Let Me Tell You a Story

Why and how storytelling will change the way you present| By Kristen Haldeman | October 31, 2019

“Don't give them four, give them two plus two,” says Pixar’s Andrew Stanton on storytelling. He explains that while working on the Finding Nemo project he and his team realized the unifying theory of two plus two: don’t give the people the conclusion, give them the story. 

Storytelling is not limited to the world of Pixar movies. Storytelling is the secret ingredient to any successful presentation. 

And Nancy Duarte agrees. Author of several books on effective presentations, Nancy promotes that not only should stories be used in presentations, but also that the presentation is a story itself.

 “It's easy to feel, as the presenter, that you're the star of the show. I realized right away, that that's really broken. Because I have an idea, I can put it out there, but if you guys don't grab that idea and hold it as dear, the idea goes nowhere and the world is never changed. So in reality, the presenter isn't the hero, the audience is the hero of our idea.” - Nancy Duarte

Storytelling moves the audience from simply listening to what you have to say to investing and being impacted by it. Think of speeches during which the audience had a reaction. Maybe a gasp, maybe an applause, a laugh, a tear, a scoff. These are physical reactions that the audience has when you tell a story. A statistic, like the number 4, does not give the audience the opportunity to invest. Giving the background of 2+2 gives them context and even the opportunity to figure out the logical conclusion. 

Of course, the nature of some presentations are not going to permit a lengthy story that umbrellas the entire theme. In this case, small anecdotal stories will suffice. 

For whatever size story you use, there is a pattern that all stories must follow, Duarte argues. The pattern she developed begins with a basic foundation of reminding the audience of the current state of things, and how average it is. Then, as drastically as possible, reveal to the audience how magical your new idea is that will dramatically alter this boring current state. Throughout the speech you will swerve between the standard and the extraordinary, ending with how glorious the new situation will be with your idea implemented. (For more information, watch Duarte’s TedTalk on the power and structure of storytelling.)

Whether you are trying to convince a room full of marketing specialists and business sharks to buy-in to your product, or your ten-year-old that going outside to play in the dirt really is a fun time, incorporating a story will provide your audience with the opportunity to invest and move from apathy to action.