Date: May 9, 2026
Bangalore
Last week I heard a story from a person who had traveled to the US of A.
He spoke about how he flew through 3 different states and stuff he did.
He was recounting his travel experience.
As I sat there listening to him, I said to myself, “Wow, that’s cool.” And that was it.
Did I think it’d be cool to go to those place? Sure. But…
Did his story leave a lasting impact on me? No.
Did I learn something new from his story? No.
Was I able to relate to his story? No. Because I’ve never been to the US and most people in the audience didn’t either.
In fact, it’s been just a couple of days and I don’t even remember the names of the states he’d mentioned. And I know all the 50 states’ names by heart because I worked with an American company for a decade.
Why?
Because there was nothing in it for me.
He was recalling his travel experience.
A good story is NOT about recounting your travel experience. That’s for you.
A good story is about a specific moment where you learnt something new about yourself, others or the world around you.
Your learning/realization is your audience’s lesson.
And that they will remember.
Please don’t bore your audience by recounting your travel experience…
…instead tell them a story where your thinking shifted.
When you realized something new about yourself as a result of the experience.
That right there is a story.
Interested in learning how to tell stories that your audience will relate to, remember and repeat? Email me: cm(at)cmmanjunath.com
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