Storytelling: What the Best Public Speakers Do Differently

Storytelling Is How We Experience Life

For a long time, we dismissed storytelling as inappropriate fluff. We followed Aristotle’s (384-322 BC) belief that people were essentially rational and made decisions based on persuasive procedure and reasonable argument.

But in the 1980s, Walter Fisher (1931-2018) introduced the idea that we experience life in narrative form. We are storytellers who make decisions based on what makes sense to our narrative, core values, and heart.

It’s a shame that many businesspeople don’t understand this. They make presentations in the name of data and information.

Guess what. We are up to our eyeballs in information, and what we want are the most compelling, essential facts, your ideas, and the story that develops our understanding beyond the facts.

Here are six strategies to transform your presentations with storytelling:

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1.) Think Narrative, Not Information

Knowing the difference between information and storytelling is critical to a leader’s ability to build trust and influence.

Too many business presenters begin the planning process by sitting down with PowerPoint Slide #1 to build a deck instead of a narrative. They load up their slides with text and complicated charts, piling on the details to prove their knowledge. How do you move from information to storytelling? A narrative has an open theme, surprising moments, solutions, and a satisfying close.

Before you sit down with your slides, try this. First, write down the Big Idea behind your presentation. Let’s say a new leader of a company that has lost its way wants to send the message to employees, “We’re Going Back to the Basics of What Made this Company Great.”

Second, visualize three key messages to support the Big Idea. In this case, Products, Distribution, and Marketing. Tell us how these go back to Basics. For example, fewer products, less in the pipeline, and marketing that captures who we are. Your theme is “Back to Basics.” Add an open and satisfying conclusion. Finally, add visuals, such as videos, photos, and bold charts.

Focus on slides last because they should highlight key elements of a story, not replace you as the storyteller. You can provide real value by telling a story, developing understanding, and building trust. No slide can do that.

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2.) Every Picture Tells a Story

Average speakers often overlook the power of the right visuals — including videos, statement-making charts, and high-quality photos. Researchers have found that your audience will recall about 10% of the content if they simply hear information from you. But if they hear the narration and see images, they are 55% more likely to retain the message.

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3.) Humanize Data: Add a Face

A few years ago, I met with a construction project team to help them dry-run their presentation for a big hospital project in New York. After watching the first run, I said, “There’s too much information and too much detail. There are no patients–no physicians. There’s no story.”

David, one of the most animated engineers, piped up and said, “The client expects us to get into the nitty-gritty details. Otherwise, we’ll sound like we don’t know what we’re talking about!”

“How is it that you are one of only three companies given the opportunity to pitch this business?” I asked. After a bit of prodding, my friends admitted they were on the shortlist because they enjoy a reputation for extraordinary work and honest dealings. The purpose of the presentation was not to prove they knew what they were talking about. Nor was it to faithfully march through slides, putting the client’s brain to sleep. It was to share their vision of a facility built for the patients and the physicians who treated them. It was to tell the story.

After a few hours of brainstorming with the team, we cut the information in half. We added faces to the data and came up with an open, a theme, surprising moments, solutions, and a satisfying close. They connected with the hearts and minds of the decision-makers during their presentation and won the business.

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4.) Surprise Us With A Story

Most PowerPoints are boring because they plod along predictably. Once the cadence is set, we know what comes next — another slide of text, followed by another slide of text. A good story, however, has the element of surprise, and the brain loves to be surprised by something that breaks the plodding pattern.

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5.) Practice On Your Feet, Out Loud

Another reason many business presentations are mediocre is that speakers forget they’re performing and telling a story, not merely presenting the information. A great speaker is much more than a slide reader. A great speaker informs, inspires, engages, entertains, and more.

Storytellers practice out loud. They practice their vocal delivery, adding pauses and varying the pace of their speech to enhance their performance.

I used to flip through my slides silently until I had memorized the information. I showed up stiff and uncomfortable. Later, I learned that practicing out loud gives you muscle memory, which enables you to be more expressive and engaging.

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6.) Invite the Audience Into the Story

Great storytelling doesn’t stop at telling your story; it invites your audience to see themselves in it. When listeners recognize their own challenges, hopes, or experiences reflected in your message, connection deepens and engagement skyrockets.

To do this, shift your perspective from performing your story to sharing it. Use inclusive language like “you,” “we,” and “us.” Paint moments your audience can picture. Ask reflective questions that pull them into the narrative:

• “Have you ever faced a moment like that?”
• “What would that look like in your world?”

These small but powerful techniques help your story move from something people hear to something they feel. When the audience becomes part of the story, they walk away remembering not just your message, but how it made them think about their own.

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Stories That Stay With Us

Storytelling is not decoration—it’s transformation. The best speakers don’t just transfer information; they create experiences that resonate long after the talk ends.

Whether you’re speaking in a boardroom, on a stage, or in a team meeting, stories remind people why your message matters. When you think in terms of narrative instead of information, your ideas gain structure, clarity, and heart.

In the end, a memorable story is not about you; it’s about the connection you create. And that is what makes great speakers unforgettable.