One of the best—and easiest—ways to become an effective communicator is to learn to tell stories well. If you’re making a speech or presentation, one of the best ways to get over initial stage fright is to tell a story at the beginning of your presentation.
Stories, especially if they are short, can also be used throughout your presentation. They create interesting spaces between blocks of information. A strong story can also be a powerful way to end your presentation.
Abraham Lincoln regularly used similes and metaphors to make his presentations memorable. His use of the quotation “A house divided against itself cannot stand” in his debate with Stephen Douglas comes to mind. A simile, which is based on the same root word as our word “similar,” uses the word “like” to make a comparison. A metaphor makes a comparison too, but the comparison is implied, as in “all the world’s a stage.”
In telling a story, find the core idea and make sure that the story you tell is congruent with the message. Develop your ideas logically, and most important, ruthlessly edit out unessential details.
Many effective communicators never tell jokes—structured humor with punch lines—but most effective communicators use humor. One of the best ways to use humor is to tell a story that has a funny twist. It is not difficult to learn to tell a humorous story that can illustrate an important point that you want to make.
Lincoln was a master at this. One of his favorite stories, which he told in various settings, was about two men who went hunting. Suddenly a big boar charged one of the men, who managed to catch hold of the boar’s ears. He cried out to his friend, “For God’s sake, come help me turn loose of this thing.” He used this story to describe how difficult it was to decide on a strategy that would bring the Civil War to a close.
Here are some ways that humor can be used strategically: (1) To wake up or revive an audience; (2) To create a friendly atmosphere; (3) To disarm a hostile audience member; (4) To relieve tension; (5) To attack an idea or an opponent; (6) To illustrate a point or idea; (7) To deflect prying questions or protect confidential information.
Adapted from Lincoln on Communication by Dr. Gene Griessman
In addition to
