Persuasive Business Storytelling

Learn the fastest way to engage and persuade any audience using storytelling. Practice with interactive exercises.

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Course overview

Online

CPD Accredited

28 online lessons

Digital certificate

6 practice exercises

7 hours of learning

Course outcomes

Learn how to be memorable, confident and relevant so you are heard

Streamline content through stories and save time in presentations

Inspire colleagues, unstick resistance to an idea and encourage action

Overcome difficulties with getting your message heard and decisions made

Learn the fastest way to engage and persuade

Let’s face it, most of us sometimes feel overloaded with new content in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world. If you want to be heard, cutting through the noise is tough. So how can we grab people’s attention and engage them with our message?

Gone are the days when facts and figures are the currency for influence. If you want people to lean in with curiosity when you deliver your message, you need to connect on a human level.

Business storytelling is the answer. It enables a faster understanding of ideas, captures attention and compels more action. Stories conjure up images in our minds, evoke feelings and emotion and when used cleverly are the Number 1 way to ensure your audience are present in the moment, listening to you and absorbing your message.

Storytelling is a crucial communication skill that will increase your impact immediately.

Built in partnership with The Colin James Method

The Colin James Method logo

The Colin James Method is a proven communication skills training methodology that transforms your ability to influence, teach and engage the hearts and minds of your audience in any situation – from the boardroom to the stage and in a team meeting.

Online learning, done differently

Learn how to improve your storytelling with the flexibility of online classes combined with practice exercises. This hybrid approach to storytelling will increase your communication effectiveness.

Learn online courses

Online classes

Learn with tutorial videos, quizzes, and case studies through the online platform - available to access at any time.

Practice

Practice exercises

Practice what you learn with interactive exercises. Storytelling is just like any other skill - you need to practice to improve.

Feedback

Improve with feedback

Receive feedback on your performance in the exercises to help identify areas you need to improve to become an effective storyteller.

Course content


  • Overview of the practice exercises, course, and resources. We explain how the exercises work and how they can help you improve your storytelling by letting you practice in a realistic environment.
  • Course guide and resources
  • Welcome
  • Practice exercises
  • Gain a deeper understanding of why storytelling is such a good tool in business and the outcomes you can achieve by using it. We walk you through the types of stories you can use and how to identify the right type of story for different scenarios.
  • Why use stories
  • Effective communication: Telling stories in the workplace
  • Presenting a story type
  • Why storytelling in a sales presentation is essential
  • Explore where stories come from and how to build a story library to share your key ideas and messages. Find out about the latest trends in business storytelling and why they are so influential.
  • Where do the best stories come from?
  • Linking objects and stories
  • Communication skills 101: Storytelling for influence
  • Holding your audience’s attention from start to finish is critical to the success of your persuasion. Find out how to construct an engaging story using our magic formula and try building an analogy between two seemingly different things. A useful tool for master storytellers.
  • How do you construct a story?
  • Magic formula stories
  • Creating the links
  • Analogy
  • Analogies: Impromptu storytelling
  • In this module, we share with you the fundamental techniques for good storytelling and how you can seamlessly weave stories into your business presentations for greater impact. Learn how to deliver a captivating story that will compel people to feel, think and act differently.
  • Fundamental techniques of good storytelling?
  • 5 fundamental techniques of good storytelling
  • How to tell a captivating story
  • How you can weave stories into your presentations
  • It’s time to start writing your story! Put what you have learned from the previous modules and resources into practice and use the worksheet to construct a persuasive business story.
  • It's time to write your story
  • Let’s take it up a notch. In this module, we widen the scope by exploring the key elements of storytelling mastery. Delve deeper into the craft and learn how you can build a bank of stories that will enhance your influence and engagement in business. Then put all of your knowledge into practice and receive valuable feedback on your performance.
  • How to become a master storyteller
  • Use stories to become a superstar communicator
  • Final: Telling a story

Your instructors

Colin James and Erica Bagshaw

Both Colin James and Erica Bagshaw have over 20 years of experience as speakers, trainers, and coaches, working in the top 50 companies around the world.

As specialists in leadership, communication, resilience, and change, together they own the leadership training and development company, Inner Profit and developed the Colin James Method for Communication, to be the gold standard for business communication. They and their team are highly sought-after speakers, facilitators, trainers and coaches across the globe.

The art of storytelling is fundamental to communicating with purpose and meaning in business, and Colin and Erica are passionate about bringing it alive in business contexts.

Practice exercises

Practice storytelling with engaging exercises. At key points during the online part of the course, you'll be prompted to practice what you've learned in one of the following exercises.

Explore all the exercises available on the VirtualSpeech platform.

See all exercises

350,000+

Online learners

4x

Faster than classroom training

6

Learning awards

"Never have I come across such an original approach and genuinely engaging facilitator as Colin. The day has led me to rethink my own approach to training, leadership and my career overall."

- Mike Wallace, MCW Aviation Consulting Pty Ltd

"A wonderfully insightful course into the power and relevance of utilizing storytelling in the professional landscape! I have thoroughly enjoyed learning from Colin – a true 'Master' in communication."

- Jacqueline Bohuslav-Andrews, Mindfulness Consultant, Yoga Harmony

"Colin is a master at his craft, yet he is able to distill the methodology into simple techniques that I can apply to my everyday communication."

- Todd Pironis, Senior Marketing Manager Joint Replacement, Stryker

"The best training course I have attended. Colin James is absolutely brilliant, he is very talented and more importantly what the teaches makes sense."

- Anthony Ferraro, Risk Executive Bank Counterparty Group and Alt Ass, Commonwealth Bank of Australia