Storytelling is an important public speaking skill for your toolbox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Google Alert for “public speaking” found a post by Rene Rodriguez at Instagram on March 13, 2025 that inaccurately claimed:

 

“The #1 public speaking skill no one talks about…

It’s NOT having a perfect script.  

It’s NOT sounding ‘smart.’

It’s NOT even confidence.

 

It’s storytelling.”

 

But the current online Pathways education program at Toastmasters International has a Level 3 project titled Connect with Storytelling – Item 8300 from 2016. It is an elective in all six current paths: Dynamic Leadership, Engaging Humor, Motivational Strategies, Persuasive Influence, Presentation Mastery, and Visionary Communication.

 

Before they changed their education program to Pathways, Toastmasters had an Advanced Manual titled Storytelling - Item 226K. An article from the Founder’s District described it:

 

“Many public speakers tell stories as part of their presentations; they find that a well-told story will attract listeners' attention and can emphasize or illustrate a point. This manual enables you to develop a new set of speaking skills – most importantly it allows you to have fun as you learn the art of storytelling... so enjoy!”

 

It had five projects titled The Folk Tale, Let’s Get Personal, The Moral of the Story, The Touching Story, and Bringing History to Life. I completed the 3rd revision dated March 2010.

 

And there also was an article by Caren S. Neile at Toastmaster magazine on pages 16 to 19 in the July 2001 issue, titled Storytelling: The Heart of Public Speaking. There is another article by Craig Valentine at Toastmaster magazine in the December 2019 issue on pages 20 and 21 titled Use Stories to Breathe Life into Every Speech.There is yet another article on pages 20 to 23 of the September 2023 issue titled Storytelling Tips from Contest Winners.

I’ve also blogged about people who have talked about storytelling. Here are three examples.

 

On February 10, 2011 I blogged about How many stages of speaker development are there? and referred to Olivia Mitchell, who said they were:

 

“It’s all about the words.

I can talk.

Hello audience.

It’s all about the audience.

Storytelling mastery.”

 

And on April 30, 2022 I blogged about How are top speakers different? Carmine Gallo said:

 

“Presenters open PowerPoint. Storytellers craft a narrative.

 Presenters use text. Storytellers love pictures.

 Presenters dump data. Storytellers humanize it.

 Presenters are predictable. Storytellers surprise audiences.

 Presenters practice silently. Storytellers rehearse out loud.”

 

Also on July 24, 2024 I blogged about Lessons in storytelling from John Favreau – Barack Obama’s speechwriter.

 

The toolbox image was adapted from page 12 of a 1939 Craftsman tool catalog at the Internet Archive.