How to make a difference rather than simply making a point

As I have written around multiple times (and yes, by telling different stories), my mentor Ed Percival taught me:

Never make a point without telling a story, and never tell a story without making a point

To add nuance to this, though, how can you make a point that makes a difference? After all, entertaining though it may be, if a storyteller uses a story to make a point and then those listening are simply entertained then move on, you haven’t made any difference at all.

If we want to make a point that makes a difference, our story and our point must connect with them in a way that sees a shift for the audience in their energy and attitude, then lead to changes in behaviour and actions.

For this to happen, we must first listen to them to understand where they are, how they feel, what challenges they face, what changes they seek to make. In short, listen with empathy. If, instead, we simply tell a story to make a point without first taking time to understand our audience, we can easily a) make a point that doesn’t feel relevant to them, and b) tell a story that they can’t connect with.

When I coach individuals and teams I tell stories all the time, but never simply leap into a story. I have a deep library of actionable ideas, tools, frameworks…