Written by When was the last time you heard a story that truly resonated with you? One that pulled you in, made you feel, and left a lasting impression? Crafting a powerful story is no accident—it’s a skill that can be learned and refined. I focus on that in my ‘Influential Storytelling’ course, an online live training program I’m excited to be running in collaboration with the team at the Future Skills Academy.
This four-week course equips you with the techniques to make your stories truly impactful. Whether you’re a professional looking to influence change or simply aiming to connect more effectively, we’ll explore the secret ingredients of storytelling together.
Why Empathy Matters in Storytelling
Empathy is the foundation of any compelling story. We use stories to connect with others, to bring them into our world so they can walk in someone else’s shoes. But empathy isn’t just about feeling; it’s about designing a message that resonates. One of the key tools I teach in this course is the empathy map, borrowed from design thinking. It’s a simple yet powerful way to understand your audience on a deeper level—what they think, feel, and might object to—so you can create messages that are not just heard but felt.
Navigating Conflict with Audience-Centric Messaging
Conflict is often seen as the heart of a good story. However, it is best to avoid unnecessary conflict when communicating with an audience. That’s why I advocate for an audience-centric approach to storytelling.
Consider what your audience might object to, their questions, and what makes them uncomfortable. Building a story around a message that addresses these concerns is the first step to getting their attention and opening up a dialogue. This course will help you explore how to craft messages that consider your audience’s perspective, creating a smoother path to connect and communicate even challenging topics.
What We’ll Cover in Influential Storytelling
During our time together, we’ll dive into:
- Empathy Mapping: Stepping into your audience’s shoes to create stories that resonate more deeply.
- Audience-Centric Messaging: Addressing objections and concerns within your story to foster open communication.
- Crafting Sticky Core Messages: Developing clear and memorable messages tailored to your audience.
- Practical Storytelling Techniques: Use conflict and narrative structure wisely to engage your audience.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a refined story ready to use, plus the skills and confidence to tackle future storytelling challenges in your personal and professional life.
Join Me for an Engaging Learning Experience
This course is more than just training—it’s an opportunity to rethink how you communicate and connect with others. We’ll meet online once a week for live sessions, and you’ll have self-directed learning activities to work on in between. It’s a supportive, interactive environment where you can grow your storytelling skills at your own pace.
If this sounds like something that could help you enhance your communication, I’d love to see you in the course.
This is my first public workshop since 2019, and I am excited. For my subscriber list only, I will provide a private coaching call after the course to further refine your story! Please email me after you have signed up, and I will be in touch with the next steps.
For more information and to sign up – https://futureskills.academy/courses/influential-storyteller/
Storytelling Built For Innovation 