The Power of Stories for Speakers
by Robert Fish
"Stories are the single most powerful form of human communication." That statement is by Peg Neuhauser, author of "Corporate Legends and Lore, The Power of Storytelling as a Management Tool." How can she make such a bold statement?
She makes two points, supported by research of social scientists. The first is that stories make information easier to remember.
This is because stories create images in the mind. Images are stored more directly and easily in the mind's memory bank than hard data. You can tell me that your company had a 6.7% growth rate last year, or you could tell me a story about the research breakthrough that made it possible. I'll remember the story longer than the statistic.
Neuhauser's second point is that stories make information more believable.
She cites a study done with quantitatively trained MBA students who were divided into three groups. One group was given a story about a company. The second was given a table of statistics; the third was given both. Each group was then asked a series of questions about whether they believed the company's policy. Of the three groups, "the people who received only the story were more likely to predict that the company would follow its policy . . . . Even with MBA-trained subjects, a story was more persuasive than statistics." (See Podny, Frost, Morgan, and Dandridge, "Organizational Symbolism," 1983)
Advertising capitalizes on this principle. A lot of ads revolve around a story. Notice that we pass on the most entertaining or memorable ones to others. It's natural to want to share stories that we like.
What are some of the components of an effective story? First of all, it has a structure, moving from an opening situation, through a complication and resolution, to a conclusion. Stories for presentations need to be screened for complexity; the listening audience can't follow as complicated a plot as a reader can. Have a structure and keep it simple.
A good story creates vivid images in the mind of the listener. Pay attention to the language you use. For example, mentioning that a scientist's car was an old, beat-up Volvo may suggest to us that he doesn't care much for the external trappings of success.
A good story is not too long, not too short; knowing the right length is tricky. Most stories in presentations are longer than they need to be. Test yours out--tell them to others, ask for their feedback. When in doubt, cut it out. Less is more in storytelling.
A good story has a clear point. It doesn't have to be stated as obviously as an Aesop's fable, "And the moral of the story is . . .," but it needs to be clear what we are to take away from the story. Give the point at the start, at the end, or both, but give it. Don't forget it.
How can you use stories in presentations? I can think of three instances. One is at the beginning of a talk, to get the audience's attention. It breaks the pattern of most openings ("Hello, my name is . . . and I want to talk about . . ."). It arouses interest.
A second instance is at the close of a talk. A story can wrap up the entire talk and leave the audience in a positive and receptive mood for the speaker's point of view. Again, brevity is key here.
The third instance is anywhere in the body of the talk where you particularly want the audience to remember an idea. Support the idea with a story. They will remember the story and, by association, the idea that it illustrates.
Listen for stories in the talks that you hear. Do they draw you into the talk more? Do you find them persuasive? Illuminating? Memorable? Make a distinction between those stories you like and those you don't like. Analyze what the difference is. And if you want your listeners to remember and believe your messages more, start telling stories yourself.