One of the things I see people struggle with most is telling the story.

It’s been proven that people remember stories. They don’t remember facts and data. I have sat in so many presentations which were nothing more than a recitation of facts. But once in a while, someone will tell the story.

Stories need context, they need a hero (protagonist), they need a villain (antagonist), a struggle, and a resolution.

Story telling applies to work too. Your villain may be a competitor, a situation, an incident, time. Your team may be the hero. There is a struggle. Hopefully there is resolution.

Too often, we think our story is obvious or evident. We don’t connect the dots, or eliminate the extraneous. We don’t set up the context or situation. Consequently the story isn’t memorable or compelling. You’ve wasted your moment.

If your presentation is a story, what is the story you want to tell? How do you want your audience to feel? Then make sure you tell it.