How to become a confident and compelling speaker?

How do you hold an audience and engage others with the spoken word?

‍One way, agreed North Yorkshire County Council is to equip yourself with an understanding of the importance and power of storytelling. To develop the tools and greater confidence in oral presentation skills, including the ability to tell meaningful and engaging stories.

As a result of this dialogue, I was commissioned by the North Yorkshire School Improvement and Early Years Service to deliver a day’s training to their Practitioners as part of their ‘Oracy into Literacy Closing the Gap Project’ (the comments in italics below come from participants who attended the training).

Using a combination of stories, games, exercises and warm ups – the day was created to offer everyone ‘time to consider the features of storytelling and experiencing what makes a good storyteller-whole sensory experience’.  Some of these techniques included: ‘being the listener to a powerful story’, ‘recalling a story by working out its bones in 12 steps’, ‘ideas for story mapping, speaking aloud, confidence building’, ‘being aware of gestures and silence to capture the audience’.

With 75% of those who attended the training day saying it was ‘very useful’, I was delighted to be part of this innovative project encouraging people to practice storytelling and build upon some important first steps.

‘Learning to storytell and building the confidence to do this with the children will be enormously helpful as a way of modelling oracy with/for the children who will doubtless copy and use in their imaginary play’

‍The feedback received has been insightful and generous and I’d like to thank all those involved in helping to create the day enjoyed by so many.‘

The example of storytelling and work around that was excellent - thank you’ ... ‘I enjoyed the stories we used and loved the way that the story was told’ ... ‘Thank you for today and the resources. This has been a breakthrough and we look forward to putting it into practice.’

Enjoy expressing your ideas and your individuality with more clarity and confidence.  With over 20% of the UK’s population anxious or fearful of speaking in public it’s essential we find more ways to encourage and inspire people (young and old) to find and express their unique voice.

We are all storytellers at heart. It’s what we do. So, visit Story-Well and get in touch. Discover more about this powerful and ancient craft so that you, your team, your community and others - may experience the amazing and gentle power of storytelling.

For more information or to discuss how Story-Well can be of service to you please email: alex@sound-well.co.uk