I like guarantees, don’t you?
Something that will work in almost every situation.
Well, that’s how I think about when to use stories in a speech.
In December, 2017, I produced a unique TEDx event, partnering with the folks at TEDxWilmington (producing a TEDx event means you pay a hefty fee to them, provide the set, lighting, sound, reception and you get to select the speakers).
The ten speakers at my TEDx event were thought-leaders who “illuminate the world” using the power of storytelling.
One of my speakers, Steve Harrison (who I work with and have also trained), perfectly demonstrates one of the most effective ways to engage an audience.
He starts his TEDx talk “How to Sell Without Selling Your Soul,” by describing his first foray into selling books door-to-door as a college student. He was terrified, with “knees knocking…” and this engaging story sets up the substance of the rest of his TEDx talk.
At the end of his talk, he wraps the whole idea up with a final story. This story, book-ending his opening story, leaves us inspired and with a sense of being brought on a journey.
So…find a story to launch your talk and then tell a story which brings us full circle with a sense of completion.
You can see Steve’s TEDx talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqdaRXQjTUE