Turning Points: Why People Really Crave Them In Stories
The other day, in the grassy common area of my new apartment complex, I met a few neighbours I hadn’t met before.
One of the ladies I got talking to asked me:
“So, what do you do?”
To which I responded:
“I work for myself as a Public Speaking Coach. For people in Tech & Cyber Security…. I spent over 10 years in that industry, so I know it well”
This must have intrigued her somewhat, as she followed up by saying:
“Oh I’d love to start my own business. I just don’t know what that would be. Was there a specific *turning point* for you?”
Now, this question reminded me of something important about storytelling that I wanted to share here.
People are curious to know your story. But, you know the bit they’re *most* interested in!?
Your >> TURNING POINT.
The >> AH-HA MOMENT.
Why is that so important? Because it’s where everything changes.
If people want to be where you are, they need to know what the catalyst for change was.
So they have a better chance of replicating that for themselves.
So, when you’re thinking about a story you want to share, try and determine what the turning point was.
Note: It’s not always easy to pin-point it down to an exact moment in time though. There are often many moments in time that lead us to change our minds or direction about something.
However, I always try and think about the most pivotal conversation, moment, interaction, reflection etc that changed everything for me.
That’s what I share.
IN SUMMARY
Next time you’re sharing a story which includes a decision you’ve made, a change you’ve gone through, a transformation, a different path etc – don’t skip straight past the turning point onto *what you did*.
Try and pin-point that trigger where everything changed. It will help others to make sense of your story and to replicate the same results!
P.S. If you love reading these Newsletters, please help me reach more people, by sharing this with someone you think would love it too!
Cheers,
Emily
Emily Edgeley is a Public Speaking Coach for the Technology industry. Since 2017 she’s run over 280 group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and formally supported first time and experienced speakers at 10 Conferences, covering 1000+ people across the globe.
She’s on a mission to help anyone in the Tech arena learn how to speak with clarity, impact, and confidence, whether that’s at work or at a Conference. So they can share their ideas, build their brand and start to enjoy ‘public speaking’!
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