Telling a great story versus telling a good story

I don't care how many times you have told a great story, it's a different ball game when you embed that same story inside of a speech or presentation.  It's one thing to sit around with family and friends, and tell stories in an environment where you feel uninhibited.  It's different, however, when you have an audience that's hanging on your every word.

Practice is the key.  It may make some of us say, "Duh!" but others learn the hard way.  I'm not going to point anyone out (pointing to myself), but trying to go with the flow in a speech can be a mistake.  I found out, the hard way, that a messed up story can lose the audience.  I found this out when I did a speech and thought it would be cute to tell a story without even thinking of how to put it together.  All I knew, at the time, was that it was a cool story.  I launched in with a smile, stuttered, forgot a part, went back to retrieve the part I forgot, and verbally limped to the end of it.  The lesson was learned.  Ever since that minor disaster, I have used the same method to tell a story, especially in my stand-up comedy routines.  

First, I concentrate on telling a smooth story.  Consider the audience the passengers as you take them on a verbal journey.

Second, choose a story that has a beginning, middle, and end.  The audience has to feel that they are going somewhere and will wind up somewhere that made the journey worth while.

Third, make sure that every element is in its place.  There's nothing more embarrassing than having a great flow then realizing you left out a key point.  The audience hates to hear, "Wait, I left something out."  It's like being on a plane, waiting for take-off, and hearing the pilot announce that you're going back to the gate because some paperwork wasn't filled out.  Yes, I've been on a plane that did that.

Finally, and most importantly, deliver the story as if it belongs in the speech.  Big build-ups such as "This is a great story" actually ruin the experience.  After all,  you wouldn't include a story if it weren't great, would you?  Saying things like "Don't worry, there's a point to this" comes across as if you're apologizing for nothing.  If your story has twists and turns, that's great!  Allow the audience to be your riding buddy on this great journey.  Don't try to make them enjoy it.

Use effective speaking techniques with stories, too.  Since it is a specialized part of your speech or presentation, slightly pump up the eye contact, smiles, vocal dynamics, and use pauses to your advantage.  A great story is a result of a great approach to telling it.