Storytelling with You by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
The standard business presentation is often a missed opportunity where data dumps and “teleprompter” slides fail to inspire action. Storytelling with You: Plan, Create, and Deliver a Stellar Presentation by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic provides a practical, three-phase roadmap to transform from a data-focused individual into a confident, impactful storyteller. By identifying the irresistible “cookie” that motivates your audience, you can solve the problem of lackluster sessions and drive the change you seek.
Super Summary
Who May Benefit
- Business professionals who need to encourage others to see a different perspective or take specific actions.
- Data analysts looking to elevate their findings beyond charts into compelling narratives.
- Introverts seeking structured, practiced techniques to step comfortably onto the stage.
- Managers and executives preparing for high-stakes meetings or keynote addresses.
- Teams aiming for cohesive communication and shared storytelling principles.
Top 3 Key Insights
- Prioritize audience needs: Identify the vision or reward the audience finds irresistible to drive action.
- Distill your message: Formulate a “Big Idea” that articulates a specific point of view.
- Structure with story: Use the narrative arc to create tension and resolution.
4 More Takeaways
- Plan low-tech: Use sticky notes to storyboard before opening presentation software.
- Slides are assistants: Design materials to augment your voice, not act as a teleprompter.
- Refine visual data: Declutter graphs and focus attention using strategic contrast.
- Practice aloud: Record your delivery to identify filler words and perfect your vocal cadence.
Book in 1 Sentence This guide provides a comprehensive plan-create-deliver framework to transform raw information into irresistible, action-oriented business stories that inspire organizational change.
Book in 1 Minute Knaflic transitions from her focus on data visualization to a complete guide for the modern presenter. The book is organized into three critical phases: Plan, Create, and Deliver. In the “Plan” phase, readers learn to deeply analyze their audience and distill their message into a single-sentence “Big Idea”. The “Create” section focuses on designing effective slides where takeaway titles, uncluttered graphs, and images support the speaker rather than distracting the audience. Finally, the “Deliver” phase provides actionable strategies for practicing aloud, building confidence through video self-evaluation, and responding gracefully to the unexpected. Ultimately, you aren’t just sharing facts; you are curating a path to inspire your audience to act.
One Unique Aspect The book advocates for a strict “low-tech” planning phase using sticky notes to actively prevent the “attachment trap,” stopping presenters from keeping ineffective slides simply because they spent hours formatting them on a computer.
Chapter-wise Summary
Chapter 1: Consider your audience “Your audience: these are the people you are going to inform, inspire, and incite to act.”
Communication is fundamentally for the audience, not the presenter. Success requires moving past your own preferences to identify what compels others to act.
Audience Prioritization Framework: To successfully address a large group, you must deliberately narrow your focus.
- Narrow to Now: Identify who must be communicated to at this exact point in time. Strike off stakeholders whose interest comes later.
- Identify the Decision Maker: Within the remaining group, focus primarily on the individuals with authority.
- Handle Mixed Audiences: Find areas of overlap or construct distinct personas to segment your approach logically.
Chapter Key Points:
- Prioritize your target audience.
- Identify the decision maker.
- Seek common overlap areas.
Chapter 2: Craft your message “If you can’t clearly articulate the action, you should consider whether you need to communicate in the first place.”
Presenters often fail by generating content without a clear goal. Knaflic introduces specific structures to counter this.
The 3-Minute Story:
- Plot: The context for the audience.
- Twist: The new information or tension.
- Ending: The specific call to action.
The Big Idea Framework: Think of this as your North Star. It must:
- Articulate your point of view specifically.
- Convey what is at stake using positive (benefits) or negative (risks) framing.
- Be a complete, single sentence. This severe constraint forces you to ruthlessly prioritize the core message.
Chapter Key Points:
- Formulate a 3-minute story.
- Draft a single-sentence Big Idea.
- Focus on audience stakes.
Chapter 3: Compile the pieces “Remain low tech as we plan to help avoid the attachment trap.”
Opening presentation software too early limits creativity and leads to wasted effort.
Low-Tech Storyboarding Guide:
- Brainstorm: Use sticky notes to physically write down contexts, data points, findings, and examples.
- Change Environment: Move away from your computer to boost creativity.
- Edit via Intentional Discard: Censor ideas against your Big Idea, actively discarding notes that do not serve the central message.
- Solicit Feedback: Walk a colleague through your sticky notes to test the logical flow before designing digital assets.
Chapter Key Points:
- Stay low tech initially.
- Storyboard using sticky notes.
- Embrace intentional discard.
Chapter 4: Form a story “You are not telling your story—you are forming a story for your audience.”
Linear business presentations lack the tension required to truly engage.
The Narrative Arc Model: Map your storyboard notes along this emotional shape to ensure audience engagement:
- Plot: Introduce the setting, characters, and baseline context.
- Inciting Incident & Rising Action: Introduce the “thing-gone-wrong” (tension) that highlights audience stakes.
- Climax: The maximum point of tension or the major turning point.
- Falling Action: A buffer that provides options, details, or solutions.
- Resolution: The clear call to action.
Chapter Key Points:
- Ditch linear presentations.
- Identify audience tension.
- Map to narrative arc.
Chapter 5: Set the style & structure “Your slides are not what will do the communicating—you are.”
When transitioning to software, ensure your slides act as visual assistants, not crutches.
Style and Structure Step-by-Step Framework:
- Determine the Style: Choose brand-compliant colors and highly legible fonts, avoiding visually busy templates.
- Make the Slide Master: Start with a blank slate, creating customized theme slides, title slides, and divider slides to guarantee consistency.
- Set the Structure: Input your storyboard titles to create a skeleton deck. Integrate a visual Navigation Scheme (like a table of contents) to help orient your audience.
Chapter Key Points:
- Slides augment the speaker.
- Set a master style.
- Use a navigation scheme.
Chapter 6: Say it with words “Words have an amazing ability to prime.”
Words on slides must be used judiciously to avoid overwhelming the audience.
Effective Wording Guidelines:
- Takeaway Titles: Instead of using descriptive titles (e.g., “Supplier Analysis”), articulate the main point as a concise sentence (e.g., “Changing strategy reduces cost”).
- Horizontal Logic: Ensure that if an audience member reads only the slide titles from beginning to end, they grasp the entire story.
- Eliminate Teleprompter Slides: Stop using dense bulleted lists. Isolate the main points on the slide, and move the supporting details to your speaker notes.
Chapter Key Points:
- Write takeaway slide titles.
- Establish horizontal logic.
- Avoid teleprompter slides.
Chapter 7: Show data in graphs “Executed well, a graph brings an awesome ‘aha’ moment of understanding.”
Data does not speak for itself; it needs visual translation.
Data Visualization 4-Step Process:
- Articulate: Put the graph’s main takeaway into a simple sentence to understand its function.
- Let Form Follow Function: Select standard charts (like lines or bars) that best serve your takeaway.
- Declutter and Focus: Remove borders, gridlines, data markers, and unnecessary colors. Use contrast, thickness, and size to highlight the crucial data.
- Weave into the Story: Never show all data at once. Introduce the axes, then use animation to slowly build the graph step-by-step alongside your verbal narrative.
Chapter Key Points:
- Put data into words.
- Remove visual clutter.
- Animate graph builds.
Chapter 8: Illustrate with images “Pictures used well are extremely powerful.”
Avoid relying on trite clip art simply to fill space.
Image Integration Strategy:
- Aid Memorability: Leverage the Picture Superiority Effect by pairing key concepts with memorable visuals.
- Set Tone: Use high-quality photographs to establish emotional rapport.
- Improve Design: Use illustrations or custom diagrams to clarify complex processes.
- Apply the Rule of Thirds: Place subjects at the intersections of a 3×3 grid rather than the center to create a more compelling composition.
Chapter Key Points:
- Avoid trite clip art.
- Use the Rule of Thirds.
- Leverage Picture Superiority.
Chapter 9: Refine through practice “Practice until you feel comfortable with your content and are able to talk through it eloquently.”
Deliberate practice is the difference between an amateur and a stellar presenter.
3-Tiered Practice Method:
- In Slide Sorter View: Talk through the entire deck aloud to test the overarching order and smooth out transitions.
- Slide by Slide: Practice the specific speaking points for each visual, checking for timing and flow.
- Without Slides: Rehearse during daily routines (like walking or brushing your teeth) to build memory pathways and eliminate reliance on the screen. Plan a strong, memorized opening and closing statement to anchor the presentation.
Chapter Key Points:
- Practice transitions aloud.
- Rehearse without slides.
- Plan your beginning/end.
Chapter 10: Build your confidence “Recording oneself is the single most uncomfortable—yet mighty—way of improving how you present.”
Confidence is built by confronting bad habits and optimizing non-verbal communication.
Self-Evaluation & Delivery Guide:
- Record Yourself: Do three reviews. First to overcome the awkwardness. Second (muted) to check posture, hand movement, and eye contact. Third (no video) to identify filler words, pace, and pitch.
- Stand Up & Posture: Standing instantly shifts the energy and boosts your authority. Maintain a straight spine with relaxed shoulders.
- Spatial Associations: Move purposefully across the stage to physically anchor “before” and “after” concepts.
- Eradicate Filler Words: Get comfortable with silence to avoid “ums” and “ahs”.
Chapter Key Points:
- Record and review yourself.
- Eliminate filler words.
- Stand to present.
Chapter 11: Introduce yourself “The way you introduce yourself… can have a profound impact on the way that others perceive you.”
A personal introduction is an opportunity to form a connection, not just recite a resume.
Crafting Your Introduction Guide:
- Identify Key Impressions: List 3-5 adjectives you want people to associate with you (e.g., capable, collaborative, discerning).
- Compile the Pieces: Brainstorm specific turning points, successes, or failures that inherently prove these traits.
- Form the Story: Use sticky notes to map these anecdotes into a narrative arc.
- Scale: Create 2-minute, 30-second, and 1-sentence variations so you are ready for any scenario.
Chapter Key Points:
- Determine desired impressions.
- Share proving anecdotes.
- Scale to different lengths.
Chapter 12: Have a stellar session “It is time to engage people and inspire the action that you seek.”
The days leading up to the presentation should be focused on your readiness, not last-minute slide tweaks.
Session Execution Strategy:
- Prepare Your Gear: Build a “presenter pack” with clickers, chargers, adapters, tape, and throat lozenges.
- Visit the Space: Do a tech check to anticipate staging, lighting, and audio variables.
- Disaster Planning: Mentally prepare for tech failures and practice responding gracefully (e.g., using a whiteboard if slides fail).
- Read the Room: Watch audience body language (e.g., furrowed brows) and pause to interact or address confusion immediately.
Chapter Key Points:
- Pack a presenter kit.
- Tech check the venue.
- Embrace the unexpected.
20 Notable Quotes
- “Identify that idea, opportunity, potential reward, or vision of the future that your audience will find irresistible.”
- “If you can’t present your ideas effectively, there’s no way I can drive the change I seek.”
- “Your audience: these are the people you are going to inform, inspire, and incite to act.”
- “If you can’t clearly articulate the action, you should consider whether you need to communicate in the first place.”
- “Remain low tech as we plan to help avoid the attachment trap.”
- “You are not telling your story—you are forming a story for your audience.”
- “Your slides are not what will do the communicating—you are.”
- “Words have an amazing ability to prime.”
- “Executed well, a graph brings an awesome ‘aha’ moment of understanding.”
- “Pictures used well are extremely powerful.”
- “A polished presenter is able to overcome mediocre materials. The opposite is not true.”
- “Recording oneself is the single most uncomfortable—yet mighty—way of improving how you present.”
- “The way you introduce yourself… can have a profound impact on the way that others perceive you.”
- “It is time to engage people and inspire the action that you seek.”
- “Constraints breed creativity.”
- “Don’t use your slides as a teleprompter!”
- “Get comfortable with silence.”
- “Voice follows body.”
- “Embrace the unexpected. It’s when some of your most transformational presentation moments will happen.”
- “Every presentation is another opportunity to try something new, learn, and improve.”
About the Author
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic is the founder and CEO of storytelling with data (SWD) and a globally recognized expert in data communication. Her career began in analytical roles within banking and private equity, followed by a tenure on the Google People Analytics team, where she developed a highly popular course on effective data communication. Initially a self-described introvert who struggled with public speaking, Cole intentionally honed her craft through over a thousand workshops and keynote sessions for Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of several best-selling books, including storytelling with data: a data visualization guide for business professionals, which has been translated into more than 20 languages. Cole holds a BS in Applied Mathematics and an MBA from the University of Washington.
Deep Diving
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the Big Idea? A single sentence articulating your view and the specific stakes for the audience.
- Why use sticky notes for planning? It keeps you low-tech, prevents tool attachment, and forces conciseness.
- What is the narrative arc? A storytelling structure consisting of a plot, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
- Should I memorize my script? No, commit the flow to memory to sound natural, not robotic.
- What is a takeaway title? A slide title that clearly articulates the “So what?” instead of just describing the topic.
- What is the Picture Superiority Effect? The psychological phenomenon where people remember pictures better than words.
- Why should I record myself? To objectively observe your body language, eye contact, and use of filler words.
- What is the Rule of Thirds? A design principle where subjects are placed at the intersections of a 3×3 grid.
- How do I eliminate filler words? Pause and embrace silence while thinking of your next word.
- Why should I stand to present? It shifts the room’s energy and gives you an air of authority.
Theories and Concepts:
- The Narrative Arc: Structuring presentations emotionally (inciting incident to resolution) rather than linearly.
- Picture Superiority Effect: The concept that visual memory outperforms verbal memory.
- Horizontal Logic: The idea that reading only slide titles should communicate the full overarching story.
- Cognitive Load & Clutter: The theory that removing non-essential graph elements (gridlines, borders) increases data comprehension.
- Rule of Thirds: A compositional guideline that aligns subjects along a 3×3 grid.
Books and Authors:
- Resonate by Nancy Duarte: Inspired the “Big Idea” framework used to prioritize messaging.
- Better Data Visualizations by Jonathan Schwabish: Recommended resource for expanding graphical literacy.
- Cartography by Kenneth Field: Recommended for building effective data maps.
- Larry Gets Lost in Seattle by John Skewes: Used as an example of storytelling and visual inspiration.
Persons:
- Nancy Duarte: Communication expert whose work influenced Knaflic’s messaging frameworks.
- Aristotle & Gustav Freytag: Historical figures referenced for their 3-act and 5-act (Freytag’s Pyramid) story structures.
- Catherine Madden: The illustrator responsible for the hand-drawn elements in the book.
Related Books:
- Resonate by Nancy Duarte (Visual stories that transform audiences)
- Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo (Public speaking and presentation secrets)
- Show and Tell by Dan Roam (Visual communication and whiteboarding)
- storytelling with data by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic (The author’s foundational text on data viz)
How to Use This Book: Follow the sequential Plan, Create, Deliver phases. Utilize the worksheets for the Big Idea, use sticky notes to storyboard, and actively record yourself practicing to bridge the gap between slide design and confident delivery.
Conclusion
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic demystifies the art of the stellar presentation. Don’t settle for another boring meeting or data dump—grab a copy of Storytelling with You and start inspiring your audiences to act today!