Should you learn to tell great stories? Only if you want your listeners to remember what you said. From the dinner table to the boardroom, nothing tops the ability of a story to engage your audience.

Stories offer several advantages over other types of information:
- They are easy to remember and repeat.
- They capture the listener's interest and make him want to hear more.
- They let the listener learn a lesson for himself, without feeling pushed.

Improve your skills with Chakisse's 5 C's to creating compelling stories:

1. Characters: People connect with characters, the more specific the better. Instead of generic characters like "A national widget company" or "One of my customers," consider:

"Acme Widgets" and, if possible, "Joe Smith, VP of Sales at Acme Widgets."

2. Conflict: A good story needs a conflict or a problem that guides the action. Imagine watching a movie where no one had any challenges and nothing needed to be done. You'd be pretty bored. Consider:

"Sales were down at Acme Widgets and they needed a solution fast."

3. Context: Share any background information that people need to know.

"Competition is fierce in the widget industry and Joe decided he needed to speak to someone with proven experience increasing sales."

4. Conversation: Use dialogue between characters to energize your story. Instead of, "Joe called Cardinal Consulting for help," consider:

I got an urgent phone call from Joe. "Chakisse, we need to increase sales in the fourth quarter to meet quota! I heard you're the best. Can you help Acme?"

5. Climax: Your story needs a climax that resolves the problem and/or shares the lesson learned (unless you're recounting a TV cliff-hanger).

After working with Acme to improve their communications with their best customers, sales increased 37%.

The 5 C's can work with any kind of story: from casual conversations to business meetings and sales presentations. Your listener will not only be more interested in what you have to say, but they'll likely remember your comments long after you're gone. Practice incorporating the 5 C's into your talks and selling your ideas will be a lot easier.