5 Storytelling Tricks to Make Your Speech Memorable

We’ve all been there: sitting through a speech that feels like it’s never going to end. The speaker drones on, slides click by, and you’re secretly thinking about lunch.

But then there are those rare speeches that make you sit up straighter. You lean in. You laugh, you feel something, and long after it’s over, you still remember the words. The difference? Storytelling.

Here are five tricks I’ve learned that can help turn any speech — whether it’s for class, debate, or just trying to convince your parents you need a dog — into something people won’t forget.

1. Start with something that makes people curious

Don’t start with “Today I’m going to talk about…” That’s an instant snooze.

Instead, try something of the sort:

“I once ate an entire jar of pickles in one sitting… and it taught me something about courage.”

Now your audience has to know where that’s going.

2. Paint a picture

Facts are fine, but images stick.

Instead of: “I was nervous,” say:

“My stomach felt like a washing machine on spin cycle.”

People remember feelings, not bullet points.

3. Let there be struggle

Every good story has a challenge. Maybe you bombed your first presentation. Maybe you got lost in the woods on a hike. Struggles are what make your story human. And the cool thing? Your audience starts rooting for you.

4. Share why it matters

A story without a bigger meaning is just… a story. Tie it back to something real: friendship, resilience, fairness, the planet. That’s the moment your audience realizes, “Oh, this isn’t just funny, it’s true for me, too.”

5. Leave them with something to do

The ending is your mic-drop moment. Don’t just trail off. You must give people a reason to think, feel, or act.

Try:

“So next time you see someone being underestimated, tell them their voice matters. Because it does.”

That’s the kind of line people carry with them after you’re done.

One last thing…

Storytelling isn’t about being perfect or dramatic. It’s about being real. The best speeches feel like conversations — one human talking to another. So the next time you get up to speak, don’t just deliver information. Tell a story only you could tell.