My best ad libbed stories have been practised for hours in front of the mirror.
John Stewart, Chairman, Legal and General, London and Director, Telstra Corporation, Melbourne
Once you have done all the hard work of crafting your stories you should get into the practice of practising them. Yes, we can hear you groaning, but practice is the secret sauce of storytelling: practise, practise and then some more practise. Never for a moment be seduced by anyone who seems a natural at storytelling; it is practice that got them there.
Practice ensures you deliver your stories with impact and, sadly, there is no shortcut. And no app has been invented as yet that can do it for you or that can take the place of good, old-fashioned practice.
In this chapter we are going to look at the best way to practise and deliver your stories. This could be delivering your stories in a presentation, seguing naturally into a story in a meeting, in a corridor conversation or during a one-on-one coaching session — in fact, it could occur in practically any business context.
Practising your story
You cannot just ‘wing it’ when you tell stories in business. You have to practise your stories and then pull them out at just the right moment. Just as a rabbit has to be in the hat in order for a magician to pull it out, you have to craft and practise your stories so that you are prepared to tell them whenever the opportunity arises.
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