January 26, 2023
The moment you share a story or give a presentation, you’re fighting for your listener’s attention. Every second you’re talking, they’ll be tempted to check their smartphone, think about their next meeting, or dream about their upcoming holiday.
How can you get people to hang onto every word you say?
By bringing in elements of surprise.
Surprise refers to moments in the story that are unexpected – that can be anything that breaks the typical patterns of what your listeners expect.
How can you add elements of surprise to your story?
Here are my four favourite techniques that will make your listeners pay attention to every word of you say:
One simple way to start your story with an element of surprise is to use an anticipation hook.
An anticipation hook is one sentence that you say before your story to get your listeners excited about the story.
Examples:
Note: I recommend using anticipation hooks sparingly. If you use them too often you undermine your credibility as every story is framed as the “craziest” or “most interesting” experience.
Another great way to grab your audience’s attention and keep them engaged is to start your story right into the action (with forward momentum) . By making your character do something, whether it’s stepping, walking, shouting, biking, or something else, you are immediately setting the scene and giving your audience a sense of what’s happening.
Examples:
I like to use present-tense verbs when describing the action. This can make the story feel more immediate and help the audience feel like they are right there with the character. For example, instead of saying “I stepped into my boss’s office and handed him a letter,” you could say “I STEP into my boss’s office.” This makes the action feel more immediate and helps to create a sense of tension or excitement.
Starting your story right into the action can also help to establish the main conflict or problem right away. By showing the character in the middle of an action, you can immediately create a sense of tension or conflict that the audience will be eager to see resolved.
Another technique to add surprise to your story is the pattern interrupt.
We as humans have very clear ideas of what is normal. How people should behave, what actions they should take, and what results to expect. While you tell your story, your listeners anticipate how the story is going to evolve.
You can add surprise to your story by breaking the typical patterns of what your listeners expect.
A pattern interrupt leads your listener into one direction (aka the Setup), but then breaks that expectation (aka Unusual Activity).
Examples:
The Setup doesn’t always have to be immediately before the unusual activity. The Setup can be early into the story or even not mentioned at all if it’s a very unusual activity.
No doubt, there are more techniques to add surprise. But keep in mind that you’re telling a quick sales story and not writing a novel. For instance, “Something in that room didn’t feel right. Moving quietly like a mouse, I put one foot in front of the other….”, would be too much for a sales story.
Another powerful technique to create surprise in your story are flashbacks.
A flashback is when a story goes back in time to show something that happened before the main story. It’s like taking a break from the current story to show something that happened in the past.
Here are a two ways you can use flashbacks:
Even though flashbacks are powerful, my recommendation is to use flashbacks sparingly. Too many flashbacks can make the story hard to follow and less effective.
That’s it. Give it a try and see how you can add an anticipation hook, forward momentum, a pattern interrupt, or a flashback to your story. Bringing in elements of surprise will keep your listeners on the edge of their seats. Instead of thinking about what they’ll have for dinner, they’ll listen to every word you say!
Curious about more elements to keep your listeners engaged? Then join our upcoming Storytelling Masterclass. In the Masterclass you’ll learn the most powerful technique to add emotions to your stories.
PS. What about humor? Humor lives from surprise moments. If you can include a few jokes in your story, that’s awesome. Go for it. But keep in mind that your task as a storyteller is to tell a story that moves your listeners emotionally. Don’t think that your story has to be hilarious. As Matthew Dicks, the author of Storyworthy put it: “Humor is optional. Heart is non negotiable.”
Are you ready to transform your storytelling skills?
Discover how your storytelling skills score and uncover useful insights to help you become a charismatic storyteller:
