When I first started to speak publicly, I was so scared that I determined I would answer every question before someone could ask it. I went on a public lecturing tour for three years and had no one approach me with a question. It thought I was winning.
Then one day I forgot my notes and everything changed.
Today on our Bold Leading Podcast we will be talking about eight struggles of Storytelling.
I'm Dave Sena from Bold Leading, This is your Bold Leading Podcast. We know life for nonprofits can sometimes get complicated and confusing. When you need a trusted friend to help you fundraise and grow your nonprofit without fear or panic, Bold Leading is here for you. Visit us at boldleading.com today or sign up for our “No Shame Strategy Call” where we help you connect with donors and grow your nonprofit.
When I talk to nonprofit leaders about their direct mail or public presentations, they often will tell me they are having trouble telling people about their organization. New nonprofits or nonprofits who are rebooting their messages can have trouble finding a balance between passion and precision. They struggle to tell their complex story in a simple way. They don’t understand the different choices they are making during their story telling.
Today in our podcast, we will uncover the eight Struggles of Storytelling. When you start to write or share your story, you will suffer with these eight struggles. Don’t lose hope there's a way to share your bold story and overcome the struggle of storytelling.
When I lost my notes after doing my lecture tour, I found out my storytelling was safe and boring. No one cared that I knew all the answers to all their questions. I thought I was winning when I was losing. Today I want to share with you eight struggles every story teller faces and ways to overcome them.
The first struggle is passion versus precision
The second struggle is my convenience versus a donor’s convenience
The third struggle is clear v clever
The fourth struggle is all options or one option
The fifth struggle is personal or profile
The sixth struggle is consistency or variety
As a public speaker I learned that I did not have to explain all the complexity of our organization. If I kept it simple, people would understand enough to ask questions. Questions were the win.
The seventh struggle is complexity or simplicity
The eighth struggle is pain or prosperity
Your story is unique. How you tell your story does not have to be confusing or boring. You can tell stories that are passionate, truthful and transparent. You can lose grant speak or legal speak. You can grab people by the throat so they feel the emotion and understand the hope of joining you in the fight to save others, give people opportunities and change the world.
When I was a young nonprofit leader, I made the mistake of telling everything about our organization all at once. I did not leave any questions for a reader to be curious about. Curiosity grabs the attention of people. If you share everything, people do not get to explore. Give them the pleasure of not knowing everything until they want to.
How you choose to tell your story will be influenced by struggles you make in your writing style, the stories you pick and the language you use. Today we have looked at 8 struggles of Storytelling. Pound your fist and make the difference in the world today.
Thank you for hanging out with us to discuss the eight struggles of Storytelling.
I'm Dave Sena from Bold Leading, This is your Bold Leading Podcast. We know life for nonprofits can sometimes get complicated and confusing. When you need a trusted friend to help you fundraise and grow your nonprofit without fear or panic, Bold Leading is here for you. Visit us at boldleading.com today or sign up for our “No Shame Strategy Call.” where we help you connect with donors and grow your nonprofit.
