Tweak This One Little Thing?

I mentioned earlier this week I’m getting ready for a triathlon.

A big, scary one: a mile swim, 31 miles on bike, 7 mile run.

So, you bet I’ve been getting ready!

Now, I’ve always been a strong swimmer. Grew up on swim teams and going to the beach to body surf.

But open water swimming for distance is a completely different animal than the kind of swimming I’ve done before.

It actually requires some different technique tweaks than your typical sprint swimming.

I won’t bore you with the details, but I heard a small tip, that when applied, I could literally FEEL the difference it made in how I moved through the water.

I was listening to a triathlon swimming podcast on my way out to the lake yesterday and Kevin, one of my readers, mentioned head positioning.

Now, before your eyes roll into the back of your head (“I’ll NEVER use this, Scott!”), I’ll just mention that taking his advice and changing the angle of my head in the water...just a little...made a big difference!

That’s why Kevin’s a coach...he, like...knows stuff.

The same thing goes for you and your audience...whether it’s your family, your client, your customer, your classroom...the smallest tweak in HOW you tell your story can make a big difference.

That’s why following a story framework or a template can be such a boon to your persuasiveness.

Little tweaks can make a big difference.

For example, when communicating how you’ve overcome obstacles and hardships in your life, there’s a way to do it that doesn’t make you sound like a whiner. Make this mistake and your audience will turn you off faster than a lightbulb.

And, when communicating how you’ve won some battles in your day, there’s a way to do it that doesn’t make you sound like you’re bragging or pulling a “John Wayne - I’m just bootstrap strong!” No one likes a know it all or someone that sounds like they’re just grandstanding.

(As effective as storytelling is, you can definitely have the opposite impact you desire if you do it wrong.)

Tweak those two things...just the right way...and your “overcoming” story will connect and resonate on a deep level with your audience.

Those are but two of the seven points I cover in my “David & Goliath Story Template.” It’s designed to help anyone communicate their personal underdog story in a way so compelling it will stick in your audience’s minds long after they encounter it.

Your storytelling may need a tweak or two. Story templates give you the blueprint to do that very thing.

Get yours here: templates.scott-mills.com

Adventure On,

Scott