Page 38 - November 2020 Voices

ON THE PATH

Stories Really Matter

James Wantz, DTM

Speeches don’t matter. Body language doesn’t I love that story because it engaged me. The
matter. The way you are dressed doesn’t matter— speaker wasn’t very polished and used several
especially the lower half when you are on Zoom. ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ but that didn’t matter to me. I
Ums & ahs don’t even matter. Stories really loved the story!

matter! How many times have you swooned over a
Wait! Before you pillory me for being a speaker’s use of presentation software or have
heretic, hear me out. your opinion changed by how well a speaker
In our new age of online meetings it is stared directly into their webcam? Nope. Have

how effectively the speaker connects with you ever changed sides in a debate because a
the audience that matters. We are already at a speaker was immaculately attired? Not me. And
disadvantage because of technology—it sucks the even though ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ are annoying, I don’t
life right out of you (I think there is even an app stop listening to people because of them.

called LifeSucker) and can make a presentation The mechanics of speaking are just that:
that is fun and dynamic in person sound dull mechanics. What wins the audience—what
and boring over the computer. connects you to people—are personal stories.
The speeches I remember, the ones that really Stories about how you overcame the problem

stick with me (like oatmeal on the ribs), are those and persevered, how a mentor pointed the way
that have stories as their core. I love hearing other forward, or how you dealt with a 24 foot Python
people’s stories. I love hearing them tell their on the way to work!
unique stories in an engaging way. I lean into I like stories. I really don’t like speakers telling

(sometimes literally) a good story. For example, me what to do. I shut down when a presenter
in a recent meeting I heard about a giant 24-foot starts preaching at me. Recently, I attended a
Python that stopped the morning rush hour seminar where one speaker started with “If you
because it was leisurely slithering across the are not spending 60 minutes a day doing [insert

highway. Wow! That is indelible—that will stick action] then you are cheating yourself! You need
with me. Imagine your boss responding to you to change your habits! You need [product/service]
saying; “Sorry, I was late because of a snake on only I can provide!” Okay, maybe not those exact
the road.” words, but that is what I heard. I grew up with

38 ONE COMMUNITY