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Engage through Storytelling

September 28, 2010    |    Nancy Duarte

Story has played a significant role in all cultures but its adoption into professional cultures has been painfully slow. That’s because it’s easier to present a report instead of a well-crafted presentation that incorporates stories.

Presentations are the most persuasive tool available to us in business yet we squander them. This video explains some of the structural differences between a report (what most presentations are) and a story.

  • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

    Have you read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller? If not, it’s awesome. It’s all about story. I would be happy to send you a copy. (My company published it.) Thanks.

  • http://friarminor.com Alain Yap

    I believe so – difference between report and story mirrors the gap between knowledge and wisdom.

  • http://www.duarte.com/ Nancy Duarte

    I would *love* a copy. Don’t see many books on storytelling. I sent your copy of Resonate in the mail last Friday so you should get it any day now. Ship to: 161 E. Evelyn Ave, Mountain View, CA 94041

  • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

    Awesome. I will shoot you a copy of a Million Miles tomorrow. Chris Brogan loved it. Let me know what you think.

  • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

    Great presentation, Nancy. A simple way to remember this concept is this simple phrase…
    When presenting…
    Tell a story, make a point.

  • Dusty Robinson

    Thank you. I work at an engineering consulting firm, so all of the work we do is on the ‘report’ side. I have been trying to learn how to give better presentations, but so much material out there does not apply very well to the technical realm. Your short explanation will help me implement some change in how I communicate and how I encourage others to as well.

  • Dean

    Great work once again Nancy. Your email arrived just as I was finishing up my first ever blog post on …. telling stories! I’ve used a great clip from Mad Men to illustrate that in our presentations when we have to persuade (and aren’t they all?) that recitation of dry facts is not going to get the job done. We need to tell stories. See what you think
    http://www.realworld.com.au/blog/?p=12

  • http://erandycox.com E. Randy Cox

    Nancy,

    I had just finished Resonate as I was getting ready to complete my slide deck for a routine project budget status update presentation for my client. I asked myself, “What would Nancy do…” and I thought about using emotion and story telling. But in a budget presentation? I included some simple slides–each with a powerful image and one word like “Memory”, “Connection” and so on telling the story of what role I think my client plays in its ecosystem. Afterwards, the head of communication for the client asked if she could use that as the basis for her next annual report and the Executive Director wants to use the slides to kick off his next big presentation to the Legislature. It works! Even the hum drum can have new life put into it by applying the principles you teach in Resonate. Thank you! And well done…again.

  • http://www.cisjustaletter.com ann

    Nancy, my background is C level marketing and my current role is a new profession – teaching “baby marketers” at two universities. Your overview of stories in presentations to make data come alive is my life – as that is how best to teach in a soundbite based student body. That said, your very well directed and focused communication will be a part of two courses in short order, because you compelling communicate this core idea. Thanks for sharing your passion and your ideas, for your work complements my efforts to better prepare my students for the world they will explore upon graduation.

  • http://www.tjwalker.com TJ Walker

    The single biggest difference between great presenters and average/awful ones is that great presenters use a story to illustrate every single key point in their speech.

  • http://www.thepowerpointstudio.com Janet Bornemann

    Nancy, I enjoyed your presentation because it was very much from the heart. I loved seeing the “pictograph” you made on the floor with found objects when you were a kid. It’s great that your mom recognized your creative spark and snapped a picture of that! I liked hearing about your interest in old posters as well. It reminded me that as designers we always need to be looking around us because inspiration is everywhere. Thank you for sharing your passion.

  • http://www.danieldecker.net Daniel Decker

    Excellent video. Just ran across your work at the suggestion of a client. Impressed.

  • http://kbarth.fto.de Kilian Barth

    Hello Nancy,
    I really appreciate the information that you provide to the public. As I am active in science it would be nice to have a post (or maybe even a series) that focuses on the specific problems of that field of presenters. Many students and scientists really need help to make their ideas and findings available to the community and the public.
    Keep up the great work!

    Kilian

  • http://frankjkenny.com Frank J. Kenny

    I read Million Miles Michael. Loved it.

  • Jack Malcolm

    Nancy,

    I enjoyed reading Resonate and thought you would like to know I posted a favorable recommendation on my blog:

    http://jackmalcolm.com/blog/2011/08/book-recommendation-resonate-by-nancy-duarte/

    Thanks for all the good ideas!

    Jack Malcolm