What are the best practices for choosing a story that matches your audience and purpose?

1 Know your audience

Before you pick a story, you need to understand who you're speaking to. What are their needs, interests, goals, and challenges? What do they already know or believe about your topic? How do they prefer to learn and communicate? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your story to their level of knowledge, expectations, and emotions.

2 Know your purpose

You need to clarify what you want to achieve with your presentation. What is your main message or argument? What action do you want your audience to take after listening to you? How do you want them to feel or think differently? Knowing your purpose will help you select a story that supports your point, motivates your audience, and creates a connection.

4 Craft a compelling story

After you find a story, you need to craft it into a compelling narrative. A good story should have a structure, a conflict, and a resolution. It should also have characters, emotions, and details that make it vivid and relatable. You can use the classic storytelling formula of setting, problem, solution, and outcome, or adapt it to your presentation style and format. You can also use techniques like hooks, suspense, humor, or surprise to keep your audience interested.

5 Deliver a powerful story

Finally, you need to deliver your story with confidence and enthusiasm. A good story should be told, not read. You can use your voice, body language, and facial expressions to convey your tone, mood, and emotions. You can also use visuals, audio, or props to enhance your story and make it more memorable. Practice your story in advance, get feedback, and adjust it as needed. Monitor your audience's reactions and adapt your story accordingly.

6 Here’s what else to consider

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