#29 Persuade with a Story

Peggy Noonan wrote a memorable speech for President Reagan commemorating the 40th anniversary of D-Day by focusing on one main story

• She told the story of 225 Rangers scaling the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, using vivid details and action to capture the moment
• The speech is remembered as one of Reagan's finest because of the unforgettable story in just two minutes

To create memorable stories for your speeches:

1.  Find great stories and capture them when they happen or when you hear about them. Create story buckets (e.g., bookmarks, folders, spreadsheets) to easily store stories for later use
2. Skip the backstory and jump straight to the action to pull the listener in
3. Use specific details, dialogue, or statistics to make the story come alive
4.  End with and insight or recap to sum up the main point

Bottom Line: Collect stories, use the best one in your next talk, and add specifics to create a persuasive story

For more tips on crafting compelling stories for your speeches, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

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