Spotlight Storytelling: Shine Light On Your Most Important Messages

In communication workshops and coaching sessions, I see the same thing over and over again. People want to get their message across, but they have to use words to do it. And communication is harder than it looks.

During practice, someone explains their idea, but it sounds like just another piece of information people have to take in. The relevant, interesting, brilliant message is in there, but it’s either invisibly stated or hidden in a sprawling explanation.

Then, with a few minutes of coaching, everything changes.

I ask three questions:

• When did you have this realization?

• What were you doing when you had it?

• What were you feeling before and after?

Then I ask them to try again.

Suddenly, everything sharpens. It’s like a huge spotlight just got turned on, and the beam of light illuminates their message.

That’s the difference between talking and storytelling.

Talking encourages people to listen and learn information.

Storytelling helps people see and feel what you mean.

These are the three elements that bring your story to life:

1. Specific — focus on the moment that mattered

Skip the long setup. Choose the single scene that shows what was at stake. The more focused you are, the easier it is for people to remember and retell your story.

2. Sensory — help us picture it

Don’t say it was a challenging project. Show us what it looked like when the pressure hit. The whiteboard full of scribbles. The clock ticking past midnight. The moment someone finally said, “I think we’ve got it.” Sensory detail builds presence.

3. Significant — show why it mattered to you

Facts tell. Meaning moves. What shifted in your thinking? What did you learn? What changed for your team? A story becomes memorable when it reveals purpose.

When you combine these three, your message becomes clear (and human). It’s no longer just information. It’s an experience your audience can see, feel, and believe in.

Next week, I’ll share a simple way to structure that clarity using my BEAM framework, a tool to help you tell stories that light up your message every time