Finding stories to use in your business speaking

Have you had an experience like this one?  A speaker is giving an educational and motivational speech to some GCSE students. He tells a story about a childhood friend, someone who lived life on his own terms and went on to play guitar in one of the biggest 80s punk rock bands. The story illustrates motivation, grit and determination.  However, the story falls flat.  The young people know nothing about the band and get distracted whispering to each other “Who is he talking about?”

We know that human beings love stories and that there is scientific evidence showing that people are more likely to retain factual information if it is supported by a story.  However, the story needs to be tailored to the audience.

Let me share some tips for finding stories for your own business presentations, speeches and talks.

Gather a gallery of stories and anecdotes

Before you start delivering your presentation it is important to have a curated gallery of stories to choose from.  One approach to doing this is to start by picking an emotion, for example, let’s take joy. Take a moment to think about the most recent time you felt a sense of joy. Then write this memory down. Include everything that happened before you felt that joy, and everything that happened after you experienced that feeling. (It may help to ask Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?)

Guess what? You now have a relatable story about joy.

Next, practice telling this story. Record yourself and see if you can deliver it in a more engaging way. Then think of another time you felt joy and build another story.  Repeat the same activity with different emotions both positive and negative.  By the end you will have a few go-to stories that illicit different emotions.

Once you have a gallery of stories, you can pick and choose different stories to include as part of your next presentation or speech.

Look from the audience’s point of view

With stories ready, think about who is in your audience and their values, interests and challenges. Try to really empathise with how they may be feeling. This will help you to decide what story best fits them.

When you empathise with their struggles and challenges, they will want to hear more from you.  One story may work for one particular type of audience, but may have a different impact on a different audience.

For example, when I am speaking to an audience of men, I am going to tell raw, personal stories to show that is it acceptable to display emotions as a man. However, for a business audience my stories will be geared around overcoming hardship and being resilient whilst facing uncertainty.

Try out different angles

If you are still struggling to find the right story that will have a lasting impact on an audience, then try mixing existing stories up. Try telling the story in a different way, perhaps from a different perspective or with a different narrative structure. Let’s take for example the classic children’s nursery rhyme ‘Humpty Dumpty’. We know that Humpty fell off a wall and that the King’s men tried but failed to put him together again.  The rhyme is told by an impartial observer.  What would change if you told it from Humpty’s point of view?  Or from the perspective of one of the King’s men?

The key point is that you don’t need to deliver your information or stories in the same way every time. You can try a different angle.  Mix it up!

 Use a process of trial and error

You might not know the right story to tell straight away. You might not deliver it with the impact that you had originally intended.  You might struggle to get started with a story gallery. That’s all ok! Don’t be hard on yourself.

Sometimes, it’s a process of trial and error to find the perfect story or combination of stories. You can practice with recording yourself in front of a camera or in front of friends. You’ll probably have moments when the audience doesn’t get a joke or a reference and that is completely fine. Just pause, compose yourself and carry on.

Be courageous

I urge you to use personal stories. Take a moment to think about stories from your life. I guarantee there will be plenty that your audience will be able to relate to and learn from.  They will be unique and interesting, and you and your business message will be remembered.