It’s a question I get frequently, “I want to include a story in my presentation, but where do I find one?” I always have a straightforward one-word answer, “Everywhere!”
As I said in my last post on storytelling, we communicate with stories in nearly every interaction in our lives except for business presentations. For some reason, we have this idea that we just need to present the facts and just the facts. Yes, you need the facts, but you’ll be far more memorable and persuasive if you enrich the facts with a good story.
So, where specifically can you find business stories? They can come from conversations with colleagues or a customer, a visit to a customer’s office, a discovery in the lab, an “ah-ha” moment when you and your teammates realized something important. They can come from a conversation with a family member or a store clerk, something that happened to you on a walk, a random interaction with a stranger. Life is a story and is full of stories.
Here is an example. Let’s say you’re recommending a new capability within an existing product. You will likely present data on improved performance, how long it will take, what it will cost, the potential increase in revenue and profit. You’ll also discuss the data and research about why you are making the recommendation. This is where the story comes in.
Perhaps a valued customer told you they could sell a lot more of your product if it had this new capability. Tell that story. Describe details of who you talked with when and where you had the conversation. Use direct quotes from the customer. Share what she said about the end-user problems this new capability would solve. Share her enthusiasm about the updated product. Paint the picture for your audience so they paint the picture in their own minds.
The story personalizes your recommendation. It introduces a voice, a face, a human perspective that data do not communicate. It puts your audience in that conversation. It creates a connection to you, your customer and your recommendation. The story makes your recommendation more memorable and more persuasive.
Think about those key points you want to emphasize in your next presentation, identify an experience that brings that point to life and use the storytelling techniques to make it tangible and memorable for your audience.
Next time, I’ll offer you some great examples of effective stories and some more important tips on telling engaging business stories. In the meantime, if you want advice on where to find a story and when to use one, reach out. I’d be happy to have a conversation…and share a story.