In this episode I talk to Andrew Thorp who is passionate about storytelling in business. From working as a consultant, coach, Ted Talk speaker and podcast host, he explores the art of verbal communication and verbal PR. Together, we talk about what makes a good conversation, how to draw from your life experiences and stories and how to be interesting.
The most powerful tool you have to sell yourself is your story. And most people don’t know what their story is, what it means or what they could be saying. We are all the #1 expert on our own life experiences and so the art of storytelling comes from the lessons we extrapolate from life that can be packaged in a unique way. So get used to ‘hoovering’ up those stories and using them to make the points you want to make. ‘Hoovering’ is a technique where you log moments and stories in your life and by zooming into them for the entertaining storytelling aspect but then zooming out to share the lesson/insight gained and this can be key to having good conversations.
Andrew outlines key characteristics on how to be interesting, highlighting the importance of reciprocity and having a genuine curiosity about someone. To be interesting, you have to first be ‘interested’ and then through fielding your relevant experiences and reflection, you can add value to conversations with your stories.
In business and relationship building, storytelling is a skill worth practicing! From showing the human aspect of business, like the resilience of Nike, to allowing those soft skills to complement the technical skills you possess, during networking, storytelling and story listening is the key to meaningful and insightful bonds. If you can form a library of your stories and open up to the spontaneity of conversations, you can build organic and very powerful connections.
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(Music: Wataboi - U Said It)