If you need to poke fun at something or someone, poke fun at yourself, people will appreciate that more. 
Leave Them Wanting More
When you wrap up your story make sure you leave them wanting more. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have a cliffhanger but maybe we don’t get to know what happens to one of the characters. Perhaps you bring up a new conflict as you resolve the main one. A great storyteller leaves the audience wanting more stories.
What are you waiting for? Go tell a great story and tag @keywestvideo when you do!
