How do you illustrate main points and support arguments with stories?

2 Define your purpose

Stories can serve different purposes in a presentation, depending on what you want to achieve. You can use stories to introduce yourself, to establish rapport, to explain a concept, to illustrate a point, to provide evidence, to inspire action, or to close with a bang. You need to define your purpose clearly, and then select stories that align with it. For example, if you want to explain a concept, you can use a story that demonstrates how it works in practice. If you want to inspire action, you can use a story that shows the benefits or consequences of taking or not taking action.

3 Use the STAR framework

A good story has a clear structure, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. To effectively structure stories, you can use the STAR framework which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This framework helps you set the context, describe the challenge, explain the solution, and highlight the outcome of your story. For example, if you want to illustrate how you solved a problem for a client, you can use the STAR framework by first explaining the background and problem that the client faced. Then describe the goal or objective that you had to achieve for them. Next explain the steps or strategies that you took to solve the problem. Finally, highlight the benefits or impact that your solution had for them.

4 Make it personal

One of the advantages of using stories in your presentations is that they can help you showcase your personality, values, and emotions. Stories can make you more authentic, relatable, and trustworthy to your audience. To make your stories more personal, you can use details, anecdotes, humor, and metaphors that reveal something about yourself or your perspective. You can also use personal pronouns, such as "I", "you", or "we", to create a connection with your listeners. However, be careful not to make your stories too self-centered or irrelevant. Always keep in mind how your stories relate to your main points and arguments, and how they benefit your audience.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?