what is a narrative presentation

Presentation Storytelling Examples & Techniques (2024)

Learn techniques for telling a story in a presentation . Get narrative presentation examples and learn to apply storytelling in business presentations .

Joanne Camarce

8 minute read

Short answer

What should a presentation storytelling structure include?

Introduction

Rising Action

Falling Action

Storytelling in business presentations matters (a lot)

Stories convey a deeper meaning, idea, or lesson. They make us feel, experience, identify, and understand.

Most importantly for storytelling in business presentations, telling a story in a presentation makes people more likely to remember the message.

Researchers Dean and Chip Heath found that after a presentation, 63% of attendees could remember the story told by the presenter.

However, only 5% could recall specific statistics from the event.

Because stories allow audiences to visualize and imagine an idea or message, stories also make them better able to make decisions.

In other words, stories bring buyers, stakeholders, and decision-makers to better understand and remember your message. Which in turn enables them to make a decision and increases the chance they’ll act on it.

What is presentation storytelling?

Presentation storytelling is the art of using a narrative structure to convey information instead of dry facts. It delivers a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end that aligns with the presentation's objectives, making the content more relatable and memorable.

Storytelling in business presentations involves 2 complementing aspects: (1) textual presentation narrative, and (2) visual storytelling.

What is a narrative presentation?

A narrative presentation is a style of delivering information where the content is structured as a relatable story. It typically includes characters, a setting, a conflict, and a resolution, and weaves complex ideas, processes, and metrics into the narrative.

What is a visual storytelling presentation?

A visual storytelling presentation tells a story or multiple anecdotes using visual elements like videos, animations, and interactive content.

Modern storytelling presentations apply scrollytelling design which combines visuals and text seamlessly to let readers interact with the presentation as they scroll down the content.

How to use the 4 storytelling archetypes

Storytelling is the art of describing vivid ideas, beliefs, experiences, and life lessons through stories and narratives.

These stories stimulate a listener's imagination as you take them on an emotional journey. There are many ways to tell a story.

These story structures have been shown to work for narrative presentations and corporate storytelling, and they will work for you.

The Hero's Journey: Communicates a transformation from struggle to success

The Story Mountain: Builds tension and anticipation

Story loop: Joins multiple perspectives into a single narrative

In-Media Res: Grabs attention quickly

There are timeless narrative frameworks that have worked for storytellers throughout the ages from the methodologies of old, through Shakespearian plays to Apple commercials.

1) Hero's Journey

The hero's journey narrative archetype involves a hero who goes on a journey and returns as a changed person.

This storytelling template consists of three distinct parts, or "acts," that include a setup, confrontation, and resolution. It makes for a well-structured and engaging narrative.

2) The Mountain

The mountain storytelling structure strategically maps the tension and drama in a story. This archetype is represented visually as a mountain, with each section building to a complex obstacle that characters need to overcome.

Think of the protagonist at the bottom of the mountain. They must climb the mountain to reach their goal (your business goals in this case). They face obstacles along the way, and they must overcome those obstacles before they can reach the top.

3) Story loop

The story loop structure contains stories within another story. However, they aren't standalone stories.

Your first story is the most important. It's the core of your message, and you use the other stories to elaborate or explain your central point.

But you stop some of the way through it, leaving the audience in suspense. Then, you share part of the second story before moving on to the last.

Eventually, in the end, you bring it all together to make one cohesive point. The purpose of this storytelling technique is to provide context, background, or a different perspective to a central narrative.

Types of anecdotes you can use in your story loop presentation

• Customer success stories
• Personal experiences by clients
• Inspirational stories
• Fictional or hypothetical stories
• Historical or factual stories

Here's a short video explaining how to use a story loop:

4) In medias res (begin from the middle)

In medias res is Latin for "in the middle of things." With this storytelling archetype, the narrative begins in the middle of a scene. It skips over the background of the story and gets straight to the action.

To choose the right type of story for your presentation, consider your audience, the purpose of the presentation, and the emotional impact you want to create.

No matter what narrative structure you choose, include visuals, sensory details, and precise language to bolster your message.

If you want to learn more about this storytelling archetype, check out the video below:

Effective presentation storytelling structure

A well-structured story can engage and persuade your audience, making your corporate presentation much more effective and memorable.

Stories can be applied in any type of business presentation, such as a pitch deck, sales presentation, white paper, report, or business proposal.

A single document can include multiple stories that make up a joint narrative.

5 basic elements of a story structure:

1. Introduction

• Sets a relevant context with background information.
• Introduces the protagonist (business or product) and the current problem or challenge.

2. Rising Action

• Builds tension by detailing the obstacles and complications faced.
• Engages the audience with the steps taken to address the challenge.
• The turning point where the main tension or conflict peaks.
• Highlights the moment of greatest challenge and the decisive action taken.

4. Falling Action

• Shows the aftermath of the climax.
• Begins to lead towards the resolution, detailing the business solution and results of actions taken.

5. Resolution

• Wraps up the story with the outcome of all actions.
• Provides a clear ending, showing how the challenge was overcome and what was learned.

After developing your story structure, be sure to connect it to your core message by creating parallels and reinforcing it with examples.

Most importantly, don’t leave your audience with the realization that they need to take action without offering them an immediate way to act.

Effective storytelling techniques for presentations

The beauty of storytelling is that the possibilities are endless. There are so many ways to tell a story in presentations. It's just a matter of finding the right one for your unique needs and goals.

1) Build your stories around your audience’s pain points

Stories establish connections. But don’t confuse your story with your audience’s story.

Your audience doesn’t care about your story, and they don’t care about your product.

But they will care if they feel you care about them.

Understanding the audience's pain points, values, and opinions can help you weave a story into a narrative that aligns with their interests. It gives you the chance to be part of THEIR story.

Stop talking about yourself. Do this and see engagement blow up, conversions increase, and greater brand loyalty .

2) Establish common ground with your prospects

One effective presentation storytelling technique is to find common ground and share experiences with your audience to establish a connection and make them care about what you say.

These commonalities are what resonate strongest with your target audience.

Common-ground stories tell your audience a satisfied client of yours overcame a particular challenge they are experiencing themselves, and offer the lessons learned while overcoming it.

3) Tell stories that foster peer envy

Peer envy is one of the strongest motivators you can flame in sales presentation storytelling.

Simply put it just means telling the story of a known industry player that achieved remarkable results with the help of your product or service.

A peer envy story should present the initial challenge, the journey to overcome it, and the final enviable outcomes. Yet the reader should feel they can attain similar or better results by following a similar journey.

Here's a fragment of a podcast where Michael Bosworth touches on this very topic:

Business presentation storytelling examples

Here are some examples of famous brands that incorporated personal stories to convey a powerful message in their business presentations.

Zuora sales deck

The Zuora sales deck was aptly named the best sales deck ever . It is truly a best-in-class example of a transformation narrative set within the story mountain framework.

It masterfully narrates the shift to a subscription economy, emphasizing evolving consumer behavior.

And by highlighting the challenges businesses face in this new economy, Zuora positions itself as the essential solution.

The deck's use of data, visuals, and testimonials weaves a compelling story of transformation, urging businesses to adapt and thrive with Zuora or stay behind and decline.

Mign sales deck

Mign’s sales deck highlights the digital shift in musculoskeletal injury recovery, emphasizing the transformation from mass production to personalized care.

Mign applies the hero’s journey story framework and positions itself as the trusted guide in this transformation.

The deck contrasts "winners," who embrace new technologies like additive manufacturing and virtual care, with "losers," traditional manufacturers stuck in outdated processes.

Tinder pitch deck

Tinder's pitch deck effectively narrates the universal challenge of meeting new people and the fear of rejection.

By introducing a hypothetical user named "Matt," Tinder gives the reader a peek into the mind of their target user - an everyday nice guy scared to approach a girl he's interested in.

This concrete personal experience gives life to a basic human need that investors can understand intuitively and even relate to.

Tinder leverages this emotional understanding to make a compelling case for its solution - a platform that eliminates the fear of rejection.

The deck also applied great data storytelling showcasing Tinder's impressive statistics, emphasizing its global reach and popularity among Gen Z.

They also nail the one-liner. Their slogan "It Starts With A Swipe™" encapsulates the simplicity and effectiveness of the app, positioning Tinder as the modern solution to traditional dating challenges.

Brothers Pub restaurant pitch deck

Brothers Pub's pitch deck presents a captivating local business story, emphasizing the need for a fresh, community-focused social pub venue.

The deck tells the story of the owners’ journey, from the initial concept to securing a prime location in Northampton, highlighting their dedication and vision for the future.

The deck outlines the challenges faced by traditional pubs, with 7000 closures in the last decade, and positions Brothers Pub as the innovative solution.

LKE proposal

Legends Kratom Co. (LKE) creates a narrative around the origins and benefits of kratom. By telling the exotic tale of the medicinal tropical evergreen tree and its transformation into a beneficial supplement, the deck creates a vivid backdrop.

They take the reader on their discovery journey to Indonesia to find a supplier for the coveted plant.

This adds authenticity and allure, while their commitment to education and community showcases a heartfelt mission.

Testimonials provide real-world validation, making LKE's story relatable and positioning them as a trusted leader in the supplement industry.

Genius Workshop Event pitch deck

Genius's pitch deck for their storytelling workshop is a masterclass in selling an experience. The deck introduces Gabrielle Dolan's expertise, setting a foundation of trust.

The workshop's structure is presented as a narrative journey, guiding attendees from novice to storyteller.

The deck mixes video, scrollytelling, and vivid language to give rich detail to the experience it promises to provide.

The 90-day follow-up program adds an element of continued growth, while alumni testimonials serve as real-world success stories.

By framing the workshop as a transformative experience, the deck engages and entices potential attendees, showcasing the power of storytelling in action.

Barbie recruitment pitch deck

Barbie's recruitment deck immerses candidates into Barbie's vibrant world. With playful greetings and whimsical descriptions, it sets a creative tone.

The deck focuses on Barbie’s story as a human being (doll in her case), her values, and her experience, instead of focusing on the recruiting company.

The deck lists attributes and responsibilities that align with Barbie's ethos, such as "spreading positivity" and "rocking a pink wardrobe."

Nokia brand guidelines

Nokia's brand guidelines deck uses visual storytelling to effectively communicate the essence of the brand. It lets the visuals tell the story since they speak louder than words.

The deck begins by anchoring the audience in Nokia's mission and values, creating a narrative foundation.

It then unfolds the brand's visual identity, from color schemes to typography, weaving a cohesive story of what Nokia represents.

By providing clear dos and don'ts, Nokia ensures that its brand story remains consistent and impactful across all touchpoints.

This storytelling approach not only educates but also engages, making it easier for stakeholders to internalize and adhere to the guidelines.

nSure one-pager

nSure's one-pager effectively uses visual data storytelling to convey the benefits of their AI fraud protection for digital gift card purchases.

Introducing the challenge of ambiguous transactions, nSure lets the numbers tell the story.

With impressive numbers like their AI solution’s 98% approval rate. They can afford to.

The deck's visuals, combined with endorsements from industry leaders like AXA, make a compelling narrative that instills confidence in nSure's expertise.

Healthy.io proposal

Healthy.io's proposal uses video storytelling with real practitioners who tell the story of their experiences using Healthy.io’s solution.

The video testimonial from a practice nurse adds a personal touch, showing the positive impact on patient care. This brings the user's experience to the front and adds credibility to the proposal’s claims.

The proposal uses a transformation narrative to showcase Healthy.io’s remote kidney screening solution.

They highlight the challenges of legacy ACR testing against their modern home-based test using a smartphone app.

Principles of visual storytelling in business presentations

Storytelling allows you to simplify complex or abstract information and address any objections or resistance. As a result, listeners can better retain and remember the message, which improves the decision-making process.

Here are the main principles that can transform your narrative:

Authenticity

Authentic visuals resonate more with audiences. In an era where people are bombarded with staged and polished images, authentic, candid photos that reflect the reality of your work can make your message stand out and be memorable.

Your visuals should evoke a sensory experience. The goal is to cut through the noise and trigger a stronger emotional response.

For example, you can make the experience more immersive by adding interactive clickable elements, embedding videos, or images that highlight details or visual textures.

Scrollytelling can also play a crucial role here, allowing the story to unfold through interaction, as the audience scrolls through the narrative, engaging them in a multi-sensory journey.

You can see the difference that interactivity makes below. Which presentation would you rather read?

The stories told by your images must be relevant to your audience. Personalized visual storytelling, supported by data to understand what motivates your audience, can turn your story into an experience that resonates deeply.

Every story has characters that fit certain archetypes, such as the caregiver, the explorer, and the creator. Identifying with these archetypes helps your audience connect with the story on a deeper level, making your organization's mission more relatable and memorable.

Make your own storytelling presentation

We've curated an extensive collection of templates to help you achieve effective storytelling for whatever business presentation you need to make.

The business storytelling presentation templates below have been rigorously tested across various devices and refined with insights gleaned from real-world feedback.

They were designed with interactive storytelling at their core. They’ll serve you as handy visual storytelling aids to make your presentations engaging, memorable, and highly converting.

Grab a template!

Why the human brain loves storytelling presentations

According to neuroscientist Uri Hasson , storytelling fosters deep social interactions through brain-to-brain connections.

He found that when we hear stories, our brains mirror each other, helping us understand what the storyteller is feeling.

Called neurocoupling or mirroring, this process occurs across many areas of the brain, including the ones that are responsible for processing and understanding narratives.

So the human brain loves stories. But why?

The short answer is that ‌neural activity in the brain increases when we hear a captivating story. Our brains are made up of neurons, which are nerve cells that send messages throughout the body.

These neurons release neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that transmit signals from nerve cells to target cells.

The most common neurotransmitters in the brain include:

When we hear a story, the neurons in our brain light up with activity. And according to neuroscientists, "neurons that fire together wire together."

This means that as we hear stories, the neurons in our brains are wiring together. As a result, we're more likely to remember the information we receive from a story.

Storytelling also triggers the release of dopamine ("the brain's form of candy") and oxytocin ("the love drug"). In other words, stories make us feel good.

Here's an infographic showing how storytelling affects the brain:

This can influence buying behavior because it helps to create an emotional connection with potential customers or buyers.

Telling a story, instead of making a sales pitch , is less intimidating to an audience.

The company or product you're describing is easier to understand, seems less complex, and provides relevant information in a format that's easy to digest and remember.

As a result, the buyer can relate to the product or service and will eventually want to purchase it.

Joanne Camarce grows and strategizes B2B marketing and PR efforts @ codeless.io . She loves slaying outreach campaigns and connecting with brands like G2, Wordstream, Process Street, and others. When she's not wearing her marketing hat, you'll find Joanne admiring Japanese music and art or just being a dog mom.

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Structure Your Presentation Like a Story

by Nancy Duarte

After studying hundreds of speeches, I’ve found that the most effective presenters use the same techniques as great storytellers: By reminding people of the status quo and then revealing the path to a better way, they set up a conflict that needs to be resolved.

Partner Center

How to Develop an Effective Presentation Narrative – and Why it’s Important.

Are you wondering why a strong narrative is so important in a presentation – and how you can develop your own?

In today’s market, no business can afford to squander face time with a customer by not being clear and succinct about what they do and the value they deliver. This is why interactive presentations and sales enablement tools are so important as they help you to create more focused presentations .

So whether you’re looking to create a presentation for a face-to-face sales meeting, virtual sales pitch or a touchscreen at an event or customer sales centre , read on to find out more about the importance of a strong presentation narrative.

If your presentations aren’t getting the traction you need, it could be for a number of reasons.

• It could be your presentations are too generic and not relevant to your customers
• your messaging may not be clear
• you’re not personalising your message to the audience
• maybe it doesn’t help customers make sense of their own requirements and guide them in making a more informed buying decision?

Whatever the reason, it’s never a good feeling when your presentations are letting the side down – and narrative plays an essential role in developing customer-centric interactive presentations that resonate with and engage your audience. Without it, they tend to switch off and lose track or never quite understand why you’re relevant to them.

Yet, people tend to overlook the narrative and can forget that at the end of the day, there is a customer who is going to be sitting through your presentation and has a requirement that needs a resolution. Walking in with a generic deck and going through it in a linear style, skipping slides or having to move backwards and forwards, often with no thought or consideration to the narrative, can be very off-putting and confusing.

That’s why we’re going to explain more about the importance of a good narrative below, as well as giving you some helpful tips on how to develop yours.

“Our new sales tool has made life so much easier. The tool allows me to access and browse all the sales materials I need in one place so that I can easily show, or send them to my customers and colleagues. The app is easy to navigate, looks really professional and allows me to deliver sales material in an effective way.” Katie Bell , Senior Territory Manager, Coloplast

What makes presentation narrative so important?

The narrative is the heart of any good presentation; without a clear narrative, there is no story for your audience to understand and latch onto. This means your audience will have to work hard to try and figure out what is being said, where your presentation is going, what you need them to do and think and why you’re the right partner for them. It makes it hard for them to recall your key messages and retell your story to other decision-makers.

With the wealth of information out there you need to help customers make sense of all this information so they can make more informed buying decisions, narrative is key to persuading them.

A narrative means you’re telling them a story with a clear, simple and logical flow; you’re conveying to them an idea and telling it in a compelling, engaging and meaningful way that builds towards a clear action point for them.

Without a narrative, all you have is confusion. There’s no story for your audience to understand, and you’re left talking at them – instead of having a meaningful and mutually beneficial conversation.

“Your job is no longer to convince customers to buy, but rather, to help them buy ” Forrester

Remember : a presentation is all about getting your audience to take the action you need them to take – such as adopting an idea, moving to the next stage of their buying process etc. – therefore you must have a clear narrative argument that lays down why they should do what you want them to do. This is central to the whole idea of narrative.

How to develop a good presentation narrative

First things first; in order to develop the best narrative for your presentation, you have to establish the action you need your audience to take afterwards.

Don’t underestimate this step.

Your entire presentation should be based on moving your audience to take the action you need them to take. It must be specific, clear, achievable and fit with their processes. For instance, every company will have a buying process and stages they need to go through with a new partner, so make sure your presentation clearly recognises this and don’t jump the gun. It’s rare that any deal will be signed off the back of a presentation so think carefully what can be achieved in your presentation to move the customer one step closer to signing a deal with you.

2. It’s all about your customers

Now you have to align this with your customer’s position:

• The problems they’re trying to solve, their challenges and goals
• Look at their job roles, the market they’re in, and the current trends impacting their sector
• What is it about your products or services that they need?
• How do these things affect them in their everyday life?
• What opportunities or insights can you bring to them when you partner? 
• How will you mitigate any risk in them adopting your solutions?

You need to put yourself into your customer’s shoes and critically review what you will be presenting to them. And, ask yourself the most important question “So what”. If you apply “So What” to one of your value propositions and you can’t succinctly answer that question then you need to look more closely at your proposition.

Once you’ve taken everything above into account, these points can be brought together as a content map or storyboard, the first step to building the narrative and your presentation. This phase is about laying out your argument and proof points in a logical order. You could use sticky notes, each note or slide should represent a message or key thought or proof point. Don’t cram everything into one page give your argument room to breathe.

Now, there will be a number of ways you can build your presentation narrative, you may have ideas for different starting points e.g., do you start with the about us section, industry trends or customer challenges? There isn’t really a right answer, it very much depends on the customer, their knowledge of you, their challenges and where they are in the buying process. A big advantage of interactive presentations is that you can have different routes into the content you don’t need to start at the same point each time.

As a creative technology business, we go through these exact steps with all our customers. This is also something that any good agency should be able to help you with – even if it’s just to offer some free, impartial advice.

Tip: For more advice, check out our video guide: ‘How to Tell a Persuasive B2B Story With Your Presentations’ .

Advice on developing a presentation narrative

If you’re looking to develop an effective and compelling narrative for your own presentation, we’d recommend you carefully consider the points above. We find that working through the above with our customers has quite a dramatic effect on how they approach important presentations and meetings and really helps them to refine their proposition and messaging.

There’s nothing to stop you from following this approach yourself, however, you may feel more comfortable engaging with an agency – even if it’s just to get a bit of outside perspective which can be crucial in sense checking your proposition.

As an example of the process, one of our customers, Isotrak, had lots of old sales presentations with no consistent narrative or message with a focus very much on the product. So, we held a workshop to go through the presentations and talk in-depth about their customers. From here, we created the content map which went a long way in helping them to focus on their key messages and proposition.

We then created a storyboard which enabled the entire sales team to review and practice the presentation to ensure the narrative and messages were spot on; at this stage, they were all focused on the content and narrative, without having to worry about the final design. You can see the final result in a more detailed case study .

Develop an effective presentation narrative to hook your customers 

By now, you should have a good idea of where to start when developing a customer-focused narrative. The above advice is something you can either follow yourself when creating a narrative, or it can be something an interactive agency should also be happy to help you with. It’s completely up to you.

If you do decide to go to an agency, they should be able to show you previous examples of their work, along with offering you some free, impartial advice and guidance – so you can make the right choice for your business.

Want to learn more about how you can craft a gripping narrative to guide customers through your presentations? To learn how you can harness the power interactive touchscreen presentations, get in touch today on +44 (0)117 329 1712 or [email protected] . We’d love to hear from you.

Related Posts

What makes visual storytelling so important for sales presentations, case study: how pop create interactive presentations that are easy for customers to share internally, how to measure digital marketing roi of an interactive presentation or digital sales tool, the most important aspect of winning new business [aka how sales & marketing compare to online dating].

• Presentation Design

The Best Narrative Structure with examples

A common myth suggests that great presentations are an art form. While some of the world’s best presenters are certainly artists, we know that their presentations obey the kind of narrative structure that allows even novice public speakers the opportunity to deliver great presentations.

What is Narrative Structure?

Well, that depends on the industry, because narrative structure is important in every profession. While different definitions exist, they all point to the “structural framework” of how an idea or story is presented to an audience.

The reliance on structure in a narrative underlines just how attainable great, engaging presentations are. Because if we can show how those are built (e.g. the skeleton), then all that’s left is adding the muscle, or content, and delivering it according to the narrative structure.

The other key element in the narrative structure definition is the idea or story. Without the idea or story, there is no narrative to structure. So we really want to lean on storytelling as a way to engage our audience, and for a good reason.

Importance of Narrative Structure

We all have at least one story to tell. Entrepreneurs often have many. Funding, investment, and commercial acceptance of a product or service aren’t just about the problems they solve, but the story behind the problem itself as well as how these products and services can solve them.

Presenting that story in a proper narrative allows potential investors and customers to engage with the idea. Presentations are no exception.

Serial entrepreneur and four-time New York Times bestselling author, Gary Vaynerchuk, is recognized internationally as one of those artists who deliver great presentations each time he opens his mouth to speak. In his best-selling book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World , Vaynerchuk points out the importance delivering the thrust of an idea (the right hook) only after building up the premise through jabs.

In the film industry, this “build up,” which Vaynerchuk calls the jab, jab, jab, is called the plot. Through a three-act structure, screenwriters deliver a plot that gradually builds up (jabs) to a film’s climax (right hook).

Narrative Structure at Work

Let’s take a look at how narrative structure works in a business sense. Again, different industries or experts will label these phases differently. But, without question, great presentations always begin with the first act, a problem, or what Simon Sinek calls the “why.”

First Act / Problem / The "why"

Whether developing a screenplay, pitch deck, or other presentation, engaging narrative always starts with a problem. Presenting that problem to an audience gets them engaged early on.

In a film, someone could be lost and needs to be saved. A common problem that we’ve seen used in blockbuster films like Finding Nemo and San Andreas.

In business, that problem is ultimately the purpose behind the business’s existing in the first place.

In the famous pitch decks listed here , including those used by Airbnb, Intercom, Buffer, and Slidebean, three of the four successful presentations began with listing—in black and white—a problem. These companies are now solving those problems today.

The second act

In the second act, as the audience recognizes and identifies with the problem, the narrative moves on to the next phase. In a film, screenwriters call this the second act. In keeping with the examples above, it’s where Nemo develops independence as a small fish in a new world; where the Rock rekindles his relationship with his ex-wife.

Aka: The solution

In a real-life presentation, the second act involves pitching a solution to the problem identified in the first act and demonstrating how it works. It’s what Vaynerchuk calls “jabs.” Revealing the solution, piece-by-piece, by drip-feeding exciting features with lots of application potential, presenters can quickly build trust and rapport by inviting the audience to rally behind them.

Act II Presentation Tips: Most presentations incorporate visual as well as vocal elements. Visually, point-form icon usage enhances engagement. Vocally, statistics, quotes, and figures engage audiences, but be sure to use the right ones!

For example: In each of the pitch decks on our site , one hundred percent of the presenters used figures in their presentations. Seventy-five percent used icons extensively with minimal text. (See what we did there?)

By this point in the narrative, the audience has been recruited. Everyone has the same goal: to solve the problem that was identified in the first act. And because of the second act, the audience stands behind the presented solution as the best way to achieve their goal, and they trust in the solution's team or company to deliver it.

In our film examples, this is where Nemo has rallied the other fish in the tank to help him escape and return home; the part in San Andreas where the Rock has effectively won over his ex-wife.

In a business setting, this is how Airbnb demonstrated how everyone wins by making or saving money through their social/service platform, and how Intercom and Slidebean demonstrated how their solutions not only solve a problem but do so through simplicity and convenience.

The third act

With the audience rallying behind the Solution, the Third Act is what Vaynerchuk calls the “right hook.” It’s where, in a film, the lost child is reunited with his or her family—Nemo is reunited with his father; the Rock finds and rescues his daughter from a collapsing building after a near-drowning.

The Third Act operates the same in the business world. It’s where the audience gets what it wants or is missing: not just a solution to the common problem identified in the First Act, but a solution to a bigger version of that problem!

Keep in mind that delivering that all-important right hook isn’t about asking for the business… not yet, anyway. As with each of the “jabs” in the Second Act, narrative structure suggests that the presenter reiterates the problem and presents a surprise or twist element that the audience may not have considered. So, a cloud operation might not just solve the second act problems of file access while away from the office, but also the third act problem where file access is prohibited by a complete server hack that locks down all file access fifteen minutes before an important investor meeting that will determine the fate of the company.

In Nemo, that bigger version of the problem is when the father makes it all the way to Sydney only to believe Nemo is dead; in San Andreas, it’s when the Rock’s daughter drowns, and his resuscitation efforts seem to fail. Yes, these are indeed bigger versions of the second-act problems!

In a business presentation, the right hook is preceded by a solution that the team or company has already proven it can competently solve. (Nobody would believe that Stephen Hawking could administer CPR in the film San Andreas, which is why the Rock played a Fire Rescue helicopter pilot with a demonstrated track record of physical heroism).

Tip: Always start the presentation planning process with the why of the presentation itself. In looking at the example pitch decks , we see that Intercom dedicated a slide (What We’re Looking For) to the investment they were seeking. That was the why for their presentation: asking for 600k in a convertible note.

USE THIS TEMPLATE ONLINE

Once the presentation’s why is established, it can be used in the narrative structure of the Third Act. For example, if the why is to capture contact information from attendees, the presentation will end with a call-to-action for that information.

A properly delivered right hook in the third act leaves the audience with no alternative but to act on your call-to-action. The Airbnb pitch deck demonstrated this by showing just how much money can be made, and what gives the Airbnb solution an advantage over competitors.

Rise of the Storyteller

In his article for the Harvard Business Review, executive coach Harrison Monarth outlined the importance of storytelling in $4 million NFL Superbowl ads. What makes them successful? Monarth highlights that “regardless of the content of the ad, the structure of that content predicted its success.”

Given that an audience’s thirst for storytelling lies more in the familiarity of the structure than in the story or idea itself, great presentations that follow the rules of narrative structure will engage audiences each time.

Remember: Start with the Why

Not just why of the idea, story, business solution (which is to solve the problem presented in Act One), but the why of the presentation itself. Knowing the why of the presentation removes any guess work associated with the climax in the Third Act.

Also: Jab, jab, jab

In virtually no great film, novel, pitch deck, or seminar will there be a single act where the sole climax that gets resolved with the only solution to a single problem. The build-up to the climax is essential, and narrative structure proves that.

By demonstrating competence and providing solutions to smaller problems throughout the second act, great presentations engage audiences by winning their support and inviting them to rally behind the presenter or narrator. Simon Sinek’s Ted Talks presentation testifies to this.

Lastly: Structure Isn’t an Art, It’s a Teachable Science

The underlying reality about great presentations is that it’s not the story or any other artistic element that engages an audience. Rather, it’s the familiarity of the narrative structure. Whether the audience is sitting in a Hollywood production studio or a Wall Street boardroom, structure invites engagement—and structure is a three-act science, learned and perfected by all great storytellers, including history’s greatest artists from Shakespeare all the way to Gary Vaynerchuk.

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How to Narrate a PowerPoint Presentation: A Complete Guide

Learn to narrate PowerPoint presentations effectively with scripting, technical setup, and delivery tips for engaging your audience.

Understanding the Basics of PowerPoint Narration

What is powerpoint narration, benefits of narration.

• Enhances Understanding : Audio cues complement visual information, enhancing the audience's ability to understand and retain information.
• Engages the Audience : A well-narrated story can keep the audience interested and engaged throughout the presentation.
• Improves Accessibility : For visual-impaired audience members, narration provides an additional method of receiving information.

Preparing to Narrate Your PowerPoint

1. craft a compelling script.

• An introduction that sets the stage for the audience.
• A body that logically explains your slides.
• A conclusion that summarizes the presentation and suggests next steps or calls to action.

2. Practice Your Delivery

3. prepare your slides for narration, technical setup for narrating powerpoint, 1. equipment needed, 2. recording your narration.

• Go to the “Slide Show” tab.
• Click on “Record Slide Show.”
• Choose “Record from Current Slide” or “Record from Beginning” depending on your needs.
• As you record, speak clearly and pace your delivery to match the content on the slides.

3. Editing Your Narration

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Every Great Presentation Needs a Story—Here’s How You Tell One

July 7, 2020

Looking to create your next presentation that can leave a lasting impression? Key to this is understanding the role of stories and how different story structures can be applied depending on your purpose.

In this blog post, we’ll be covering:

• The importance of stories
• Why stories are key to a great presentation
• 5 story structures, when to use them and examples that show them in action

What’s the importance of stories?

Stories turn information into a narrative and narratives get people to act. 

Think of it this way—if information were represented as dots on a page, then the story is the string that connects them together. Without a story, you have puzzle pieces, but you haven’t formed a picture yet. Ever been handed a set of jigsaw puzzles without knowing the full image to work towards? 

Well, delivering a presentation without a story sort of feels like that. It leaves you feeling lost.

The thing is, stories have been around for as long as we’ve lived. On a large scale, it’s how culture gets passed down and how knowledge gets shared. Think family traditions, presidential speeches, and TED Talks. Also, think...what’s the one thing they all have in common? They’re memorable. 

Humans enjoy narratives because the very process of identifying with a narrative means we are showing empathy and emotion towards it. In fact, Uri Hassan (a fantastic neuroscientist) discovered that a great storyteller literally causes the neurons of an audience to closely sync with the storyteller’s brain. That’s basically the equivalent of “getting on someone’s level”.

Why should I think about storytelling when designing a presentation?

“Do I really need to tell a story when I’m creating a presentation to secure a brand partnership? What about for a sales report? To present quarterly earnings?”

Yes, yes, and yes. 

We get that some stories are bigger than others, but at the core of any presentation, you’re trying to explain something .

If graphs indicate that sales have been going down across the board, there’s going to be a story in there about why this is happening, what you plan to start or stop doing, and how things change. Without this narrative context, the data has no way of being interpreted.

On the other end of the scale, some stories are expansive and inspire collective change.

When BMO, a Canadian bank, decided to make massive technology and business transformations across their 900 branches, it needed a compelling reason to answer every employee’s question of, “why should I change what I’m doing?”

So BMO hired a communications agency that built them a 50 slide presentation, delivered by the transformation leader to all of its senior leadership team members. In this presentation, there was a story about time . That it was the right time to make a change. That if the business wanted to improve their customer’s experience, it needed change to respect their time more. That was how the presentation sold the idea to everyone in the room that day.

It’s also important to keep in mind that stories can be told both in spoken form and through visuals. While used for different purposes (words help elaborate on what visuals can quickly communicate), both forms work hand-in-hand to reinforce the same narrative.

5 different types of stories to structure your presentation

Depending on the purpose of your presentation, you may need to explore the use of different types of stories. To help you decide which to choose, here are 5 compelling story types and examples of when they might be most suitable:

1. Future Stories

This story technique focuses on a time when the problem at hand has already been solved and the rewards achieved. 

It places the audience in the mindset of thinking about future possibilities in a motivational way. The more realistic and grounded in reality the story of the future can be told, the more likely the audience will feel the tangible results. 

You can tell future stories in two ways: by focusing on the possibility of a great future and how it can be achieved, or by focusing on the possibility of a bad future and how it can be avoided.

When to use this

• At the start of an investor pitch, state the possibilities that can be achieved with your product/service upfront in order to get the audience hooked on the rest of your presentation.
• To move people into action with a sense of urgency created.

See it in action

Bill Gates begins his talk by describing an impending risk of a deadly global virus killing over 10 million in upcoming decades. Through this, he creates a sense of urgency that allows him to deliver the message of needing to plan and create preventive measures starting today.

2. Converging Ideas 

A presentation that uses converging ideas shows how different people’s thinking came together to form one product or idea. It shows the origin of that idea and the process for how it was formed.

The story starts with the first thought, which is then followed by the second, third, and however many others there are. Then, it ties all the thoughts together and illustrates how they unite and contribute to the final idea.

• To show the strength of a team/partnership.
• To show the idea was built on deliberate thinking and full considerations.
• When Introducing a new product/idea, or when selling it.

John Bohannon’s talk begins by explaining how the idea in his presentation came to him while speaking with a physicist friend of his. Uniting their thoughts together, he describes the power of using dancers to visualize complex ideas (though we know not everyone has a team of dancers ready to work with, we can still apply this idea in accessible ways by using music or visuals to simplify a complex message).

3. Hero’s Journey

Commonly used in folk stories, it follows a protagonist who sets out on a journey. Only after conquering obstacles along the way are they able to return home with new-found wisdom.

This story technique shows your audience how you came to gain the knowledge that’s in your presentation. It explains the process for them, from your perspective, and allows the message to come alive through human experiences involving trials and tribulations.

It’s a humanizing technique that creates a sense of relatability and builds trust.

• When you need to establish credibility with a new audience upfront.
• At the start of a workshop that aims to teach (to show you can “walk the talk”).
• To demonstrate the success of a product/service by featuring someone’s struggle before using the product/service vs. how they feel after.

Nicole Bishop kicks off her elevator pitch by speaking to her own health-related experiences before introducing her AI tool, Quartolio , that analyzes millions of articles, trials and patents that can be used by specialists. Through this, she shows herself as knowledgeable on the topic and intimately familiar with the space:

4. Petal Structure

This style leans on one central message that’s being reinforced by multiple ideas or speakers. For instance, It’s helpful in situations where an audience might need some convincing to believe or take action on what’s being presented. By being shown multiple points of view that support the same message, the audience can feel the importance or weight of it.

• When you have a group of speakers who are sharing the same message.
• To show that multiple people have agreed on something, therefore, it holds weight.

At the beginning of Dave Visan’s pitch for his app, Brightwheel , used to revolutionize early education, he shows how kids, parents, and teachers all struggle with the current system. Even more impressively, when showing how kids are struggling, he plays three clips of different children all saying they don’t know what they got out of school that day. Visan successfully uses the petal structure twice (once reinforced by visuals!) all within a minute to drive his point home.

5. Sparklines 

The name of this technique (which shares a name with small line charts, but used for a different purpose), alludes to the visual mapping of the feelings evoked from a presentation:

By fluctuating between hope and reality, this type of presentation identifies current day challenges and helps your audience envision a world where that challenge is defeated.

Rhythm is important here. Note that there is an up and down motion throughout. This is intended to not overwhelm the audience with too much of a future outlook so that it feels removed from reality.

The last step in this presentation technique is to (literally) end on a high note. To leave audiences with a sense that the future outlook is near and can be reached.

• For longer presentations when you have the time to build up momentum. 
• Long-form speeches that empower you to radically shift the audiences’ way of thinking.
• Large product releases feature a number of substantial changes.

See it in action:

When Steve Jobs introduces the world to the iPod for the first time, he compares a number of features (such as storage space, device size, and download speed) but does so in a way where he goes back and forth between two worlds—where we are (with CD players) and where we could be (with iPods). Only at the very end does he reveal the iPod in physical form, which is received by a delighted round of applause. ‍

Bringing it together: building your next presentation with a story

The next time you create a presentation, think about how the role of a story can elevate it that much more. 

Before you put these story structures into action, there are key things you should know first: 

• Who is your audience?
• What do they know?
• What do they care about?
• How do you want them to feel by the end of your presentation?

When you have these answers down, get creative and explore which story type works best for you. Also, don’t be afraid to combine different stories together (done authentically, this can be really powerful)!

presentation.design is a resource hub by Zacht Studios , The Presentation Design Agency.

Need help creating that presentation template or pitch deck for your company? Zacht Studios is a team of skilled creatives focused on company storytelling and fundraising.

We’ve crafted pitch decks, marketing materials, and unforgettable stories for some of your favorite companies like Adobe, Square, Etsy, and SpaceX. Plus, we’ve supported startups in raising more than $1.41B to date.

Curious to learn more? Reach us at: [email protected]

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Weave a Compelling Narrative Through Your Slides (+ Free Templates)

By weaving a compelling narrative into your slides, you can transform your presentations into immersive experiences that resonate with your audience. This guide will take you through the process of understanding your audience, defining a key message, structuring the narrative, and crafting impactful text.

In addition to the expert guidance, this guide offers free presentation templates that align with the principles discussed, allowing you to put your newfound knowledge into practice easily. Whether you’re a business professional, educator, or presenter looking to captivate your audience, this guide will equip you with the tools and strategies to create memorable and persuasive presentations.

Below, we intentionally omitted the topic of slide design , as we dedicated a previous article to this important subject.

Table of Contents

Importance of a Compelling Narrative in Slides

Understanding the audience, defining the key message, introduction, building the story, creating a storyline, transitioning between sections, crafting compelling text, practicing and refining, weave your compelling narrative with our free presentation templates.

A compelling narrative goes beyond simply presenting information and engages the audience on an emotional and intellectual level. Incorporating a compelling narrative in your slides is vital for capturing attention, enhancing comprehension, creating a memorable experience, building emotional connections, making complex information accessible, and increasing your overall persuasiveness and influence.

By weaving a strong narrative throughout your presentation, you can transform it into a powerful tool for engaging and inspiring your audience.

Understanding your audience is crucial for crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with them. By tailoring your narrative to their specific interests and needs, you can create a more impactful and engaging presentation.

Here are the key aspects of understanding your audience:

Identifying the Target Audience

To create a compelling narrative, it’s essential to identify and define your target audience. Consider the following:

• Demographics: Determine the demographic characteristics of your audience, such as age, gender, occupation, and educational background. This information helps you tailor your language, examples, and content to suit their preferences.
• Psychographics: Understand the psychological aspects of your audience, such as their values, attitudes, interests, and motivations. This knowledge allows you to align your narrative with their beliefs and desires.

Analyzing their Interests and Needs

Once you’ve identified your target audience, it’s important to analyze their interests and needs. Consider the following strategies:

• Research: Conduct thorough research to gather insights about your audience’s interests and preferences. This can involve reviewing industry reports, conducting surveys, or analyzing social media trends. The more you know about their interests, the better you can tailor your narrative to capture their attention.
• Prioritize: Identify the primary interests and needs of your audience. Determine the key challenges they face or the goals they are striving to achieve. This understanding enables you to focus your narrative on addressing their specific pain points or providing solutions that meet their needs.

Tailoring the Narrative to Resonate with the Audience

Once you have a clear understanding of your audience, it’s time to tailor your narrative to resonate with them effectively. Here’s how you can accomplish this:

• Emotional Appeal: Identify the emotions that resonate with your audience and incorporate them into your narrative. Whether it’s excitement, inspiration, or empathy, evoking the right emotions can create a powerful connection and make your presentation more memorable.
• Relevance: Ensure that your narrative is relevant to your audience’s context. Use examples, anecdotes, or case studies that reflect their experiences or industry. By relating your narrative to their world, you increase its relatability and impact.
• Customization: Personalize your narrative whenever possible. Incorporate specific references or stories that directly address the interests, needs, or challenges of your audience. This customization demonstrates that you understand them and increases their engagement with your presentation.

By understanding your audience, analyzing their interests and needs, and tailoring your narrative to resonate with them, you can create a compelling presentation that connects with your audience on a deeper level. This understanding forms the foundation for crafting a narrative that engages, informs, and inspires your listeners.

Defining a clear and concise key message is essential for crafting a compelling narrative in your slides. It acts as the central idea or core theme of your presentation, guiding the development of your narrative.

Here are the key elements of defining the key message:

Identifying the Core Message or Main Idea

To define the key message, you need to distill the essence of your presentation into a single, focused statement. Consider the following:

• Central Purpose: Determine the primary objective of your presentation. Is it to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain? Understanding the purpose helps you identify the main idea that aligns with your goal.
• Unique Value: Identify the unique value or proposition that your presentation offers to the audience. What sets it apart from other information or perspectives? This unique value becomes the foundation of your key message.

Ensuring Clarity and Focus

A compelling narrative requires clarity and focus to effectively communicate your key message. Consider the following strategies:

• Simplicity: Express your key message in simple and concise language. Avoid jargon or complex terminology that might confuse or alienate your audience. Aim for clarity and accessibility.
• Single Focus: Ensure that your key message has a single, central focus. Trying to convey too many ideas can dilute the impact of your narrative. Stay focused on the core message to maintain a coherent and powerful narrative.

Crafting a Strong Central Narrative that Supports the Key Message

Once you have defined your key message, it’s important to craft a narrative that supports and reinforces it. Consider the following approaches:

• Storytelling Structure: Structure your narrative like a story, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The narrative arc should lead the audience from the introduction to the resolution, all centered around your key message.
• Supporting Points: Identify supporting points or sub-messages that contribute to the overall narrative. These points should align with and strengthen the key message, providing evidence, examples, or insights that support its validity.
• Consistency and Coherence: Ensure that every element of your narrative, including visuals, text, and examples, aligns with the key message. Consistency and coherence create a unified and persuasive narrative that resonates with the audience.

By defining a clear and focused key message, ensuring its clarity and focus, and crafting a strong central narrative that supports it, you create a solid foundation for a compelling presentation. The key message acts as the compass that guides the development of your narrative, helping you deliver a memorable and impactful presentation.

Structuring the Narrative

Structuring your narrative effectively is crucial for weaving a compelling story through your slides. A well-structured narrative engages the audience, maintains their interest, and delivers your key message in a coherent and impactful manner. Here are the key elements of structuring your narrative:

The introduction sets the stage for your presentation and captures the audience’s attention from the start.

Consider the following components:

• Setting the Context: Provide background information or context that establishes the relevance and importance of your topic. Help the audience understand why they should care about the subject matter.
• Grabbing the Audience’s Attention: Begin with a captivating hook or attention-grabbing statement. It could be a thought-provoking question, a startling fact, a compelling story, or a powerful quote. The goal is to pique the audience’s curiosity and make them eager to hear more.

The body of your presentation builds upon the introduction and develops the narrative. Consider the following strategies:

• Identifying Key Plot Points or Ideas: Determine the main ideas or plot points that support your key message. These ideas act as building blocks for your narrative and help guide the flow of information.
• Sequencing the Information Logically: Arrange the plot points or ideas in a logical sequence that creates a coherent and easy-to-follow storyline. Consider using a chronological order, cause-and-effect structure, or problem-solution approach, depending on what best suits your content.
• Establishing a Clear Beginning, Middle, and End: Ensure that your narrative has a clear structure with a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning introduces the topic and sets up the conflict or challenge. The middle elaborates on the main ideas, providing supporting details and evidence. The end offers a resolution, conclusion, or call to action.

To make your narrative engaging and relatable, consider incorporating elements of storytelling.

Here are some techniques:

• Incorporating Conflict or Challenges: Introduce a central conflict or challenge that your audience can identify with. This creates tension and keeps the audience invested in your narrative. It could be a problem faced by your target audience or an industry-wide challenge.
• Presenting Solutions: Offer solutions, insights, or strategies that address the conflict or challenges presented. Present them in a clear and actionable way, emphasizing the value they provide. Show how your key message and supporting points contribute to resolving the conflict or overcoming the challenges.

Smooth transitions are essential for maintaining a cohesive flow in your narrative. Consider the following approaches:

• Using Effective Transitions to Maintain a Flow: Use transitional phrases, such as “now,” “moving on,” or “next,” to signal transitions between sections. These cues help the audience follow the narrative and understand the progression of ideas.
• Creating Smooth Connections Between Ideas: Establish connections between ideas by using linking words or phrases that show the relationship between concepts. Examples include “similarly,” “in contrast,” “additionally,” or “consequently.” These connections ensure a seamless flow of information and enhance comprehension.

By structuring your narrative with a compelling introduction, building a coherent story with logical sequencing, creating engaging storylines, and incorporating smooth transitions, you can deliver a presentation that captivates and resonates with your audience. The structure acts as a framework for your narrative, ensuring that it flows smoothly and delivers your key message effectively.

In addition to a well-structured narrative, crafting compelling text in your slides is crucial for effectively conveying your message and engaging your audience. Here are key strategies for crafting compelling text:

Using Concise and Impactful Wording

To make your text more engaging and memorable, focus on using concise and impactful wording. Consider the following tips:

• Simplify Language: Use clear and simple language that is easily understood by your audience. Avoid jargon or complex terminology that might confuse or alienate listeners. Aim for brevity and clarity in your text.
• Be Direct and Specific: Communicate your ideas in a direct and specific manner. Avoid vague or ambiguous language that can dilute the impact of your message. Use concrete examples and precise wording to make your text more compelling.
• Emphasize Key Points: Highlight key points or important information using formatting techniques such as bolding, italicizing, or using larger font sizes. This draws attention to the essential elements of your text and makes them stand out.

Utilizing Storytelling Techniques

Storytelling techniques can add depth and engagement to your text. Consider the following approaches:

• Use Vivid Descriptions: Incorporate descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates vivid mental images. This helps the audience visualize your ideas and connect with your message on a deeper level.
• Create Narrative Flow: Structure your text in a narrative format, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Use storytelling elements such as exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution to create a compelling narrative flow in your text.
• Employ Metaphors and Analogies: Use metaphors or analogies to illustrate complex concepts or ideas. These figures of speech can make your text more relatable and help the audience grasp abstract or unfamiliar concepts by relating them to something familiar.

Incorporating Relevant Quotes, Anecdotes, or Statistics

Quotes, anecdotes, and statistics can add credibility and interest to your text. Consider the following strategies:

• Quotes: Include relevant quotes from experts, thought leaders, or influential individuals in your field. Quotes can provide insights, perspectives, or support for your key message. Ensure that the quotes align with your narrative and resonate with your audience.
• Anecdotes: Share personal anecdotes or stories that illustrate the ideas or concepts you’re presenting. Anecdotes make your text more relatable and engaging, allowing the audience to connect with your message on a personal level.
• Statistics: Incorporate relevant statistics or data to support your arguments or claims. Statistics provide evidence and credibility to your text, making it more persuasive. Ensure that the statistics are from reliable sources and presented in a clear and accessible manner.

By using concise and impactful wording, utilizing storytelling techniques, and incorporating relevant quotes, anecdotes, or statistics, you can make your text more compelling and captivating.

Remember to keep your text focused, clear, and aligned with your key message to effectively communicate your ideas to the audience.

Practicing and refining your presentation is essential for delivering a polished and impactful narrative. This section focuses on key steps to enhance your presentation through practice and feedback.

Rehearsing the Presentation

Rehearsing your presentation helps you become more familiar with the content and improve your delivery. Consider the following practices:

• Practice Timing: Time your presentation to ensure it fits within the allocated timeframe. This helps you maintain a steady pace and avoid rushing or going over time during the actual presentation.
• Use Visual Aids: Practice incorporating visual aids, such as slides or props, into your presentation. Familiarize yourself with the visual cues and transitions to ensure a smooth integration.
• Speak Out Loud: Practice speaking your presentation out loud to develop a natural flow and comfortable delivery. Pay attention to your tone, pace, and emphasis on key points to effectively engage the audience.

Seeking Feedback and Making Improvements

Feedback from others provides valuable insights and perspectives that can enhance your presentation. Consider the following feedback-seeking strategies:

• Peer Review: Share your presentation with colleagues or friends and ask for their feedback. Request their input on the clarity of your message, the organization of your content, and the overall impact of your narrative. Incorporate their suggestions to refine your presentation.
• Professional Guidance: Seek feedback from experienced presenters or mentors who can provide constructive criticism. They can help you identify areas for improvement and offer specific advice on enhancing your storytelling, visuals, or delivery.

Ensuring Coherence and Flow in the Narrative

A coherent and flowing narrative is essential for capturing and maintaining the audience’s attention. Consider the following approaches:

• Smooth Transitions: Pay attention to the transitions between different sections or ideas in your presentation. Practice using transitional phrases or visual cues to ensure a seamless flow and logical progression of information.
• Consistent Visual Design: Ensure visual consistency throughout your slides by using a cohesive design scheme, fonts, colors, and imagery. Consistency helps create a unified narrative and enhances the overall professional appearance of your presentation.
• Storyline Check: Evaluate the overall narrative structure to ensure coherence and clarity. Ensure that the story flows logically, the key message is reinforced consistently, and supporting points align with the central theme. Make necessary adjustments to strengthen the narrative.

By rehearsing your presentation, seeking feedback from others, and refining your content based on the feedback received, you can improve the coherence, delivery, and impact of your narrative. Practice and refinement allow you to fine-tune your presentation to resonate more effectively with your audience and deliver a compelling storytelling experience.

To assist you in crafting a compelling narrative for your slides, we offer a collection of free presentation templates . These templates are designed to enhance your storytelling and create visually engaging presentations.

Our templates come with pre-designed slide layouts that offer a well-organized structure for your content. These layouts include sections for introduction, main points, supporting visuals, and conclusion, making it easier for you to weave your narrative seamlessly.

Our templates feature visually appealing elements, such as high-quality images , icons , and graphics , that can enhance the visual impact of your slides. These elements help convey your message effectively and create a visually engaging experience for your audience.

By using our free templates, you can save valuable time that would otherwise be spent on designing your slides from scratch. Our templates provide a ready-to-use foundation, enabling you to focus more on crafting your compelling narrative and refining your content.

In conclusion, weaving a compelling narrative through your slides is crucial for capturing and maintaining your audience’s attention. By understanding your audience, defining a key message, structuring your narrative effectively, crafting compelling text, and practicing and refining your presentation, you can create a powerful and memorable storytelling experience.

With these tools and strategies at your disposal, you can weave a compelling narrative that captivates your audience, conveys your message effectively, and leaves a lasting impression. Embrace the power of storytelling in your slides and unleash the full potential of your presentations.

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Storytelling in Presentations: How to Weave a Compelling Narrative for Your Audience

In the world of presentations, storytelling is a powerful tool to engage and connect with your audience. By weaving a compelling narrative, you can make your message more memorable and persuasive. In this article, we'll explore how to use storytelling in presentations, focusing on presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides, and the structure of business stories, which typically revolve around a problem, the action taken, and the outcome or resolution.

1. Set the Stage: Introduce the Problem

Begin your presentation by introducing a problem or challenge that your audience can relate to. This sets the stage for your narrative and grabs your audience's attention. Make sure the problem is relevant to your audience and aligns with the overall objective of your presentation.

To create visually appealing slides that support your narrative, check out how to create the perfect picture with Stable Diffusion for your next presentation .

2. Present the Action: Describe the Steps Taken

Once you've introduced the problem, it's time to present the action or steps taken to address it. This is the core of your story and should be presented in a clear and engaging manner. Use your presentation software to create visually appealing slides that illustrate the actions taken, including any challenges or obstacles faced along the way.

For more tips on designing your slides, explore the best presentation design books .

3. Reveal the Outcome: Share the Resolution

After presenting the action, it's time to reveal the outcome or resolution. This is the moment your audience has been waiting for, so make it impactful and memorable. Share the results of the actions taken, and don't be afraid to include any lessons learned or insights gained throughout the process.

Learn how to use ChatGPT to quickly prepare any workshop presentation for guidance on creating a compelling conclusion.

4. Connect with Your Audience: Use Emotion and Relatability

To make your story more engaging, connect with your audience on an emotional level. Share personal anecdotes, use vivid language, and describe how the problem and resolution impacted people involved. By making your story relatable, you'll create a stronger connection with your audience, and they'll be more likely to remember your message.

5. Enhance Your Story with Visuals and Multimedia

Take advantage of your presentation software's features to enhance your story with visuals and multimedia. Use images, videos, and graphics to support your narrative and make it more engaging. Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides offer various tools to create visually appealing slides that complement your storytelling.

Discover how to use GPT-4 to create an entire PowerPoint presentation for more tips on using visuals and multimedia effectively.

6. Practice and Refine Your Delivery

Practice your presentation to ensure a smooth and engaging delivery. Pay attention to your pacing, tone, and body language to make your storytelling more captivating. The more you practice, the more confident and polished your delivery will be.

7. Adapt Your Story to Different Audiences

When telling your story, it's essential to adapt your narrative to suit different audiences. Consider the needs, interests, and backgrounds of your listeners to make your story more relevant and engaging. This might involve adjusting the level of detail, focusing on specific aspects of the story, or even changing the language you use.

To craft a presentation that appeals to a broad audience, read how to use ChatGPT to outline your next PowerPoint deck .

8. Use Analogies and Metaphors to Clarify Complex Concepts

If your presentation involves complex concepts or technical information, use analogies and metaphors to simplify these ideas and make them more accessible to your audience. By relating unfamiliar concepts to something your audience already understands, you can make your story more engaging and easier to follow.

9. Encourage Audience Participation

Involve your audience in your storytelling by encouraging participation and interaction. This can be achieved by asking open-ended questions, prompting reflections, or incorporating interactive elements into your presentation. Engaging your audience in this way not only helps maintain their attention but also allows for deeper understanding and connection with your story.

10. Learn from the Best: Study Great Storytellers

To improve your storytelling skills, study great storytellers, and learn from their techniques. Watch TED Talks, attend workshops, or read books on storytelling to gather insights and inspiration for your own presentations.

For a list of valuable resources, check out the best presentation design books and best AI presentation software .

By weaving a compelling narrative into your presentations, you can create a memorable and engaging experience for your audience. Remember to introduce a relatable problem, present the action taken, and reveal the outcome or resolution. Use emotion and relatability to connect with your audience, enhance your story with visuals and multimedia, and adapt your narrative to different listeners. With practice and dedication, you can become a master storyteller who leaves a lasting impact on your audience.

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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

For many people the thought of delivering a presentation is a daunting task and brings about a  great deal of nerves . However, if you take some time to understand how effective presentations are structured and then apply this structure to your own presentation, you’ll appear much more confident and relaxed.

Here is our complete guide for structuring your presentation, with examples at the end of the article to demonstrate these points.

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

If you’ve ever sat through a great presentation, you’ll have left feeling either inspired or informed on a given topic. This isn’t because the speaker was the most knowledgeable or motivating person in the world. Instead, it’s because they know how to structure presentations – they have crafted their message in a logical and simple way that has allowed the audience can keep up with them and take away key messages.

Research has supported this, with studies showing that audiences retain structured information  40% more accurately  than unstructured information.

In fact, not only is structuring a presentation important for the benefit of the audience’s understanding, it’s also important for you as the speaker. A good structure helps you remain calm, stay on topic, and avoid any awkward silences.

What will affect your presentation structure?

Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this will be due to a number of factors, including:

• Whether you need to deliver any demonstrations
• How  knowledgeable the audience  already is on the given subject
• How much interaction you want from the audience
• Any time constraints there are for your talk
• What setting you are in
• Your ability to use any kinds of visual assistance

Before choosing the presentation’s structure answer these questions first:

• What is your presentation’s aim?
• Who are the audience?
• What are the main points your audience should remember afterwards?

When reading the points below, think critically about what things may cause your presentation structure to be slightly different. You can add in certain elements and add more focus to certain moments if that works better for your speech.

What is the typical presentation structure?

This is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your content to.

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you’re credible.

Read our tips on  How to Start a Presentation Effectively

2. Introduction

In the introduction you need to explain the subject and purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience’s interest and confidence. It’s sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-shaped to help filter down your topic:

• Introduce your general topic
• Explain your topic area
• State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring
• State your presentation’s purpose – this is the basis of your presentation so ensure that you provide a statement explaining how the topic will be treated, for example, “I will argue that…” or maybe you will “compare”, “analyse”, “evaluate”, “describe” etc.
• Provide a statement of what you’re hoping the outcome of the presentation will be, for example, “I’m hoping this will be provide you with…”
• Show a preview of the organisation of your presentation

In this section also explain:

• The length of the talk.
• Signal whether you want audience interaction – some presenters prefer the audience to ask questions throughout whereas others allocate a specific section for this.
• If it applies, inform the audience whether to take notes or whether you will be providing handouts.

The way you structure your introduction can depend on the amount of time you have been given to present: a  sales pitch  may consist of a quick presentation so you may begin with your conclusion and then provide the evidence. Conversely, a speaker presenting their idea for change in the world would be better suited to start with the evidence and then conclude what this means for the audience.

Keep in mind that the main aim of the introduction is to grab the audience’s attention and connect with them.

3. The main body of your talk

The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your way through them one at a time – it’s important for everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme, chronologically etc.

• Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting evidence and examples.
• Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-summary.
• Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it clear when you’re moving onto the next point.
• Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics you have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.

When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to make and ask yourself “What I am telling the audience? What should they understand from this?” refining your answers this way will help you produce clear messages.

4. Conclusion

In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks purpose which is a shame as it’s the best place to reinforce your messages. Typically, your presentation has a specific goal – that could be to convert a number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to motivate them towards a shared goal.

Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.

Follow these steps:

• Signal that it’s nearly the end of your presentation, for example, “As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…”
• Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation – “In this speech I wanted to compare…”
• Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
• Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
• Move on to the last section

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and invite them to  ask any questions  they may have. As mentioned earlier, personal circumstances will affect the structure of your presentation.

Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.

Other common presentation structures

The above was a description of a basic presentation, here are some more specific presentation layouts:

Demonstration

Use the demonstration structure when you have something useful to show. This is usually used when you want to show how a product works. Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in his presentations.

• Explain why the product is valuable.
• Describe why the product is necessary.
• Explain what problems it can solve for the audience.
• Demonstrate the product  to support what you’ve been saying.
• Make suggestions of other things it can do to make the audience curious.

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

• Briefly frame the issue.
• Go into the issue in detail showing why it ‘s such a problem. Use logos and pathos for this – the logical and emotional appeals.
• Provide the solution and explain why this would also help the audience.
• Call to action – something you want the audience to do which is straightforward and pertinent to the solution.

Storytelling

As well as incorporating  stories in your presentation , you can organise your whole presentation as a story. There are lots of different type of story structures you can use – a popular choice is the monomyth – the hero’s journey. In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.

Storytelling for Business Success  webinar , where well-know storyteller Javier Bernad shares strategies for crafting compelling narratives.

Another popular choice for using a story to structure your presentation is in media ras (in the middle of thing). In this type of story you launch right into the action by providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.

• Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

The remaining method structure is good for situations where you’re presenting your perspective on a controversial topic which has split people’s opinions.

• Go into the issue in detail showing why it’s such a problem – use logos and pathos.
• Rebut your opponents’ solutions  – explain why their solutions could be useful because the audience will see this as fair and will therefore think you’re trustworthy, and then explain why you think these solutions are not valid.
• After you’ve presented all the alternatives provide your solution, the remaining solution. This is very persuasive because it looks like the winning idea, especially with the audience believing that you’re fair and trustworthy.

Transitions

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant. This can be done  using speech transitions  which are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different forms, here are some examples:

Moving from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• First, let’s begin with…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

• In the same way…
• Likewise…
• Equally…
• This is similar to…
• Similarly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

• What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
• What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
• How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
• What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Physical movement

You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Key slides for your presentation

Slides are a useful tool for most presentations: they can greatly assist in the delivery of your message and help the audience follow along with what you are saying. Key slides include:

• An intro slide outlining your ideas
• A  summary slide  with core points to remember
• High quality image slides to supplement what you are saying

There are some presenters who choose not to use slides at all, though this is more of a rarity. Slides can be a powerful tool if used properly, but the problem is that many fail to do just that. Here are some golden rules to follow when using slides in a presentation:

• Don’t over fill them  – your slides are there to assist your speech, rather than be the focal point. They should have as little information as possible, to avoid distracting people from your talk.
• A picture says a thousand words  – instead of filling a slide with text, instead, focus on one or two images or diagrams to help support and explain the point you are discussing at that time.
• Make them readable  – depending on the size of your audience, some may not be able to see small text or images, so make everything large enough to fill the space.
• Don’t rush through slides  – give the audience enough time to digest each slide.

Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should follow a  10-20-30 rule :

• There should be a maximum of 10 slides – people rarely remember more than one concept afterwards so there’s no point overwhelming them with unnecessary information.
• The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes as this will leave time for questions and discussion.
• The font size should be a minimum of 30pt because the audience reads faster than you talk so less information on the slides means that there is less chance of the audience being distracted.

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

• 7 design tips for effective, beautiful PowerPoint presentations
• 11 design tips for beautiful presentations
• 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea

Group Presentations

Group presentations are structured in the same way as presentations with one speaker but usually require more rehearsal and practices.  Clean transitioning between speakers  is very important in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this consists of:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Elnaz will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Elnaz”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Joe.”

From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

Having examples of great presentations will help inspire your own structures, here are a few such examples, each unique and inspiring in their own way.

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

This presentation by ex-Google CEO  Eric Schmidt  demonstrates some of the most important lessons he and his team have learnt with regards to working with some of the most talented individuals they hired. The simplistic yet cohesive style of all of the slides is something to be appreciated. They are relatively straightforward, yet add power and clarity to the narrative of the presentation.

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

Since being released in 2009, this presentation has been viewed almost four million times all around the world. The message itself is very powerful, however, it’s not an idea that hasn’t been heard before. What makes this presentation so powerful is the simple message he is getting across, and the straightforward and understandable manner in which he delivers it. Also note that he doesn’t use any slides, just a whiteboard where he creates a simple diagram of his opinion.

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

Here’s an example of a presentation given by a relatively unknown individual looking to inspire the next generation of graduates. Rick’s presentation is unique in many ways compared to the two above. Notably, he uses no visual prompts and includes a great deal of humour.

However, what is similar is the structure he uses. He first introduces his message that the wisest man he knew was a third-grade dropout. He then proceeds to deliver his main body of argument, and in the end, concludes with his message. This powerful speech keeps the viewer engaged throughout, through a mixture of heart-warming sentiment, powerful life advice and engaging humour.

As you can see from the examples above, and as it has been expressed throughout, a great presentation structure means analysing the core message of your presentation. Decide on a key message you want to impart the audience with, and then craft an engaging way of delivering it.

By preparing a solid structure, and  practising your talk  beforehand, you can walk into the presentation with confidence and deliver a meaningful message to an interested audience.

It’s important for a presentation to be well-structured so it can have the most impact on your audience. An unstructured presentation can be difficult to follow and even frustrating to listen to. The heart of your speech are your main points supported by evidence and your transitions should assist the movement between points and clarify how everything is linked.

Research suggests that the audience remember the first and last things you say so your introduction and conclusion are vital for reinforcing your points. Essentially, ensure you spend the time structuring your presentation and addressing all of the sections.

• What is Narrative Structure: Definition, Examples, and Tips
• Blue Rose Recommends

Narrative structure is the framework that gives shape to a story, allowing it to unfold coherently and engagingly. Whether you’re crafting a novel, short story, or even a blog post, understanding narrative structure is crucial for captivating your audience. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the definition of narrative structure, provide examples, and offer valuable tips to help you master this essential aspect of storytelling.

Understanding Narrative Structure

The architectural blueprint for a fascinating narrative is narrative structure, which is at the heart of storytelling. It is, at its foundation, the planned organisation of events inside a tale, balancing plot components, character arcs, and the smooth flow of information. This organisational skill is more than just a literary technique; it is a road plan that not only attracts the reader’s attention but also guides them through a meaningful and enjoyable journey.

Narrative structure, beginning with the introduction, introduces the reader to the story’s environment, reveals characters, and introduces background. The inciting incident occurs quickly after, moving the story forward with a sense of urgency. The escalating action heightens the excitement by offering difficulties and developing characters until the decisive conclusion.

Following the climax, the dropping action moves towards resolution, gently tying up loose ends and bringing the story to a close. The well-crafted narrative framework guarantees that each story element and character development are precisely positioned, resulting in a dynamic and resonant flow that increases the reader’s involvement. Finally, a well-structured story serves as a guide, orchestrating an immersive experience that lingers long after the last page is turned.

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Components of Narrative Structure:

• Introduction/Exposition
• Inciting Incident
• Rising Action
• Falling Action
• Resolution/Denouement

• Introduction/Exposition: The introduction or exposition acts as the literary overture in the narrative framework, setting the stage for the developing story. The author presents the key characters painstakingly, drawing realistic images of their personalities and roles in the narrative tapestry. The environment, which serves as an important backdrop, is intertwined with descriptive elements that transport the reader to a certain time and place. Furthermore, the setting is constructed effectively, providing the basis for the core conflict or theme that will carry the tale forward. A well-crafted opening captures the reader’s imagination, drawing them into a world that is both familiar and full of the promise of the unknown.
• Inciting Incident: The inciting occurrence serves as the narrative trigger, igniting the major conflict and propelling the story forward. This occurrence, which is frequently surprising and major, has a dual purpose: it piques the reader’s interest while also instilling a feeling of urgency that propels the characters ahead. It’s the point at which the ordinary morphs into the exceptional, and the story’s equilibrium is upset. The inciting occurrence is the initial beat of the narrative drum, indicating the start of a journey full of twists and turns.
• Rising Action: The increasing action pulls the tale ahead as it develops, with a succession of incidents that steadily create tension and elaborately construct the fundamental conflict. Characters who have been set in motion by the inciting occurrence encounter a slew of problems and roadblocks. These obstacles not only put the characters to the test but also develop their complexities, giving the viewer a more nuanced knowledge of their motives and shortcomings. The narrative engine is the rising action, which slowly accelerates towards the story’s climax, ensuring that each incident is a stepping stone towards the climactic reveal.
• Climax: The climax is the narrative peak, the point at which the story reaches its pinnacle of suspense and effect. It is the apex of conflict and emotion, the conclusion of the growing action. The narrative’s trajectory is irreversibly decided at this point. The decisions taken, the disputes addressed (or intensified), and the insights revealed all combine to create a cathartic and transforming event. The climax is the narrative fulcrum, where the story’s strands are tightened before unfurling towards resolution, leaving a permanent impression on both characters and readers.
• Falling Action: The falling action in the narrative structure elegantly lowers from the climactic apex, providing closure to the principal conflicts while also introducing the resolution process. Following the climactic turning moment, these are the events that resolve secondary conflicts that may have occurred amid the rising action. While the climax’s intensity begins to diminish, the dropping action performs an important function: it guides the story towards its eventual denouement. It is a period of unravelling tensions in which characters traverse the aftermath of the climax, making decisions that set the stage for the concluding chapters. The dropping action serves as a narrative exhale, enabling both characters and readers to reflect on the preceding turbulence and prepare them for the concluding chapters, where loose ends will be delicately tied.
• Resolution/Denouement: The resolution, often known as the denouement, is the point at which the narrative journey comes to an end. The story’s conclusion is revealed here, revealing the implications of the characters’ actions and decisions. The narrative’s loose ends are methodically knotted, delivering a satisfying conclusion to the numerous threads weaved throughout. Characters who have completed the story arc feel a tremendous sense of closure as their quests come to fulfilment. However, the resolution provides a reflective space, giving insights and observations on the narrative’s themes and the characters’ transforming experiences. The lingering moment invites readers to ponder the story’s significance, enabling the narrative resonance to continue beyond the last page. The resolution is the narrative’s farewell, leaving a lasting impression and ensuring the reader’s journey concludes with a sense of fulfilment and understanding.

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Examples of Narrative Structure:

Classic Three-Act Structure:

• Act 1: Introduction In the initial act of the classic three-act structure, the narrative unfurls with the introduction of key elements. Readers are acquainted with the protagonist, their traits, and the world they inhabit. Simultaneously, the setting is painted with descriptive strokes, offering a canvas for the unfolding tale. This act extends beyond mere character and setting introduction; it immerses readers in the world of the story, establishing the norms of the protagonist’s everyday life. The inciting incident, a disruptive event, concludes this act, shattering the tranquilly of the protagonist’s ordinary existence and propelling them into the tumultuous currents of the narrative.
• Act 2: Part I: Rising Action The second act, the rising action, propels the protagonist into a transformative journey. Now disrupted from their routine by the inciting incident, the protagonist encounters challenges, each more formidable than the last. This phase is marked by escalating tension as the protagonist’s mettle is tested and obstacles become stepping stones. The rising action dynamically weaves character development, plot thickening, and escalating stakes. It serves as a bridge between introduction and climax, compelling readers to delve deeper into the protagonist’s transformational odyssey.
• Act 2: Part II: Climax The climax stands as the narrative zenith, a pivotal moment that crystallises the tension built throughout the rising action. It often manifests as a critical decision, confrontation, or revelation, determining the story’s direction. This point of no return is the crucible where the protagonist faces their greatest challenge, making decisions with profound consequences. The climax is a narrative fulcrum, where the threads of the story are drawn tight before unfurling towards resolution. In this dramatic crescendo, the trajectory of the tale is irrevocably altered, setting the stage for the final act.
• Act 3: Part I: Falling Action The third act introduces the falling action, a phase where the consequences of the climax unfold. This is the aftermath, a period of reflection and resolution where characters grapple with the fallout of the critical turning point. While tension recedes, the falling action is not devoid of its own revelations and emotional resonance. It provides a nuanced exploration of the consequences of the climax, preparing the narrative for its conclusive moments.
• Act 3: Part II: Resolution The final act, resolution, brings the narrative journey to its ultimate destination. Here, loose ends are meticulously tied, and characters find closure or transformation. Beyond answering lingering questions, the resolution is a space for characters to undergo profound change or witness the consequences of their choices. The story concludes, leaving a lasting imprint on both characters and readers. The resolution offers insights and reflections, inviting the audience to contemplate the broader themes and messages conveyed throughout the journey. It is the final stroke of the storytelling brush, ensuring that the reader’s engagement concludes with a sense of fulfilment and understanding.
• In Media Res: Without any prelude, In Media Res, Latin for “in the midst of things,” plunges readers right into the action of a key moment. This narrative method rejects traditional linear organisation in favour of rapid engagement and heightened interest. By starting the story at a pivotal point, readers are immediately engrossed in the stakes and dynamics of the plot. Background information and context are purposefully suppressed, creating an air of mystery that pulls readers onward in pursuit of answers. This strategy not only captures the reader’s attention but also assures that they actively engage in the greater narrative puzzle as the story progresses.
• Nonlinear Structure: A nonlinear structure defies conventional chronology by telling the tale in fragments via flashbacks, temporal jumps, or unorthodox sequencing. This strategy adds layers of intricacy and fascination to the story, allowing readers to solve the puzzle of events. The storyteller presents a mosaic of viewpoints by exposing significant moments out of sequence, providing for a fuller comprehension of characters and storyline. Nonlinear storytelling engages the audience’s mind as it moves through temporal changes, resulting in a dynamic and interactive reading experience. This strategy not only violates traditional narrative rules, but it also offers an added depth of discovery for readers as they uncover the story’s complexities layer by layer.

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Tips for Crafting an Effective Narrative Structure

Now that we’ve explored the components of narrative structure, let’s delve into some practical tips to enhance your storytelling:

• Know Your Story’s Core Message: Before crafting your narrative structure, identify the central message or theme of your story. This will help you maintain focus and coherence throughout the writing process.
• Develop well-rounded characters: Invest time in character development. Complex, relatable characters contribute to a compelling narrative. Consider their motivations, conflicts, and growth arcs within the story.
• Build tension strategically. Effective storytelling involves keeping readers engaged. Introduce conflicts and challenges incrementally to build tension. The rising action should gradually increase the stakes, leading to a satisfying climax.
• Show, don’t just tell: Engage the reader’s senses by showing actions, emotions, and settings rather than simply telling. Descriptive language enhances the reader’s immersion in the narrative.
• Use pacing to your advantage. Control the pacing of your story to maintain reader interest. Adjust the speed of your narrative by varying sentence length, incorporating dialogue, and choosing when to delve into detailed descriptions.
• Experiment with Structure: Don’t be afraid to experiment with narrative structures. Nonlinear timelines, multiple perspectives, or unconventional formats can bring a fresh and unique perspective to your storytelling.
• Create memorable scenes: Craft scenes that leave a lasting impact. Whether through emotional resonance, unexpected twists, or pivotal revelations, memorable scenes contribute to a memorable narrative.
• Provide resolution, but leave room for interpretation. While a resolution is essential for closure, leaving certain elements open to interpretation can spark curiosity and discussion among readers.

Read:  How to Self-Publish an eBook and Sell It Online: A Comprehensive Guide

Mastering narrative structure is a key skill for any storyteller. Whether you’re crafting a novel, short story, or blog post, a well-organised narrative enhances the reader’s experience. By understanding the components of narrative structure, exploring examples, and implementing practical tips, you can elevate your storytelling and captivate your audience from beginning to end. Embrace the art of narrative structure and let your stories come alive with depth, purpose, and resonance.

Publish your book  with  BlueRoseONE  and become a  bestselling author . Don’t let your dream of becoming an author fade away, grab the opportunity now and publish your book – be it fiction, non fiction, poetry or more.

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Manan Sahni

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Narrate a PowerPoint Presentation

How to Narrate a PowerPoint Presentation

Similar to doing a commentary to videos, you can also add narrations to your PowerPoint Presentation. It’s an interactive way to provide information to your audience instead of letting them read all points on the slide, with the added value that helps people with visual impairments.

This guide will cover how to create a narrated PowerPoint presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint on Windows. Before you start narrating your presentations in PowerPoint, it would worth to read some of the special considerations to set up the environment (reduce noises, configure the mic, etc.).

Method #1: Narrate a PowerPoint Presentation (Audio-Only)

This first method to narrate a PowerPoint presentation is ideal to add audio narration to those already-made presentations.

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation, navigate to the Insert tab, and click the Audio dropdown icon.

2. You can add audio using two ways; if your audio is pre-recorded and saved on your computer, select the Audio Browser option and select the narration recording. Whereas if you want to record a new narration, click Record Audio .

Note : You can only narrate one slide at a time using the Record Audio option, which makes it suitable for narrating key points.

3. After clicking Record Audio, a new window will appear on the right side of the screen.

4. To record, click the red button; the audio bar will begin moving as you start narrating.

5. To stop the recording, click the Stop button. You can listen to the narration right after by selecting the Play icon.

6. If you want to start over, click the Discard button.

7. When it’s ready, you can add it to the slide by clicking the Insert button.

8. A white audio icon will appear on the slide. You can adjust the icon by selecting it and dragging one of the points on the border. You can also see the play, forward, backward, and volume icons on the playback bar.

9. To set the timing of when the audio will play, go to the Playback tab and find the Start option ( Play icon with lightning ). By default, this will be set to In Click Sequence , but you can also change it to Automatically , or When Clicked On .

• In Click Sequence – The audio will play based on the click actions or animations that are set in the slide. You can adjust this by going to the Animation Panel . If you don’t have any animations on the slide, the narration will play before you advance to the next slide.
• Automatically – The audio will play as soon as you arrive on the slide. 
• When Clicked On – The narration will only play once the audio icon is clicked on Slide Show mode . This works great for audio that’s only optional to listen to.

Method #2: Use Record SlideShow to Narrate a PowerPoint 

The second method to narrate PowerPoint presentations may seem more taxing, but it can be done when creating the assets to include in the presentation. Let’s see how to narrate a PowerPoint presentation by recording the slideshow.

1. Navigate to the SlideShow tab and select the Record SlideShow icon. This will let you record the presentation from the beginning.

2. The Record SlideShow window will soon appear. Here are its parts:

• On the top bar, you’ll see the recording duration, the trash, record, and pause buttons. You can also toggle the camera and microphone by clicking their icons on the right edge of the bar.

To blur your background on the camera, click the Camera dropdown menu and select Blur Background .

• Below, you’ll see the current and next slide previews. You can also add notes under the Next slide preview. You can adjust the font of the notes by clicking the buttons on the bottom-left.
• If you want to move to the next slide or go to the previous one, use the arrow buttons below the Current slide preview.
• To create illustrations or drawings, use the drawing tools that are beside the forward and previous buttons.
• You’ll see all slide thumbnails on the bottom of the screen.

Note : To know more about keyboard shortcuts on the Record SlideShow window, open the Tips button by clicking it.

3. To record the entire presentation, make sure that the camera and microphone features are switched on. Then, press the Record button when you’re ready.

4. You can choose to pause the recording by pressing the Pause button.

5. To stop the recording, click the Stop button. You can check the narration by pressing the Play button; once you want to delete it, click the Trash button.

6. Once it’s ready, select End Show . You can see the narration on each slide, indicated on the slide thumbnails .

7. To set the timing of when the narration video will play, select the narration thumbnail on the bottom-right of the slide and go to the Playback tab.

8. Similar to the first method, navigate to the Start options. By default, the timing is set to Automatic . You can also change this to In Click Sequence , or When Clicked On .

9. To clear timings and narrations on all slides, go to the SlideShow tab and select the Record SlideShow dropdown arrow.

10. Under the Clear options, you can choose if you want to Clear Timings on Current/All Slides or Clear Narrations on Current/All Slides .

Considerations Preparing the Environment Before Narrating a PowerPoint presentation

Before narrating a PowerPoint presentation, make sure that you’re in a quiet environment and free from unnecessary background sound. Noises from air conditioners, fans, street noise, and people nearby can be heard on the narration recording, leading you to start over again. Investing in soundproofing foam for better sound insulation is an expenditure that pays itself over time, you won’t regret such action.

Another factor to look out for is checking if your computer’s microphone works properly. To test your microphone on Windows, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Start menu and select Settings > System > Sound .

2. Under Input , make sure that it is set on your computer’s default microphone .

3. Also, try speaking near the microphone and check if the audio bar is moving (under Test your microphone ).

4. If you’re experiencing mic problems, click the Troubleshoot button and follow the on-screen steps. Then, restart your computer and see if the mic issue is solved.

Finally, and as extra caution, be sure to properly place your microphone in the scenario that you use an external microphone (not a handset).

Dynamic microphones, thanks to their affordable price, are an option these days for many users, but they do count with a “recordable” side: this means that according to their polar curve, there is a side on the microphone that will record sound in proximity to it, and there’s a side that won’t capture sound at all. Refer to the manufacturer specs prior to blaming any potential issue.

Final Thoughts

Adding narration to your PowerPoint presentations is a great strategy to keep your audience engaged . You can use these methods to point out the brief points on each slide, besides letting your audience read the content on the slide.

Keep in mind that narrating is not an alternative to inserting videos into your PowerPoint presentations since they target different objectives from a content perspective.

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Step-by-Step Instructions on Narrating PowerPoint Presentations

Let’s say you want to share a tutorial with new hires or some learning material with your colleagues. Do you think they will be able to grasp it completely from a static combination of texts and images? 

Adding audio or video narration to your slides might be what you need to make your slides self-explanatory. PowerPoint lets you record your voice in an audio or video format to add more content and appeal to your slides. 

This article is a step-by-step guide toward everything related to narration in PowerPoint. But before starting, let’s read about what narration is and its importance in a PowerPoint presentation.

What is a Narration in PowerPoint?

Narration in PowerPoint presentations means that you record your presentation. So, when someone is going through your slides, they can quickly understand the content better. It makes the presentation easily shareable and relatable for other people who are not a part of it.

 Some examples where you can use narration –

• Sharing presentation slides with team members. 
• Creating training materials for new joiners.
• Faculty members share slides ahead of a lecture.
• Building a library of best practices for the business.

How Will Narration Help Your PowerPoint Presentations?

Good narration will help you solidify the content of your slides . It will help you provide context to your content, explore deeper into the concepts, and enrich the material on your slides. Also, it enables you to share the material with whomever you want without having to lead through the presentation.

Note – Ensure that you are not reiterating the content of your slides in your narration.  

Things to Keep in Mind When Recording Your Presentation

Before moving further on how to narrate your PowerPoint slides, let’s read about a few things you should consider before proceeding to record. 

a). Record in a Quiet Spot

You might remember to tell people around to keep quiet while recording. But there are a lot of other noises you might forget to consider, such as loud ACs, refrigerators, phone buzzing, traffic noise in the background, etc. So, it’s better to find the quietest corner possible, or record at a time when you have the minimum disturbance possible.

b). You are Good Without Fancy Recording Equipment as Well

You don’t need fancy recording equipment or professional recording studios to add narration to your presentation. In most cases, the built-in microphone in your system is enough for recording. In cases where you wish to deliver a presentation on something important, you can go for USB microphones. The microphones are equipped to remove background noises making them a good choice for you.

Note – Check your microphones before starting. Make sure they are properly plugged in, and remember to test and troubleshoot. Your audio bar will fill up with color as you continue recording, so be mindful of that.

Now, let’s move forward to one of the most important parts of the guide, i.e., the type of PowerPoint narration tools. There are two narration tools you can use to record your presentation.

1. Record Audio

Record Audio is available in the older version of PowerPoint. The tool is faster to use and open and lets you record voice notes on a slide quickly and smoothly. You can use the tool for only voice narration, and it adds audio to one slide at a time.

Even if you don’t want to record the presentation using this tool, it is extremely useful when creating quick voice notes for the slides. You can add your thoughts or important messages without having to be bogged down with the editing details.

 How to use the tool for narration?

a). Access the Record Sound Dialogue Box

To do that, click on the insert tab, open the audio drop-down, and click on record audio.

b). Record the Audio

You will now have access to the Record Sound Dialogue Box; type the name for your clip and click on the record button (to begin narrating). The stop button lets you pause, and the play button lets you listen to the presentation. Click ‘OK’ to save your narration.

c). Play the Narration

You can resize and move around the audio file and view it in the normal and slide show view of the presentation. The default setting (in click sequence) lets your audio file play when you move on to the next slide. You can also change the setting of when your file plays by selecting the file, clicking on the playback tab and then the start drop-down, and choosing the right option (In Click Sequence, Automatically, Then Click On). Let’s learn about these options-

(i). In Click Sequence

It means that your audio will play as part of the sequence of the actions that you have set for the slide, like any animation sequence, video, trigger actions, etc. If you don’t have anything in place, the audio will play before you move to the next slide.

(ii). Automatically

The audio file begins playing as soon as you get to the slide and not when you are about to move on to the next slide.

(iii). When Clicked On

The feature enables you to play the audio when you click on it. It lets you decide at the moment whether to play certain audio or not (keeping in mind time or other constraints).

d). Delete/Overwrite a Narrated File

If you want to delete an audio file, click on the object and select the delete tab. In case of overwriting/changing any existing narrated file, go to the Record Audio Dialogue Box again, as shown above, and you will be able to overwrite the existing file on the slide.

Note – You can’t have two narrated audio files on a single slide. If you decide to narrate again, the first file will get overwritten, meaning you have to start from scratch to change the narration on that particular slide. PowerPoint lets you trim an audio file but not split/merge, so in that case, you would need to use audio editing software.

2. Record Slide Show

PowerPoint incorporated this tool in a later stage with a lot of features and options. The tool offers features like voice narration, video narration (people get to see your face), narrating the entire presentation in one sitting, and setting slide timings to help convert the presentation into a video. The feature lets you use a laser pointer, pen, highlighter, etc., to give a command and capture it in the narration as well and lets you pause and restart the recording.

a). Access the Record Slide Show Dialogue Box

Click on the slide show tab and then the Record Slide Show button. You see two options when you click on the command; select the record from the beginning.

Note – If you click on the record slide show and not on the drop-down, it will start recording from the current slide. 

b). Record the Narration

Choose the camera/microphone and remember to turn it on. Use the commands (record, stop, replay, arrow) to start, stop, and move to the next slides. You can also pause the recording to restart it whenever you are comfortable. You can find your individual narration file in the lower right-hand corner of each slide when you are done. That means you can review or record narrations on whichever slide you choose from your presentation.

Note – You get to have a single narration file per slide. If you choose to re-record your narration, the previous file gets overwritten automatically. However, you can have two different files on the same slide by recording one with record audio and another with the record slide show command.

Your audio/video narration automatically plays when you run your presentation (current slide or from the start). If you wish to change the feature, you can select the file, click on playback, then start the drop-down and select the option (In Click Sequence, Automatically, When Clicked On). The features are explained above in the Record Audio section.

d). Record Slide Show Tools and Options

Here is a list of all the tools and options that you have in the Record Slide Show.

(i). Recording

Record lets you start recording the narration. Pause and stop buttons help halt and end the narration. The replay button helps play the slide again after you are done recording the slide. If you click on record again (after clicking on stop), you will start recording again, rewriting the previous recording.

Note – Don’t click on stop when you want to stop recording on your current slide. Navigate to the next slide using the forward arrow/arrow keys. 

(ii). Speaker Notes

Click on notes to open and close the speaker notes. Also, the action (open and close) will not show in your narration recording. Font size lets you change the font of your notes. However, the speaker notes panel is too small/inflexible to review speaker notes, so you can go for other options as well. 

(iii). Clear Recordings

The features let you clear previous recordings on current or all slides as chosen. You can overwrite the recordings and slide timings by recording over the narrations.

Note – This feature clears both slide timings and narrations. If you want to, let’s say, keep the slide timings and remove the narrations, you can do so by clearing recordings outside the Record Slide Show.

(iv). Camera, Microphone, and Camera Preview

This feature will help you choose a microphone and camera for your slides. If you are choosing other than the computer’s built-in camera and microphone, this is where you get to select the option.

Camera preview lets you see what your camera is recording when you are in the process.

Note – The on/off feature lets you turn them on or off. You can add/remove video recording or mute it when needed.

(v). Advance Slide

The next slide lets you move forward in your presentation. If you have an animation sequence, music, etc., to be played, clicking on this will play those sequences and take you to the next slide later. Previous slides help you move back in the slides. However, you can only do that when you are not recording, as you can only move forward in that case. 

(vi). Eraser, Highlighter, and Pen

You can draw, erase, and highlight things using this feature. You can change the color of your ink by selecting the colors. Also, your drawings get recorded, and anyone who sees the recording later will get to see the drawings. 

(vii). Slide Timings

The feature lets you see how much time you have spent on each slide in your presentation and on which slide you are currently.

Note – If you convert your slides into video, slide timings will help you see the time that you spend on each slide. 

(viii). Close and Minimize

It will help you minimize or exit out of (close) the record slide show box and go back to the normal view of your presentation.

Steps to Clear the Timings and Narrations

• Click on the slide show.
• Click on the record slide show dropdown.
• Click on clear.
• Choose the timings and narrations.

You can clear the timings and narrations on the current or all slides, depending on the option you choose. 

Note – You can clear both things from inside the Record Slide Show box. Click on the X tab to clear recordings (current or all). It will remove both options (timings and narrations) from the slides. 

Steps to Compress the PowerPoint Narrations

• Click on the file tab.
• Click on info.
• Click on the compress media dropdown.
• Click on the compression quality you wish to choose

 The feature will let you compress your presentation, as adding audio/video narrations will increase the size of your slides.

PowerPoint uses 1080p (Full HD) in a recording. You can select other options according to the size and space options.  

In a Nutshell

You can add a lot of versatility and content to your PowerPoint slides by going for audio and video narration. If you have the latest version of PowerPoint, Record Slide Show is a good option as it offers multiple features. Remember to compress your presentation as your file size greatly increases after narration.

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How to choose a story arc for your presentation.

“Our startup could be profitable in three years. Our main obstacle is hiring, but I’ve got a plan to help us staff up in time.”

Let’s try that again: “We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us with hiring. Here’s some data to prove it. But I’ve got a plan to help us. And if we succeed, we could be profitable in three years.”

Or, how about this: “I’ve got a great plan to help us double our workforce, which is what we’ll have to do if we want to be profitable in three years. If we can’t hire up we may go out of business.”

There are so many ways to tell a story. In a business context, it’s just as important as in film or entertainment to think about the way you structure your story and select the right pieces of information for maximum impact. 

Expert Insights on Experimenting With Story Arcs

Ann Kim , Senior Portfolio Director at IDEO and instructor in our course Impactful Presentations , uses her decade lon g experience as a filmmaker, journalist, and designer (she served as the Chief Design Officer for the U.S. Surgeon General) to craft interviews, data, and observations into stories that inspire. In this Creative Confidence Podcast episode, she walks through the elements of a story, different story arcs, why and how to experiment with your story arcs, and shares examples from her work in the healthcare and entertainment worlds.

What is a Story Arc?

A story arc is the narrative structure that outlines the rise and fall of a story’s progression. It’s a framework that gives your story coherence and flow, ensuring that your audience remains engaged from start to finish. In presentations, a story arc helps to structure your content in a way that guides the audience through your message, creating a compelling and memorable experience. 

Why Use a Story Arc?

Incorporating a story arc into your presentation not only makes your content more engaging but also helps to organize your thoughts and present them in a logical sequence. This narrative structure makes it easier for your audience to follow along, understand the key points, and remember your message long after. 

What are the Elements of a Story?

The first thing Ann does when working on a project is to pull out the beats of her story, or rather the key elements she wants to convey. There are two approaches she uses:

• 1) Pour over all the data and “turn over every stone"
• 2) Tap into your intuition, relax your mind, and ask yourself what the three to five things are that you remember most.

People tend to default to the turn-over-every-stone method, Ann says, but the best approach is a combination of the two. As you’re choosing your story beats, keep your audience in mind. What questions or presumptions are they coming with? How can you address those in your presentation? 

The main elements of a story are often context, conflict, climax, and closure. In the business world, context might mean research and data, conflict could be the challenge you’re facing, climax is the solution you’re recommending, and closure is the vision you have for the future.

“There's a ton of storytelling that's done collaboratively. And that's where it gets really fun.” Ann Kim

Asking “So what?” to Surface Impact

Before you begin pulling out story beats, ask yourself what impact you want to have. What do you want people to do or think after your presentation? 

An exercise you can use to clarify your impact is the “so what” test, one of the tools used in our Impactful Presentations course . Find a friend or colleague who is comfortable pushing back on you a bit. Give them a quick overview of your presentation and have them ask back, “So what?” Explain why you’re giving this presentation, and continue iterating your answer as they ask “So what?” a few more times. Continue until you get to an answer that embodies the impact you want to have on your audience and what they’ll get out of it. 

Ann likes using the so what test because it’s a way to put into words the stakes of your presentation. It forces you to articulate what you’re trying to convey to your audience and allows you to play around with different wording. “Oftentimes there’s too much to say and people feel compelled to stuff all the words into their story,” she says. How would you summarize the “so what?” of your presentation in just a few words?

How to Choose a Story Arc Your Audience Will Connect With

There is no one right way to tell a story . But the way you choose to organize your information can be the deciding factor in getting your audience to take the action you desire ...or not. “The beats are the blocks of the story and the arc is how you pull those things together,” Ann explains. 

The arc is the choreography of your story—how it plays across time and in terms of emotion and how your audience is experiencing your story. “Creating empathy is a huge part of storytelling ,” Ann affirms. As humans, we’re very attuned to story arcs. They can create anticipation and engagement, which leads to better retention and understanding. 

What are the 4 C's of Storytelling?

Going back to the elements of a story—context, conflict, climax, closure—organized in this order, they are a classic story arc called the 4 C’s. This arc works well if your presentation has a clear problem and solution.

What is an Example of a Story Arc?

There are several classic story arcs that can be seen across hundreds of years of literature and storytelling . In our Impactful Presentations course , you’ll see more graphics and examples to bring these arcs to life.

Lovesick is a documentary film Ann created about matchmaking for HIV+ singles in India. She used a classic linear story arc with a beginning, middle and end for the film. Chapterizing with title cards established context around the “rules of marriage.” She loved seeing the audience’s reactions to her film. When people in India watched it, the chapters with each marriage rule came across as relatable and humorous—putting into words unspoken rules that everyone knew about. In America, they were more educational, as people didn’t know as much about Indian culture. Keeping her varied audience in mind helped her decide on this story approach.

In a project for the Department of Mental Health for the State of Massachusetts, Ann’s team at IDEO created an illustrated video to help visitors to the site understand their purpose. The video shows what it’s like to be a parent trying to understand what help your child might need. It tells the story through the details of people’s lived experiences, using snippets of audio from real parents as the beats of the story. In this context, building empathy and emotion was critical to getting people to take the desired action—seeking medical help for a loved one.

Combining Data and Emotion to Spark Action

For the mental health video, Ann intentionally didn’t lead with lots of data points around wait times in hospitals or the number of children who suffer with mental illness, for example. A good story moves people to action, and data often fails to do this alone. 

“Part of what storytelling allows you to do is get to the why behind the data and provide what it means experientially for people,” Ann says. Data can help set context, but it’s important to show your audience what it means for them, for your end client or customer, and what the ramifications will be from the business side, too. Those takeaways are the beats of your story—not the numbers. 

If you’re presenting to a group of people who expect lots of data, as Ann is familiar with in her work in the healthcare industry, include it, but be selective. What kinds of stories and evidence will move people in the direction you want them to go? Acknowledge during your presentation that quantitative data is what might feel most like evidence to them. 

Experiment With Your Story Arc to Get it Right

“You have to abandon the idea of your first draft being your last draft,” Ann warns. “It’s not about getting it perfectly right from the beginning. It’s about going through the motions of trying it.”

People often default to the linear timeline-style story arc—first this happened, then this, lastly that. Just recognize that bias, Ann says, and try out a few other ways of structuring your story before landing on one that feels good.

Here are a few tips Ann has for experimenting with story arcs :

• Jot down notes of all your potential story beats on sticky notes or index cards. Ann leans toward physical paper notes, but you can use slides in a deck as well. Try labeling each slide with what needs to be said and the takeaway, then add in details later. 
• Don’t spend too much time making your first story prototype beautiful. It can be hard to change or critique a presentation you’ve already spent hours and hours making. 
• Organize your story beats into groups to find the hierarchy—the main elements that other pieces will ladder up to. 
• Name your story prototypes, ex. The Frankenstein or The Vision, to differentiate them.
• Reorganize your story beats on index cards into several different arcs. Try them in an order that feels off. 
• Try telling the story from your client or user’s perspective. What did they feel? 
• Force yourself to share your story. You’ll get helpful feedback on how it’s coming across. You may also discover there are certain beats you don’t need.
• Play with your story arc as you’re doing the work. Don’t wait until you’re completely done with a project to think about how to talk about your work. 

Often, a story is not one person’s to tell. “There's a ton of storytelling that's done collaboratively,” Ann says about her work at IDEO. “And that's where it gets really fun.”

How to Create a Story Arc for a Group Presentation

If you’re working on a presentation with a group, Ann has a few ideas for ways to work together to find your story beats and the best arc for maximum impact:

• For distributed teams, use a tool that you feel comfortable with that allows multiple users in at the same time. Figma, Mural, Miro and Google docs all came up as favorites for our podcast listeners. 
• Plan for discussion as well as heads-down time to work individually.
• Do an activity where each team member gets to choose seven story beats. Come together to share and see what you can learn from how each person interprets the story differently.
• Assign team members to try out different story arcs with your agreed upon story beats. Present to each other and see what lands. 

Throughout the process of experimenting with your story, give yourself space to get it wrong a few times. “There’s this notion of people going solo into a corner, working it out and leaving the room with the story set,” Ann laments. “And that’s not the way it works.” Take the time to play around with your story now and you’ll have a much greater impact when it’s time to present.

Unlock the Power of Presenting With IDEOU

Ready to transform your presentations into powerful narratives that resonate and inspire? Learn from industry experts like Ann Kim and discover how to craft compelling stories that drive action. Enroll in our Impactful Presentations course and master the art of creating impactful, memorable presentations that leave a lasting impression.

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