I finally got the chance to finish Nancy Duarte’s book ‘Resonate’. It’s heralded by many as being one of the top guides to public speaking. It has a business focus but many of the principles can be applied to any kind of speech or talk.
The book is chock full of goodness, but one of the big takeaways is that facts alone are never enough to get people to take action. When we speak it’s vitally important that we include stories and emotion too.
To that end it’s a great idea to put together a list of key stories that you can keep on hand and use when needed. Each story should illustrate a particular point and you can use them almost like recipe ingredients, to illustrate, to persuade and to bring your talk to life.
Even if you’re not an experienced speaker, a story delivered with authenticity and humility has the power to move almost anyone.
So, take an hour or two….allow yourself to delve into your past and recall the moments that you might want to share with your audience. Write them down in a list and beside each story write a couple of words to describe the point that the story might illustrate.
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The art of influence is SO important. But sometimes, especially as introverts and quiet people, we can find it awkward when we need to persuade others of our point of view. So here’s a link to a freebie you can download to help you craft a talk that can move people and persuade and inspire them to take action.