Stories are one of the most powerful forms of human connection and communication. Think about how stories are woven all throughout our lives, from the bedtime stories we are told as children, to the stories we can’t wait to share with a close friend, to the stories we will one day pass along to our grandchildren. Stories are the threads by which we form the tapestries of our lives. Because of that, narratives connect with our audience members in ways that statistics and graphs and facts and lists simply can’t.
Okay. So we know that humans love stories. But do they really have a place in professional business presentations? Without a doubt! In fact, author of Power Cues and founder of Public Words, Nick Morgan, even goes so far as to say that business leaders “won’t be heard unless they’re telling stories.” Yikes! So how do we start using them? Here are three ways you can harness the power of stories and use them in your next presentation.
To Answer “Why?”
Wherever there is a change you need to promote or explain, you can bet your audience wants to know why that change is necessary. Too often presenters will skip right past “why?” to answering, “how?” Don’t get me wrong, how we implement something is important, but only after we’ve answered “why?” German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche said it this way, “If we have our own why in life, we shall get along with almost any how.”
Here’s where stories come in. Use the power of narratives to make the problem, change, or solution less abstract and more concrete. Use a story to help the audience identify with people who are affected by this proposed change. Use narrative to paint the picture of what not changing and changing will look like. When you can illuminate the answers to “why?” through well-told stories, you will capture your audience.
To Elicit Action
We know stories can be powerful, but did you know that they can actually change your brain and predict your actions? Dr. Paul Zak created the following video to explain his research in how narratives can do exactly that.
Stories elicit human emotions which serve to link our experiences. So speakers who can produce stories in which their listeners identify with a character, real or fictional, will help those listeners tap into the powerful motivator of emotion. It’s long been known that in order to really move someone, you need to make that person feel. Research is now showing us that stories don’t simply move our hearts, they move our hands and change our brains, as well.
To Highlight The “Win”
A recent study of over 1,700 stories found that they generally follow 1 of 6 narrative arcs. Even within these 6 arcs we find common elements. Nearly all good stories involve some type of set-up, rising action, conflict, and resolution. The characters and obstacles and triumphs contained in a story are highly attractive to us because we understand the path of change and conflict and resolution. Each member of the audience has walked that path hundreds of times in his or her own way. And while the story might not be the same, the feelings produced by the stories are. And that’s what the audience responds to.
When you jump straight to presenting statistics about the gain in sales you’ve experienced in the last quarter, you’ve robbed your audience of the first part of that story: the struggle. They’ll only be able to celebrate the victory if you first take them through what it took to get there. So couch victories, wins, resolutions, and gains within a narrative context to give your audience the full experience they deserve.
Few forms of supporting material will resonate with your audience like a well-told story. If you want to take your presentations to the next level, use stories and use them often.
And for more ways to level up your presentations, check out our results-driven, online presentation skills course.
