Let's Make Storytelling for Business Simple: Surprising Your Audience

I rented a movie a few days ago that had all the promise of being fun and entertaining. Yet it disappointed me.

Seeing the trailers made it look good, and why not? it had a top-rated cast of people who tend to put out excellent work. It had an interesting plot premise, and it promised to be entertaining.

But it fell flat. Why?

Because after less than 2 minutes, I already spun out the entire plot for the movie. Oh sure, I missed some of the slapstick elements, but I knew exactly what to expect throughout the movie.

What an unsatisfying experience. And I suspect you've had that happen to you.

I love it when a story surprises and captivate me. And I know you do too.

It's fun to think a movie or a song or a story is going in a particular direction and to find out it's more like that Monty Python sketch, "And now for something completely different."

Anytime you're telling a story, you want to add an element of surprise. A twist or turn that the reader may not anticipate. That's how you capture someone's attention and captivate them.

Recently, I watched a YouTube video of a young woman named Erin Murray, who wrote this piece of music. She is dressed formally, as one might expect for a stage performance. The music begins, sad and sweet, and she starts to sing what sounds as if it iss going to be about lost love. She starts with these words: "So you say you're leaving...leaving me alone."

Then things take a surprising twist. Within a few seconds, you will discover that this is not at all your typical ballad about lost love. It is in a way a forever love song.

What happens next is a little like paying a visit to the Twilight Zone... She starts singing about taxidermy. One of the lines is, "I'll put you in the parlor and you'll always be mine. I'll put a Santa hat on you come Christmas time. Baby, I love you."

And it gets funnier from there.

Watch her video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m9w-OZYQTQ.

You think you're about to hear a sad song and instead will most likely find yourself laughing and thinking, "I can't believe she just SANG that!"

What this singer-songwriter accomplishes has a terrific storytelling lesson for you. because you want to keep your audience involved. "Audience" has a broad interpretation in business (and indeed in life as well).

Your audience might be a person reading an article, an individual in a coaching session, someone reading your book, a small group at a meeting, or a live audience of dozens, hundreds or thousands. Realize that even a group is composed of individuals hearing or reading your story inside the privacy of their own experience.

Stories belong everywhere -

* on your blog
* in emails
* in articles
* in your info products (like ebooks & special reports)
* in your copywriting
* in your books
* in your coaching/mentoring
* on stage
* in meetings
* ..... you get the idea!

Adding an element of surprise - a twist - will make you a better storyteller.

My experience is that storytelling tends to trip people up simply because you aren't sure what kind of tale to tell. So I'll make it easy for you.

Knowing What Story to Tell

This may surprise you, but It's easy to decide what kind of story to tell when you begin with the outcome in mind. The first question you want to ask yourself has to do with the goal.

1. What's the desired outcome?

2. Who is your ideal audience or customer?

3. How will you cause an emotional response in the reader/listener of your story?

4. How will you surprise the person reading or listening to your story?

5. What do you want the reader/listener to DO after receiving the story?

Save these questions for yourself in a special file and answer them anytime you are writing a story or figuring out which one to tell in a live situation. This will help you be intentional about what you share, and therefore you will attain better results than if you simply "wing it" or tell a trite tale with a blatant message.

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN' 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd'><html><head><title>Articles Back Link | Let's Make Storytelling for Business Simple: Surprising Your Audience</title></head><body><h3>Let's Make Storytelling for Business Simple: Surprising Your Audience</h3><br><br> By: Ronda Del Boccio<br><br><p><p>I rented a movie a few days ago that had all the promise of being fun and entertaining. Yet it disappointed me. </P><p>Seeing the trailers made it look good, and why not? it had a top-rated cast of people who tend to put out excellent work. It had an interesting plot premise, and it promised to be entertaining. </P><p>But it fell flat. Why?</P><p>Because after less than 2 minutes, I already spun out the entire plot for the movie. Oh sure, I missed some of the slapstick elements, but I knew exactly what to expect throughout the movie.</P><p>What an unsatisfying experience. And I suspect you've had that happen to you.</P><p>I love it when a story surprises and captivate me. And I know you do too.</P><p>It's fun to think a movie or a song or a story is going in a particular direction and to find out it's more like that Monty Python sketch, "And now for something completely different."</P><p>Anytime you're telling a story, you want to add an element of surprise. A twist or turn that the reader may not anticipate. That's how you capture someone's attention and captivate them.</P><p>Recently, I watched a YouTube video of a young woman named Erin Murray, who wrote this piece of music. She is dressed formally, as one might expect for a stage performance. The music begins, sad and sweet, and she starts to sing what sounds as if it iss going to be about lost love. She starts with these words: "So you say you're leaving...leaving me alone."</P><p>Then things take a surprising twist. Within a few seconds, you will discover that this is not at all your typical ballad about lost love. It is in a way a forever love song.</P><p>What happens next is a little like paying a visit to the Twilight Zone... She starts singing about taxidermy. One of the lines is, "I'll put you in the parlor and you'll always be mine. I'll put a Santa hat on you come Christmas time. Baby, I love you."</P><p>And it gets funnier from there.</P><p>Watch her video at <A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m9w-OZYQTQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m9w-OZYQTQ</A>.</P><p>You think you're about to hear a sad song and instead will most likely find yourself laughing and thinking, "I can't believe she just SANG that!"</P><p>What this singer-songwriter accomplishes has a terrific storytelling lesson for you. because you want to keep your audience involved. "Audience" has a broad interpretation in business (and indeed in life as well).</P><p>Your audience might be a person reading an article, an individual in a coaching session, someone reading your book, a small group at a meeting, or a live audience of dozens, hundreds or thousands. Realize that even a group is composed of individuals hearing or reading your story inside the privacy of their own experience.</P><p>Stories belong everywhere -</P><p>* on your blog<br>* in emails<br>* in articles<br>* in your info products (like ebooks & special reports)<br>* in your copywriting<br>* in your books<br>* in your coaching/mentoring<br>* on stage<br>* in meetings<br>* ..... you get the idea!</P><p>Adding an element of surprise - a twist - will make you a better storyteller.</P><p>My experience is that storytelling tends to trip people up simply because you aren't sure what kind of tale to tell. So I'll make it easy for you.</P><p>Knowing What Story to Tell</P><p>This may surprise you, but It's easy to decide what kind of story to tell when you begin with the outcome in mind. The first question you want to ask yourself has to do with the goal.</P><p>1. What's the desired outcome?</P><p>2. Who is your ideal audience or customer?</P><p>3. How will you cause an emotional response in the reader/listener of your story?</P><p>4. How will you surprise the person reading or listening to your story?</P><p>5. What do you want the reader/listener to DO after receiving the story?</P><p>Save these questions for yourself in a special file and answer them anytime you are writing a story or figuring out which one to tell in a live situation. This will help you be intentional about what you share, and therefore you will attain better results than if you simply "wing it" or tell a trite tale with a blatant message.<br></P></p> <br><br> <b>Author Resource:-></b>  <br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href='http://www.articlesbacklink.com/'>Articles Back Link</a><br></body></html>