How do you tell your story?

Michele and I, along with 3 other Partners attended the SVPI Conference 2009 in Dallas just this past week, and I want to share with you one of my favorite moments in these three days.

Andy Goodman, a keynote speaker at the Conference was truly an inspiring individual. In his presentation and workshop on Storytelling, he shed light on how we can tell our story better. Especially in the non-profit industry where jargons, models and perspectives are always being thrown around, his few rules of thumb of telling an appealing story that resonates with your audience was just simply powerful! Do you tell your story with a PowerPoint presentation? With numbers? With names of dedicated donors and supporters from the community? With challenges along the way?

Storytelling has been with us for thousands of years. They shape our history, identity, memory and our relationships with others. The same story can be told many times from different angles depending on who your audience is. A good story can change people’s understanding and behaviours. Below is an example of good storytelling from Andy’s workshop.

So, how do you tell your story?