Storytelling goes beyond just telling a good story, it is a very powerful communication strategy to generate a strong connection with your audience, become more than 60% more memorable and achieve your goals.
And without a doubt, someone who knows how to tell impressive stories is Guillermo Del Toro, the award-winning film director of films such as “Pan’s Labyrinth”, “The Shape of Water” or his most recent film, “Pinocchio”, who has raised the name of Mexico in the world.
What storytelling lessons can we learn from him?
Guillermo Del Toro has a great ability to tell stories that he has taken to the movies; however, you can also take the experience of it when creating them to apply it in the storytelling that you develop for your company or your personal brand.
1. Embrace the uncomfortable
A good story always involves a big challenge to overcome and sometimes telling it to someone else can make you feel vulnerable and uncomfortable, so you may think it’s best to avoid telling that part to your audience.
Del Toro cites a Zen philosophy that has helped him in his career, “the obstacle is the path.” Whatever you consider to be a challenge may be the key to a better solution, so embrace that uncomfortable feeling, share it, and let your audience see that side of you. You will generate a better connection and closeness with her.
2. Find your voice
“Every story has already been told; but, your voice has not been heard. Your qualities and your flaws. No one has put together those brilliant bits of you, that’s your voice,” Del Toro says.
When you are working on your storytelling, think about your own experience and find a way to include it. It does not mean that you cannot use references from some other source, just remember that the more personal your story is, the more identified the public will be able to feel with you.
3. Do it your way
Guillermo Del Toro says that “it is always better to respond with your work to the things you don’t like. Show the world how you think it should be.”
That is, if you think that giving a presentation in a conventional way is not your thing and is not part of your personal branding, find a way to give it a twist. Use all the resources that are necessary to achieve this, from the way you create your storytelling script, how you are going to use the volume and tone of your voice to say it, the clothes you will wear to introduce yourself, to the moment you convey your message to your audience. Will you use digital resources? other participants? The limit is your imagination.