Captivate Your Audience: Storytelling at Its Best
When you write – whether a keynote address, an article, or a book to be published – your priorities should be relevant to your audience. You need to pull them in and keep their attention. There is nothing you can do about this and use the story in your own format. Many religious texts are written this way for one compelling reason: it is a practical way to keep captivated your audience.
I grew up listening to audios from inspiring speakers such as Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, and Napoleon Hill. I found the sound habit encouraging in my manager as a young salesman, and it seemed to just stick to me. Now I have a publishing company, and Zig is still our most popular talent.
I still listen to Zig from time to time as my car hikes up and down a mountain on a summer day, or on a highway crawling in the metropolitan area to meet some of the writers I am publishing.
The famous Zig Ziglar is a favorite of mine because of his expertise in storytelling. I had the good fortune to work with him directly while he was alive, and his outburst was real. He was a lovable man, and he was a very gifted speaker.
The traveler, waiting to board a plane, sits down next to a pile of luggage to enjoy a bag of freshly bought cakes. The woman next to him dips into the bag, believing that she is the owner of the cake bag, and the man’s eyes are like a cake thief’s. Each indulges in a loaf of cake, one piece stolen at a time. When the man boarded the plane, he realized that he had been right — he had found his unbuttoned cake bag underneath. It’s too late to tell him you’re sorry or correct, and the plane takes off without his pride. The man is completely humble.
Ziglar discusses the subject in an attractive and captivating way — the pure Zig — and he comes to the conclusion of the undeniable story: humility is always the wisest choice. The story works because it is personal, and as listeners, we feel like we are there with Zig, remembering that moment.
That’s why I was surprised when I reviewed another old self-promotion program and heard the same story with Cookie Thief by Wayne Dyer. This was not some unknown robbery, but a prominent multimillion-dollar speaker and world-renowned author, using exactly the same imagery.
In his speech, Dyer read a poem called Cookie Thief, given to Valerie Cox. He reached the same conclusion as Ziglar, but Dyer set it apart. Like Ziglar, he was engaged to be married as he told the story, and I felt as if he knew the author of Cookie Warriors. I felt like I was there.
Real Comforting Foods or Simple Mental Foods?
The Chicken Soup series is one of the most successful franchises in publishing history. With over 130 million copies sold, including Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, Star Wars, and Fifty Shades of Grey. We should all be lucky.
This means that the Cookie Sela story has already changed since he spoke to Zig. Good news, to be sure, but is THAT good? In fact, it all depends on the storyteller. Having the right ingredients is just the beginning. What you do with them is very important.
3 Success Storytelling Questions
If you want to use the news to increase the interest of your audience, ask yourself these 3 questions:
Whose interest do you suggest? Consider your audience when selecting your subject.
Do you have a message to relate to? Make sure your story is about common pain or joy that your audience may feel.
Do you say it in a harmonious way? Present your point in a different and personal way. If you want to make a point, be sure to tell the story. But when you tell a story, make sure the story you are telling is your own. Make it personal, make it unique, and put your personal stamp on it. you will never know where your words will end or whose life will be changed for them