How to Be a Good Storyteller: 7 Tips That Really Work

It doesn’t matter whether you’re speaking to your partner, filling them in on your day at work, chatting with your friends at the bar, or giving a speech in front of a group of strangers at a conference or seminar, storytelling is a fantastic way to connect and communicate. 

Have you ever noticed, however, that some people just seem to have a knack for storytelling? It doesn’t matter what they’re talking about, they can seemingly make any subject sound interesting. On top of that, they’re able to captivate their audience from start to finish. As they speak, people listen, right until the conclusion of their story. It’s remarkable, really, and can be very useful in everyday life too. 

On the flipside, though, there are people who struggle to tell engaging stories. Either verbally in written word, some people just don’t excel, and that’s perfectly fine. Storytelling is a creative art that can be improved upon, even if you’re not creative by nature. 

To prove this, in this handy guide we’ll be looking at storytelling and what you can do to become a better storyteller. 

What is Storytelling and Why is it Important?

Whether you’re speaking verbally in person, over the phone, via webcam, or even on social media, storytelling is about captivating an audience, entertaining them, providing useful info, and conveying a message. 

Contrary to what some may have you believe, there is no right or wrong way to tell a story, as each person is different. Being human is about individuality and being unique, which is why we have such differing personalities. So, does that mean that extroverts who are known for being confident, loud, and outgoing, are going to be better storytellers than introverts, who are typically quieter and more subdued? Absolutely not! 

Stories can be told in different ways, using different mannerisms, articulation, expressions, body language, different cadence, different words, and plenty more besides. 

Storytelling may be an art and form of entertainment, but it offers so much more. Storytelling can serve as a learning tool for education. You can use storytelling to inform others of important info, you can influence and inspire others, reassure people, build trust, correct others, entertain, and so much more. 

That, amongst other things, is why storytelling is so important and is why becoming a better storyteller can be so beneficial. 

How to Become a Better Storyteller

Okay, so we now understand more about what storytelling is and why it’s so important, but now comes the tricky part. Now it’s time to look at ways of improving your storytelling skills. 

Here are a few tried and tested tips proven to help you become a better storyteller. 

Try to Find Personal Elements You Can Relate To 

Firstly, when telling a story, it’s always handy to be speaking about a subject that you have firsthand experience with, that you can relate to.

It’s much easier to speak about topics that you know and understand, as that way the words will flow freely and concisely, without you even realizing. No matter what you’re speaking about, try to find elements in the story that you’re telling that you can relate to on a personal level. 

Without bending the truth, look for aspects, even on a minuscule scale, that can be tied back to you and personal experiences you may have had. This could be a person you met at the store, a childhood memory, a place you visited, the weather, food and drink, or anything else you can think of. 

If it is personal to you, you’ll speak passionately about it and will speak openly in the process. Your story will flow naturally and won’t sound forced or insincere. Often the best stories told are those which come from the heart. 

Try Not to Go into Too Much Detail 

While storytelling is all about, well, telling a story, it’s important that you cut to the chase sooner, rather than later, instead of rambling on for too long. 

There’s no quicker way to lose an audience than to bore them with too much information that offers them absolutely nothing. When speaking, some people go on and on, especially when nervous, whereas others just enjoy speaking and chatting about their day. The problem is, not everybody wants to hear it. 

If you’re telling a funny story about something that happened when walking your dog at the park for example, by all means set the scene, but don’t go off on a tangent. Unless the weather played a key role in your story, your listeners don’t need to hear that it was raining at first, before turning cloudy, with the sun eventually making an appearance. They don’t need to know the temperature, what other people at the park were wearing, and other pieces of info that are irrelevant to your story. 

When telling a story, once you’ve set the scene to help your listeners metaphorically put themselves there, make sure you cover all the key points and get to the conclusion relatively quickly. 

Speak with Confidence, Energy, and Passion 

Going back to what we spoke about earlier, about finding topics that you can relate to, another great strategy to tell a good story is to speak with confidence, passion, and energy. 

If you’re telling people a story that you found exciting, don’t suppress your emotions, let your listeners know how excited you were, and are, to be speaking about it. If you drone on in a flat, monotone, expressionless voice, with zero body language and interaction, your listeners will pick up on this and quickly tune out. 

Instead, bring passion, confidence, and energy to your story. Stand or sit up straight, hold your head high, puff out your chest, straighten your neck, and speak slowly in a concise, confident manner. If the story you’re recounting made you feel a certain way, let your listeners know this. Passion, energy, and confidence can be contagious. In a good way. The better your audience feels, the better your story will be received.

Listen and Engage with Your Listeners

Another simple, yet effective tip for telling a great story is to listen to and engage with your listeners. 

Observe your listeners and see how they’re behaving. Are they looking alert and focused on you, or are they looking tired, bored, and uninterested? If your listeners are sitting there yawning, looking around the room, checking their phones, and generally looking uninterested, use this to get back on track. 

Uninterested looking listeners clearly shows you that your story is not being received well. If this is the case, try switching things up, try different strategies, and see if this gets them back on track? 

On the other side of the coin, if your listeners are silent, attentive, and focused on each word that comes from your mouth, well, as the saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. 

Try to Get Creative 

Contrary to what influencers and motivational coaches may have you believe, you don’t need to possess the storytelling abilities of a world-renowned author to tell a good story. A little creativity and imagination goes a long way, so try to get creative. 

When telling a story, if you can think of a good analogy or anecdote, throw it in there and use it. Metaphors also work great, as long as you can think of a good one. The thing to remember, especially with metaphors, is not to force them just for the sake of using them. If you can find a good one yourself, go ahead and use it, if not, don’t bother. It won’t sound natural and your audience will pick up on that. 

If you are able to get creative, however, do so, because this will help the story seem a great deal more real to your listeners. The clearer the story is in their minds, the easier they’ll find it to understand, relate to, and appreciate. 

Read the Room 

Another very simple, and very effective strategy to help anybody become a better storyteller is to read the room. What do we mean by this? We mean you should know your audience. 

If for example, you’re telling a political story, knowing your audience is very important. Not everybody enjoys discussing politics, and as different people have different political preferences, some political topics may alienate certain listeners. 

Basically, know your audience and read the room. If certain elements of your story are not being received well, quickly move on and try to get back on track. After changing the subject, observe your listeners and see whether they appear to be more receptive this time around. 

Interact With Your Listeners 

Finally, if you really want to become a great storyteller, it’s important that you interact with your listeners. 

Ask them if they understand what you’re saying, or if they can relate. When you’ve finished your story, try to get some feedback. Find out what they thought and maybe ask if there was anything they were unhappy with. If for example, one or two complained that they struggled to hear you, that could be a sign to speak louder the next time. 

Providing it is constructive, criticism can be a very useful tool when it comes to storytelling. 

Try The Vocal Image App Today

If you’re working on your communication skills and want to become a better storyteller, head on over to our app for a free 7-day trial. 

Here you can test things like confidence, clarity, your accent, pitch, tone, your voice in general, and so much more besides. Practice, after all, makes perfect, and with the Vocal Image app you can practice to your heart’s content.