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Storytelling Techniques

Jackie Bertman

Created on October 21, 2025

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Transcript

Storytelling Techniques

Click on the plus signs (+) to learn more about how to operationalize these five principles.

Emotions

Actions

Show how emotions look.

Describe what you're doing.

Thoughts

Dialogue

Location

Share your raw, unfiltered internal thoughts.

State where you are physically in the story.

Use exact words people said.

Core Principle: Don't summarize events from a "helicopter level." Zoom into the trenches and let audiences experience the moment with you through specific, sensory details.

Triangle Diagram IV

I am a great subtitle, ideal for providing more context on the topic you are going to address

Creative beings

Visual beings

Narrative beings

Creative beings

Narrative beings

Narrative beings

Social beings

Digital beings

Visual beings

Social beings

Thoughts

Share your raw, unfiltered internal thoughts from that moment ("I thought, this will be so cool" vs. "I was excited"). Give honest, slightly messy thoughts rather than polished, intellectual-sounding ones.

Here you can put a highlighted title

With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to leave your audience amazed. You can also highlight a specific phrase or data that will be engraved in the memory of your audience, and even embed external content that surprises: videos, photos, audios... Whatever you want!

Interactive step-by-step visual communication:

  • Is clear and structured
  • Tells stories hierarchically.
  • Matches your audience.
  • Adapts fonts and color to the theme.
  • Includes images and entertains.
  • Represents data with graphics.
  • Uses timelines.
  • Is animated and interactive.
  • Excites the brain through multimedia elements.
  • Does NOT overdo the bullet points 🙃​.

Here you can put a standout title

Demonstrate enthusiasm, sketch a smile, and maintain eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when it comes to telling stories that excite and arouse the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you make a match with your audience. Leave them open-mouthed!

Here you can put a highlighted title

With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to leave your audience speechless. You can also highlight a specific phrase or fact that will be etched in the memory of your audience and even embed external content that surprises: videos, photos, audios...Whatever you want!

Location

State where you are physically in the story ("I'm sitting on my couch," "I'm standing in front of the conference room"). This helps audiences immediately visualize the scene without needing excessive details.

Actions

Describe what you're doing in that specific moment using verbs (walking, opening, reading, waiting). This creates forward momentum and signals you won't waste the audience's time.

Here you can put a standout title

Demonstrate enthusiasm, sketch a smile, and maintain eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when it comes to telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you make a 'match' with your audience. Leave them open-mouthed!

Interactive visual communication step by step:

  • Is clear and structured.
  • Tells stories hierarchically.
  • Matches your audience.
  • Adapts fonts and color to the theme.
  • Includes images and entertains.
  • Represents data with graphics.
  • Uses timelines.
  • Is animated and interactive.
  • Excites the brain through multimedia elements.
  • Does not overdo it with bullet points 🙃​.

Emotions

Show how emotions look on the body and face rather than just naming them. Instead of "I was relieved," say "I leaned backward and let out a big sigh."

Here you can put a standout title

Interactivity and animation can be your best allies when creating tables, infographics, or graphics that help provide context to information and simplify data for your audience. We are visual beings and find it easier to 'read' images than to read written text.

Here you can put a highlighted title

With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to leave your audience amazed. You can also highlight a specific phrase or data that will be engraved in the memory of your audience, and even embed external content that surprises: videos, photos, audios...Whatever you want!

Here you can put a highlighted title

Interactivity and animation can be your best allies when creating tables, infographics, or graphics that help provide context to information and simplify data for your audience. We are visual beings and find it easier to 'read' images than to read written text.

Dialogue

Use exact words people said rather than summarizing conversations. Choose juicy, concise, catchy dialogue over formal or boring paraphrases.

Here you can put an outstanding title

Demonstrate enthusiasm, sketch a smile, and maintain eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, chico. They never lie'. This will help you make a 'match' with your audience. Leave them open-mouthed!

Here you can put a highlighted title

Demonstrate enthusiasm, outline a smile, and maintain eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when it comes to telling stories that excite and arouse the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you make a match with your audience. Leave them open-mouthed!