As an experienced business motivational speaker, I have seen the power of a well-told story many times. Virtually everyone reading this article (at least in the USA) will be familiar with the following story. After weighing in a 425 pounds, Jared Fogle decided to go on a ‘Subway Diet’. And, over a period of time, dropped to 180 pounds. Amazing!

And just as amazing was the response by Subway’s market. On January 1st 2000, Subway began telling Jared’s story in a regional ad campaign. On January 3rd, the chat-show superstar Opera Winfrey telephoned, wanting Jared on her show. And, over the next two years, Subway profits leapt a massive 34 percent! Wow!

As all business motivational speakers know – like in the impressive Subway campaign – the right story (told at the right time) can bring outstanding results. And that’s why it’s worth telling stories in your business presentations. And so, as you look for suitable stories to motivate your audience members, here are a few pieces of advice to bear in mind.

Get Clear About The Objective Of Your Speech

Has your speech been written to inspire your team to greater effort? Or will your speech present the compelling benefits of your new product? A motivational business speaker is clear about the objective of his speech. As a result, suitable stories easily come to mind.

Fact is, industry speakers rarely have this kind of clarity around their business speeches. And one of the ways an inexperienced speaker can tell that he or she lacks clarity around a topic is that relevant stories are tough to find. Conversely, when you’re 100% clear about the point you  want to convey, you’ll start to spot suitable stories everywhere. In a book, on TV, while talking with prospects. (Remember, a wonderfully relevant story can come from a totally unrelated source.) Very Important Point: Don’t forget to write down the story as soon as you find it. Otherwise, I promise you, you’ll forget it.

Top Motivational Business Speakers Make Someone Else The Focus

Fact: Your average corporate audience doesn’t care about you at all. And so, if all your stories revolve around you, don’t expect your audience to be inspired and motivated. However, make your story about them and they will love you for it.

One final (and important) point: inspirational stories don’t have to be long-winded. A brief story is often more than enough to present your argument. When you have total clarity around the goal of your speech, a short (less than ten sentences) story is often more than enough to get your point across.

If you follow these simple tips your stories will make you sound like a true business motivational speaker. Good luck.