How Storytelling Can Lead to an Incredible Keynote Speech

If you want to both capture and captivate an audience, you have to use storytelling. Unless you’re an analyst for the US Department of Defense, you should never stand up in front of an audience and vomit data like an aderall-addicted scientists. Audiences yearn for connection, not powerpoints. Connection requires a story and emotions. Here are the super-seven of storytelling techniques and a few extra tips at the end to make you a great keynote speaker. 

1. The Hero’s Journey

The hero’s journey is a common story structure that can be found in many myths, legends, and fairy tales (Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Bible). It follows the journey of a hero who faces challenges and ultimately triumphs. The hero is typically called to adventure, leaves their home, faces a series of challenges, meets a mentor (aka Yoda), experiences a major setback, and then ultimately triumphs. This structure can be used to tell your own personal story or to illustrate a larger message.

A lot of entrepreneurs share their story of how they started their own business. You can too; you could start by describing the challenges you faced, such as raising capital or finding customers. Then, you could talk about the mentors who helped you along the way. Finally, you could share the story of your triumph, such as when you finally turned a profit, hired lots of people or sold out. Almost everyone has some version of the hero’s journey, and this is especially true if someone believes they will make a good keynote speaker. They have probably had some incredible stories in their life.

2. The mountain

The mountain structure is a way of mapping the tension and drama in a story. It begins with a calm introduction, builds to a climax, and then resolves with a satisfying conclusion. This structure can be used to keep your audience engaged and to make your message more impactful.

If you were ever part of a championship sports team this is a great structure. You could start by describing the team’s early success, such as winning their first few games. Then, you could talk about the challenges they faced, such as losing a key player to injury. Finally, you could share the story of their triumph, such as winning the championship game. A lot of guest speakers are professional athletes, or coaches. They tend to use the mountain structure quite a bit and often we’ll share the lesson they learned. It’s simple to follow and can be quite powerful for a keynote speaker.

3. Nested loops

Nested loops is a storytelling technique where you layer multiple stories within each other. This can be used to create a more complex and nuanced narrative, or to illustrate a central theme.

My family is from Ireland and that makes a great subject for nested loops. I often tell the story of my family’s immigration to the United States. I talk separately about my grandparents’ journey to America, then talk about my dad’s journey, and finally share my own story. I focus on the fact that my grandmother and grandfather were from the same county but didn’t meet until they came to the US. I return to my dad and the fact they went back to Ireland when he was just five. This helps my audience to understand the challenges and opportunities that the Sweeney family has faced over the years. One other thing about this nested model is that it really lends itself to humour. If you tell a story at the beginning of the talk maybe about your showing up at the airport without a passport to go back to Ireland for example, two or three stories later you can make the joke about bringing your kids to see the old homeland and making sure they remembered to bring their passports. Returning to a couple anchor moments not only works great for humor but also helps to drive a point home to the audience.

4. Inside out

Inside out storytelling is when you begin your narrative in the middle of the action. This can be a great way to grab your audience’s attention and keep them engaged.

For example, you could start your speech by describing the moment you realized that you wanted to be a keynote speaker. You could then go back and tell the story of how you got to that point. This would help your audience to connect with you on a personal level. I heard a great keynote speaker describe this incredible reaction to a magic trick he did in front of several 100 people and he talked about it as if it was the culminating moment of his life, which it really was. It was a great way to start his talk because he got us engaged excited and questioning what made him become a magician. When the audience was asking that was right at the point where he came back to the start of the narrative.

5. Connect the Dots

Connecting the dots is a storytelling technique where you show how different ideas or events came together to form a single outcome. This can be used to illustrate the power of collaboration or to show how a problem was solved.

Steve Jobs was a master of this technique (see his commencement speech at Stanford), he uses this style in almost all his speeches, from college, to how the iPhone was created to Pixar. When you connect the dots it’s almost like using the nested format except they’re all nested around the same hub. If you think of three or four things that seemingly have nothing to do with each other, like asking someone if you had the parts from an army tank, a motor boat, a motorcycle, and a pair of skis and you brought them into a workshop with all the tools you needed to take them apart; what could you create that might come out the other side? People are wondering where the story is going and you may be driving home the point that when you take apart something it might lead to something even better. For example taking a track off the tank. Using the frame of the motorcycle and handlebar, building an engine and putting some skis on the front of it you’re coming out the other end with a snowmobile. That’s the idea of connecting the dots.

6. Quick Change

A quick change story is when you begin to tell a story, but then unexpectedly change direction. This can be a great way to surprise your audience and keep them engaged.

I use this when I talk about my life-changing leukemia event. I start out by showing how I was an entrepreneur on the fast track, doing well with a one year old daughter then – bam! All of it came to an end when the doctor said I had two weeks left to live. As I go through the emotions of that challenge ultimately I talk about how I overcame that and what I learned. This shares the philosophy that there is no good news or bad news, just news and what you make of it is what determines your future and happiness. 

7. Petal structure

The petal structure is a storytelling technique where you tell multiple stories that all relate back to a central theme, like many petals of a rose blooming out of a single bud. This can be a great way to create a more comprehensive and memorable narrative.

For example, you could tell the story of your three mentors. You could start by describing each mentor’s strengths and weaknesses. Then, you could talk about how each mentor helped you to grow as a person. Finally, you could share the wisdom that you learned from each mentor.

These are just a few examples of how you can use storytelling in your keynote speeches. By choosing the right technique for your message, you can create a presentation that is both engaging and memorable.

Here are some additional tips for using storytelling in your keynote speeches:

• Use vivid language to bring your stories to life. Read some Hemingway or Fitzgerald and see how they use dialogue to make a story come alive. 
• Make sure your stories are relevant to your audience. Don’t talk about retirement planning to a high-school graduating class. 
• Practice your stories so that you can deliver them smoothly and confidently.
• Be yourself and let your personality shine through in your stories, and don’t be afraid to make yourself the butt of the joke.
• Practice, practice, practice. 

If you want to create the perfect keynote speech for an upcoming event, you have to remember that entertaining and engaging your audience is equally as important as the message or lessons you’re going to deliver. The best way to entertain and engage is through the power of story.

When you use storytelling effectively, you can connect with your audience on a deeper level and leave a lasting impression. Your keynote speeches will inspire and motivate.