The one guaranteed way to bomb with storytelling

At a recent networking event, I got talking to an entrepreneur setting up a new business. When I quizzed him on his target audience, he replied wryly, ‘Anyone with a pulse, really!’

In storytelling, as in business, that is a surefire way to bomb.

To be a story master you must always start by considering your audience. Obvious huh? But the hard truth is we often only pay lip service to the notion.

At no time does the audience matter more than when you design your story.

Design every story with an audience in mind. Will it be your customers, your channel partners or your suppliers? How does your story serve them?

None of this is easy to do. Often as storytellers, you might make the mistake of starting with how a story serves you – your purpose, message, ambition. Start by asking, how does this story serve the room (the audience)?

Starting with your audience in mind makes the difference between a dud or guaranteed success.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash