How often do business presenters feel that they could have done better? Given more? Shone a brighter light?
But how can the storyteller shine a brighter light?
Participants will learn how to switch on and switch off the ‘storytellers lamp’. There will be an emphasis on:
Movement
Breathing
The Voice
Participants will work on:
Amplification
Exxageration and…
Being larger than life!
Returning to ‘normal’
We will use a number of storytelling scenarios to explore this:
Childrens bedtime stories
Ghost stories
Adventure stories etc
Neuro-science shows that the brains of the audience will light up and show the same electrical activity as the brain of the storyteller. The more compelling the storyteller the longer this electrical activity will continue in the brains of the audience.
Tricentis Storytelling in Business survey “Would you recommend this course to your colleagues?” 100% Yes!
Copying and Pasting Having explored amplification, exaggeration and being larger than life with adventure stories etc we will then ‘copy and paste’ these performance resources into business storytelling presentations.
SAMPLE PROGRAMME:
1st Morning
Introductions
Discussion of delegates strengths and weaknesses as business storytellers.
Setting the scene – Alan Mars tells his story (and demonstrates the storytellers tools and skills)
Review of voice, breathing and posture skills needed for good stage/storyteller presence
Introduction to storytelling principles:
Context? Who are you speaking to? Is it to an internal or external audience?
Emotion is the storytellers friend. What balance of logic, evidence or emotion is required for the context?
How to ‘speak from the heart’
Stories with a smooth narrative and easy solutions are, all too often, boring.
Stories which include obstacles and struggles on the road to ‘victory’ lead to audience engagement, interest and motivation
Exercises:
The story of your name e.g. Dan the Dog
Songs, nursery rhymes, ballads, earworms, anthems
Awakening the inner storyteller. Delegates introduce their own favourite storyteller (often a family member or friend) to the group. Bringing the storyteller to life in the mind’s eye, ears and in the hearts of the listeners.
Unpacking Pathos e.g. the Bardic Principles
Structure
BRIBE
Starting centred and grounded. Moving on to upping the energy within an expanded elastic suit.
The chill factor of the Bardic Principles – using the Backward Circle.
Words
VAKOG = Expanding your sensory vocabulary = Full sensory saturation = Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Olfactory, Gustatory…
Visual words list – using the mid to high ‘screen space’ for visionary type of messages
Auditory words list – using the voice to reinforce the auditory messages
Kinesthetic word list – using in conjunction with space sculpture gesture space
Olfactory and Gustatory – the ‘Lemon’ exercise!!!
Preparation for the afternoon:
Preparing your ‘business story’ or ‘passion presentation’ (a personal enthusiasm) for practice and presentation after lunch.
1st Afternoon
Preparing and sharing your story with a partner
Delivering your story to the group with feedback and coaching
FEEDBACK
Constructive feedback is essential for both the listeners and storytellers. Each listener will be given an aspect of the storytellers behaviour or language to focus upon:
Visual – focussing on storytellers body language and posture
Vocal – focussing on storytellers voice
Verbal – the storytellers language
Observation tasks change with each performance i.e. if you were observing Visual with the first storyteller you will observe Vocal for the next etc.
COACHING
Increasing the drama via ‘amplification’ e.g. louder, quieter, slower, use of space, eye contact.
Coaching is mostly from Alan for first two or three storytellers and then, increasingly, group members contribute to the coaching i.e. learning via teaching and ‘behavioural theft’.
2nd Morning
Review of day 1
Focussing on performance objectives for day 2
Voice and body warm up
The Tricentis Story (substitute your own business name / story topic here!)
Group Presentation – the group sequence, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, the various stories presented on the first day to create a complete ‘Tricentis Story’ (substitute your business / story topic)
Close attention is given to smooth handovers between each story
The ‘Tricentis Story’ is opened a closed by a ‘compere’
The morning is concluded with general feedback and focussing on coaching objectives for the afternoon session.
2nd afternoon
After lunch on day two I see delegates separately for one to one coaching
Objectives for future learning and development are set
Delegates are offered follow-up coaching via Skype
