30 storytelling techniques you can use in your presentations (with examples)

This article expands on:

How to scaffold compelling presentations using proven storytelling techniques

Discover ‘scaffolding’—a powerful technique to build the foundation of any presentation. By structuring your story first, you can create engaging, memorable presentations that capture your audience and clearly convey your message.

everyday uxJess Eddy

Storytelling and presentation skills come up a lot, and for good reasonow we communicate has a huge impact on how our ideas (and we ourselves) are received.

For me, improving in this area has been a gradual process. I focused on making each presentation just a little better than the last. Working in a large tech company allowed me to observe some incredible storytellers in action, which really helped me raise the bar for my own work.

I first got interested in storytelling techniques when a colleague shared a simple deck of tips. I started using them to structure my presentations and was surprised at how effective they were. That curiosity pushed me to dig deeper, and over time, I pulled together this list of 30 techniques.

This isn’t a step-by-step guide or a formal course, but I hope it sparks some new ideas for how you frame and present your content. Even picking a few techniques to try can make a big difference in clarity and impact, and you’ll keep improving with each presentation.

Each technique comes with a practical example. In this article, I use the scenario of “onboarding new hires with AI-powered checklists” to show what each one looks like in action.

These examples illustrate how these techniques can be applied in practice. While your context may differ, focus on the methods themselves and imagine how you might adapt each one to suit your own presentation or storytelling style. I hope these examples offer useful perspectives, and I’m excited to share them with you—dive in and enjoy!

Here are the techniques...

Capture attention

Making a strong first impression is essential. The techniques in this section are designed to instantly engage your audience and draw them into your story, setting a compelling tone for the journey ahead.

1 - Start with a powerful hook

Your hook sets the stage. A well-chosen hook instantly grabs attention, making your audience eager to hear what’s next. Whether in design presentations, client pitches, or user research debriefs, an engaging opening sets the tone and draws your audience into the story from the very first moment. This technique is equally valuable in presentations and creative writing, where captivating the listener or reader early on can make all the difference. A powerful hook—such as a surprising fact, a compelling question, or a vivid scene—sets the stage for an impactful, memorable narrative.

Imagine seamlessly onboarding new employees with nothing more than a checklist—no complex systems, no training hurdles, just simple, effective checklists refined and facilitated by AI.

2 - Appeal to curiosity

Curiosity is a powerful tool for drawing your audience in and keeping them engaged. By sparking their desire to know more, you create a sense of intrigue that compels them to stay with your story. This technique is widely used in mystery writing, advertising, and public speaking to maintain interest and build anticipation. Posing an intriguing question, hinting at future revelations, or strategically withholding details can keep your audience on their toes, eager to discover what happens next. By tapping into their natural curiosity, you ensure they remain invested in your narrative.

What if a simple checklist could evolve into an AI-powered, automated onboarding experience? How would that streamline the process and reduce the usual confusion?