As you may (or may not, but now you do) know, I love helping people share and shape their story. It’s something I’ve been doing for years, and I’ve coached thousands of people on this – it never gets old. No two stories are the same.<\/p>\n
What’s yours?<\/p>\n
One of the most important things people forget when it comes to preparing their story, is that it’s not actually about them.<\/p>\n
Wow. Did you forget? Let me gently remind you.<\/p>\n
You need to put your audience first.
\nThink of them before you start preparing – who are they? What do they already know about me or my subject? What are they interested in? Do they know each other? Are they coming to my presentation because they want to? Or because they have to?<\/p>\n
If you start by putting yourself in the minds, hearts, ears, and souls of your audience, you’re bound to make a good connection from the start.<\/p>\n
This reminds me of the tale of the fisherman. Do you know it? (Maybe not because I just made it up.)<\/p>\n
Let’s say a fisherman goes out fishing for the day. And before he starts, he buys the biggest, juiciest worms he can find. Really squishy, meaty, slimy ones. You know, the bestest when it comes to wormage (and no, ‘bestest’ and ‘wormage’ are not actual words….until now).<\/p>\n
And then he goes off to a new lake.
\nAnd casts his line….
\nAnd waits.
\nAnd waits.
\nAnd waits.<\/p>\n
Guess what? He comes up empty-handed. Or empty-hooked, rather. Why? He just happened to be fishing in a lake where the fish only eat bits of other fish.<\/p>\n
Who knew?
\nHe didn’t.
\nAnd he should have.<\/p>\n
If you tell your story the same way, no matter who is listening, there’s a good chance you might not be using the right bait; and therefore, missing a chance to make a real (and lasting) connection with your audience.<\/p>\n
Put them first.
\nAnd then prepare.
\nThey’ll be hooked! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n