Renowned storytelling researcher Kendall Haven is one of the star lectors at Present to Succeed, his talks always attracting hundreds of content experts willing to learn how to communicate their message more effectively.
Sounds simple or, to be more precise, intuitive. Because good storytellers control their story line naturally, without even thinking about it. In his second lecture at the PTS conference Kendall Haven gave us some precious insights on how we can learn to do that consciously, namely by reframing our story, and why we should do that.
Here’s some of the key moments we found particularly exciting.
💡Note that this talk is for advanced story-fanatics and can be fully grasped and enjoyed by watching the full recording.
Why do we need to reframe our story?
The short answer to this question is – we need to get inside the audience’s mind. In his book Story Smart. Using the Science of Story to Persuade, Influence, Inspire and Teach (Libraries Unlimited, 2014) Kendall says: “Stories happen in the mind of the audience member. That’s where all of the action takes place that you work so hard to create. That’s where your impact will be felt”.
Stories have the so-called Influence Potential – they can change someone’s behaviour, if done effectively. An effective story has the audience as the main character and it’s the main character that goes through a transformational journey. It’s the same with presentations. If done properly, the presentation should help its audience (the main characters) achieve a purpose (find a solution to their problem) and change their mindset.
Kendall suggests, we need to learn how to reframe the story content in a way that becomes audience-centric. Only if the audience becomes the characters, can their ideas be influenced or changed.
Relax, initially people will hold on to their beliefs (their own story), but this is how communication works no matter the context. The storyteller needs to work their way through the audience’s mind and find ways to change it.
How to reframe our story?
In his talk Kendall gives plenty of ideas and examples of how to re-think our story so that we can change people’s beliefs and attitudes. Again, let’s emphasise that a story is what happens inside the audience’s mind when they receive the message.
1. To reframe a story, you can change the main character. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about the audience. Tell the story from someone else’s point of view, someone relatable who the audience can identify with.
For instance, if you’re a company rep and want to communicate internally that there will be policy changes, put the employees at the center of your message and state how they will benefit from those changes, create a feeling of agency for them. If you make the story about yourself, the audience might flip you into an antagonist and completely distort the final message.
2. Another technique for reframing your story is changing the goal. Similarly to the previous method, the goal should be your audience’s desired goal. It might affect who the antagonist is or what the outcome would be.
With the above-mentioned example, the goal would be not to impose a new policy on the employees, but to make them feel like they will end up having better working conditions. The goal is to not let them question their job. In the words of Kendall, job preservation becomes the goal, not the policy change.
3. Finally, you can change the story’s motives. You can facilitate empathic feelings by changing the motives of the story character to match those of the audience (motive matching). Pay attention to Kendall’s Big Oil Company example, to get a clearer idea of what happens when you change the motive of the story.
Do you like Kendall’s presentation slides? We made them! Check out the whole project here.
There’s so much inspiration and knowledge you can get from a story expert like Kendall Haven. Watch the full video to hear what he says about effective stories that reach destructive goals or what is the worst thing that you can do when researching your audience. Oh, and there’s a mathematical equation for all science junkies out there!
For more insights on good storytelling, check out the track recordings which will empower you to create engaging and memorable stories. Have you considered attending Present to Succeed in April 2023? Get your early-bird ticket here.
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organization or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and influencing them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Now is the best moment to get your ticket!
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organisation or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and learn how to influence them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Get your ticket now!
