The Power of Telling a Story: The Value of Public Speaking Training

Want to make sure you immediately grab and hold your audience’s attention during your next speech or presentation? Then, as advised by public speaking training experts, open by telling a story.

When someone tells a story, the listener will begin forming mental images of the person, the scene, and the situation. Suddenly, the spoken scenario becomes real to the listener. As the story unfolds, the speaker has accomplished the most essential tool for capturing and holding their audiences’ attention: they have mentally engaged the audience.

Here are a few “storytelling” tips from public speaking training experts that guarantee to capture your audience’s attention:

1. Immediately upon taking the podium or stage, pause, look at the audience, smile and begin telling your story.
2. The story must be relevant to the topic of the speech or presentation and should be delivered from memory. Do not read a story.
3. Stories can come from personal, real life incidents, newspaper and magazine articles, movies, television, etc. Give proper attribution if telling a story pulled from a published source.
4. Keep opening stories short—no more than three minutes.
5. Rehearse telling your story in front of others before delivering it during your presentation. Ask for honest feedback and take to heart the feedback you receive.

Try opening with a brief story for your next presentation. They are powerful attention-grabbers, no matter who the audience.

To learn more about public speaking training turn to the experienced professionals at Carmie.com.