Management and Leadership

Using Strategic Storytelling to Captivate Your Audience

• Traditional Classroom: 1-day
• Virtual Instructor-led: Two 3-3.5 hour sessions; Three 2-hour sessions

Storytelling is central to human existence. We tell stories to make sense of our lives, to share information, to connect across time and space. Stories can influence, caution, excite, and inspire. They can also change attitudes and catalyze action. This highly interactive workshop will explore the use of storytelling in a business environment, interweaving neuroscience research, real-world examples, and — of course! — Stories.

Target Audience

This course is targeted toward anyone who wants to leverage dramatic structure and key elements of storytelling to:

• Deepen the connection with their audience.
• Amplify the impact of their message.
• Catalyze action.

Learning Objectives

• Articulate why stories are uniquely positioned to change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Explain key findings from neuroscience regarding how our brains respond to stories.
• Identify a “master story” and business goal to drive retention and recall of a message.
• Create a goal statement for a presentation or business story to focus and sharpen its impact.
• Perform audience analysis to design a relevant and powerful call to action.
• Incorporate critical story elements to enhance the impact of a message.
• Deliver a short presentation or business story to an audience.

Course Outline

Setting the Stage

• Workshop Goal and Objectives
• Introductions and Participant Expectations
• Jumpstart Activity: Telling a Story

Storytelling: An Art and a Science

• Why Do We Tell Stories?
• Making Meaning Through Narrative
• The Neurobiology of Storytelling
  • Oxytocin and Empathy
  • Adrenaline and Dramatic Tension
  • Dopamine and Resolution/Reward
• Leveraging Brain Science to Hook Your Audience

Storytelling in the Business or Non-Profit World

• Organizational and Team Stories
• Your Organization‘s “Master Story”
• Activity: When Do You Use Stories?

Creating Your Content

• Activity: Setting Your Presentation Goal
• Activity: Analyzing Your Audience
• Using Logic to Organize Your Story
• Activity: Identifying Your Three Main Points
• Activity: Creating Supports with Data and Stories

Structuring Your Presentation

• Video: The Importance of Brevity
• Beginnings that Draw Your Audience In
• Activity: Write and Present Your Opening
• Activity: Write Your Closing

Captivating Your Audience

• Stories and Our Brain Circuitry
• Adding Media to Your Story
  • Guidelines for Visual Composition
  • Creating Effective Transitions
• Keeping Your Audience Engaged
  • Important Design Elements
  • Using Questions to Engage
  • The Power of the Pause
  • Adding Vocal Variety
• Activity: Finalize Your Presentation
• Activity: Share Your Presentations
• Workshop Summary and Next Steps

MDP1481 Course Code