I was well into my 30s by the time I realized I didn’t know how to make human connections. In other words, no one really knew who I was. I put little to no effort in communicating and expressing myself. Then, an event shook me. That’s when I discovered I desired better relationships with the people in my life. Likewise, I wanted to more easily connect with anyone I met. It became clear a large part of the responsibility in people getting to know me, was in fact, on me to share information about myself. That was my awakening which led me to actively leverage storytelling to share, connect, and grow closer together with people. Becoming a first time storyteller has greatly impacted my life.
I’m not entirely sure what brought you to this post but I’m grateful you’re here. I’m excited to introduce you to first time storytelling so you can discover if it can impact your life!
In Part I, I explain the three purposes of first time storytelling. In Part II, the benefits of first time storytelling.
The Three Purposes of First Time Storytelling
All writing, presentations, speeches, and storytelling ultimately share the same purposes. They serve to inform, entertain, and persuade or a combination of those three.
First time storytelling serves the same purposes; however, they are completely related to you and who you are.
That’s right.
You can leverage first time stories to inform and communicate with others who you are, to entertain (engage) people with who you are and things you’ve done, and also to persuade people to share in your experiences, hire you, date you, buy from you, avoid your mistakes (learn from you), etc.
Watch the Video: The Three Purposes of First Time Storytelling
To Inform and Communicate With Others Who You Are
It’s human to want to be heard, known, and understood. The primary step to achieving that goal is in being able to communicate and express yourself in a clear, concise, and engaging manner.
We are the sum of our experiences and everything started with a first time. Therefore, you can easily weave a thread through your life with first time stories.
First time storytelling is a methodology that allows you to share who you are and how you became that person through the various events in your life that impacted and shaped you. Likewise, you can use first time stories to share a wide range of information, facts, and details about yourself. This is all done in a way that is fun, entertaining, and memorable.
The story of my first (and only) tattoo is rich with information about me and my life. If you heard that story and knew nothing about me you would learn:
- I’m a former Marine and served for 24 years.
- I was on my own at the age of 18.
- I’m not originally from the U.S.
- I have no kids.
- I’ve fluctuated in weight.
- I used to listen to Native American music as a kid.
- I became obsessed with eagles which represented a few things to me; the primary thing being freedom.
- You would know how important freedom, more specifically, my freedom to live the life of my choosing, has always been to me. It’s the reason I wanted an eagle tattoo so badly, to have that symbol branded unto me.
- You would know I’ve lived my life in a way that honored the branding I selected for myself. I’ll proudly be taking that tattoo to my grave.
It’s a first time story loaded with information that would otherwise take a while to find out about me or that you might never learn.
Questions
How many interesting, fascinating, and entertaining stories about your life do you think you’ve placed on an imaginary shelf? Did you decide they were no longer worth sharing?
What made you decide those stories no longer mattered or that they had lost their relevance? Are they not, the stories of who you are/have become?
Becoming a first time storyteller positively impacts your life because it helps you communicate who you are.
To Entertain (Engage) People with Who You Are and the Things You’ve Done
If you are on date, at a networking event, out socializing, interacting with coworkers or even just having drinks/coffee with a friend you know that deep down you want to be entertaining, interesting, and engaging.
It’s also human nature to enjoy being liked, to desire positive attention, and to want to be sought out. I’m not talking about being popular. It’s about being someone who adds value to the people who cross your path.
If you have ever found yourself in the company of a boring and dull person then you know it can actually be mentally exhausting and painful to try and have a conversation with someone like that. Certainly, you’ll only get caught having to be around them once. The next time, you’ll go the other way.
Questions
What do the people you enjoy spending time with have in common? Do they make you laugh? Tell great stories? Make you think? Inspire you? Provide you with interesting insights? Do they make you want to open up and share things about yourself with them?
Becoming a first time storyteller positively impacts your life because it leaves other people feeling good about themselves. Although they listened to a story about you; they were entertained, engaged, and now feel like they know you better. To sum it up, they now have a stronger connection with you.
To Persuade People To….
We don’t like being told what to do and have no desire to be lectured to. I would never try to convince or persuade you to do something without first telling you a story that explains my own personal experience. Personal storytelling is the best way to positively influence you.
If you’re looking to sway people to share in your experiences, hire you, date you, buy from you, avoid your mistakes, learn from you etc., you must be able to bring them into your world. Lead them to discover you are the right choice, option, and worth believing and trusting.
I would tell you the story of my first leadership lesson which came after I left my first platoon if I wanted you to learn more about leadership.
If I wanted to tell you a story to convince you to be careful what you ask for, I would tell you the story of my first time in Iraq, and how I found myself leaving the cubicle land of Quantico only to end up finding myself in a cubicle in one of Saddam Hussein’s former Palaces at Camp Victory.
If I wanted to convince you to buy a mountain bike, I would tell you the story of my first time mountain biking in the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco and how it’s the journey of buying that first mountain bike that opened up that world to me.
First time storytelling isn’t a full-proof way for getting what you want or persuading someone to see things your way. However, whoever you’re telling the story to will walk away knowing something more about you, and like you better for it, and remember you if another opportunity presents itself.
Being a wonderful storyteller always ensures you make a great impression and are memorable!
Questions
You can probably think back and remember the people who have told you stories that persuaded, impacted, and changed you. Why did those stories work on you? What did those stories have in common? Why did those stories stick with you?
Becoming a first time storyteller positively impacts your life because it’s a personal and worthwhile method of persuasion.
That covers the main three purposes of first time storytelling. In part II, I’ll talk about the benefits of first time storytelling.
