Do you recall a time when you were reading a book, watching a movie, or listening to someone's great story where the conflict was building and you just couldn't wait to hear or watch the outcome? As a speaker/presenter, you need to instill feelings of interest and curiosity in your audiences in order to hold their interest, keep them engaged and anxious to hear the outcome, so they too can learn and experience positive personal and/or professional benefits.
Let's discuss how to apply the 3 C's: Conflict---> Cure---> Change
or the 3 S's: Situation---> Solution ---->Success
*****Apply these flesh and blood human experiences, watch how you engage your clients, employees, colleagues, and consequently, how they buy in to your message and take action on your proposal(s)
CONFLICT (Situation): What it is and why it's important: it's the hook of a story - the struggle, challenge or problem faced by a character. A speaker needs to state it early and build up the tension to keep audiences engaged and curious to discover the outcome
What you should avoid: either building the conflict too quickly or too slowly; in both cases, the audience doesn’t build up tension as the solution occurs quickly and no curiosity, likely boredom, as the speakers rambles on and on
What you should include: tell it in a way that builds suspense, getting the audience thinking: “I wonder what’s going to happen, how it’s going to end?”
CURE (Solution): What it is and why it's important: it's the highest point of a story showing a resolution of problem, the breakthrough scene audience has been anxiously awaiting; it is the time a character learns a process that the audience needs to hear to help them get "cured" too when in a problematic situation involving a similar negative emotion creating stress and anxiety in their life.
What you should avoid: never be the guru, source of wisdom, appearing superior or special
What you should include: how you came upon the knowledge or wisdom to reach a cure via someone, a process, a revelation/a realization, an aha moment, a new way of thinking occurring in the mind of a character or yourself that is transferred to the audience’s minds where they could be thinking: “Aha, so if that negative experience happened to him/her, and they resolved the problem then maybe when I am faced with an obstacle or struggle, I can implement that process also.”
As Craig Valentine says: "Whatever you do... ALWAYS remember to give the PROCESS, not the PERSON, the POWER!'
Making yourself a similar person who has a special process to share will make you more likeable and valued by the audience.
CHANGE (Success): What it is and why it's important: it's the significant emotional shift in the character resulting in life-changing benefits that the audience must hear
What you should avoid: Not Stating the emotional shift and positive resultant effects!!! This important section of a story is often left out by speakers. They stop at the climax/cure and then conclude with their carryout message. If the listeners hear no benefits, why should they bother adopting your process at all?
No emotional shift with its positive life-changing results? Then there is NO STORY!
What you should include: the powerful positive effects/benefits of the process on the character which will influence the audience to do whatever it takes to get that process.
Reflect upon and record significant lessons/ processes you've learned in your life which have helped you overcome negative situations. When you identify them, boast about them in a manner that highlights the Process, not you the Person! And voila, you have a lesson to share and help change others’ lives for the better!
I invite you to join me again next month when we continue discussing another speaking skill
Until then, successful storytelling to you!
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PS. This was only a brief explanation of 3 of the 9 C's covered in Craig Valentine's invaluable speaking resource. If you’re interested in finding out how to use the other 6 C’s, invest in this resource below; click on the link:
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