Identify that important grain of truth on which to base your story. Whether you tell a story that you wrote or retell one from another author, be sure that the story you select is built on a strong foundation of time and place and offers a powerful moral.
Engage the senses of your listeners. Through vivid description and interesting dialogue, carry each listener away to a time and place far removed from where they are at the moment. Use sound effects and let your words create a motion picture in their minds.
Modulate your voice so that it is expressive and easy to listen to -- not distracting or monotone.
Make eye contact with individuals in your audience. Not only will you pick up on valuable feedback, but you will connect with those individuals and achieve your goals -- whether you are aiming to be entertaining, informative or persuasive.
Use body language to engage your audience. This should involve movement, gestures and facial expressions to emphasize or enhance elements of your story.
Pace your story to make the best use of pausing, slowing down or accelerating speech to best express the emotions or action of your story at any given time.
Show your gratitude to your audience for listening. Even though you are entertaining or presenting information to them, each member of your audience is an important component in your art and craft. Thank them more than once, smile and make each listener feel happy to be there.