7 Storytelling Mistakes Most People Make

The Success Café #55

Read time: 3 mins

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Humans are born storytellers.

We all love listening to a great story to feel inspired and connected.

And yet 99% of people don’t know how to tell a great one.

It’s time to get back to basics and set the foundations solid.

Here are 7 deadly mistakes to avoid so you can capture your audience’s attention like a superstar:

1/ No clear purpose

You must tell your story with the end in mind and describe every scene in support of your goal.

What results are you trying to get out of your story?

• A happy customer using your product?

• Inspire people to take an action?

• Convincing your audience on a given idea?

• Growing your network?

• Entertaining?

Focus on telling your story with the outcome you want in mind.

2/ Too much detail

Most people get their audience completely lost in details.

Rather, paint the picture and set the scene quickly.

No need to make an intro last for hours and get boring.

Identify what matters the most and dive into it right away.

3/ Weak Introduction

People don’t care how awesome your story is

unless you can hook their attention with a “what’s in it” for them and why they should listen to it.

Tell your audience what the story is about right from the beginning.

And make the narration flow straight to the point.

4/ No open loops

These are questions you don’t answer right after asking.

But the promise is that you’ll give the answer later in your story.

Why is this technique powerful?

Because our brains always crave the information we most desire deep inside.

So, ask questions but keep some of the answers till the very end.

5/ Lack of focus

If you write for everyone, you’ll end up getting no one.

It’s a fundamental rule you must keep in mind at all times.

Your story must address your audience’s most specific concerns.

If not, they are gone and it’s game over for you.

6/ No structure

Everyone loves having at least a sense of a structured approach.

Here are 3 of them that will inspire you when telling your next story:

• Three-Act

  Set the scene, confront, and resolve.

• Hero's Journey

  Lives a normal life.

  Receives a call to adventure.

  Faces challenges but overcomes them with help from the guide

  Reaches a low point but perseveres,

  And returns completely transformed with more wisdom.

• Episodic

  Stories that all connect at some point.

7/ Lack of emotions

Finally, everything boils down to our most basic instincts: emotions.

As the famous sales coach Zig Ziglar once said:

People buy on emotions and justify with logic.

Ensure that you make your audience feel and live the outcome they’ll get from your story.

In the end, we all do crave a better life, a better self, with more opportunities to grow and thrive. Don’t we?

Come on, you’ve got this!⚡

p.s. to learn more secrets to great storytelling, I’d recommend the book: “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald A. Miller

And that’s a wrap!

Enjoyed the read? I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for your feedback.

I’ll speak to you again next Sunday.

Until then, have an awesome week ahead!