This inner conclusion is far more impressive than the statement of a parent who says with a solemn voice and a raised finger: “Be careful child, never leave the path.” The fairy tale transforms exactly the same statement into a unique and personal experience.
An anecdote can also do it for your presentation. You can put a big statement like “Our process lead time is too long” in capital letters on a slide and seriously look at it, but that doesn’t mean it has any effect.
It’s much better to tell a true story about an order that was delivered five weeks late and caused major problems for the customer. Problems so big that the customer finally walked away in frustration. Your listeners will conclude by themselves: “Oops, our response times are too long.” They reached a unique and personal conclusion. They discovered your statement themselves instead of forcing it on them.
Also, stories are easier to remember than facts. We remember them better and longer and therefore pass them on more often. A story probably sticks better.
