There’s a popular idea in presentation circles that the very best way to begin is always with a story. Some people will tell you it’s the only way to hook your audience. But like most presentation “rules”, that’s an oversimplification. It’s based on the nonsense idea that “you only have X seconds to grab your audience’s attention”. (See below 😉 )
Yes, stories can be a powerful start. They can draw people in, spark curiosity, and make an idea memorable. But forcing a “story-first” approach onto every talk isn’t just unnecessary — it can sometimes work against you. Stay with me for a bit her…
Why the “big story opener” feels so tempting
We’ve all seen speakers who launch into an emotive or dramatic story. Done well, it can feel captivating. It signals, “this is different — pay attention.”
That sense of difference is why people love the technique. It promises an audience they won’t just get another dull run-through of bullet points.
From the speaker’s point of view it’s almost intoxicating. Trust me, I’ve been there! The idea of having people stop talking, look at you and go “wow, this could be good” is a rush. I know that’s going to be less likely if it’s just your weekly update to the board than at a big conference but even so, the immediate feedback and feeling of control is great. You feel your nerves washing away because you now have evidence of being able to control the narrative and the room. Up until now it’s been “what if it doesn’t work?” but now it’s become “oh this is working”.
Grabbing attention is one of the mantras of business storytelling. The assertion I’ve seen over and over (and over and over!) is that you only have X seconds to grab the audience’s attention. X varies depending on the opinion of the person making the assertion. There are a number of things wrong with this claim:
- the research I’ve read (not my opinion!) is that first impressions are created in milliseconds, not seconds. I’m great at storytelling but I’m hard pushed to tell a story in milliseconds! That sort of thing is done by your looks, not your stories. (I can help with that, but it’s a blog for another time.)
- the second problem is that you don’t need to grab people’s attention at all! By definition, if they’re in the room, you’ve already got their attention (or at least as much of it as they’re going to be able to / want to give you. Your job isn’t to grab attention, it’s not to lose it.
Okay, so I admit it — not everyone in the room is there because they want to hear you, but I stand by the idea that by-and-large it’s true. In any case, anyone who’s not willingly in the room isn’t likely to suddenly want to be there just because you start with a cool story!
What could go wrong from the speaker’s point of view?
Overconfidence. It’s as simple as that. Telling a great opening story might relax you but I’ve seen it time and time again when the speaker let’s their guard down because of how well their first story landed.
There’s a related problem too, to do with the nature of a big hero story. Pretty much all the time, that kind of story has a clear ending. It wraps itself up in a bow and says “finished”. That isn’t a problem in itself of course but because of how we practice presentations, and how our brains work, a clear “full stop” like that can lead to the poor presenter not being able to pull to mind what’s next.
The crash from “yes” to “oh fuck” can be brutal!
Oh yes… and there’s always the (significant) risk that you could come across as a bit self-obsessed. Pick your story carefully!
Your audience doesn’t benefit from a Big Heroic Story
Imagine an audience at a safety briefing. They don’t want to hear about your holiday accident on a mountain before you explain how the new harness works. They want information quickly, framed in a way that helps them make decisions or stay safe. What’s needed here are tactical stories that illustrate the importance of the new harness; how to use it; or what goes wrong if you don’t. It’s that simple.
Or think about a busy senior team in a strategy meeting. They don’t have the patience for a three-minute parable when what they need is a clear, evidence-backed case for change. The “Big Heroic Story” approach risks signalling that you’re more interested in performance than in their priorities.
Pretty much the only function an epic “big heroic story” has is to inspire. Unless that’s what you’re doing, be a bit more sophisticated. Business storytelling is about using stories to advice the business, right? Not to make the speaker feel good.
When epic stories do serve your audience
That doesn’t mean stories have no place — and that place is usually at the beginning. A good story, well told, can humanise your subject and help people connect emotionally before you dive into details. Think of it as a way to fire people up.
For example, in a talk on climate action, a short story about a flooded street or a neighbour’s struggle with heatwaves can anchor the data in lived experience. In those contexts, the story becomes a bridge to help people experience what it’s like to suffer the consequences of climate change. People feel the weight of the subject rather than just processing the numbers.
the takeaway
The point is not to fall into the trap of thinking every talk must open with a story. Instead, match your start to your purpose and your audience. Sometimes that will be a story. Sometimes it will be a sharp fact, a question, or a striking statement of intent.
Stories are tools, not rules. They can be brilliant when chosen carefully, but they’re not compulsory.
If you want to be remembered for the right reasons, begin in a way that serves your audience — not in a way that simply ticks a storytelling box.