Public speaking is often rated as a top fear by most folks. Nearly all of us will be called upon to give a presentation at work or deliver a toast at a celebration, so it's helpful to have some tips to help ease the anxiety of speaking.

This is the third video in a series on public speaking/presentation tips I've learned from great speakers over the years, and it explains the benefits of taking the time to research your audience long before your presentation so that you can tailor the presentation to the audience's needs.

Dale Carnegie said, “The truthful, inside story of almost any man's life--if told modestly and without offending egotism--is most entertaining. It is almost sure-fire speech material.”

Enter one of mankind’s most incredible and important inventions: STORYTELLING. A story uses emotion to capture the attention and the feelings of the audience, and then relays a set of facts which the audience will be receptive to hear because they are engaged!

People don’t want just facts and data—they want to FEEL that something is right. You can’t change someone’s mind on facts alone—you’ll need something that activates their emotions in a positive way.

Make no mistake about it, storytelling is the ULTIMATE tool of persuasion because it mixes fact and emotion!