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7 Storytelling Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

January 15, 2008 |


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How do you know you need to improve your storytelling skills?  I mean…a lot of people don’t spare a second thinking about storytelling, so why are storytelling skills important?  Why should you care?

Here’s you know if you need to become a better storyteller:

You desperately need to improve your storytelling skills if … 

·        If you’ve ever had people roll their eyes and look down at their watch when you’re telling a story

·        If people tell you that your emails are WAY too long

·        If people routinely miss important points because they start daydreaming when you talk to them

·        If your email open rates are below 5%

·        If people avoid talking to you

·        If you feel you just aren’t getting through to people

·        If you want to grow your organization, MLM downline, or list

How my sense is that we all can be better at staying on point and on purpose as we connect with people - whether at work or at home or in the community. 

So these are 7 Common Storytelling Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake #1:  Not having a purpose for your story.  Talking just to talk or blogging just to blog is not the best way to win friends and influence people.Solution:  Have a goal or end or aim in mind when you tell a story.  This will hold the interest of your listener/reader, raise your credibility, and help you keep yourself on track.

Mistake #2:   Not sticking to the point of your story.  You get bored if someone tells you a story that has no point. 

Solution:  Take note of this and have a point or purpose for any story you tell about a memory, event, desire, problem, etc.  The more clear you are about who you are and what you’re about, the more focused your stories will be.  You can download my audio, “The Geometry of Success: 5 Simple Shapes that Shape Your Life” to help you be on purpose and on point.

Mistake #3:  Failure to Be Present.Wandering minds turn people off.  It is so easy to have your body in one place and your mind in another. 

Solution:  Talk directly to the person in front of you.  Keep eye contact and keep your mind on the person, not on what you need to get at the store.  Be Present.  If you are writing an email message, article or story, write it to a single person.  The sense of immediacy and focus this brings will pay off for you.

Mistake #4:  A Disorganized story.  “Oh, I should have told you this first…” breaks up the flow of the story and makes it harder for your listener/reader to follow=olution:  Organize your story ahead of time.  Set the scene, introduce the people involved, and tell what happened.

Mistake #5:  Scattered examples:  If you think up a different story every time you want to get the same result, you’re missing the point.

Solution:  Repetition is actually a good thing when it comes to getting a message across.  I don’t mean you tellthe same story over and over again in a single session.  But think of it this way.  You probably have your favorite personal development speaker.  You may read two or three different books by this author and hear him or her onstage, and you’ll notice that he uses the same stories to talk about a particular point. 

Mistake #6 Focusing only on yourself and your needs/wants.  WIIFM = “What’s In It For Me”, and it is exactly what EVERYONE is thinking when they hear/read your story.

Solution:  Focus on your listener/reader, not on yourself.  How is what you’re saying of benefit or value to them?  The POINT should be what they will gain.  It’s not just about you telling your story to make yourself feel good.

Mistake #7:  Day-dumping or data dumping.  If you’re just unloading a huge steaming pile of facts or unfortunate events of your day, you’re losing credibility–and business.

Solution:  Connect with your reader or listener on an emotional level.  When you speak in facts you touch a mind, but when you connect with someone, you touch a heart.

If you notice yourself making a number of these storytelling mistakes on a regular basis, consider discovering how to emotionally connect with anyone through the power of storytelling with the Storytelling Templates and Storytelling Class below.

 What I teach people to do in my Storytelling for Business Profits class is to come up with a single example/story at first that you use all the time for the same purpose.  You might branch out and have 3-4 stories, but starting with one for each key point that draws customers or affiliates or clients to you is of high value. I even have Storytelling Templates that give you a fool-proof pattern to follow so that you can create a great story immediately.  Download an audio that teaches you one of these Storytelling Templates here and discover how to turn a cherished memory into a memorable story.

The path to better business and better relationships is the way of the storyteller!

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Ronda Del Boccio, The Story Lady of Storyation.com is an author, dynamic speaker, author coach, story coach.

She is the author of I'll Push, You Steer: The Definitive Guide to Stumbling Through Life with Blinders On

The Kama Sutra of Storytelling: Positioning, Power and Profit

and her upcoming book...
The Geometry of Success: 5 Simple Shapes that Shape Your Life   Print This Post Print This Post
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