The research, plainly
Green and Brock measured what stories do to persuasion: transported readers — absorbed, imagining, emotionally present — showed reduced counterarguing and beliefs that shifted toward the story's world. Narrative slips past the defenses that arguments trigger.
The receipt: Green & Brock, 2000
What it means for events
The room that's evaluating your claims is a different room than the one that's inside your story. Lead with the customer's narrative — a person, a struggle, a turn — and deliver the argument only after transportation has lowered the shields.
Where to run it
Keynote architecture
Story first, framework second, data third. Reverse the order and every stat gets cross-examined.
Customer moments
The customer telling their own story beats any slide about them — first person is the transportation vehicle.
Product demos
Demo as narrative — a character with a Tuesday problem — not as feature tour. The audience rides along instead of auditing.
Seen in the wild
Related concepts
Now use it
Score your own event against principles like this one — or make the whole vocabulary official.
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