True stories are great for illustrating a message, but don’t fret if fiction is your forte. Telling a more imaginative tale still involves the same strategies, like sticking to a clear structure and delivering your story effectively.
For example, if you’re trying to inspire your employees or coworkers to meet a deadline, you’d want to tell them a story that illustrates perseverance despite tough obstacles. You could convey that moral by recalling a time they succeeded as a team in the past despite the odds being against them.
For example, stories in which you play a major role could involve you learning something from a mentor or making a mistake. That way, your story will be more authentic, you’ll engage your audience by making yourself vulnerable, and you won’t seem like you’re just boasting.
Start with an introduction to set your story’s scene. Describe the inciting incident, which presents the challenge or conflict. Raise the stakes and add a personal connection by adding context and detail to the challenge. Proceed to the climax, or your story’s main event. Finish with the resolution, which is when you can reflect on the moral of your story.
For example, if you pass by a coworker and tell them a story, you’ll probably want to limit it to around a minute. Imagine if someone in an elevator with you started telling a long story, didn’t finish it when the doors opened on your floor, and held you up until they were done. On the other hand, guests at a dinner party are there to socialize and talk, so you can make your stories longer and more engrossing.
Suppose you’re telling some friends about the time your boss took you out to lunch and, on the way to the restaurant, drove through a puddle that soaked you through your open window. You could open by saying, “Have you ever wondered what your boss really thinks of you? One rainy afternoon, I found out the hard way that I’m a lot less precious than a leather auto interior. " Wrap your story up by saying something like, “And there I am, shivering like a wet dog and soaked in dirty, side-of-the-road water, and all my boss can say is, ‘Quick! Grab something to wipe the seats!’”
For example, “That evening, deep in summer’s dog days, was thick with muggy Coastal Georgia heat,” is a more engaging detail than, “It was uncomfortably hot and humid on the night of August 26, 2016. ”
Try saying the story to yourself first. Then tell it to various groups of people and work on parts that didn’t seem to go over so well. Just make sure you don’t tell the same story to the same people![14] X Research source
Save stories about wild nights, sensitive political or social topics, and other potentially inappropriate content for good friends. At work or with people you don’t know well, keep your stories PG, or as least likely to offend someone as possible. For example, you could tell a new coworker about the time the software went down at the worst possible moment and, despite the chaos that ensued, somehow it seems hysterical in retrospect.
Glancing between people or shifting your eyes too much can seem untrustworthy. Looking away and not making any eye contact is also suspicious. Holding eye contact with one person for too long can make them uncomfortable.
