Yes, you do have a story!

During my training sessions, people keep telling me they don't have any good stories to tell about themselves or their work. Honestly, I'm not surprised because nowadays storytelling has become an extra fear for public speakers. It's a must, a trick, a technical tool to attract attention. It's become a professional monster with a life of its own. We're gently told we need to learn storytelling because it's a very complex skill and without proper lessons we can't do it properly.

But just remember. When somebody asks you about your weekend on a Monday morning when you're at work with a coffee in your hand, what do you say? You certainly won't share your daily schedule about breakfast time and what you had for lunch. What about when you ask a woman how she met her husband? Hollywood producers would die to listen to it. Why did somebody become a scientist? So many beautiful and emotional human stories come to light. Or what was your worst presentation? There are amazing stories that could be placed in any comedy show. Stories told without training or technical instruction.

We need to remember these stories when we want our message to be clear and motivating. What's the best story to accompany my message? What kind of story would most help me to motivate my audience? If we find the same voice in us that we use on Monday morning with a coffee in our hand, it will work.