Last week, I attended a technical presentation where the speaker did a great job explaining the technical content but couldn’t transmit the technology’s real value.

There’s only one way to deliver the real value:

Storytelling

A story creates the “space” where all the technical details will fit together. A lot of details without a good story will be forgotten in a short period of time. A story can drive new actions and can inspire new ideas.

The language used in a story is essential; it can be positive, negative, or neutral:

  • Negative language inspires fear; fear is a great motivator for action, but it normally leads to reactive actions.
  • Positive language inspires hope; hope is the best motivator and leads to more effective activities with great long-term results.
  • Neutral language is difficult to use, and it could be dull or be forgotten quickly.

Stories can be real or likely. A plausible story has the same effect as a real one if told well.

Do you want to improve your sessions? Invest some time in great plausible (or real) stories, and learn how to tell them in an effective way!

-Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash