My friend Bob Stromberg is a truly funny, unique and gifted entertainer. Perhaps his greatest asset is his ability to tell a story. I had the opportunity to be with Bob several times recently, and after all the years I've known him, I'm still amazed.
Bob taught a session at our Dynamic Communicators Workshop in Colorado Springs on Story Telling for speakers. He did an excellent job of demonstrating the skill, giving options as to how a story might fit in various settings and giving practical steps that any speaker can take to become a better story teller.
One step he highlighted was to, "Give the story generous rehearsal." Sadly, many speakers don't rehearse at all - and it shows. You might get away with no rehearsal if you're just giving a basic speech, but if you're going to tell a story, you've got to rehearse it. More than once. Preferably in front of people.
Storytelling is an art and all art requires diligent rehearsal. A story is about timing and the turning of a phrase. Done correctly, it is an amazing vehicle for powerful communication. Done poorly, it is an amazing opportunity to crash and burn.
If story telling is your thing, find an opportunity to see Bob Stromberg perform, get one of his videos, read his books. Then rehearse, practice and rehearse some more!
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