Stories for Work

Chapter 5 Stories that work for presentations

Ever had to sit through an hour-long PowerPoint presentation of mind-numbing facts, figures and stats? Now imagine if that data had been brought to life with an interesting and engaging story instead.

It doesn’t matter what type of presentation you have to give or to whom, the most memorable presenters usually start with sharing a personal story — just look at the popular TED talks, for example.

Start well …

A well-crafted and purposeful story will capture your audience’s attention from the get-go, show off your passion for the subject you’re about to talk about and give you instant credibility.

Why would you waste your valuable opening moments — the time when someone will decide whether they are going to listen to you or continue checking their phone — with impersonal details and objectives, or explanations of where the toilets are located?

The most memorable and engaging speeches or presentations are always the ones linked to a story. You may remember, for example, when anticipation was growing for former president Bill Clinton to take the stage in support of his wife Hillary’s nomination for presidency at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He walked onto the stage and opened with: ‘In the spring of 1971, I met a girl …’ He then proceeded to share a very personal story of how he met and fell in love with his wife.

This visibly affected the audience and an immediate connection was formed, not just to Bill but to Hillary ...