Using storytelling to make a compelling presentation

Article icon

Abstract

Everyone finds themselves in the position of having to give a presentation now and again, yet many of us are not trained in how to do so. For lots of people, sharing information with colleagues conjures up two thoughts: dread and “PowerPoint.” But according to Andy Goodman, we can use storytelling to vastly improve our presentations. This effective practice, submitted by Temple University in April 2008, shows how to incorporate storytelling to your advantage, and was excerpted with permission from Andy Goodman’s monthly newsletters, free range thinking™.

Back to top

Issue

Typical presentations can be boring: PowerPoint is often overused and misused, and presenting just facts or figures may not leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Back to top

Action

Know the Elements of Storytelling
(From "Storytelling as Best Practice" in free-range thinking TM newsletter, February 2002)

    1. Start with a common assumption:
      Example: Little Red Riding Hood was taking a basket of food to her grandmother.
    2. Introduce a point of conflict.
      Example: The Big Bad Wolf had bad intentions toward grandma and Little Red Riding Hood.
    3. Cast your story with clearly identifiable heroes and villains.
      Example: The Big Bad Wolf wanted to eat grandma and Little Red Riding Hood BUT there was an altruistic woodsman there to save the day.
    4. Include at least one memorable fact.
      Example: The woodsman killed the Big Bad Wolf.
    5. Point the way to a happy ending.
      Example: The wolf couldn't bother them anymore and they were safe!
Seven Questions to Sharpen Your Stories (From free-range thinking TM newsletter, October 2003)

    1. Who is the protagonist?
    2. What's the hook?
    3. What keeps it interesting?
    4. Where is the conflict?
    5. Have you included telling details?
    6. What's the emotional hook?
    7. Is the meaning clear?

The 10 Immutable Laws of Storytelling (From free-range thinking TM newsletter, June 2007)

    1. Stories are about people.
    2. The people in your story have to want something.
    3. Stories need to be fixed in time and space.
    4. Let your characters speak for themselves.
    5. Audiences bore easily.
    6. Stories speak the audience's language.
    7. Stories stir up emotions.
    8. Stories don't tell; they show.
    9. Stories have at least one "moment of truth.'
    10. Stories have clear meaning.

Back to top

Context

Research shows that people respond to stories because "human thought takes narrative form and we most readily remember narrative accounts." (Ursula Goodenough, Professor of Biology at Washington University, and William Grassie, founder of the Metanexus Institute)

Back to top

Outcome

Facts woven together create stories that people will remember.

Back to top

Evidence

Storytelling as a technique has been used effectively in courtrooms, classrooms, and politics.

Back to top

For More Information

Andy Goodman
444 North Larchmont Blvd., Suite 102
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (323) 464-3956

Back to top

Resources

Andy Goodman's free range thinking TM is a monthly newsletter for public interest groups, foundations, and progressive businesses that want to reach more people more effectively.

For a brief presentation by Andy Goodman on the art of storytelling, go to the website at
http://www.agoodmanonline.com/workshop/index.html .

Related Practices

Back to top

Topic Areas

Back to top