Making Your Narrative Unforgettable: The Elements that Make a Story Great

I succeeded in telling a great story twice in my life. I know, it doesn’t sound like much, especially as I’m writing in this space about great storytelling. You’d think I’d be some kind of expert in the field. But the reality is that telling a good story is hard. We all try to do it. It’s a huge part of human communication. Just because we tell them, though, doesn’t mean we’re good at it. Tell me you haven’t sat through some mind-numbing stories.

The first time, I was teaching college undergraduates. I told them a very personal story about something that happened to me and my family while traveling abroad. I’ll spare the details. But I can recall my students sitting very still, quiet, their eyes on me (difficult with students of any age). Some were visibly upset, their faces reacting to the emotional contours of the story. The more I realized they were with me, the more my confidence grew, the more vivid the detail became, and the better the story flowed.

The second time I was with a group of friends. They had known my penchant for getting into unusual situations, so they were predisposed to my predicaments. This time I told them a story about a house-sitting situation that turned horrifying. There were weird details and plot twists and everything flowed in the proper sequence. They laughed at the funny parts, were quiet at the tense parts, and reacted enthusiastically when I finished.

I don’t recount this to boast of my storytelling skills. Rather, I want you to understand the power of good storytelling and how rare it is in our lives. Memorable stories linger long after they’re heard… Your audience might snicker about it later, or even better, retell it to someone else, which is the whole point. Stories have been relayed, passed on, and preserved since ancient times. They capture the essence of who we are as people and help us interpret the often crazy things that happen to us, from the odd minutiae of daily life to the bizarre nature of the human condition. In the workplace, being memorable—for all the right reasons—can serve you very well.

Storytelling in Work Settings

Storytelling isn’t just a trendy cliche people throw around at conferences. It’s real and you should consider how it might help you.

• In Interviews: Right from the jump, storytelling comes into play in job interviews. You’ve been there. You’re asked to speak about “a time when you were faced with an obstacle at work” and you have to describe how you overcame it. Telling a good story in this moment could be the difference between getting the gig or not. It’s an excellent opportunity to be memorable.
• In Leadership: We all look to leadership for wisdom. And one of the best ways to demonstrate wisdom is to tell meaningful stories. Leaders often have captive audiences, which are ideal opportunities for storytelling. But leaders must be careful not to sound too self-centered. Their stories must be relevant to their work, their employees, their life, or their company, preferably weaving all four together. Leaders should relate stories emphasizing admirable qualities like humility and empathy, and they should be purposely designed to win the loyalty of their workforce, not highlight why they were anointed.
• In Presentations: Storytelling in presentations is a little tricky. If it’s a multimedia presentation, you’ll not have the full attention of your audience, as they’ll be distracted by whatever you’re presenting. It’s best to tell a story in the beginning or at the end when you can either preface your presentation or conclude it. You’ll have fuller attention in those moments when there’s an empty screen and nothing to read while you’re talking.

The Many P’s of Telling Great Stories

Let’s purposely understand how to tell a great story, by breaking it down into its critical elements.

• Plot: Ideally, your story should have a brief set-up to draw the audience in, an obstacle/hurdle/conflict, a revelation, and a resolution. These elements would roughly constitute the plot. Outline your plot ahead of time if you’re presenting, to make sure you follow the touchpoints. If you lose the thread of your own story you can bet that your audience will too.
• People: Be sure to give the characters dimension. If you’re the main character, take care to let your audience know your motivation or the aspects of your personality or circumstance relevant to the story. Give a few of your characters relatable qualities to draw people in.
• Place: In many stories, setting plays a major role, so don’t skimp on detail describing your environment. Where are you and what do you see? It helps your audience visualize your story when they can see where you are.
• Purpose: Why are you telling this story? What do you want people to take away from it? How is it specific to your audience? If your story doesn’t have meaning to those listening, it shouldn’t be told.
• Pace: If you’re nervous speaking in front of people, pace can be an issue. Words come vomiting out before you can get a handle on them and shape them into proper thoughts. The important thing, especially if this is you, is to understand that pace is critical to maintaining your audience’s attention. Find your way to relax (topic for another entry), and your story will benefit from changing things up, from fast to slower, from loud to softer, being careful to understand the reasoning behind your changes of delivery.
• Participation: While it’s not necessary, audience participation is an effective way to get attention. Many public speakers start their presentations off with a “How many of you…?” question, which feels like a tired rhetorical device but can still work if it’s a good setup to your story. Better would be to speak with a few individuals before you start. Making eye contact with a few others, to just say hello. This serves a dual purpose. It reels your audience in a little bit closer, and also helps to calm your own nerves.
• Practice. The Final P: My first successful story came after I tried telling the same story to different groups maybe ten times. The story recounts one of the defining moments of my life, so I’ll never forget it. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to tell. For it to make an emotional impact, the pieces need to come together in just the right way. My second story came together after I had told it half a dozen times; each telling landed with a frustrating thud. The raw material was first-rate, but I kept forgetting important details and losing the thread that made it sing. Afterward, I fielded more questions than reactions. Had I outlined it in the very beginning, I could have been more effective from the start.

Easing expectations might help you to relax. I still recall a few mortifying attempts at storytelling I experienced in meetings. One concept I prepared missed the mark so badly that I looked under the table to see if there was room for me. I remember the time I gave a toast at a wedding and what I was certain would be a funny story resulted in a few half-hearted chuckles and polite clapping. Imagine. And that’s in front of a wedding audience. At least we had the champagne.

Practice is so important. Had I practiced my toast (where was Toastmasters when I needed it?), I never would have experienced that awkward appearance. Storytelling isn’t natural, especially these days when we’re not speaking to others face to face nearly as often as we used to. Had I practiced, I might not have been as nervous. Preparation is a great way to calm the nerves.

And, finally, once your story is over. Stop talking. Let it sink in. Don’t over-explain. Take your seat and be quiet. Enjoy the fact that you just told a memorable story. You left your audience with something of value.

There’s lots of talk these days about the power of good storytelling. At this point, we all get it. What we don’t understand well enough, is how we can improve our own stories to make a more powerful impression. Whether it’s in a classroom, a conference room, an auditorium, or in a bar having margaritas with a bunch of friends, there’s tremendous value in becoming a great storyteller. After all, wouldn’t it be nice if people looked forward to seeing you because you always have great stories to tell?

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