Stories are universal. People love to hear them. Stories can do what facts alone cannot—they provide meaning and purpose. In your ongoing efforts to sell ideas and change minds, stories can connect even the most diverse population, often providing the ice-breaker in tense or stand-still negotiations, meetings, and/or relationships. This lively, upbeat program explores the benefits of using stories to frame issues, engage audiences and inspire action. You’ll discover where to find good stories in your everyday life, how to craft them and when to tell them. Best of all, anyone can learn to harness the power of story to communicate values and vision.
Attendees will discover how to:
- Understand why stories work and how to tell them
- Utilize the innovative “T.H.E.M. Approach” to craft stories that draw others in and shape opinions
- Identify and harvest good stories from your everyday life
Instructor Qualifications: Steve Hughes is the President of Hit Your Stride, LLC, a communications consultancy that helps people look and sound smart when they talk. His seminars have been featured on NPR and BBC Radio, and he is the author of the upcoming book Better Faster Speaker (Waterfield Press). Today he works with a host of blue-chip clients including: MetLife, Boeing, Nestle Purina, American Marketing Association, and six state bar associations. Prior to launching Hit Your Stride, Steve spent 12 years in advertising and public relations—most recently he was a co-owner at a 40-person advertising agency in St. Louis. Steve holds BA in French Literature and European History from the University of Kansas and an MBA in Marketing from Washington University, where he was awarded the Olin Cup.
Course Information:
- This course has been approved to provide one Continuing Education Credit (CEU) to Social Workers in the state of Missouri
- You will need approximately 1 hour to complete this training
- Progress cannot be saved; you will need to complete the training in one sitting
- You will be tested after completing the training session
The following are the test questions you will be asked at the end of the training. You will need to answer all questions in order to be awarded CEU credit.
- Facts are random data points processed by someone receiving that fact, while stories tap into the ________ of what is going on.
- Stories are the best brand to _____________ your product.
- The key to using stories is to find the right stories, ________ them in the right way to what you want to communicate, and deliver them.
- The 3 Ms of using stories are: ____________, ____________, and ____________.
- People will ___________ facts embedded in stories better and longer than if facts are presented just as facts.