THE TOOLKIT
No one woke up this morning thinking, “How can I screw you over?
Anecdotes are brief stories that relate to your topic. They should hearken back in time and, as a result, usually start with words like, “About a year ago….” There’s a belief that these words strike an adult mind in the same way that “Once upon a time…” strikes a child’s mind. They can be humorous or serious, but they need to relate to what you are talking about. Anecdotes are not jokes. Jokes have one purpose… to make people laugh. We don’t recommend starting with a joke because it usually has no relevance on your topic. It might make you even more nervous if your audience doesn’t find it funny. Then, you’ve lost them. It can be as simple as reiterating a previous conversation.
“About a month ago I was talking to Fran about the new contract. She said, “Susan, I’ve heard nothing but positive comments. Everyone seems to be on board.” I want to talk about her reaction in more detail as a part of my review today.”