Public Speaking

We told each other stories way before we ever had PowerPoint.  Humans are wired to learn through stories, and we remember them more easily than we remember statistics.

Chip Heath, co-author of the book “Made to Stick”, experimented on some of his students at Stanford University.  They each had to give a persuasive speech and their classmates rated them.

The most polished speakers rated the highest.  BUT… when Chip gave the students a few minutes then asked them to jot down the ideas they heard, the students who included stories came out on top.  Only 5% of the students remembered any individual statistics in the speeches but 63% remembered the stories.

We speak in public to get our point of view across.  Be memorable.